1
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Pio-Lopez L, Levin M. Aging as a loss of morphostatic information: A developmental bioelectricity perspective. Ageing Res Rev 2024; 97:102310. [PMID: 38636560 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102310] [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: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Maintaining order at the tissue level is crucial throughout the lifespan, as failure can lead to cancer and an accumulation of molecular and cellular disorders. Perhaps, the most consistent and pervasive result of these failures is aging, which is characterized by the progressive loss of function and decline in the ability to maintain anatomical homeostasis and reproduce. This leads to organ malfunction, diseases, and ultimately death. The traditional understanding of aging is that it is caused by the accumulation of molecular and cellular damage. In this article, we propose a complementary view of aging from the perspective of endogenous bioelectricity which has not yet been integrated into aging research. We propose a view of aging as a morphostasis defect, a loss of biophysical prepattern information, encoding anatomical setpoints used for dynamic tissue and organ homeostasis. We hypothesize that this is specifically driven by abrogation of the endogenous bioelectric signaling that normally harnesses individual cell behaviors toward the creation and upkeep of complex multicellular structures in vivo. Herein, we first describe bioelectricity as the physiological software of life, and then identify and discuss the links between bioelectricity and life extension strategies and age-related diseases. We develop a bridge between aging and regeneration via bioelectric signaling that suggests a research program for healthful longevity via morphoceuticals. Finally, we discuss the broader implications of the homologies between development, aging, cancer and regeneration and how morphoceuticals can be developed for aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léo Pio-Lopez
- Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA; Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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2
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Póti Á, Szüts D, Vermezovic J. Mutational profile of the regenerative process and de novo genome assembly of the planarian Schmidtea polychroa. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:1779-1792. [PMID: 38180823 PMCID: PMC10899757 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad1250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Planarians are organisms with a unique capacity to regenerate any part of their body. New tissues are generated in a process that requires many swift cell divisions. How costly is this process to an animal in terms of mutational load remains unknown. Using whole genome sequencing, we defined the mutational profile of the process of regeneration in the planarian species Schmidtea polychroa. We assembled de novo the genome of S. polychroa and analyzed mutations in animals that have undergone regeneration. We observed a threefold increase in the number of mutations and an altered mutational spectrum. High allele frequencies of subclonal mutations in regenerated animals suggested that most of the cells in the regenerated animal were descendants of a small number of stem cells with high expansion potential. We provide, for the first time, the draft genome assembly of S. polychroa, an estimation of the germline mutation rate for a planarian species and the mutational spectrum of the regeneration process of a living organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ádám Póti
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
| | - Dávid Szüts
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
| | - Jelena Vermezovic
- IFOM ETS - The AIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Via Adamello 16, 20139 Milan, Italy
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3
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Tung A, Sperry MM, Clawson W, Pavuluri A, Bulatao S, Yue M, Flores RM, Pai VP, McMillen P, Kuchling F, Levin M. Embryos assist morphogenesis of others through calcium and ATP signaling mechanisms in collective teratogen resistance. Nat Commun 2024; 15:535. [PMID: 38233424 PMCID: PMC10794468 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44522-2] [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: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Information for organismal patterning can come from a variety of sources. We investigate the possibility that instructive influences for normal embryonic development are provided not only at the level of cells within the embryo, but also via interactions between embryos. To explore this, we challenge groups of embryos with disruptors of normal development while varying group size. Here, we show that Xenopus laevis embryos are much more sensitive to a diverse set of chemical and molecular-biological perturbations when allowed to develop alone or in small groups, than in large groups. Keeping per-embryo exposure constant, we find that increasing the number of exposed embryos in a cohort increases the rate of survival while incidence of defects decreases. This inter-embryo assistance effect is mediated by short-range diffusible signals and involves the P2 ATP receptor. Our data and computational model emphasize that morphogenesis is a collective phenomenon not only at the level of cells, but also of whole bodies, and that cohort size is a crucial variable in studies of ecotoxicology, teratogenesis, and developmental plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Tung
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Megan M Sperry
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Wesley Clawson
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Ananya Pavuluri
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Sydney Bulatao
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Michelle Yue
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Ramses Martinez Flores
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Vaibhav P Pai
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Patrick McMillen
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Franz Kuchling
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA.
