1
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Xing N, Gao L, Xie W, Deng H, Yang F, Liu D, Li A, Pang Q. Mining of potentially stem cell-related miRNAs in planarians. Mol Biol Rep 2024; 51:1045. [PMID: 39377855 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-024-09977-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 09/27/2024] [Indexed: 10/09/2024]
Abstract
Stem cells and regenerative medicine have recently become important research topics. However, the complex stem cell regulatory networks involved in various microRNA (miRNA)-mediated mechanisms have not yet been fully elucidated. Planarians are ideal animal models for studying stem cells owing to their rich stem cell populations (neoblasts) and extremely strong regeneration capacity. The roles of planarian miRNAs in stem cells and regeneration have long attracted attention. However, previous studies have generally provided simple datasets lacking integrative analysis. Here, we have summarized the miRNA family reported in planarians and highlighted conservation in both sequence and function. Furthermore, we summarized miRNA data related to planarian stem cells and regeneration and screened potential involved candidates. Nevertheless, the roles of these miRNAs in planarian regeneration and stem cells remain unclear. The identification of potential stem cell-related miRNAs offers more precise suggestions and references for future investigations of miRNAs in planarians. Furthermore, it provides potential research avenues for understanding the mechanisms of stem cell regulatory networks. Finally, we compiled a summary of the experimental methods employed for studying planarian miRNAs, with the aim of highlighting special considerations in certain procedures and providing more convenient technical support for future research endeavors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nianhong Xing
- Anti-aging & Regenerative Medicine Research Institute, School of Life Sciences and Medicine, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049, China
| | - Lili Gao
- Anti-aging & Regenerative Medicine Research Institute, School of Life Sciences and Medicine, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049, China.
| | - Wenshuo Xie
- Anti-aging & Regenerative Medicine Research Institute, School of Life Sciences and Medicine, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049, China
| | - Hongkuan Deng
- Anti-aging & Regenerative Medicine Research Institute, School of Life Sciences and Medicine, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049, China
| | - Fengtang Yang
- Anti-aging & Regenerative Medicine Research Institute, School of Life Sciences and Medicine, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049, China
| | - Dongwu Liu
- Anti-aging & Regenerative Medicine Research Institute, School of Life Sciences and Medicine, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049, China
| | - Ao Li
- Anti-aging & Regenerative Medicine Research Institute, School of Life Sciences and Medicine, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049, China
| | - Qiuxiang Pang
- Anti-aging & Regenerative Medicine Research Institute, School of Life Sciences and Medicine, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049, China.
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2
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Zhang XS, Wei L, Zhang W, Zhang FX, Li L, Li L, Wen Y, Zhang JH, Liu S, Yuan D, Liu Y, Ren C, Li S. ERK-activated CK-2 triggers blastema formation during appendage regeneration. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadk8331. [PMID: 38507478 PMCID: PMC10954200 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk8331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Appendage regeneration relies on the formation of blastema, a heterogeneous cellular structure formed at the injury site. However, little is known about the early injury-activated signaling pathways that trigger blastema formation during appendage regeneration. Here, we provide compelling evidence that the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-activated casein kinase 2 (CK-2), which has not been previously implicated in appendage regeneration, triggers blastema formation during leg regeneration in the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana. After amputation, CK-2 undergoes rapid activation through ERK-induced phosphorylation within blastema cells. RNAi knockdown of CK-2 severely impairs blastema formation by repressing cell proliferation through down-regulating mitosis-related genes. Evolutionarily, the regenerative role of CK-2 is conserved in zebrafish caudal fin regeneration via promoting blastema cell proliferation. Together, we find and demonstrate that the ERK-activated CK-2 triggers blastema formation in both cockroach and zebrafish, helping explore initiation factors during appendage regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Shuai Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology & School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Lin Wei
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology & School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology & School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Fei-Xue Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology & School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Lin Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology & School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Liang Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology & School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Yejie Wen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology & School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Jia-Hui Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology & School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Suning Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology & School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
- Guangmeiyuan R&D Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, South China Normal University, Meizhou 514779, China
| | - Dongwei Yuan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology & School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
- Guangmeiyuan R&D Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, South China Normal University, Meizhou 514779, China
| | - Yanmei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Chonghua Ren
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology & School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
- Guangmeiyuan R&D Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, South China Normal University, Meizhou 514779, China
| | - Sheng Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology & School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
- Guangmeiyuan R&D Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, South China Normal University, Meizhou 514779, China
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3
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Mitchell DG, Edgar A, Mateu JR, Ryan JF, Martindale MQ. The ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi deploys a rapid injury response dating back to the last common animal ancestor. Commun Biol 2024; 7:203. [PMID: 38374160 PMCID: PMC10876535 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05901-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Regenerative potential is widespread but unevenly distributed across animals. However, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying regenerative processes is limited to a handful of model organisms, restricting robust comparative analyses. Here, we conduct a time course of RNA-seq during whole body regeneration in Mnemiopsis leidyi (Ctenophora) to uncover gene expression changes that correspond with key events during the regenerative timeline of this species. We identified several genes highly enriched in this dataset beginning as early as 10 minutes after surgical bisection including transcription factors in the early timepoints, peptidases in the middle timepoints, and cytoskeletal genes in the later timepoints. We validated the expression of early response transcription factors by whole mount in situ hybridization, showing that these genes exhibited high expression in tissues surrounding the wound site. These genes exhibit a pattern of transient upregulation as seen in a variety of other organisms, suggesting that they may be initiators of an ancient gene regulatory network linking wound healing to the initiation of a regenerative response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothy G Mitchell
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, Saint Augustine, FL, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Allison Edgar
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, Saint Augustine, FL, USA
| | - Júlia Ramon Mateu
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, Saint Augustine, FL, USA
| | - Joseph F Ryan
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, Saint Augustine, FL, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Mark Q Martindale
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, Saint Augustine, FL, USA.
