Dormant Soil Nematode from Siberian Permafrost Recently Reanimated, Starts Multiplying in Petri Dish

In the Siberian Permafrost, a dormant soil nematode was retrieved and successfully reanimated, leading to remarkable reproduction within its petri dish.

46,000-Year-Old Dormanit Soil Nematode

A startling discovery was made when a female microscopic roundworm that had been stored in the Siberian permafrost for an incredible 46,000 years was successfully revived and even delivered birth in a test dish.

Scientists that sequenced the roundworm's DNA discovered that it belonged to a nematode species that was previously undiscovered.

According to William Crow, a University of Florida nematologist, nematodes are widespread organisms that live in a variety of settings including soil, water, and the ocean floor, with the latter mostly unexplored.

The resurgence of the ancient Siberian worm provides important information on how these spindle-shaped animals go dormant to endure harsh conditions.

Understanding this process could help us better understand how animals adjust at the cellular level in response to changing habitats brought on by climate change.

According to Philipp Schiffer, an Institute for Zoology group leader, researching ancient species' adaptations may help modern animals and even humans deal with the difficulties of a changing planet.

In addition to its "wow" aspect, this time-traveling nematode has important implications for ecological study and conservation initiatives.

Reanimated Ancient Nematodes

The potential of some microscopic organisms to achieve cryptobiosis--a state of suspended animation when they reduce their metabolic rate to undetectable levels--has long been known to scientists.

In Siberian permafrost, researchers in 2021 brought ancient bdelloid rotifers back to life after 24,000 years, shattering previous records held by other worms that had survived for only a few dozen years.

Panagrolaimus kolymaensis, a newly discovered nematode species, broke all previous records for dormancy by living in frozen soil from a Pleistocene-era gopher hole for an incredible 46,000 years.

Gregory Copenhaver, PLOS Genetics co-editor, expressed surprise that the creature had managed to survive for such a protracted length of time.

This finding illuminates the adaptability and survival mechanisms of microscopic living forms and provides important new insights into these processes.

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Suspended Animation

Scientists easily revive these ancient creatures by thawing the soil cautiously, ensuring gradual warming to avoid damage.

Once thawed, the nematodes become active, feeding on bacteria and reproducing in a lab dish.

Though the original 46,000-year-old nematode has perished, researchers have generated over 100 generations from a single specimen through parthenogenesis, reproduction without mates.

Beyond the specimen's age, scientists are intrigued by its ability to enter suspended animation.

Experiments revealed that preconditioning, exposure to mild desiccation before deep freezing, enhances survival in this new nematode species and its C. elegans counterpart.

During this process, nematodes produce trehalose, a sugar that may safeguard their DNA, cells, and proteins from degradation.

Co-leader of the study, Teymuras Kurzchalia, from the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, emphasized ongoing initiatives to use gene-silencing technologies to identify important proteins.

Research on the mechanisms of desiccation tolerance is still very important, according to Scientific American.

Efforts to identify proteins involved in this mechanism persist, and researchers seek to understand desiccation tolerance better. They also ponder the limits of survival and resurrection, pondering implications for evolution and the concept of extinction.

Although this ancient nematode's typical lifespan is one to two months, its continued movement, bacterial consumption, and reproduction after revival affirm its vitality, The Washington Post reported.

The study, done by Schiffer, Kurzchalia, and their team, was recently published in PLOS Genetics.