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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4
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Kashima M, Komura R, Sato Y, Hashimoto C, Hirata H. A resource of single-cell gene expression profiles in a planarian Dugesia japonica. Dev Growth Differ 2024; 66:43-55. [PMID: 37779230 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12893] [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: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
The freshwater planarian Dugesia japonica maintains an abundant heterogeneous cell population called neoblasts, which include adult pluripotent stem cells. Thus, it is an excellent model organism for stem cell and regeneration research. Recently, many single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) databases of several model organisms, including other planarian species, have become publicly available; these are powerful and useful resources to search for gene expression in various tissues and cells. However, the only scRNA-seq dataset for D. japonica has been limited by the number of genes detected. Herein, we collected D. japonica cells, and conducted an scRNA-seq analysis. A novel, automatic, iterative cell clustering strategy produced a dataset of 3,404 cells, which could be classified into 63 cell types based on gene expression profiles. We introduced two examples for utilizing the scRNA-seq dataset in this study using D. japonica. First, the dataset provided results consistent with previous studies as well as novel functionally relevant insights, that is, the expression of DjMTA and DjP2X-A genes in neoblasts that give rise to differentiated cells. Second, we conducted an integrative analysis of the scRNA-seq dataset and time-course bulk RNA-seq of irradiated animals, demonstrating that the dataset can help interpret differentially expressed genes captured via bulk RNA-seq. Using the R package "Seurat" and GSE223927, researchers can easily access and utilize this dataset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Kashima
- College of Science and Engineering, Aoyama Gakuin University, Sagamihara, Japan
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Toho University, Funabashi, Japan
| | - Rei Komura
- College of Science and Engineering, Aoyama Gakuin University, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Yuki Sato
- JT Biohistory Research Hall, Takatsuki, Japan
| | - Chikara Hashimoto
- JT Biohistory Research Hall, Takatsuki, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Japan
| | - Hiromi Hirata
- College of Science and Engineering, Aoyama Gakuin University, Sagamihara, Japan
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5
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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 PMCID: PMC11448005 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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6
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Ireland D, Zhang S, Bochenek V, Hsieh JH, Rabeler C, Meyer Z, Collins EMS. Differences in neurotoxic outcomes of organophosphorus pesticides revealed via multi-dimensional screening in adult and regenerating planarians. FRONTIERS IN TOXICOLOGY 2022; 4:948455. [PMID: 36267428 PMCID: PMC9578561 DOI: 10.3389/ftox.2022.948455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) are a chemically diverse class of commonly used insecticides. Epidemiological studies suggest that low dose chronic prenatal and infant exposures can lead to life-long neurological damage and behavioral disorders. While inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is the shared mechanism of acute OP neurotoxicity, OP-induced developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) can occur independently and/or in the absence of significant AChE inhibition, implying that OPs affect alternative targets. Moreover, different OPs can cause different adverse outcomes, suggesting that different OPs act through different mechanisms. These findings emphasize the importance of comparative studies of OP toxicity. Freshwater planarians are an invertebrate system that uniquely allows for automated, rapid and inexpensive testing of adult and developing organisms in parallel to differentiate neurotoxicity from DNT. Effects found only in regenerating planarians would be indicative of DNT, whereas shared effects may represent neurotoxicity. We leverage this unique feature of planarians to investigate potential differential effects of OPs on the adult and developing brain by performing a comparative screen to test 7 OPs (acephate, chlorpyrifos, dichlorvos, diazinon, malathion, parathion and profenofos) across 10 concentrations in quarter-log steps. Neurotoxicity was evaluated using a wide range of quantitative morphological and behavioral readouts. AChE activity was measured using an Ellman assay. The toxicological profiles of the 7 OPs differed across the OPs and between adult and regenerating planarians. Toxicological profiles were not correlated with levels of AChE inhibition. Twenty-two "mechanistic control compounds" known to target pathways suggested in the literature to be affected by OPs (cholinergic neurotransmission, serotonin neurotransmission, endocannabinoid system, cytoskeleton, adenyl cyclase and oxidative stress) and 2 negative controls were also screened. When compared with the mechanistic control compounds, the phenotypic profiles of the different OPs separated into distinct clusters. The phenotypic profiles of adult vs. regenerating planarians exposed to the OPs clustered differently, suggesting some developmental-specific mechanisms. These results further support findings in other systems that OPs cause different adverse outcomes in the (developing) brain and build the foundation for future comparative studies focused on delineating the mechanisms of OP neurotoxicity in planarians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Ireland
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA, United States
| | - Siqi Zhang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Veronica Bochenek
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA, United States
| | - Jui-Hua Hsieh
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Christina Rabeler
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA, United States
| | - Zane Meyer
- Department of Engineering, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA, United States
- Department of Computer Science, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA, United States
| | - Eva-Maria S. Collins
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA, United States
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Physics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
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7
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Sato Y, Shibata N, Hashimoto C, Agata K. Migratory regulation by MTA homologous genes is essential for the uniform distribution of planarian adult pluripotent stem cells. Dev Growth Differ 2022; 64:150-162. [PMID: 35124813 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12773] [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: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The migration of adult stem cells in vivo is an important issue, but the complex tissue structures involved, and limited accessibility of the cells hinder a detailed investigation. To overcome these problems, the freshwater planarian Dugesia japonica was used because it has a simple body plan and abundant adult pluripotent stem cells (neoblasts) distributed uniformly throughout its body. To investigate the migratory mechanisms of neoblasts, two planarian homologous genes of metastatic tumor antigen (MTA-A and MTA-B), a protein involved in cancer metastasis that functions through histone deacetylation, were identified, and their function was analyzed using RNA interference (RNAi). MTA-A or MTA-B knockdown disrupted homeostatic tissue turnover and regeneration in planarians. Whereas neoblasts in MTA-A (RNAi) and MTA-B (RNAi) animals were maintained, neoblast differentiation was inhibited. Furthermore, the normal uniform neoblast distribution pattern changed to a branch-like pattern in MTA-A (RNAi) and MTA-B (RNAi) animals. To examine the neoblast migratory ability, a partial X-ray irradiation assay was performed in D. japonica. Using this assay system, the MTA-A knockdown neoblasts migrated collectively in a branch-like pattern, and the MTA-B knockdown neoblasts were not able to migrate. These results indicated that MTA-A was required for the exit of neoblasts from the branch-like region, and that MTA-B was required for neoblast migration. Thus, the migration mediated by MTA-A and MTA-B enabled uniform neoblast distribution and was required for neoblast differentiation to achieve tissue homeostasis and regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Sato
