A gene found in tardigrades (Tardigrada) can be transplanted into human cells to protect them from radiation and other extreme environmental conditions. This was found by Japanese biologists from the University of Tokyo, who determined the reason for the resistance of tardigrades to such influences thanks to an eight-year study of their genome. The scientists' findings are presented in an article published in the journal Nature Communications.
Tardigrades, or water bears, are microscopic invertebrates, are extremophiles (organisms that can survive in boiling water, at low temperatures, and when exposed to ionizing radiation). To understand what allows these animals to withstand harsh conditions, scientists analyzed the genome of one of the tardigrade species, Ramazzottius varieornatus. The researchers tested which proteins attach to DNA and protect it from destruction.
Biologists have discovered the gene Dsup (from the English damage suppressor - "damage suppressor"). It was inserted into a culture of human cells, which were then exposed to X-rays. Genetically modified cells turned out to be much more resistant to radiation than ordinary cells.
According to scientists, Dsup can be used in the future to protect human tissues and organs from damage, as well as to make the transport of cell cultures safer.
Scientists also found no signs that a large number of genes, including protective ones, appeared in tardigrades through horizontal DNA transfer from extremophile bacteria. This hypothesis was proposed by researchers at North Carolina State University in 2015.
Biologists also found that tardigrades themselves were more resistant to radiation than genetically modified cells. This indicates that they have some other defenses yet to be established.
