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17 pages, 6359 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation of Potential Effects of Ibuprofen on the Storage Cells and Anhydrobiosis Capacity of the Tardigrade Paramacrobiotus experimentalis

by Aleksandra Miernik, Filip Wieczorkiewicz, Sebastian Student and Izabela Poprawa

Diversity 2024, 16(3), 132; https://doi.org/10.3390/d16030132 - 20 Feb 2024

Viewed by 1399

Abstract

The surge in pharmaceutical consumption, particularly non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, has raised concerns about their presence in aquatic ecosystems. This study investigated the potential ecological impact of ibuprofen, focusing on the ultrastructure of storage cells in the tardigrade Paramacrobiotus experimentalis [...] Read more.

The surge in pharmaceutical consumption, particularly non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, has raised concerns about their presence in aquatic ecosystems. This study investigated the potential ecological impact of ibuprofen, focusing on the ultrastructure of storage cells in the tardigrade Paramacrobiotus experimentalis, renowned for its resilience to environmental stressors. Individuals were exposed to three ibuprofen concentrations (0.1 μg/L, 16.8 μg/L, and 1 mg/L) over 7 and 28 days. Storage cells were examined using light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and confocal microscopy. This study also explored ibuprofen’s impact on the process of anhydrobiosis. In the short-term experiment, no ultrastructural changes in tardigrade storage cells were observed across ibuprofen concentrations. However, in the long-term incubation, autophagic structures in storage cell cytoplasm were identified, indicating potential adaptive responses. Individual mitochondria exhibited degeneration, and the rough endoplasmic reticulum displayed slight swelling. No evidence of increased oxidative stress or nuclear DNA fragmentation was observed in any research group. This study elucidates the complex responses of tardigrade storage cells to ibuprofen exposure. The findings emphasize the importance of understanding pharmaceutical impacts on aquatic organisms, highlighting the resilience of tardigrades to specific environmental stressors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Investigating the Biodiversity of the Tardigrada)

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18 pages, 1477 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tardigrades (Tardigrada) of Colombia: Historical Overview, Distribution, New Records, and an Updated Taxonomic Checklist

by Dayanna Venencia-Sayas, Rosana Londoño, Anisbeth Daza, Luciani Pertuz, Gabriel Marín-Muñoz, Mario H. Londoño-Mesa, Oscar Lisi, Daniele Camarda and Sigmer Quiroga

Diversity 2024, 16(1), 13; https://doi.org/10.3390/d16010013 - 24 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1750

Abstract

Tardigrades, with over 1450 species, are important organisms in ecological understanding and are valuable biological models (e.g., due to their extremotolerant capabilities). While their biodiversity is better known in Europe and North America, Central and South America have only recently started making significant [...] Read more.

Tardigrades, with over 1450 species, are important organisms in ecological understanding and are valuable biological models (e.g., due to their extremotolerant capabilities). While their biodiversity is better known in Europe and North America, Central and South America have only recently started making significant contributions. Through a comprehensive review of scientific literature, biological collections, web portal consultations, and the addition of new records, this study clarifies the current knowledge of tardigrade biodiversity in Colombia. Past research started in the early 20th century, but most data are unreliable due to information gaps and the absence of specimens in biological collections. The last decade has witnessed a resurgence in tardigrade research in Colombia, leading to new species descriptions and a more robust understanding of their biodiversity. Nevertheless, the majority of the territory remains unexplored. A total of 43 known species from our analysis are present in Colombia: 26 records accepted by the literature and 17 questioned in the literature but representing distinct taxa surely present in Colombia. Other species records are considered doubtful. Our study recommends considering mostly scientific records based on verifiable material deposited in scientific collections (highlighting their importance in studying and safeguarding biodiversity) and encourages future researchers to contribute while adhering to legal requirements. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Investigating the Biodiversity of the Tardigrada)

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14 pages, 725 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Actual State of Knowledge of the Limno-Terrestrial Tardigrade Fauna of the Republic of Argentina and New Genus Assignment for Viridiscus rufoviridis (du Bois-Reymond Marcus, 1944)

by Alejandra Rocha, Daniele Camarda, Belen Ostertag, Irene Doma, Florencia Meier and Oscar Lisi

Diversity 2023, 15(2), 222; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15020222 - 03 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1601

Abstract

Limno-terrestrial tardigrades of Argentina had been studied starting in 1908 and for a long time by European researchers, most frequently in the Patagonian region (incl. the Land of Fire). Starting during the 1980s, Claps, Rossi and collaborators published many surveys, studying other regions [...] Read more.

Limno-terrestrial tardigrades of Argentina had been studied starting in 1908 and for a long time by European researchers, most frequently in the Patagonian region (incl. the Land of Fire). Starting during the 1980s, Claps, Rossi and collaborators published many surveys, studying other regions also, but with taxonomic criteria at that time. Since the 2000s, methodical and continuous studies using more modern criteria, have been carried out at the National University of La Pampa, contributing to the faunistic, taxonomic and ecological knowledge (including new species descriptions). This paper provides a comprehensive list of the limno-terrestrial tardigrade fauna reported from Argentina, with pertinent evaluations, owing to a careful study of every pertinent piece of literature since 1908, also solving some problems of discordance between the main past checklists. Summarizing, 39 genera and 119 species are present; of these, 72 represent records accepted by the literature, while 47 are records questioned in the literature but which represent distinct taxa surely present in Argentina; 14 additional taxa, instead, are clearly dubious. The authors also report the correct genus assignment to Viridiscus rufoviridis (du Bois-Reymond Marcus, 1944), which now becomes Barbaria rufoviridis comb. nov. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Investigating the Biodiversity of the Tardigrada)

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12 pages, 6287 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

New Records of Marine Tardigrades (Arthotardigrada) from the Iberian Peninsula: Biogeographical Implications

by Marcos Rubal, Paulo Fontoura and Puri Veiga

Diversity 2023, 15(2), 210; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15020210 - 02 Feb 2023

Viewed by 1399

Abstract

Biogeography patterns of marine tardigrades are poorly studied. Many species of marine tardigrades are considered endemic, but this high number may be an artifact resulting from skewed knowledge about marine tardigrade diversity in different regions of the world. On the other hand, some [...] Read more.

Biogeography patterns of marine tardigrades are poorly studied. Many species of marine tardigrades are considered endemic, but this high number may be an artifact resulting from skewed knowledge about marine tardigrade diversity in different regions of the world. On the other hand, some species of marine tardigrades are considered cosmopolitan. Most of these were described many years ago. Unfortunately, these early descriptions are very incomplete and omit many characteristics with diagnostically relevant value, thus, resulting in many types of these records of these species worldwide. The objective of this study is to report, for the first time, the presence of three species of marine tardigrades in the Atlantic shores of the Iberian Peninsula. These three species were previously described from other regions of the world and the biogeographic consequences of their presence on the study area are discussed. These records provide valuable insights about the biogeography of marine tardigrades in this region. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Investigating the Biodiversity of the Tardigrada)

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15 pages, 6835 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Integrative Redescription of the Minibiotus intermedius (Plate, 1888)—The Type Species of the Genus Minibiotus R.O. Schuster, 1980

by Łukasz Kaczmarek, Pushpalata Kayastha, Milena Roszkowska, Magdalena Gawlak and Monika Mioduchowska

Diversity 2022, 14(5), 356; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14050356 - 30 Apr 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2300

Abstract

In the present study, we used the integrative taxonomy approach to redescribe Minibiotus intermedius based on the newly found topotypic population in Marburg (Germany). As the original type material is not available, we designate a neotype to stabilize the taxonomy of the genus [...] Read more.

In the present study, we used the integrative taxonomy approach to redescribe Minibiotus intermedius based on the newly found topotypic population in Marburg (Germany). As the original type material is not available, we designate a neotype to stabilize the taxonomy of the genus Minibiotus. Obtained mitochondrial COI barcode sequence and nuclear markers, i.e., 18S rRNA and 28S rRNA of M. intermedius from the neotype locality, were unique and distinct from those deposited in GenBank. In the first redescription of M. intermedius, only four specimens and no eggs from the neotype locality were analyzed. Moreover, genetic analyses were not conducted and barcodes were not available. Therefore, the present study, by establishing the neotype and providing integrative data on the neotype population, helps to better define the Minibiotus taxonomy and prevents further misunderstandings in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Investigating the Biodiversity of the Tardigrada)

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28 pages, 3097 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Strategy to Provide a Present and Future Scenario of Mexican Biodiversity of Tardigrada

by Jazmín García-Román, Alba Dueñas-Cedillo, Montserrat Cervantes-Espinoza, José Juan Flores-Martínez, Carlos Fabián Vargas-Mendoza, Enrico Alejandro Ruiz and Francisco Armendáriz-Toledano

Diversity 2022, 14(4), 280; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14040280 - 09 Apr 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2456

Abstract

Although the number of known tardigrade taxa in Mexico has increased significantly in the last ten years, the knowledge of their diversity faces challenges, as more than half of the Mexican territory has no records of this phylum. Thus, we developed a strategy [...] Read more.

