Comparative Investigation of Copper Tolerance and Identification of Putative Tolerance Related Genes in Tardigrades.

ABSTRACT: Tardigrades are microscopic aquatic animals renowned for their tolerance toward extreme environmental conditions. The current study is the first to investigate their tolerance toward heavy metals and we present a novel tardigrade toxicant tolerance assay based on activity assessments as a measure of survival. Specifically, we compare tolerance toward copper in four species representing different evolutionary lineages, habitats and adaptation strategies, i.e., a marine heterotardigrade, Echiniscoides sigismundi, a limno-terrestrial heterotardigrade, Echiniscus testudo, a limno-terrestrial eutardigrade, Ramazzottius oberhaeuseri, and a marine eutardigrade, Halobiotus crispae. The latter was sampled at a time of year, when the population is predominantly represente

SUBMITTER: Hygum TL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5328964 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature