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Abstract

The bdelloid rotifer lineage Adineta vaga inhabits temporary habitats subjected to frequent episodes of drought. The recently published draft sequence of the genome of A. vaga revealed a peculiar genomic structure incompatible with meiosis, suggesting that DNA damage induced by desiccation may have reshaped the genomic structure of these organisms. However, the causative link between DNA damage and desiccation had never been proven to date in rotifers. In the following presentation, last studies of genomic integrity of bdelloids submitted to desiccation will be presented. DNA double-strand breaks in desiccated A. vaga may represent gateways to genetic exchange, as suggested by the unprecedented amount of horizontally transferred genes identified in this organism. In one particularly illustrative example, we will present our discovery of putative trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (tps) genes in the Adineta genome and explain why these genes were not detected in previous researches.
 
 Perspectives about how bdelloids can be used to increase our knowledge of desiccation  and extreme stress resistance will be presented.