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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4
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Vila-Farré M, Rozanski A, Ivanković M, Cleland J, Brand JN, Thalen F, Grohme MA, von Kannen S, Grosbusch AL, Vu HTK, Prieto CE, Carbayo F, Egger B, Bleidorn C, Rasko JEJ, Rink JC. Evolutionary dynamics of whole-body regeneration across planarian flatworms. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:2108-2124. [PMID: 37857891 PMCID: PMC10697840 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02221-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Regenerative abilities vary dramatically across animals. Even amongst planarian flatworms, well-known for complete regeneration from tiny body fragments, some species have restricted regeneration abilities while others are almost entirely regeneration incompetent. Here, we assemble a diverse live collection of 40 planarian species to probe the evolution of head regeneration in the group. Combining quantification of species-specific head-regeneration abilities with a comprehensive transcriptome-based phylogeny reconstruction, we show multiple independent transitions between robust whole-body regeneration and restricted regeneration in freshwater species. RNA-mediated genetic interference inhibition of canonical Wnt signalling in RNA-mediated genetic interference-sensitive species bypassed all head-regeneration defects, suggesting that the Wnt pathway is linked to the emergence of planarian regeneration defects. Our finding that Wnt signalling has multiple roles in the reproductive system of the model species Schmidtea mediterranea raises the possibility that a trade-off between egg-laying, asexual reproduction by fission/regeneration and Wnt signalling drives regenerative trait evolution. Although quantitative comparisons of Wnt signalling levels, yolk content and reproductive strategy across our species collection remained inconclusive, they revealed divergent Wnt signalling roles in the reproductive system of planarians. Altogether, our study establishes planarians as a model taxon for comparative regeneration research and presents a framework for the mechanistic evolution of regenerative abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miquel Vila-Farré
- Department of Tissue Dynamics and Regeneration, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany.
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Andrei Rozanski
- Department of Tissue Dynamics and Regeneration, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Mario Ivanković
- Department of Tissue Dynamics and Regeneration, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - James Cleland
- Department of Tissue Dynamics and Regeneration, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jeremias N Brand
- Department of Tissue Dynamics and Regeneration, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Felix Thalen
- Animal Evolution and Biodiversity, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Cardio-CARE, Medizincampus Davos, Davos, Switzerland
| | - Markus A Grohme
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | | | | | - Hanh T-K Vu
- Department of Tissue Dynamics and Regeneration, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Carlos E Prieto
- Department of Zoology & Animal Cell Biology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Fernando Carbayo
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução. Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bernhard Egger
- Department of Zoology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Christoph Bleidorn
- Animal Evolution and Biodiversity, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - John E J Rasko
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Cell & Molecular Therapies, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jochen C Rink
- Department of Tissue Dynamics and Regeneration, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany.
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.
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5
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Akheralie Z, Scidmore TJ, Pearson BJ. aristaless-like homeobox-3 is wound induced and promotes a low-Wnt environment required for planarian head regeneration. Development 2023; 150:dev201777. [PMID: 37681295 PMCID: PMC10560571 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
The planarian Schmidtea mediterranea is a well-established model of adult regeneration, which is dependent on a large population of adult stem cells called neoblasts. Upon amputation, planarians undergo transcriptional wounding programs and coordinated stem cell proliferation to give rise to missing tissues. Interestingly, the Wnt signaling pathway is key to guiding what tissues are regenerated, yet less known are the transcriptional regulators that ensure proper activation and timing of signaling pathway components. Here, we have identified an aristaless-like homeobox transcription factor, alx-3, that is enriched in a population of putative neural-fated progenitor cells at homeostasis, and is also upregulated in stem cells and muscle cells at anterior-facing wounds upon amputation. Knockdown of alx-3 results in failure of head regeneration and patterning defects in amputated tail fragments. alx-3 is required for the expression of several early wound-induced genes, including the Wnt inhibitor notum, which is required to establish anterior polarity during regeneration. Together, these findings reveal a role for alx-3 as an early wound-response transcriptional regulator in both muscle cells and stem cells that is required for anterior regeneration by promoting a low-Wnt environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaleena Akheralie
- The Hospital for Sick Children, Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Toronto, ON M5G0A4, Canada
- University of Toronto, Department of Molecular Genetics, Toronto, ON M5S1A8, Canada
| | - Tanner J. Scidmore
- The Hospital for Sick Children, Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Toronto, ON M5G0A4, Canada
- University of Toronto, Department of Molecular Genetics, Toronto, ON M5S1A8, Canada
| | - Bret J. Pearson
- The Hospital for Sick Children, Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Toronto, ON M5G0A4, Canada
- University of Toronto, Department of Molecular Genetics, Toronto, ON M5S1A8, Canada
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6
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Fan Y, Chai C, Li P, Zou X, Ferrell JE, Wang B. Ultrafast distant wound response is essential for whole-body regeneration. Cell 2023; 186:3606-3618.e16. [PMID: 37480850 PMCID: PMC10957142 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