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Norito Shibata
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Department of Integrated Science and Technology, National Institute of Technology, Tsuyama College, Tsuyama, Japan
| | - Chikara Hashimoto
- JT Biohistory Research Hall, Takatsuki, Japan.,Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kiyokazu Agata
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, Tokyo, Japan
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8
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Tian Q, Guo Q, Guo Y, Luo L, Kristiansen K, Han Z, Fang H, Zhang S. Whole-genome sequence of the planarian Dugesia japonica combining Illumina and PacBio data. Genomics 2022; 114:110293. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2022.110293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Revised: 12/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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9
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Lee H, Hikasa K, Umesono Y, Hayashi T, Agata K, Shibata N. Loss of plac8 expression rapidly leads pluripotent stem cells to enter active state during planarian regeneration. Development 2022; 149:274215. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.199449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The regenerative ability of planarians relies on their adult pluripotent stem cell population. Although all stem cells express a piwi homolog, recently it has become possible to classify the piwi+ stem cell population into specialized subpopulations according to the expression of genes related to differentiation. However, piwi+ stem cells behave practically as a homogeneous population after amputation, during which stem cells show accelerated proliferation, named ‘induced hyperproliferation’. Here, we show that plac8-A was expressed in almost all of the stem cells, and that a decrease of the plac8-A expression level led to induced hyperproliferation uniformly in a broad stem cell subpopulation after amputation. This reduction of plac8-A expression was caused by activated JNK signaling after amputation. Pharmacological inhibition of JNK signaling caused failure to induce hyperproliferation and resulted in regenerative defects. Such defects were abrogated by simultaneous knockdown of plac8-A expression. Thus, JNK-dependent suppression of plac8-A expression is indispensable for stem cell dynamics involved in regeneration. These findings suggest that plac8-A acts as a molecular switch of piwi+ stem cells for entry into the regenerative state after amputation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayoung Lee
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Kanon Hikasa
- Department of Integrated Science and Technology, National Institute of Technology, Tsuyama College 624-1, Numa, Tsuyama-City, Okayama 708-8509, Japan
| | - Yoshihiko Umesono
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Tetsutaro Hayashi
- Laboratory for Phyloinformatics, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
- Laboratory for Bioinformatics Research, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Kiyokazu Agata
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
- Laboratory of Regeneration Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Nishigoaka 38, Myodaiji, Okazaki, 444-8585 Aichi, Japan
| | - Norito Shibata
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
- Department of Integrated Science and Technology, National Institute of Technology, Tsuyama College 624-1, Numa, Tsuyama-City, Okayama 708-8509, Japan
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10
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Sato Y, Umesono Y, Kuroki Y, Agata K, Hashimoto C. Proliferation maintains the undifferentiated status of stem cells: The role of the planarian cell cycle regulator Cdh1. Dev Biol 2021; 482:55-66. [PMID: 34922934 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.12.006] [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: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The coincidence of cell cycle exit and differentiation has been described in a wide variety of stem cells and organisms for decades, but the causal relationship is still unclear due to the complicated regulation of the cell cycle. Here, we used the planarian Dugesia japonica since they may possess a simple cell cycle regulation in which Cdh1 is one of the factors responsible for exiting the cell cycle. When cdh1 was functionally inhibited, the planarians could not maintain their tissue homeostasis and could not regenerate their missing body parts. While the knockdown of cdh1 caused pronounced accumulation of the stem cells, the progenitor and differentiated cells were decreased. Further analyses indicated that the stem cells with cdh1 knockdown did not undergo differentiation even though they received ERK signaling activation as an induction signal. These results suggested that stem cells could not acquire differentiation competence without cell cycle exit. Thus, we propose that cell cycle regulation determines the differentiation competence and that cell cycle exit to G0 enables stem cells to undergo differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yoshihito Kuroki
- Laboratory of Regeneration Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Japan; Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Japan
| | - Kiyokazu Agata
- Laboratory of Regeneration Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Japan
| | - Chikara Hashimoto
- JT Biohistory Research Hall, Japan; Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Japan.
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11
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Levin M. Bioelectrical approaches to cancer as a problem of the scaling of the cellular self. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 165:102-113. [PMID: 33961843 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2021.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
One lens with which to understand the complex phenomenon of cancer is that of developmental biology. Cancer is the inevitable consequence of a breakdown of the communication that enables individual cells to join into computational networks that work towards large-scale, morphogenetic goals instead of more primitive, unicellular objectives. This perspective suggests that cancer may be a physiological disorder, not necessarily due to problems with the genetically-specified protein hardware. One aspect of morphogenetic coordination is bioelectric signaling, and indeed an abnormal bioelectric signature non-invasively reveals the site of incipient tumors in amphibian models. Functionally, a disruption of resting potential states triggers metastatic melanoma phenotypes in embryos with no genetic defects or carcinogen exposure. Conversely, optogenetic or molecular-biological modulation of bioelectric states can override powerful oncogenic mutations and prevent or normalize tumors. The bioelectrically-mediated information flows that harness cells toward body-level anatomical outcomes represent a very attractive and tractable endogenous control system, which is being targeted by emerging approaches to cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, 200 Boston Ave., Suite 4600, Medford, MA, 02155, USA.
