QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s):
Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Related articles in JEB Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Wharton, D. A. Articles by Marshall, C. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Wharton, D. A. Articles by Marshall, C. J. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

The Journal of Experimental Biology 206, 215-221 (2003)
doi: 10.1242/jeb.00083

Freezing survival and cryoprotective dehydration as cold tolerance mechanisms in the Antarctic nematode Panagrolaimus davidi

David A. Wharton^1,*, Gordon Goodall^1,2 and Craig J. Marshall²

¹ Department of Zoology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
² Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand

^* Author for correspondence (e-mail: david.wharton{at}stonebow.otago.ac.nz)

Accepted 17 October 2002

The relative importance of freezing tolerance and cryoprotective dehydration in the Antarctic nematode Panagrolaimus davidi has been investigated. If nucleation of the medium is initiated at a high subzero temperature (-1°C), the nematodes do not freeze but dehydrate. This effect occurs in deionised water, indicating that the loss of water is driven by the difference in vapour pressure of ice and supercooled water at the same temperature. If the nematodes are held above their nucleation temperature for a sufficient time, or are cooled slowly, enough water is lost to prevent freezing (cryoprotective dehydration). However, if the medium is nucleated at lower temperatures or if the sample is cooled at a faster cooling rate, the nematodes freeze and can survive intracellular ice formation. P. davidi thus has a variety of mechanisms that ensure its survival in its harsh terrestrial Antarctic habitat.

Key words: Antarctic, nematode, Panagrolaimus davidi, freezing, ice, nucleation, dehydration

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

Related articles in JEB:

NEMATODES FREEZE-DRY TO SURVIVE

Kathryn Phillips
JEB 2003 206: 209-210. [Full Text]  

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Hengherr, M. R. Worland, A. Reuner, F. Brummer, and R. O. Schill Freeze tolerance, supercooling points and ice formation: comparative studies on the subzero temperature survival of limno-terrestrial tardigrades J. Exp. Biol., March 15, 2009; 212(6): 802 - 807. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. A. Elnitsky, S. A. L. Hayward, J. P. Rinehart, D. L. Denlinger, and R. E. Lee Jr Cryoprotective dehydration and the resistance to inoculative freezing in the Antarctic midge, Belgica antarctica J. Exp. Biol., February 15, 2008; 211(4): 524 - 530. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Phillips NEMATODES FREEZE-DRY TO SURVIVE J. Exp. Biol., March 2, 2003; 206(2): 209 - 210. [Full Text] [PDF]