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Davidian D, LeGro M, Barghouth PG, Rojas S, Ziman B, Maciel EI, Ardell D, Escobar AL, Oviedo NJ. Restoration of DNA integrity and cell cycle by electric stimulation in planarian tissues damaged by ionizing radiation. J Cell Sci 2022; 135:274829. [PMID: 35322853 PMCID: PMC9264365 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.259304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to high levels of ionizing γ-radiation leads to irreversible DNA damage and cell death. Here, we establish that exogenous application of electric stimulation enables cellular plasticity to reestablish stem cell activity in tissues damaged by ionizing radiation. We show that sub-threshold direct current stimulation (DCS) rapidly restores pluripotent stem cell populations previously eliminated by lethally γ-irradiated tissues of the planarian flatworm Schmidtea mediterranea. Our findings reveal that DCS enhances DNA repair, transcriptional activity, and cell cycle entry in post-mitotic cells. These responses involve rapid increases in cytosolic [Ca2+] through the activation of L-type Cav channels and intracellular Ca2+ stores leading to the activation of immediate early genes and ectopic expression of stem cell markers in postmitotic cells. Overall, we show the potential of electric current stimulation to reverse the damaging effects of high dose γ-radiation in adult tissues. Furthermore, our results provide mechanistic insights describing how electric stimulation effectively translates into molecular responses capable of regulating fundamental cellular functions without the need for genetic or pharmacological intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devon Davidian
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Merced, USA.,Quantitative and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California, Merced, USA
| | - Melanie LeGro
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Merced, USA.,Quantitative and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California, Merced, USA
| | - Paul G Barghouth
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Merced, USA.,Quantitative and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California, Merced, USA
| | - Salvador Rojas
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Merced, USA.,Quantitative and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California, Merced, USA
| | - Benjamin Ziman
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Merced, USA.,Quantitative and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California, Merced, USA
| | - Eli Isael Maciel
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Merced, USA.,Quantitative and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California, Merced, USA
| | - David Ardell
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Merced, USA.,Health Sciences Research Institute, University of California, Merced, USA
| | - Ariel L Escobar
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Merced, USA.,Health Sciences Research Institute, University of California, Merced, USA
| | - Néstor J Oviedo
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Merced, USA.,Health Sciences Research Institute, University of California, Merced, USA
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