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12
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Collagen IV differentially regulates planarian stem cell potency and lineage progression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2021251118. [PMID: 33859045 PMCID: PMC8072372 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2021251118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Comprehensive assessment of matrisome genes identified collagen IV as one of the many extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins regulating the stem cell pool in planarian tissue homeostasis and regeneration. While collagen IV has been shown to be involved in stem cell biology, our finding links it to pluripotent stem cells in vivo, including self-renewal and differentiation into tissue-specific progenitors. We show a link between the ECM niches in the parenchyma/gut region and EGF/neuregulin-secreting neurons, thus providing mechanistic insight into interactions between cell niches. The conservation of basement membranes between planarian and mammalian gut niches suggests a similar interplay may exist in the mammalian systems, worthy of further investigation. The extracellular matrix (ECM) provides a precise physical and molecular environment for cell maintenance, self-renewal, and differentiation in the stem cell niche. However, the nature and organization of the ECM niche is not well understood. The adult freshwater planarian Schmidtea mediterranea maintains a large population of multipotent stem cells (neoblasts), presenting an ideal model to study the role of the ECM niche in stem cell regulation. Here we tested the function of 165 planarian homologs of ECM and ECM-related genes in neoblast regulation. We identified the collagen gene family as one with differential effects in promoting or suppressing proliferation of neoblasts. col4-1, encoding a type IV collagen α-chain, had the strongest effect. RNA interference (RNAi) of col4-1 impaired tissue maintenance and regeneration, causing tissue regression. Finally, we provide evidence for an interaction between type IV collagen, the discoidin domain receptor, and neuregulin-7 (NRG-7), which constitutes a mechanism to regulate the balance of symmetric and asymmetric division of neoblasts via the NRG-7/EGFR pathway.
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13
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Bioelectric signaling: Reprogrammable circuits underlying embryogenesis, regeneration, and cancer. Cell 2021; 184:1971-1989. [PMID: 33826908 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.02.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
How are individual cell behaviors coordinated toward invariant large-scale anatomical outcomes in development and regeneration despite unpredictable perturbations? Endogenous distributions of membrane potentials, produced by ion channels and gap junctions, are present across all tissues. These bioelectrical networks process morphogenetic information that controls gene expression, enabling cell collectives to make decisions about large-scale growth and form. Recent progress in the analysis and computational modeling of developmental bioelectric circuits and channelopathies reveals how cellular collectives cooperate toward organ-level structural order. These advances suggest a roadmap for exploiting bioelectric signaling for interventions addressing developmental disorders, regenerative medicine, cancer reprogramming, and synthetic bioengineering.
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14
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Hijioka M, Ikemoto Y, Fukao K, Inoue T, Kobayakawa T, Nishimura K, Takata K, Agata K, Kitamura Y. MEK/ERK Signaling Regulates Reconstitution of the Dopaminergic Nerve Circuit in the Planarian Dugesia japonica. Neurochem Res 2021; 47:2558-2567. [PMID: 33464445 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-020-03226-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Planarian Dugesia japonica is a flatworm that can autonomously regenerate its own body after an artificial amputation. A recent report showed the role of the mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK/ERK) pathway in the head morphogenesis during the planarian regeneration process after amputation; however, neuron-specific regeneration mechanisms have not yet been reported. Here, whether MEK/ERK pathway was involved in the dopaminergic neuronal regeneration in planarians was investigated. Planarians regenerated their body within 14 days after amputation; however, the head region morphogenesis was inhibited by MEK inhibitor U0126 (3 or 10 μM). Furthermore, the number of planarian tyrosine hydroxylase (DjTH)-positive dopaminergic neurons in the regenerated head region was also decreased by U0126. The 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), a dopaminergic neurotoxin, can decrease the number of dopaminergic neurons; however, planarians can regenerate dopaminergic neurons after injecting 6-OHDA into the intestinal tract. MEK inhibitor PD98059 (30 μM) or U0126 (10 μM) significantly decreased dopaminergic neurons 5 days after the 6-OHDA injection. During the regeneration process of dopaminergic neurons, phosphorylated histone H3 (H3P)-positive stem cells known as "neoblasts" were increased in the head region; however, MEK inhibitors significantly decreased the number of H3P-positive neoblasts. These results suggested that dopaminergic neuronal regeneration in planarian was regulated by the MEK/ERK pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masanori Hijioka
- Laboratory of Pharmacology and Neurobiology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-Higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan.,Department of Neurocognitive Science, Institute of Brain Science, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 467-8601, Japan
| | - Yusuke Ikemoto
- Laboratory of Pharmacology and Neurobiology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-Higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan
| | - Kosuke Fukao
- Laboratory of Pharmacology and Neurobiology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-Higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan
| | - Takeshi Inoue
- Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, 1-5-1 Mejiro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, 171-0031, Japan.,Division of Adaptation Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, 86 Nishi-cho, Yonago, 683-8503, Japan
| | - Tatsuki Kobayakawa
- Laboratory of Pharmacology and Neurobiology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-Higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan
| | - Kaneyasu Nishimura
- Division of Integrated Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, Misasagi, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto, 607-8414, Japan
| | - Kazuyuki Takata
- Division of Integrated Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, Misasagi, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto, 607-8414, Japan
| | - Kiyokazu Agata
- Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, 1-5-1 Mejiro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, 171-0031, Japan.,National Institute for Basic Biology, National Institutes of Natural Science, 38 Nishigonaka, Myodaiji, Okazaki, 444-0867, Japan
| | - Yoshihisa Kitamura
- Laboratory of Pharmacology and Neurobiology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-Higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan.
