Anhydrobiosis and Freezing-Tolerance: Adaptations That Facilitate the Establishment of Panagrolaimus Nematodes in Polar Habitats

• Published in: PLOS ONE
• Main Authors: McGill, Lorraine M., Shannon, Adam J., Pisani, Davide, Félix, Marie-Anne, Ramløv, Hans, Dix, Ilona, Wharton, David A., Burnell, Ann M.
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Public Library of Science 2015
• Subjects: Research Article; Antarctic; Ross Island; Surtsey; Antarc*; Antarctica; Iceland
• Online Access: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4352009; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25747673; https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0116084

Anhydrobiotic animals can survive the loss of both free and bound water from their cells. While in this state they are also resistant to freezing. This physiology adapts anhydrobiotes to harsh environments and it aids their dispersal. Panagrolaimus davidi, a bacterial feeding anhydrobiotic nematode...