Phylogenetic analysis of trehalose-6-phosphate synthase gene and its comparative quantification in fresh and desiccated infective juveniles of Heterorhabditis indica

Trehalose, a non-reducing disaccharide, protects biological membranes and intracellular proteins during desiccation in diverse species across the taxonomic hierarchy. Trehalose synthesis is a two-step process mediated by two genes namely tps-1 and tps-2. The tps-2 gene encodes trehalose-6-phosphate synthase enzyme which is the key step in linking glucose molecules. Comparative transcriptome of fresh and desiccated Heterorhabditis indica IJ revealed a six-fold increase in the expression of tps-1 gene in desiccated IJ. Temporal enzymatic quantification of trehalose-6-phosphate synthase at different stages of desiccation (0h, 12h, 24h, and 48h) revealed its importance in the first 12h during which there was a two-fold increase in the activity (0.000156 nmol/g), followed by a gradual decline. This implies that the enzyme is important during the desiccation process of H. indica IJ.