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15
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Life, death, and self: Fundamental questions of primitive cognition viewed through the lens of body plasticity and synthetic organisms. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2020; 564:114-133. [PMID: 33162026 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.10.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2020] [Revised: 10/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Central to the study of cognition is being able to specify the Subject that is making decisions and owning memories and preferences. However, all real cognitive agents are made of parts (such as brains made of cells). The integration of many active subunits into a coherent Self appearing at a larger scale of organization is one of the fundamental questions of evolutionary cognitive science. Typical biological model systems, whether basal or advanced, have a static anatomical structure which obscures important aspects of the mind-body relationship. Recent advances in bioengineering now make it possible to assemble, disassemble, and recombine biological structures at the cell, organ, and whole organism levels. Regenerative biology and controlled chimerism reveal that studies of cognition in intact, "standard", evolved animal bodies are just a narrow slice of a much bigger and as-yet largely unexplored reality: the incredible plasticity of dynamic morphogenesis of biological forms that house and support diverse types of cognition. The ability to produce living organisms in novel configurations makes clear that traditional concepts, such as body, organism, genetic lineage, death, and memory are not as well-defined as commonly thought, and need considerable revision to account for the possible spectrum of living entities. Here, I review fascinating examples of experimental biology illustrating that the boundaries demarcating somatic and cognitive Selves are fluid, providing an opportunity to sharpen inquiries about how evolution exploits physical forces for multi-scale cognition. Developmental (pre-neural) bioelectricity contributes a novel perspective on how the dynamic control of growth and form of the body evolved into sophisticated cognitive capabilities. Most importantly, the development of functional biobots - synthetic living machines with behavioral capacity - provides a roadmap for greatly expanding our understanding of the origin and capacities of cognition in all of its possible material implementations, especially those that emerge de novo, with no lengthy evolutionary history of matching behavioral programs to bodyplan. Viewing fundamental questions through the lens of new, constructed living forms will have diverse impacts, not only in basic evolutionary biology and cognitive science, but also in regenerative medicine of the brain and in artificial intelligence.
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16
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Levin M. The Biophysics of Regenerative Repair Suggests New Perspectives on Biological Causation. Bioessays 2020; 42:e1900146. [PMID: 31994772 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201900146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Revised: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Evolution exploits the physics of non-neural bioelectricity to implement anatomical homeostasis: a process in which embryonic patterning, remodeling, and regeneration achieve invariant anatomical outcomes despite external interventions. Linear "developmental pathways" are often inadequate explanations for dynamic large-scale pattern regulation, even when they accurately capture relationships between molecular components. Biophysical and computational aspects of collective cell activity toward a target morphology reveal interesting aspects of causation in biology. This is critical not only for unraveling evolutionary and developmental events, but also for the design of effective strategies for biomedical intervention. Bioelectrical controls of growth and form, including stochastic behavior in such circuits, highlight the need for the formulation of nuanced views of pathways, drivers of system-level outcomes, and modularity, borrowing from concepts in related disciplines such as cybernetics, control theory, computational neuroscience, and information theory. This approach has numerous practical implications for basic research and for applications in regenerative medicine and synthetic bioengineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA.,Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
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17
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Williams KB, Bischof J, Lee FJ, Miller KA, LaPalme JV, Wolfe BE, Levin M. Regulation of axial and head patterning during planarian regeneration by a commensal bacterium. Mech Dev 2020; 163:103614. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2020.103614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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18
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Fields C, Levin M. Scale-Free Biology: Integrating Evolutionary and Developmental Thinking. Bioessays 2020; 42:e1900228. [PMID: 32537770 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201900228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
When the history of life on earth is viewed as a history of cell division, all of life becomes a single cell lineage. The growth and differentiation of this lineage in reciprocal interaction with its environment can be viewed as a developmental process; hence the evolution of life on earth can also be seen as the development of life on earth. Here, in reviewing this field, some potentially fruitful research directions suggested by this change in perspective are highlighted. Variation and selection become, for example, bidirectional information flows between scales, while the notions of "cooperation" and "competition" become scale relative. The language of communication, inference, and information processing becomes more useful than the language of causation to describe the interactions of both homogeneous and heterogeneous living systems at any scale. Emerging scale-free theoretical frameworks such as predictive coding and active inference provide conceptual tools for reconceptualizing biology as the study of a unified, multiscale dynamical system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Fields
- 23 Rue des Lavandieres, 11160 Caunes Minervois, France
| | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
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Dugesia hepta and Dugesia benazzii (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida): two sympatric species with occasional sex? ORG DIVERS EVOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s13127-020-00438-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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20