Injury induces systemic responses, but their functions remain elusive. Mechanisms that can rapidly synchronize wound responses through long distances are also mostly unknown. Using planarian flatworms capable of whole-body regeneration, we report that injury induces extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk) activity waves to travel at a speed 10-100 times faster than those in other multicellular tissues. This ultrafast propagation requires longitudinal body-wall muscles, elongated cells forming dense parallel tracks running the length of the organism. The morphological properties of muscles allow them to act as superhighways for propagating and disseminating wound signals. Inhibiting Erk propagation prevents tissues distant to the wound from responding and blocks regeneration, which can be rescued by a second injury to distal tissues shortly after the first injury. Our findings provide a mechanism for long-range signal propagation in large, complex tissues to coordinate responses across cell types and highlight the function of feedback between spatially separated tissues during whole-body regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhang Fan
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Chew Chai
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Pengyang Li
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Xinzhi Zou
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - James E Ferrell
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Bo Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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7
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Pio-Lopez L, Bischof J, LaPalme JV, Levin M. The scaling of goals from cellular to anatomical homeostasis: an evolutionary simulation, experiment and analysis. Interface Focus 2023; 13:20220072. [PMID: 37065270 PMCID: PMC10102734 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2022.0072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Complex living agents consist of cells, which are themselves competent sub-agents navigating physiological and metabolic spaces. Behaviour science, evolutionary developmental biology and the field of machine intelligence all seek to understand the scaling of biological cognition: what enables individual cells to integrate their activities to result in the emergence of a novel, higher-level intelligence with large-scale goals and competencies that belong to it and not to its parts? Here, we report the results of simulations based on the TAME framework, which proposes that evolution pivoted the collective intelligence of cells during morphogenesis of the body into traditional behavioural intelligence by scaling up homeostatic competencies of cells in metabolic space. In this article, we created a minimal in silico system (two-dimensional neural cellular automata) and tested the hypothesis that evolutionary dynamics are sufficient for low-level setpoints of metabolic homeostasis in individual cells to scale up to tissue-level emergent behaviour. Our system showed the evolution of the much more complex setpoints of cell collectives (tissues) that solve a problem in morphospace: the organization of a body-wide positional information axis (the classic French flag problem in developmental biology). We found that these emergent morphogenetic agents exhibit a number of predicted features, including the use of stress propagation dynamics to achieve the target morphology as well as the ability to recover from perturbation (robustness) and long-term stability (even though neither of these was directly selected for). Moreover, we observed an unexpected behaviour of sudden remodelling long after the system stabilizes. We tested this prediction in a biological system-regenerating planaria-and observed a very similar phenomenon. We propose that this system is a first step towards a quantitative understanding of how evolution scales minimal goal-directed behaviour (homeostatic loops) into higher-level problem-solving agents in morphogenetic and other spaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léo Pio-Lopez
- Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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8
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Cui G, Dong K, Zhou JY, Li S, Wu Y, Han Q, Yao B, Shen Q, Zhao YL, Yang Y, Cai J, Zhang S, Yang YG. Spatiotemporal transcriptomic atlas reveals the dynamic characteristics and key regulators of planarian regeneration. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3205. [PMID: 37268637 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39016-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Whole-body regeneration of planarians is a natural wonder but how it occurs remains elusive. It requires coordinated responses from each cell in the remaining tissue with spatial awareness to regenerate new cells and missing body parts. While previous studies identified new genes essential to regeneration, a more efficient screening approach that can identify regeneration-associated genes in the spatial context is needed. Here, we present a comprehensive three-dimensional spatiotemporal transcriptomic landscape of planarian regeneration. We describe a pluripotent neoblast subtype, and show that depletion of its marker gene makes planarians more susceptible to sub-lethal radiation. Furthermore, we identified spatial gene expression modules essential for tissue development. Functional analysis of hub genes in spatial modules, such as plk1, shows their important roles in regeneration. Our three-dimensional transcriptomic atlas provides a powerful tool for deciphering regeneration and identifying homeostasis-related genes, and provides a publicly available online spatiotemporal analysis resource for planarian regeneration research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanshen Cui
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, College of Future Technology, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Kangning Dong
- NCMIS, CEMS, RCSDS, Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jia-Yi Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, College of Future Technology, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Shang Li
- NCMIS, CEMS, RCSDS, Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ying Wu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, College of Future Technology, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Qinghua Han
- NCMIS, CEMS, RCSDS, Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Bofei Yao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, College of Future Technology, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Qunlun Shen
- NCMIS, CEMS, RCSDS, Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yong-Liang Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, College of Future Technology, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, College of Future Technology, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, 100101, China
- Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
- Institute of Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Jun Cai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, College of Future Technology, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, 100101, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Shihua Zhang
- NCMIS, CEMS, RCSDS, Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
- School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China.
- Key Laboratory of Systems Health Science of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, China.
| | - Yun-Gui Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, College of Future Technology, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, 100101, China.
- Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China.
- Institute of Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
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9
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Fan Y, Chai C, Li P, Zou X, Ferrell JE, Wang B. Ultrafast and long-range coordination of wound responses is essential for whole-body regeneration. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.15.532844. [PMID: 36993633 PMCID: PMC10055111 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.15.532844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Injury induces systemic, global responses whose functions remain elusive. In addition, mechanisms that rapidly synchronize wound responses through long distances across the organismal scale are mostly unknown. Using planarians, which have extreme regenerative ability, we report that injury induces Erk activity to travel in a wave-like manner at an unexpected speed (∼1 mm/h), 10-100 times faster than those measured in other multicellular tissues. This ultrafast signal propagation requires longitudinal body-wall muscles, elongated cells forming dense parallel tracks running the length of the organism. Combining experiments and computational models, we show that the morphological properties of muscles allow them to minimize the number of slow intercellular signaling steps and act as bidirectional superhighways for propagating wound signals and instructing responses in other cell types. Inhibiting Erk propagation prevents cells distant to the wound from responding and blocks regeneration, which can be rescued by a second injury to distal tissues within a narrow time window after the first injury. These results suggest that rapid responses in uninjured tissues far from wounds are essential for regeneration. Our findings provide a mechanism for long-range signal propagation in large and complex tissues to coordinate cellular responses across diverse cell types, and highlights the function of feedback between spatially separated tissues during whole-body regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhang Fan
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Chew Chai
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Pengyang Li
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Xinzhi Zou
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - James E. Ferrell
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Bo Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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10
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Ermakov A, Kudykina N, Bykova A, Tkacheva U. Morphogenic Effect of Exogenous Glucocorticoid Hormones in the Girardia tigrina Planarian ( Turbellaria, Tricladida). BIOLOGY 2023; 12:292. [PMID: 36829568 PMCID: PMC9953184 DOI: 10.3390/biology12020292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
We have studied the effect of two glucocorticoid hormones: hydrocortisone and its synthetic analogue methylprednisolone on the regeneration activity of head and tail blastema of the Girardia tigrina planarian. The regeneration activity was studied in head and tail blastema formed after resection by means of lifetime computer morphometry and immunohistochemical labeling of neoblasts. The search for orthologous proteins-glucocorticoid receptors (hydrocortisone) was performed using the SmedGD database of the Schmidtea mediterranea planarian. The results indicate that both hormones influence the recovery rate of the regenerating head and tail blastema. The worms with regenerating tail blastema have less sensitivity to the hormones' treatment compared to the ones with regenerating head blastema. Hydrocortisone at a high concentration (10-3 M) suppressed the regeneration rate, while stimulating it at lower concentrations (10-4-10-6 M). The same concentrations of methylprednisolone inhibited the regeneration of head blastema, but did not affect the tail blastema regeneration. The two hormones acted differently: while hydrocortisone stimulated the proliferation of neoblasts in the periwound region, methylprednisolone reduced the mitotic activity, mainly on the tail zone furthest from the wound surface. We suggest that exogenous glucocorticoids can influence endogenous mechanisms of hormone-dependent regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artem Ermakov
- Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
| | - Natalia Kudykina
- Institute of Medicine and Living System, Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, 236041 Kaliningrad, Russia
| | - Arina Bykova
- Institute of Medicine and Living System, Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, 236041 Kaliningrad, Russia
| | - Ulyana Tkacheva
- Institute of Medicine and Living System, Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, 236041 Kaliningrad, Russia
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11
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Gittin DI, Petersen CP. A Wnt11 and Dishevelled signaling pathway acts prior to injury to control wound polarization for the onset of planarian regeneration. Curr Biol 2022; 32:5262-5273.e2. [PMID: 36495871 PMCID: PMC9901562 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.10.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Regeneration is initiated by wounding, but it is unclear how injury-induced signals precisely convey the identity of the tissues requiring replacement. In the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea, the first event in head regeneration is the asymmetric activation of the Wnt inhibitor notum in longitudinal body-wall muscle cells, preferentially at anterior-facing versus posterior-facing wound sites. However, the mechanism driving this early symmetry-breaking event is unknown. We identify a noncanonical Wnt11 and Dishevelled pathway regulating notum polarization, which opposes injury-induced notum-activating Wnt/β-catenin signals and regulates muscle orientation. Using expression analysis and experiments to define a critical time of action, we demonstrate that Wnt11 and Dishevelled signals act prior to injury and in a growth-dependent manner to orient the polarization of notum induced by wounding. In turn, injury-induced notum dictates polarization used in the next round of regeneration. These results identify a self-reinforcing feedback system driving the polarization of blastema outgrowth and indicate that regeneration uses pre-existing tissue information to determine the outcome of wound-induced signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- David I Gittin
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Christian P Petersen
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Robert Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
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12
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Injury-induced MAPK activation triggers body axis formation in Hydra by default Wnt signaling. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2204122119. [PMID: 35994642 PMCID: PMC9436372 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2204122119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Hydra's almost unlimited regenerative potential is based on Wnt signaling, but so far it is unknown how the injury stimulus is transmitted to discrete patterning fates in head and foot regenerates. We previously identified mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) among the earliest injury response molecules in Hydra head regeneration. Here, we show that three MAPKs-p38, c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs), and extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs)-are essential to initiate regeneration in Hydra, independent of the wound position. Their activation occurs in response to any injury and requires calcium and reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling. Phosphorylated MAPKs hereby exhibit cross talk with mutual antagonism between the ERK pathway and stress-induced MAPKs, orchestrating a balance between cell survival and apoptosis. Importantly, Wnt3 and Wnt9/10c, which are induced by MAPK signaling, can partially rescue regeneration in tissues treated with MAPK inhibitors. Also, foot regenerates can be reverted to form head tissue by a pharmacological increase of β-catenin signaling or the application of recombinant Wnts. We propose a model in which a β-catenin-based stable gradient of head-forming capacity along the primary body axis, by differentially integrating an indiscriminate injury response, determines the fate of the regenerating tissue. Hereby, Wnt signaling acquires sustained activation in the head regenerate, while it is transient in the presumptive foot tissue. Given the high level of evolutionary conservation of MAPKs and Wnts, we assume that this mechanism is deeply embedded in our genome.
