The tardigrade cuticle
Tardigrades (phylum Tardigrada) are aquatic microecdysozoans that have adapted to survive extreme conditions through the formation of cysts or ametabolic tuns. Their body is covered by a cuticle that plays an important role in their life cycle, including their response and adaptation to environmenta...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Limnological Review |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.2478/limre-2021-0012 |
| _version_ | 1827160867783835648 |
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| author | Czerneková Michaela Vinopal Stanislav |
| author_facet | Czerneková Michaela Vinopal Stanislav |
| author_sort | Czerneková Michaela |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Tardigrades (phylum Tardigrada) are aquatic microecdysozoans that have adapted to survive extreme conditions through the formation of cysts or ametabolic tuns. Their body is covered by a cuticle that plays an important role in their life cycle, including their response and adaptation to environmental challenges. Cuticular characteristics are a critical component of tardigrade taxonomy. Therefore, research has often been focused on the relationship between cuticular morphology and ultrastructure and the evolutionary and phylogenetic positioning of the phylum and individual species herein. However, a deeper insight into the ultrastructural characteristics and chemical composition of the tardigrade cuticle is needed. This knowledge is important not only for a better understanding of tardigrade physiology and ecology but also for the development of efficient microinjection and/or electroporation techniques that would allow for genetic manipulation, opening new avenues in tardigrade research. Here, we review data on cuticle ultrastructure and chemical composition. Further, we discuss how the cuticle is affected during moulting, encystment, cyclomorphosis, and anhydrobiosis. Our work indicates that more systematic studies on the molecular composition of the tardigrade cuticle and on the process of its formation are needed to improve our understanding of its properties and functions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T06:33:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1c8d964a9b824f24aa4c36a8838891d0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2300-7575 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-03-21T00:19:51Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Limnological Review |
| spelling | doaj.art-1c8d964a9b824f24aa4c36a8838891d02024-08-03T08:45:50ZengMDPI AGLimnological Review2300-75752021-09-0121312714610.2478/limre-2021-0012The tardigrade cuticleCzerneková Michaela0Vinopal Stanislav1Department of Biology, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University, Pasteurova 3632/15, 400 96 Ústí nad Labem, Czech RepublicDepartment of Biology, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University, Pasteurova 3632/15, 400 96 Ústí nad Labem, Czech RepublicTardigrades (phylum Tardigrada) are aquatic microecdysozoans that have adapted to survive extreme conditions through the formation of cysts or ametabolic tuns. Their body is covered by a cuticle that plays an important role in their life cycle, including their response and adaptation to environmental challenges. Cuticular characteristics are a critical component of tardigrade taxonomy. Therefore, research has often been focused on the relationship between cuticular morphology and ultrastructure and the evolutionary and phylogenetic positioning of the phylum and individual species herein. However, a deeper insight into the ultrastructural characteristics and chemical composition of the tardigrade cuticle is needed. This knowledge is important not only for a better understanding of tardigrade physiology and ecology but also for the development of efficient microinjection and/or electroporation techniques that would allow for genetic manipulation, opening new avenues in tardigrade research. Here, we review data on cuticle ultrastructure and chemical composition. Further, we discuss how the cuticle is affected during moulting, encystment, cyclomorphosis, and anhydrobiosis. Our work indicates that more systematic studies on the molecular composition of the tardigrade cuticle and on the process of its formation are needed to improve our understanding of its properties and functions.https://doi.org/10.2478/limre-2021-0012cuticletardigradeschemical compositionultrastructurechemical treatment |
| spellingShingle | Czerneková Michaela Vinopal Stanislav The tardigrade cuticle Limnological Review cuticle tardigrades chemical composition ultrastructure chemical treatment |
| title | The tardigrade cuticle |
| title_full | The tardigrade cuticle |
| title_fullStr | The tardigrade cuticle |
| title_full_unstemmed | The tardigrade cuticle |
| title_short | The tardigrade cuticle |
| title_sort | tardigrade cuticle |
| topic | cuticle tardigrades chemical composition ultrastructure chemical treatment |
| url | https://doi.org/10.2478/limre-2021-0012 |
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