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Kim IV, Duncan EM, Ross EJ, Gorbovytska V, Nowotarski SH, Elliott SA, Sánchez Alvarado A, Kuhn CD. Planarians recruit piRNAs for mRNA turnover in adult stem cells. Genes Dev 2019; 33:1575-1590. [PMID: 31537626 PMCID: PMC6824462 DOI: 10.1101/gad.322776.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In this study, Kim et al. set out to elucidate the molecular details of how PIWI proteins in planarian flatworms contribute to stem cell function and regeneration. Using novel biochemical tools, such as IP-seq, ribodepletion, HITS-CLIP, and SHAPE-MaP, the authors show that PIWI proteins enable planarians to repurpose piRNAs for critical roles in neoblast mRNA turnover. PIWI proteins utilize small RNAs called piRNAs to silence transposable elements, thereby protecting germline integrity. In planarian flatworms, PIWI proteins are essential for regeneration, which requires adult stem cells termed neoblasts. Here, we characterize planarian piRNAs and examine the roles of PIWI proteins in neoblast biology. We find that the planarian PIWI proteins SMEDWI-2 and SMEDWI-3 cooperate to degrade active transposons via the ping-pong cycle. Unexpectedly, we discover that SMEDWI-3 plays an additional role in planarian mRNA surveillance. While SMEDWI-3 degrades numerous neoblast mRNAs in a homotypic ping-pong cycle, it is also guided to another subset of neoblast mRNAs by antisense piRNAs and binds these without degrading them. Mechanistically, the distinct activities of SMEDWI-3 are primarily dictated by the degree of complementarity between target mRNAs and antisense piRNAs. Thus, PIWI proteins enable planarians to repurpose piRNAs for potentially critical roles in neoblast mRNA turnover.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iana V Kim
- Gene regulation by Non-coding RNA, Elite Network of Bavaria and University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Elizabeth M Duncan
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA
| | - Eric J Ross
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA
| | - Vladyslava Gorbovytska
- Gene regulation by Non-coding RNA, Elite Network of Bavaria and University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | | | - Sarah A Elliott
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA
| | - Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA
| | - Claus-D Kuhn
- Gene regulation by Non-coding RNA, Elite Network of Bavaria and University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
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21
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Leria L, Vila-Farré M, Solà E, Riutort M. Outstanding intraindividual genetic diversity in fissiparous planarians (Dugesia, Platyhelminthes) with facultative sex. BMC Evol Biol 2019; 19:130. [PMID: 31221097 PMCID: PMC6587288 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-019-1440-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Predicted genetic consequences of asexuality include high intraindividual genetic diversity (i.e., the Meselson effect) and accumulation of deleterious mutations (i.e., Muller's Ratchet), among others. These consequences have been largely studied in parthenogenetic organisms, but studies on fissiparous species are scarce. Differing from parthenogens, fissiparous organisms inherit part of the soma of the progenitor, including somatic mutations. Thus, in the long term, fissiparous reproduction may also result in genetic mosaicism, besides the presence of the Meselson effect and Muller's Ratchet. Dugesiidae planarians show outstanding regeneration capabilities, allowing them to naturally reproduce by fission, either strictly or combined with sex (facultative). Therefore, they are an ideal model to analyze the genetic footprint of fissiparous reproduction, both when it is alternated with sex and when it is the only mode of reproduction. RESULTS In the present study, we generate and analyze intraindividual cloned data of a nuclear and a mitochondrial gene of sexual, fissiparous and facultative wild populations of the species Dugesia subtentaculata. We find that most individuals, independently of their reproductive strategy, are mosaics. However, the intraindividual haplotype and nucleotide diversity of fissiparous and facultative individuals is significantly higher than in sexual individuals, with no signs of Muller's Ratchet. Finally, we also find that this high intraindividual genetic diversity of fissiparous and facultative individuals is composed by different combinations of ancestral and derived haplotypes of the species. CONCLUSIONS The intraindividual analyses of genetic diversity point out that fissiparous reproduction leaves a very special genetic footprint in individuals, characterized by mosaicism combined with the Meselson effect (named in the present study as the mosaic Meselson effect). Interestingly, the different intraindividual combinations of ancestral and derivate genetic diversity indicate that haplotypes generated during periods of fissiparous reproduction can be also transmitted to the progeny through sexual events, resulting in offspring showing a wide range of genetic diversity and putatively allowing purifying selection to act at both intraindividual and individual level. Further investigations, using Dugesia planarians as model organisms, would be of great value to delve into this new model of genetic evolution by the combination of fission and sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laia Leria
- Department de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
| | - Miquel Vila-Farré
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Eduard Solà
- Department de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
| | - Marta Riutort
- Department de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
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22
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Levin M, Pietak AM, Bischof J. Planarian regeneration as a model of anatomical homeostasis: Recent progress in biophysical and computational approaches. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2019; 87:125-144. [PMID: 29635019 PMCID: PMC6234102 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2018.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2018] [Revised: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Planarian behavior, physiology, and pattern control offer profound lessons for regenerative medicine, evolutionary biology, morphogenetic engineering, robotics, and unconventional computation. Despite recent advances in the molecular genetics of stem cell differentiation, this model organism's remarkable anatomical homeostasis provokes us with truly fundamental puzzles about the origin of large-scale shape and its relationship to the genome. In this review article, we first highlight several deep mysteries about planarian regeneration in the context of the current paradigm in this field. We then review recent progress in understanding of the physiological control of an endogenous, bioelectric pattern memory that guides regeneration, and how modulating this memory can permanently alter the flatworm's target morphology. Finally, we focus on computational approaches that complement reductive pathway analysis with synthetic, systems-level understanding of morphological decision-making. We analyze existing models of planarian pattern control and highlight recent successes and remaining knowledge gaps in this interdisciplinary frontier field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, United States; Biology Department, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, United States.