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13
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Djptpn11 is indispensable for planarian regeneration by affecting early wound response genes expression and the Wnt pathway. Biochimie 2022; 201:184-195. [PMID: 35868605 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2022.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Planarian is an ideal model system of studying regeneration. Stem cell system and positional control genes (PCGs) are two important factors for perfect regeneration of planarians and they combine to promote their regeneration. Even so, how wounds regulate proliferation and neoblast fate is still important areas to address. Ptpn11 (Protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 11), one of PTP (Protein tyrosine phosphatase) family members, plays an important role in cellular processes including cell survival, proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Nevertheless, the role of ptpn11 in the planarian regeneration has not been fully studied. In this study, we identify the Djptpn11 gene to observe its function in planarian regeneration. The results reveal that the regeneration is severely inhibited and cause the disorder homeostasis in planarians. Furthermore, the stem cells proliferation and differentiation decreases while the apoptosis increases following Djptpn11 RNAi. At the same time, Djptpn11 affects the expression levels of early wound response genes (Djegr2, Dj1-jun, Djrunt1, Djwnt1 and Djnotum). Djwnt1 and Djnotum are two key Wnt signaling pathway genes and Djptpn11 affects the expression levels of Djwnt1 and Djnotum in the early and late stages of planarian regeneration. In general, Djptpn11 is indispensable for the homeostasis and regeneration of planarian by affecting the stem cells, early wound response genes and the Wnt pathway.
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14
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Ge XY, Han X, Zhao YL, Cui GS, Yang YG. An insight into planarian regeneration. Cell Prolif 2022; 55:e13276. [PMID: 35811385 PMCID: PMC9436907 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.13276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Planarian has attracted increasing attentions in the regeneration field for its usefulness as an important biological model organism attributing to its strong regeneration ability. Both the complexity of multiple regulatory networks and their coordinate functions contribute to the maintenance of normal cellular homeostasis and the process of regeneration in planarian. The polarity, size, location and number of regeneration tissues are regulated by diverse mechanisms. In this review we summarize the recent advances about the importance genetic and molecular mechanisms for regeneration control on various tissues in planarian. Methods A comprehensive literature search of original articles published in recent years was performed in regards to the molecular mechanism of each cell types during the planarian regeneration, including neoblast, nerve system, eye spot, excretory system and epidermal. Results Available molecular mechanisms gave us an overview of regeneration process in every tissue. The sense of injuries and initiation of regeneration is regulated by diverse genes like follistatin and ERK signaling. The Neoblasts differentiate into tissue progenitors under the regulation of genes such as egfr‐3. The regeneration polarity is controlled by Wnt pathway, BMP pathway and bioelectric signals. The neoblast within the blastema differentiate into desired cell types and regenerate the missing tissues. Those tissue specific genes regulate the tissue progenitor cells to differentiate into desired cell types to complete the regeneration process. Conclusion All tissue types in planarian participate in the regeneration process regulated by distinct molecular factors and cellular signaling pathways. The neoblasts play vital roles in tissue regeneration and morphology maintenance. These studies provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms for regulating planarian regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Yang Ge
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, College of Future Technology, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao Han
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Henan Key Laboratory of Reproduction and Genetics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yong-Liang Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, College of Future Technology, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
| | - Guan-Shen Cui
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, College of Future Technology, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
| | - Yun-Gui Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, College of Future Technology, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
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15
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Scimone ML, Cloutier JK, Maybrun CL, Reddien PW. The planarian wound epidermis gene equinox is required for blastema formation in regeneration. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2726. [PMID: 35585061 PMCID: PMC9117669 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30412-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Regeneration often involves the formation of a blastema, an outgrowth or regenerative bud formed at the plane of injury where missing tissues are produced. The mechanisms that trigger blastema formation are therefore fundamental for regeneration. Here, we identify a gene, which we named equinox, that is expressed within hours of injury in the planarian wound epidermis. equinox encodes a predicted secreted protein that is conserved in many animal phyla. Following equinox inhibition, amputated planarians fail to maintain wound-induced gene expression and to subsequently undergo blastema outgrowth. Associated with these defects is an inability to reestablish lost positional information needed for missing tissue specification. Our findings link the planarian wound epidermis, through equinox, to regeneration of positional information and blastema formation, indicating a broad regulatory role of the wound epidermis in diverse regenerative contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Lucila Scimone
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Jennifer K Cloutier
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Harvard/MIT MD-PhD, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Chloe L Maybrun
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Peter W Reddien
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
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16
