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Kuroki Y, Agata K. Isolation of planarian viable cells using fluorescence-activated cell sorting for advancing single-cell transcriptome analysis. Genes Cells 2023; 28:800-810. [PMID: 37723830 DOI: 10.1111/gtc.13068] [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: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Preparing viable single cells is critical for conducting single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) because the presence of ambient RNA from dead or damaged cells can interfere with data analysis. Here, we developed a method for isolating viable single cells from adult planarian bodies using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). This method was then applied to both adult pluripotent stem cells (aPSCs) and differentiating/differentiated cells. Initially, we employed a violet instead of ultraviolet (UV) laser to excite Hoechst 33342 to reduce cellular damage. After optimization of cell staining conditions and FACS compensation, we generated FACS profiles similar to those created using a previous method that employed a UV laser. Despite successfully obtaining high-quality RNA sequencing data for aPSCs, non-aPSCs produced low-quality RNA reads (i.e., <60% of cells possessing barcoding mRNAs). Subsequently, we identified an effective FACS gating condition that excluded low-quality cells and tissue debris without staining. This non-staining isolation strategy not only reduced post-dissociation time but also enabled high-quality scRNA-seq results for all cell types (i.e., >80%). Taken together, these findings imply that the non-staining FACS strategy may be beneficial for isolating viable cells not only from planarians but also from other organisms and tissues for scRNA-seq studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshihito Kuroki
- Laboratory of Regeneration Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
- Department of Basic Biology, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Kiyokazu Agata
- Laboratory of Regeneration Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
- Department of Basic Biology, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Okazaki, Japan
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Chen JJ, Lei K. The known, unknown, and unknown unknowns of cell-cell communication in planarian regeneration. Zool Res 2023; 44:981-992. [PMID: 37721107 PMCID: PMC10559094 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2023.044] [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: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Planarians represent the most primitive bilateral triploblastic animals. Most planarian species exhibit mechanisms for whole-body regeneration, exemplified by the regeneration of their cephalic ganglion after complete excision. Given their robust whole-body regeneration capacity, planarians have been model organisms in regenerative research for more than 240 years. Advancements in research tools and techniques have progressively elucidated the mechanisms underlying planarian regeneration. Accurate cell-cell communication is recognized as a fundamental requirement for regeneration. In recent decades, mechanisms associated with such communication have been revealed at the cellular level. Notably, stem cells (neoblasts) have been identified as the source of all new cells during planarian homeostasis and regeneration. The interplay between neoblasts and somatic cells affects the identities and proportions of various tissues during homeostasis and regeneration. Here, this review outlines key discoveries regarding communication between stem cell compartments and other cell types in planarians, as well as the impact of communication on planarian regeneration. Additionally, this review discusses the challenges and potential directions of future planarian research, emphasizing the sustained impact of this field on our understanding of animal regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Jia Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310030, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Kai Lei
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310030, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China. E-mail:
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Lei K, Zhang W, Chen J, McKinney SA, Ross EJ, Lee HC, Sánchez Alvarado A. Pluripotency retention and exogenous mRNA introduction in planarian stem cells in culture. iScience 2023; 26:106001. [PMID: 36866042 PMCID: PMC9971864 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Planarians possess naturally occurring pluripotent adult somatic stem cells (neoblasts) required for homeostasis and whole-body regeneration. However, no reliable neoblast culture methods are currently available, hindering mechanistic studies of pluripotency and the development of transgenic tools. We report robust methods for neoblast culture and delivery of exogenous mRNAs. We identify optimal culture media for the short-term maintenance of neoblasts in vitro and show via transplantation that cultured stem cells retain pluripotency for two days. We developed a procedure that significantly improves neoblast yield and purity by modifying standard flow cytometry methods. These methods enable the introduction and expression of exogenous mRNAs in neoblasts, overcoming a key hurdle impeding the application of transgenics in planarians. The advances in cell culture reported here create new opportunities for mechanistic studies of planarian adult stem cell pluripotency, and provide a systematic framework to develop cell culture techniques in other emerging research organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Lei
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Wenya Zhang
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Jiajia Chen
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Sean A. McKinney
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Eric J. Ross
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Heng-Chi Lee
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
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Weill U, Hall RN, Drees L, Wang B, Rink JC. mRNA Transfection of S. mediterranea for Luminescence Analysis. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2680:263-275. [PMID: 37428384 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3275-8_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Planarians have become a powerful model system for stem cell research and regeneration. While the tool kit for mechanistic investigations has been steadily expanding over the last decade, robust genetic tools for transgene expression are still lacking. We describe here methods for in vivo and in vitro mRNA transfection of the planarian species Schmidtea mediterranea. These methods utilize the commercially available TransIT-mRNA transfection reagent to efficiently deliver mRNA encoding a synthetic nanoluciferase reporter. Using a luminescent reporter overcomes the bright autofluorescent background of planarian tissues and allows quantitative measurements of protein expression levels. Collectively, our methods provide the means for heterologous reporter expression in planarian cells and the basis for future development of transgenic techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uri Weill
- Department of Tissue Dynamics and Regeneration, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Leonard Drees
- Department of Tissue Dynamics and Regeneration, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Bo Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Jochen C Rink
- Department of Tissue Dynamics and Regeneration, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany.
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Drees L, Rink JC. The planarian flatworm Schmidtea mediterranea. Nat Methods 2023; 20:3-5. [PMID: 36635538 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-022-01727-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Leonard Drees
- Department of Tissue Dynamics and Regeneration, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jochen C Rink
- Department of Tissue Dynamics and Regeneration, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany.
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