Abstract
Larvae of the sleeping chironomid, Polypedilum vanderplanki, have an ability of desiccation tolerance,
so-called anhydrobiosis. One of the factors that contribute to desiccation tolerance is trehalose. The larvae
synthesize and accumulate high levels of trehalose in the fat body during the desiccation process. TRET1
(Trehalose Transporter 1), a facilitated trehalose transporter from P. vanderplanki, transports trehalose into
the hemolymph. However, the mechanism for the physiological contribution of TRET1 in the desiccation
process is unknown. Here we addressed to analyze the physiological role of TRET1 in a desiccation-tolerant
cell line, Pv11. We attempted to establish Pv11 cell lines knocked out Tret1 gene (Pv11-Tret1-KO cells) by a
genome editing technology. As a result, Pv11-Tret1-KO cells did not proliferate in the normal growth
condition. The result was attributed to the fact that Tret1 was highly expressed before the desiccation process.
Thus, TRET1 is thought to play an important role not only in the desiccation process but also in the survival
of Pv11 cells during normal growth. Therefore, it will be necessary to develop a time-specific conditional
knockdown technology for the functional analysis of this transporter.