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Reddien PW. Positional Information and Stem Cells Combine to Result in Planarian Regeneration. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2022; 14:a040717. [PMID: 34518341 PMCID: PMC9121904 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a040717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The capacity for regeneration is broad in the animal kingdom. Planarians are flatworms that can regenerate any missing body part and their regenerative powers have combined with ease of experimentation to make them a classic regeneration model for more than a century. Pluripotent stem cells called neoblasts generate missing planarian tissues. Fate specification happens in the neoblasts, and this can occur in response to regeneration instructions in the form of positional information. Fate specification can lead to differentiating cells in single steps rather than requiring a long lineage hierarchy. Planarians display constitutive expression of positional information from muscle cells, which is required for patterned maintenance of tissues in tissue turnover. Amputation leads to the rapid resetting of positional information in a process triggered by wound signaling and the resetting of positional information is required for regeneration. These findings suggest a model for planarian regeneration in which adult positional information resets after injury to regulate stem cells to bring about the replacement of missing parts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter W Reddien
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
- Department of Biology, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- Department of Biology, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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17
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Chen X, Liu Y, Zhu X, Lv Q. Comparative Proteome Analysis Indicates The Divergence between The Head and Tail Regeneration in Planarian. CELL JOURNAL 2021; 23:640-649. [PMID: 34939757 PMCID: PMC8665983 DOI: 10.22074/cellj.2021.7689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Even a small fragment from the body of planarian can regenerate an entire animal, implying that the different fragments from this flatworm eventually reach the same solution. In this study, our aim was to reveal the differences and similarities in mechanisms between different regenerating fragments from this worm. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this experimental study, we profiled the dynamic proteome of regenerating head and tail to reveal the differences and similarities between different regenerating fragments using 2-DE combined with MALDITOF/ TOF MS. RESULTS Proteomic profiles of head and tail regeneration identified a total of 516 differential expressed proteins (DEPs) and showed a great difference in quantity and fold changes of proteome profiles between the two scenarios. Briefly, out of the 516 DEPs, 314 were identified to be specific for anterior regeneration, while 165 were specific for posterior regeneration. Bioinformatics analysis showed a wide discrepancy in biological activities between two regenerative processes; especially, differentiation and development and signal transduction in head regeneration were much more complex than that in tail regeneration. Protein functional analysis combined with protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis showed a significant contribution of both Wnt and BMP signaling pathways to head regeneration not but tail regeneration. Additionally, several novel proteins showed completely opposite expression between head and tail regeneration. CONCLUSION Proteomic profiles of head and tail regeneration identified a total of 516 differential expressed proteins (DEPs) and showed a great difference in quantity and fold changes of proteome profiles between the two scenarios. Briefly, out of the 516 DEPs, 314 were identified to be specific for anterior regeneration, while 165 were specific for posterior regeneration. Bioinformatics analysis showed a wide discrepancy in biological activities between two regenerative processes; especially, differentiation and development and signal transduction in head regeneration were much more complex than that in tail regeneration. Protein functional analysis combined with protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis showed a significant contribution of both Wnt and BMP signaling pathways to head regeneration not but tail regeneration. Additionally, several novel proteins showed completely opposite expression between head and tail regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoguang Chen
- Animal Science and Technology SchoolHenan University of Science and TechnologyLuoyangChina
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18
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Abstract
Stem cell niches are well-characterized factories of signaling information, but niche cells themselves also rely on their neighbors for fate maintenance. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Herrera et al. reveal bi-directional communication between Drosophila testis niche "hub" cells and somatic cyst stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelie A Raz
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Yukiko M Yamashita
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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19
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Srivastava M. Beyond Casual Resemblances: Rigorous Frameworks for Comparing Regeneration Across Species. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 2021; 37:415-440. [PMID: 34288710 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-120319-114716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The majority of animal phyla have species that can regenerate. Comparing regeneration across animals can reconstruct the molecular and cellular evolutionary history of this process. Recent studies have revealed some similarity in regeneration mechanisms, but rigorous comparative methods are needed to assess whether these resemblances are ancestral pathways (homology) or are the result of convergent evolution (homoplasy). This review aims to provide a framework for comparing regeneration across animals, focusing on gene regulatory networks (GRNs), which are substrates for assessing process homology. The homology of the wound-induced activation of Wnt signaling and of adult stem cells are discussed as examples of ongoing studies of regeneration that enable comparisons in a GRN framework. Expanding the study of regeneration GRNs in currently studied species and broadening taxonomic sampling for these approaches will identify processes that are unifying principles of regeneration biology across animals. These insights are important both for evolutionary studies of regeneration and for human regenerative medicine. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology, Volume 37 is October 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansi Srivastava
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA;
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20
