Radiation tolerance linked to anhydrobiosis in

Nakahara, Yuichi*; Watanabe, Masahiko*; Kikawada, Takahiro*; Fujita, Akihiko*; Horikawa, Daiki*; Okuda, Takashi*; Sakashita, Tetsuya; Funayama, Tomoo; Hamada, Nobuyuki*; Wada, Seiichi*; Kobayashi, Yasuhiko

We have shown that anhydrobiotic larvae of have higher tolerance against both high linear energy transfer (LET) radiation than hydrated larvae. We therefore examined effects of high-LET radiation on four kinds of larvae: (1) normal hydrated (intact) larva, (2) intermediates between the anhydrobiotic and normal hydrated state, (3) almost completely dehydrated (anhydrobiotic) larvae, and (4) immediately rehydrated larvae that are assumed to have a similar molecular profile to anhydrobiotic larvae. The intermediates and immediately rehydrated larvae survived longer after high-LET radiation than intact larvae, indicating that radiation tolerance could be enhanced even in hydrated larvae. Physiological changes toward anhydrobiosis, e.g. accumulation of protectants or increasing damage repair capacity, correlate with improved radiation tolerance in hydrated larvae.