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July 2017

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Comparative genomics of the tardigrades Hypsibius dujardini and Ramazzottius varieornatus
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Tardigrades are justly famous for their abilities to withstand environmental extremes. Many freshwater and terrestrial species can undergo anhydrobiosis — life without water — and thereby withstand desiccation, freezing, and other insults. This study by Yoshida, Koutsovoulos et al. explores the comparative biology of anhydrobiosis in two species of tardigrade that differ in the mechanisms they use to enter anhydrobiosis. Using newly assembled and improved genomes, the authors find that Ramazzottius varieornatus, a species that can withstand rapid desiccation, differs from Hypsibius dujardini, a species that requires extended preconditioning, in not showing a major transcriptional response to anhydrobiosis induction. The improved genomes allowed them to explore the evolutionary relationships of tardigrades and other moulting animals, particularly nematodes and arthropods. The image shows a scanning electron micrograph of Ramazzottius varieornatus, one of the two tardigrade species studied here.

Image Credit: Hiroki Higashiyama and Kazuharu Arakawa

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