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Bohr TE, Shiroor DA, Adler CE. Planarian stem cells sense the identity of the missing pharynx to launch its targeted regeneration. eLife 2021; 10:e68830. [PMID: 34156924 PMCID: PMC8219383 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In order to regenerate tissues successfully, stem cells must detect injuries and restore missing cell types through largely unknown mechanisms. Planarian flatworms have an extensive stem cell population responsible for regenerating any organ after amputation. Here, we compare planarian stem cell responses to different injuries by either amputation of a single organ, the pharynx, or removal of tissues from other organs by decapitation. We find that planarian stem cells adopt distinct behaviors depending on what tissue is missing to target progenitor and tissue production towards missing tissues. Loss of non-pharyngeal tissues only increases non-pharyngeal progenitors, while pharynx removal selectively triggers division and expansion of pharynx progenitors. By pharmacologically inhibiting either mitosis or activation of the MAP kinase ERK, we identify a narrow window of time during which stem cell division and ERK signaling produces pharynx progenitors necessary for regeneration. These results indicate that planarian stem cells can tailor their output to match the regenerative needs of the animal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tisha E Bohr
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Cornell University College of Veterinary MedicineIthacaUnited States
| | - Divya A Shiroor
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Cornell University College of Veterinary MedicineIthacaUnited States
| | - Carolyn E Adler
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Cornell University College of Veterinary MedicineIthacaUnited States
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21
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Ramirez AN, Loubet-Senear K, Srivastava M. A Regulatory Program for Initiation of Wnt Signaling during Posterior Regeneration. Cell Rep 2021; 32:108098. [PMID: 32877680 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Whole-body regeneration relies on the re-establishment of body axes for patterning of new tissue. Wnt signaling is required to correctly regenerate tissues along the primary axis in many animals. However, the causal mechanisms that first launch Wnt signaling during regeneration are poorly characterized. We use the acoel worm Hofstenia miamia to identify processes that initiate Wnt signaling during posterior regeneration and find that the ligand wnt-3 is upregulated early in posterior-facing wounds. Functional studies reveal that wnt-3 is required to regenerate posterior tissues. wnt-3 is expressed in stem cells, it is needed for their proliferation, and its function is stem cell dependent. Chromatin accessibility data reveal that wnt-3 activation requires input from the general wound response. In addition, the expression of a different Wnt ligand, wnt-1, before amputation is required for wound-induced activation of wnt-3. Our study establishes a gene regulatory network for initiating Wnt signaling in posterior tissues in a bilaterian.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyson N Ramirez
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Kaitlyn Loubet-Senear
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Mansi Srivastava
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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22
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Cloutier JK, McMann CL, Oderberg IM, Reddien PW. activin-2 is required for regeneration of polarity on the planarian anterior-posterior axis. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009466. [PMID: 33780442 PMCID: PMC8057570 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Planarians are flatworms and can perform whole-body regeneration. This ability involves a mechanism to distinguish between anterior-facing wounds that require head regeneration and posterior-facing wounds that require tail regeneration. How this head-tail regeneration polarity decision is made is studied to identify principles underlying tissue-identity specification in regeneration. We report that inhibition of activin-2, which encodes an Activin-like signaling ligand, resulted in the regeneration of ectopic posterior-facing heads following amputation. During tissue turnover in uninjured planarians, positional information is constitutively expressed in muscle to maintain proper patterning. Positional information includes Wnts expressed in the posterior and Wnt antagonists expressed in the anterior. Upon amputation, several wound-induced genes promote re-establishment of positional information. The head-versus-tail regeneration decision involves preferential wound induction of the Wnt antagonist notum at anterior-facing over posterior-facing wounds. Asymmetric activation of notum represents the earliest known molecular distinction between head and tail regeneration, yet how it occurs is unknown. activin-2 RNAi animals displayed symmetric wound-induced activation of notum at anterior- and posterior-facing wounds, providing a molecular explanation for their ectopic posterior-head phenotype. activin-2 RNAi animals also displayed anterior-posterior (AP) axis splitting, with two heads appearing in anterior blastemas, and various combinations of heads and tails appearing in posterior blastemas. This was associated with ectopic nucleation of anterior poles, which are head-tip muscle cells that facilitate AP and medial-lateral (ML) pattern at posterior-facing wounds. These findings reveal a role for Activin signaling in determining the outcome of AP-axis-patterning events that are specific to regeneration. A central problem in animal regeneration is how animals determine what body part to regenerate. Planarians are flatworms that can regenerate any missing body region, and are studied to identify mechanisms underlying regeneration. At transverse amputation planes, a poorly understood mechanism specifies regeneration of either a head or a tail. This head-versus-tail regeneration decision-making process is referred to as regeneration polarity and has been studied for over a century to identify mechanisms that specify what to regenerate. The gene notum, which encodes a Wnt antagonist, is induced within hours after injury preferentially at anterior-facing wounds, where it specifies head regeneration. We report that Activin signaling is required for regeneration polarity, and the underlying asymmetric activation of notum at anterior- over posterior-facing wounds. We propose that Activin signaling is involved in regeneration-specific responses broadly in the animal kingdom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer K. Cloutier
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, United States of America
- Harvard/MIT MD-PhD, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Conor L. McMann
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, United States of America
| | - Isaac M. Oderberg
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, United States of America
| | - Peter W. Reddien
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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23
