Goldstein Bob
Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
Cold Spring Harb Protoc. 2018 Nov 1;2018(11):2018/11/pdb.emo102301. doi: 10.1101/pdb.emo102301.
The success of scientists in revealing biological mechanisms has depended in large part on choosing tractable model systems. In 1997, molecular phylogenetics revealed that two of biology's most tractable models- and -are much more closely related to each other than had been thought previously. I began to explore whether any of the little-studied members of this branch of the tree of life might serve as a new model for comparative biology that could make use of the rich and ongoing sources of information flowing from and research. Tardigrades, also known as water bears, make up a phylum of microscopic animals. The tardigrade (recently disambiguated from a closely related species, ) can be maintained in laboratories and has a generation time of <2 wk at room temperature. Stocks of animals can be stored frozen and revived. The animals and their embryos are optically clear, and embryos are laid in groups, with each synchronous clutch of embryos laid in a clear molt. We have developed techniques for laboratory study of this system, including methods for microinjection of animals, immunolocalization, in situ hybridization, RNA interference, transcriptomics, and methods for identifying proteins that mediate tolerance to extreme environments. Here, I review the development of this animal as an emerging model system, as well as recent molecular studies aimed at understanding the evolution of developmental mechanisms that underpin the evolution of animal form and at understanding how biological materials can survive extreme environments.
科学家在揭示生物学机制方面的成功很大程度上取决于选择易于处理的模型系统。1997年，分子系统发育学研究表明，生物学中两个最易于处理的模型——[此处原文缺失具体模型名称]——彼此之间的亲缘关系比之前认为的要近得多。我开始探索生命之树这个分支中那些研究较少的成员是否可以作为比较生物学的新模型，从而利用来自[此处原文缺失具体研究对象]和[此处原文缺失具体研究对象]研究的丰富且持续的信息流。缓步动物，也被称为水熊虫，是一个微小的动物门。[此处原文缺失具体缓步动物物种名称]（最近已与一个近缘物种区分开来）可以在实验室中饲养，在室温下其世代周期小于2周。动物种群可以冷冻保存并复苏。这些动物及其胚胎在光学上是透明的，胚胎成组产下，每一组同步产出的胚胎都处于清晰的蜕皮期。我们已经开发出了用于该系统实验室研究的技术，包括动物显微注射、免疫定位、原位杂交、RNA干扰、转录组学以及识别介导对极端环境耐受性的蛋白质的方法。在此，我回顾了这种动物作为新兴模型系统的发展情况，以及最近旨在理解支撑动物形态进化的发育机制的进化，和理解生物材料如何在极端环境中生存的分子研究。
