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Dormancy and Resistance in Harsh Environments pp 147–163Cite as

Cryoprotective Dehydration: Clues from an Insect

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Part of the book series: Topics in Current Genetics ((TCG,volume 21))

Abstract

Arthropods have evolved a number of different adaptations to survive extreme environmental temperatures including, in some regions, over-wintering temperatures well below 0°C. One of the less common adaptations to surviving cold is that of cryoprotective dehydration, where the animal becomes almost anhydrobiotic with the loss of virtually all osmotically active water. In this chapter, we describe integrated studies utilising physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology to understand this phenomenon in the Arctic springtail (Megaphorura arctica) (formerly Onychiurus arcticus). These studies concentrate on the action of trehalose as a cryoprotectant, the production of antioxidants to reduce cell damage and changes in membrane composition.

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Acknowledgements

This paper was produced within the BAS GSAC BIOREACH/BIOFLAME core programmes and also contributes to the SCAR EBA programme. JP was sponsored by the EU Sleeping Beauty Consortium: Specific Targeted Research Project, Contract no 012674 (NEST). JP and GG-L are also funded by the MSTD grant 143034, awarded by the Republic of Serbia. The authors would like to thank NERC for access to the NERC Arctic Research Station (Harland Huset) at Ny-Ålesund and Nick Cox, the Arctic base commander. We would also like to thank Pete Convey for critical reading of the manuscript and Barbara Worland and Guy Hillyard for their help with animal collection in the 2007 and 2008 field seasons respectively and Zeljko Popovic for his help with the Q-PCR.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biological Sciences Division, British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK

    M. Roger Worland, Jelena Purać, Michael A. S. Thorne & Melody S. Clark

  2. Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi-Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000, Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia

    Gordana Grubor-Lajšić & Jelena Purać

Authors
  1. M. Roger Worland
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  2. Gordana Grubor-Lajšić
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  3. Jelena Purać
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  4. Michael A. S. Thorne
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  5. Melody S. Clark
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Correspondence to Melody S. Clark .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Re, Haifa, 31080, Israel

    Esther Lubzens

  2. Tecnologia Agroalimentaries, Center of Aquaculture, IRTA Institut de Recerca i, Ctra. Poble Nou km 6, San Carlos de la Rapita, 43540, Spain

    Joan Cerda

  3. , Ecosystems, British Antarctic Survey, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, United Kingdom

    Melody Clark

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Worland, M.R., Grubor-Lajšić, G., Purać, J., Thorne, M.A.S., Clark, M.S. (2010). Cryoprotective Dehydration: Clues from an Insect. In: Lubzens, E., Cerda, J., Clark, M. (eds) Dormancy and Resistance in Harsh Environments. Topics in Current Genetics, vol 21. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-12422-8_9

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