Although the number of known tardigrade taxa in Mexico has increased significantly in the last ten years, the knowledge of their diversity faces challenges, as more than half of the Mexican territory has no records of this phylum. Thus, we developed a strategy to provide a present and future scenario for understanding the Mexican biodiversity of Tardigrada, described the distribution patterns of the current recorded species, calculated the estimated richness, and the estimated taxonomic effort needed to complete the national inventory. We obtained 474 records of 105 taxa, belonging to 42 genera and 75 species, distributed in 12 of the 14 biogeographical provinces of Mexico. We found that 54.72% of the species are present in more than three world regions and 3.79% of species that have been recorded only in Mexican provinces. Distribution patterns could be recognized for 11 species, two of which have a Nearctic distribution, seven are Neotropical and two are distributed in both regions. The Mexican biogeographical provinces with the greatest diversity of tardigrades, both at specific and generic level, were the Transmexican Volcanic Belt (TVBP) and the Sierras Madre Oriental (SMOrP) and Sierra Madre Occidental (SMOcP), which have been previously identified as particularly species-rich regions. Diversity estimation methods predict that more than 290 species of tardigrades could be found in Mexico. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Investigating the Biodiversity of the Tardigrada)

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Review

Jump to: Research

27 pages, 950 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Limno-Terrestrial Tardigrada of Sub-Antarctic Islands—An Annotated Review

by Peter Degma and Nina Gábrišová

Diversity 2023, 15(11), 1109; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15111109 - 25 Oct 2023

Viewed by 1878

Abstract

Research on the limno-terrestrial Tardigrada fauna of the Sub-Antarctic zone began almost 120 years ago. Here we present an overview of the literature data on the presence of tardigrades on sub-Antarctic islands, including the substrates on which they have been found. From 32 [...] Read more.

Research on the limno-terrestrial Tardigrada fauna of the Sub-Antarctic zone began almost 120 years ago. Here we present an overview of the literature data on the presence of tardigrades on sub-Antarctic islands, including the substrates on which they have been found. From 32 published sources, we found original data on the occurrence of 49 currently valid species on six sub-Antarctic islands/island groups. Of these, 9 species (18%) were originally described from this zone, another 13 species (26%) were described from Continental or Maritime Antarctica, almost half of these species (22 species—45%) were originally described from European localities, and the remaining 5 species (10%) were originally described from South America, Africa, or Australia. The validity of the records of individual species is discussed. We consider the presence of 29 species in the Sub-Antarctic to be doubtful. We ascertained a total of 90 combinations of species and islands or island groups. More than half (64%) of these will require confirmation in the future because we currently consider them doubtful. We can conclude that the tardigrade fauna of the sub-Antarctic islands is only very superficially known, and the occurrence of most species in this zone must be verified. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Investigating the Biodiversity of the Tardigrada)

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19 pages, 797 KiB

Open AccessReview

Applicable Life-History and Molecular Traits for Studying the Effects of Anhydrobiosis on Aging in Tardigrades

by Amit Kumar Nagwani, Łukasz Kaczmarek and Hanna Kmita

Diversity 2022, 14(8), 664; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14080664 - 17 Aug 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2692

Abstract

Anhydrobiosis is induced by loss of water and indicates dehydration tolerance. Survival of dehydration is possible through changes at different levels of organism organization, including a remarkable reduction in metabolic activity at the cellular level. Thus, anhydrobiosis may be regarded as an anti-aging [...] Read more.

Anhydrobiosis is induced by loss of water and indicates dehydration tolerance. Survival of dehydration is possible through changes at different levels of organism organization, including a remarkable reduction in metabolic activity at the cellular level. Thus, anhydrobiosis may be regarded as an anti-aging strategy. Accordingly, two hypotheses named after popular stories, “Sleeping Beauty” and “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, were proposed to explain the effect of anhydrobiosis on aging. The two hypotheses predict the presence (The Picture of Dorian Gray) or absence (Sleeping Beauty) of observable aging symptoms for animals undergoing anhydrobiosis. Predictions of these hypotheses have rarely been tested, and the cellular level has not been addressed. Tardigrades appear to be a useful model for studying the effect of anhydrobiosis on aging, as they are able to enter and survive anhydrobiosis at any stage of life, although not with the same success for all species. In this review, we discuss anhydrobiosis and aging mechanisms as well as tardigrade diversity and indicate possible multilevel markers that can be used to study the impact of anhydrobiosis on tardigrade aging. This review provides data on tardigrade diversity that may also be useful for human aging studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Investigating the Biodiversity of the Tardigrada)

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