Nature, Source and Function of Pigments in Tardigrades: In Vivo Raman Imaging of Carotenoids in Echiniscus blumi

摘要: Tardigrades are microscopic aquatic animals with remarkable abilities to withstand harsh physical conditions such as dehydration or exposure harmful highly energetic radiation. The mechanisms responsible for robustness presently little known, but protection against oxidative stresses is thought play a role. Despite the fact that many tardigrade species variously pigmented, scarce information available about this characteristic. By applying Raman micro-spectroscopy on living specimens, pigments in Echiniscus blumi identified carotenoids, and their distribution within animal body visualized. dietary origin of these demonstrated, well presence eggs eye-spots animals, together absence outer layer (i.e., cuticle epidermis). Using in-vivo semi-quantitative micro-spectroscopy, decrease carotenoid content detected after inducing stress, demonstrating approach can be used studying role carotenoids stress-related processes tardigrades. This could thus further investigations test several hypotheses concerning function tardigrades photo-protective ionizing radiations antioxidants defending organisms stress occurring during desiccation processes.