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Molinaro AM, Lindsay‐Mosher N, Pearson BJ. Identification of TOR-responsive slow-cycling neoblasts in planarians. EMBO Rep 2021; 22:e50292. [PMID: 33511776 PMCID: PMC7926258 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202050292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Epimorphic regeneration commonly relies on the activation of reserved stem cells to drive new cell production. The planarian Schmidtea mediterranea is among the best regenerators in nature, thanks to its large population of adult stem cells, called neoblasts. While neoblasts have long been known to drive regeneration, whether a subset of neoblasts is reserved for this purpose is unknown. Here, we revisit the idea of reserved neoblasts by approaching neoblast heterogeneity from a regulatory perspective. By implementing a new fluorescence-activated cell sorting strategy in planarians, we identify a population of neoblasts defined by low transcriptional activity. These RNAlow neoblasts are relatively slow-cycling at homeostasis and undergo a morphological regeneration response characterized by cell growth at 48 h post-amputation. At this time, RNAlow neoblasts proliferate in a TOR-dependent manner. Additionally, knockdown of the tumour suppressor Lrig-1, which is enriched in RNAlow neoblasts, results in RNAlow neoblast growth and hyperproliferation at homeostasis, and ultimately delays regeneration. We propose that slow-cycling RNAlow neoblasts represent a regeneration-reserved neoblast population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa M Molinaro
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell BiologyHospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoONCanada
- Department of Molecular GeneticsUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
- Present address:
Department of Systems BiologyHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| | - Nicole Lindsay‐Mosher
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell BiologyHospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoONCanada
- Department of Molecular GeneticsUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
| | - Bret J Pearson
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell BiologyHospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoONCanada
- Department of Molecular GeneticsUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
- Ontario Institute for Cancer ResearchTorontoONCanada
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24
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Tubgcp3 is a mitotic regulator of planarian epidermal differentiation. Gene 2021; 775:145440. [PMID: 33482282 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2021.145440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Tubgcp3/GCP3 (The centrosomal protein γ-tubulin complex protein 3) is a component of the γ-tubulin small complexes (γ-TuSCs) and γ-tubulin ring complexes (γ-TuRCs), which play critical roles in mitotic spindle formation during mitosis. However, its function in stem cell development has not been thoroughly elucidated. The planarian flatworm, which contains a large number of adult somatic stem cells (neoblasts), is a unique model to study stem cell lineage development in vivo. Here, we identified a homolog of Tubgcp3 in planarian Dugesia japonica, and found that Tubgcp3 is required for the maintenance of epidermal lineage. RNAi targeting Tubgcp3 resulted in tissue homeostasis and regeneration defect. Knockdown of Tubgcp3 reduced cell divisions and led to a loss of the mature epidermal cells. Our findings indicate that Tubgcp3 is a mitotic regulator and plays a crucial role in planarian epidermal differentiation.
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Wang C, Peng R, Yuan X, Liu S, Xu S, Li Y, Zhang Z, Zeng M, Hu L, Zou F. Cellular and molecular responses-mediated by DjMEK1/2 are necessary for planarian regeneration. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 164:3751-3761. [PMID: 32888997 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.08.209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
The planarian flatworm is an ideal model to study the regeneration due to its robust regenerative ability. A variety of cellular response activities have been reported to be involved in the regeneration process, including the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling. However, the mechanism of MAPK pathway in regenerative responses is still unclear. In this study, we employed the planarian, Dugesia japonica, as the model to investigate the function of MAP-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK), an important component of MAPK signaling pathway, in the regeneration process. We found that MEK was required for the missing tissue response after several amputation and subsequent regeneration. MEK not only affected the size of blastema in the early stage of regeneration by regulating stem cell proliferation, but also determined the planarian's regeneration through balancing cell proliferation and apoptosis. In addition, the activation of Wnt pathway partially rescued regenerative defects induced by inhibition of MEK. Taken together, our results highlight a crucial role of MEK signaling in the planarian regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Rui Peng
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Xieyong Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Shengpeng Liu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Shutao Xu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Yan Li
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Zhenhua Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Min Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Lanlin Hu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Fangdong Zou
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, Sichuan, PR China.
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Cervera J, Meseguer S, Levin M, Mafe S. Bioelectrical model of head-tail patterning based on cell ion channels and intercellular gap junctions. Bioelectrochemistry 2020; 132:107410. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2019.107410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
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Schad EG, Petersen CP. STRIPAK Limits Stem Cell Differentiation of a WNT Signaling Center to Control Planarian Axis Scaling. Curr Biol 2020; 30:254-263.e2. [PMID: 31928872 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.11.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Regeneration involves regulating tissue proportionality across considerable size ranges through unknown mechanisms. In planarians, which scale reversibly over 40× through regeneration, we identify the Striatin-interacting phosphatase and kinase (STRIPAK) complex as a potent negative regulator of axis length. Inhibition of two proteins in the STRIPAK complex, mob4 and striatin, dramatically increased posterior length, through expansion of a posterior wnt1+ signaling center within midline muscle cells. wnt1 was required for tail expansion after mob4 inhibition and dynamically reestablishes proportionality after amputation in normal animals, indicating STRIPAK represses Wnt signaling for scaling. Regulation of wnt1 expansion was stem cell dependent, demonstrating that control of signaling-center production through stem cell differentiation underlies proportional growth in adult regenerative tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik G Schad
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Christian P Petersen
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Robert Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Evanston IL 60208, USA.
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