Genome analysis of desiccation tolerant midge, Polypedilum vanderplanki

An African chironomid, Polypedilum vanderplanki, is the only insect known to be capable of extreme desiccation tolerance, or anhydrobiosis. Although anhydrobiotic organisms are found in many taxa ranging from unicellular organisms to higher invertebrates and plants, no anhydrobiotic vertebrate species other than P. vanderplanki have been found. Many researches focusing on mechanisms underlying anhydrobiosis have been carried out, the molecular mechanisms underpinning anhydrobiosis are not yet completely understood. In order to understand genome-wide adaptation to anhydrobiosis of P. vanderplanki, we started genome sequencing of two species of the genus Polypedilum, i.e. the anhydrobiotic P. vanderplanki and desiccation-sensitive P. nubifer.