BE-208 Biomaterial and devices

Tardigrade protein
helps human DNA
withstand radiation
Presenter: Aditi Singh
Enrollment no: 20111003
What is a
tardigrade?

TINY AND TOUGH

• Tardigrades are tiny water-dwelling creatures famed
for their resiliency
• The eight-legged invertebrates can survive for up to
30 years without food or water and can endure wild
temperature extremes, radiation exposure, and even
the vacuum of space.
• Tardigrades have been on earth about 600 million
years, preceding the dinosaurs by about 400 million
years. 
How can tardigrades be helpful
to us
• Genetically modifying human cells with DNA from
a TARDIGRADE could help astronauts withstand
the deadly effects of long-distance space travel
• Tardigrades have a protein that protects them
from radiation, known as Dsup
• Geneticists want to combine the creatures DNA
with human cells
• Suggests it  will enable astronauts to endure deadly
effects of spaceflight
Their resiliency is in part due to a unique protein
in their bodies called Dsup—short for "damage
suppressor"—that protects their DNA from being
harmed by things like ionizing radiation, which is
present in soil, water, and vegetation.

Another amazing survival trick is cryptobiosis, a

state of inactivity triggered by a dry
environment.
The micro-animals squeeze all the water out of
their bodies, retract their heads and limbs, roll up
into a little ball, and become dormant.
When conditions improve, they unfurl
themselves and go about their business.
 DSUP protein
Tardigrade-unique protein named Dsup (damage
suppressor) protects DNA from damage produced
by radiation and radical
Dsup (damage suppressor) associates with nuclear DNA to
protect human cells from damage by X-rays has expanded
the range of studies on tardigrades in biotechnology and
medicine.
Experiments suggest that the protein is intrinsically
disordered, which enables Dsup to adjust its structure to fit
DNA shape. Strong electrostatic attractions and high
protein flexibility drive the formation of a molecular
aggregate in which Dsup shields DNA. While the precise
mechanism of DNA protection conferred by Dsup remains
to be elucidated
Engineering Radioprotective
Human Cells Using the Tardigrade
Damage Suppressor Protein, DSUP
Damage suppressor protein (Dsup) that co-localizes with chromatin in both
tardigrade and transduced human cells and protects against damage from reactive
oxygen species via ionizing radiation. While Dsup has been shown to confer
human cells with radioresistance; much of the mechanism of how it does this in
the context of human cells remains to be elucidated. In addition, there is no
knowledge yet of how introduction of Dsup into human cells can perturb cellular
networks and if there are any systemic risks associated.
“What a
Presented by
Aditi Singh
20111018

time to be
alive” Under the Guidance of
Dr. Gopinath P.