| | - Alexis M Pietak
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, United States
| | - Johanna Bischof
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, United States; Biology Department, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, United States
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23
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Hosoda K, Motoishi M, Kunimoto T, Nishimura O, Hwang B, Kobayashi S, Yazawa S, Mochii M, Agata K, Umesono Y. Role of MEKK1 in the anterior-posterior patterning during planarian regeneration. Dev Growth Differ 2018; 60:341-353. [PMID: 29900546 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Revised: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Planarians have established a unique body pattern along the anterior-posterior (AP) axis, which consists of at least four distinct body regions arranged in an anterior to posterior sequence: head, prepharyngeal, pharyngeal (containing a pharynx), and tail regions, and possess high regenerative ability. How they reconstruct the regional continuity in a head-to-tail sequence after amputation still remains unknown. We use as a model planarian Dugesia japonica head regeneration from tail fragments, which involves dynamic rearrangement of the body regionality of preexisting tail tissues along the AP axis, and show here that RNA interference of the gene D. japonica mek kinase 1 (Djmekk1) caused a significant anterior shift in the position of pharynx regeneration at the expense of the prepharyngeal region, while keeping the head region relatively constant in size, and accordingly led to development of a relatively longer tail region. Our data suggest that DjMEKK1 regulates anterior extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and posterior β-catenin signaling pathways in a positive and negative manner, respectively, to establish a proper balance resulting in the regeneration of planarian's scale-invariant trunk-to-tail patterns across individuals. Furthermore, we demonstrated that DjMEKK1 negatively modulates planarian β-catenin activity via its serine/threonine kinase domain, but not its PHD/RING finger domain, by testing secondary axis formation in Xenopus embryos. The data suggest that Djmekk1 plays an instructive role in the coordination between the establishment of the prepharyngeal region and posteriorizing of pharynx formation by balancing the two opposing morphogenetic signals along the AP axis during planarian regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazutaka Hosoda
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Graduate School of Life Science, University of Hyogo, Kamigori-cho, Japan
| | - Minako Motoishi
- Graduate School of Life Science, University of Hyogo, Kamigori-cho, Japan
| | - Takuya Kunimoto
- Graduate School of Life Science, University of Hyogo, Kamigori-cho, Japan
| | - Osamu Nishimura
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Phyloinformatics Unit, RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Kobe, Japan
| | - Byulnim Hwang
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Sumire Kobayashi
- Graduate School of Life Science, University of Hyogo, Kamigori-cho, Japan
| | - Shigenobu Yazawa
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Cellular and Structural Physiology Institute, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Makoto Mochii
- Graduate School of Life Science, University of Hyogo, Kamigori-cho, Japan
| | - Kiyokazu Agata
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science Graduate Course in Life Science, Graduate School of Science, Gakushuin University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshihiko Umesono
- Graduate School of Life Science, University of Hyogo, Kamigori-cho, Japan
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24
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Fields C, Levin M. Are Planaria Individuals? What Regenerative Biology is Telling Us About the Nature of Multicellularity. Evol Biol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-018-9448-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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25
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Levin M, Martyniuk CJ. The bioelectric code: An ancient computational medium for dynamic control of growth and form. Biosystems 2018; 164:76-93. [PMID: 28855098 PMCID: PMC10464596 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2017.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Revised: 08/20/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
What determines large-scale anatomy? DNA does not directly specify geometrical arrangements of tissues and organs, and a process of encoding and decoding for morphogenesis is required. Moreover, many species can regenerate and remodel their structure despite drastic injury. The ability to obtain the correct target morphology from a diversity of initial conditions reveals that the morphogenetic code implements a rich system of pattern-homeostatic processes. Here, we describe an important mechanism by which cellular networks implement pattern regulation and plasticity: bioelectricity. All cells, not only nerves and muscles, produce and sense electrical signals; in vivo, these processes form bioelectric circuits that harness individual cell behaviors toward specific anatomical endpoints. We review emerging progress in reading and re-writing anatomical information encoded in bioelectrical states, and discuss the approaches to this problem from the perspectives of information theory, dynamical systems, and computational neuroscience. Cracking the bioelectric code will enable much-improved control over biological patterning, advancing basic evolutionary developmental biology as well as enabling numerous applications in regenerative medicine and synthetic bioengineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Biology Department, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Suite 4600 Medford, MA 02155, USA.
| | - Christopher J Martyniuk
- Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, University of Florida Genetics Institute, Interdisciplinary Program in Biomedical Sciences Neuroscience, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
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26
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Grohme MA, Schloissnig S, Rozanski A, Pippel M, Young GR, Winkler S, Brandl H, Henry I, Dahl A, Powell S, Hiller M, Myers E, Rink JC. The genome of Schmidtea mediterranea and the evolution of core cellular mechanisms. Nature 2018; 554:56-61. [PMID: 29364871 PMCID: PMC5797480 DOI: 10.1038/nature25473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The planarian Schmidtea mediterranea is an important model for stem cell research and regeneration, but adequate genome resources for this species have been lacking. Here we report a highly contiguous genome assembly of S. mediterranea, using long-read sequencing and a de novo assembler (MARVEL) enhanced for low-complexity reads. The S. mediterranea genome is highly polymorphic and repetitive, and harbours a novel class of giant retroelements. Furthermore, the genome assembly lacks a number of highly conserved genes, including critical components of the mitotic spindle assembly checkpoint, but planarians maintain checkpoint function. Our genome assembly provides a key model system resource that will be useful for studying regeneration and the evolutionary plasticity of core cell biological mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Alexander Grohme
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstraße 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Siegfried Schloissnig
- Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Schloss-Wolfsbrunnenweg 35, 69118 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Andrei Rozanski
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstraße 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Martin Pippel
- Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Schloss-Wolfsbrunnenweg 35, 69118 Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Sylke Winkler
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstraße 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Holger Brandl
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstraße 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Ian Henry
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstraße 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Andreas Dahl
- Deep Sequencing Group, BIOTEC / Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Cluster of Excellence at TU Dresden, Fetscherstraße 105, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Sean Powell
- Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Schloss-Wolfsbrunnenweg 35, 69118 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Hiller
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstraße 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Nöthnitzer Str. 38 01187 Dresden, Germany
| | - Eugene Myers
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstraße 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Jochen Christian Rink
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstraße 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany
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27
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An Y, Kawaguchi A, Zhao C, Toyoda A, Sharifi-Zarchi A, Mousavi SA, Bagherzadeh R, Inoue T, Ogino H, Fujiyama A, Chitsaz H, Baharvand H, Agata K. Draft genome of Dugesia japonica provides insights into conserved regulatory elements of the brain restriction gene nou-darake in planarians. ZOOLOGICAL LETTERS 2018; 4:24. [PMID: 30181897 PMCID: PMC6114478 DOI: 10.1186/s40851-018-0102-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Planarians are non-parasitic Platyhelminthes (flatworms) famous for their regeneration ability and for having a well-organized brain. Dugesia japonica is a typical planarian species that is widely distributed in the East Asia. Extensive cellular and molecular experimental methods have been developed to identify the functions of thousands of genes in this species, making this planarian a good experimental model for regeneration biology and neurobiology. However, no genome-level information is available for D. japonica, and few gene regulatory networks have been identified thus far. RESULTS To obtain whole-genome information on this species and to study its gene regulatory networks, we extracted genomic DNA from 200 planarians derived from a laboratory-bred asexual clonal strain, and sequenced 476 Gb of data by second-generation sequencing. Kmer frequency graphing and fosmid sequence analysis indicated a complex genome that would be difficult to assemble using second-generation sequencing short reads. To address this challenge, we developed a new assembly strategy and improved the de novo genome assembly, producing a 1.56 Gb genome sequence (DjGenome ver1.0, including 202,925 scaffolds and N50 length 27,741 bp) that covers 99.4% of all 19,543 genes in the assembled transcriptome, although the genome is fragmented as 80% of the genome consists of repeated sequences (genomic frequency ≥ 2). By genome comparison between two planarian genera, we identified conserved non-coding elements (CNEs), which are indicative of gene regulatory elements. Transgenic experiments using Xenopus laevis indicated that one of the CNEs in the Djndk gene may be a regulatory element, suggesting that the regulation of the ndk gene and the brain formation mechanism may be conserved between vertebrates and invertebrates. CONCLUSION This draft genome and CNE analysis will contribute to resolving gene regulatory networks in planarians. The genome database is available at: http://www.planarian.jp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang An
- Department of Biophysics, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Present address: Immolife-biotech Co., Ltd., Nanjing, China
| | - Akane Kawaguchi
- Department of Animal Bioscience, Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, Nagahama, Japan
- Present address: Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna, Austria
| | - Chen Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Present address: Immolife-biotech Co., Ltd., Nanjing, China
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Atsushi Toyoda
- Comparative Genomics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan
| | - Ali Sharifi-Zarchi
- Department of Computer Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Computer Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Ahmad Mousavi
- Department of Computer Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA
| | - Reza Bagherzadeh
- Department of Biophysics, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Science and Culture, Tehran, Iran
- Present address: Department of Life Science, Gakushuin University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takeshi Inoue
- Department of Biophysics, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Present address: Department of Life Science, Gakushuin University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hajime Ogino
- Department of Animal Bioscience, Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, Nagahama, Japan
- Present address: Amphibian Research Center, Hiroshima University, Higashi-hiroshima, Japan
| | - Asao Fujiyama
- Comparative Genomics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan
| | - Hamidreza Chitsaz
- Department of Computer Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA
| | - Hossein Baharvand
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Science and Culture, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kiyokazu Agata
- Department of Biophysics, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Present address: Department of Life Science, Gakushuin University, Tokyo, Japan
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Fields C, Levin M. Multiscale memory and bioelectric error correction in the cytoplasm-cytoskeleton-membrane system. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-SYSTEMS BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2017; 10. [DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2017] [Revised: 08/19/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chris Fields
- 21 Rue des Lavandiéres, 11160 Caunes Minervois; France
| | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University; Medford MA USA
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29
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Counts JT, Hester TM, Rouhana L. Genetic expansion of chaperonin-containing TCP-1 (CCT/TRiC) complex subunits yields testis-specific isoforms required for spermatogenesis in planarian flatworms. Mol Reprod Dev 2017; 84:1271-1284. [PMID: 29095551 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.22925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Chaperonin-containing Tail-less complex polypeptide 1 (CCT) is a highly conserved, hetero-oligomeric complex that ensures proper folding of actin, tubulin, and regulators of mitosis. Eight subunits (CCT1-8) make up this complex, and every subunit has a homolog expressed in the testes and somatic tissue of the planarian flatworm Schmidtea mediterranea. Gene duplications of four subunits in the genomes of S. mediterranea and other planarian flatworms created paralogs to CCT1, CCT3, CCT4, and CCT8 that are expressed exclusively in the testes. Functional analyses revealed that each CCT subunit expressed in the S. mediterranea soma is essential for homeostatic integrity and survival, whereas sperm elongation defects were observed upon knockdown of each individual testis-specific paralog (Smed-cct1B; Smed-cct3B; Smed-cct4A; and Smed-cct8B), regardless of potential redundancy with paralogs expressed in both testes and soma (Smed-cct1A; Smed-cct3A; Smed-cct4B; and Smed-cct8A). Yet, no detriment was observed in the number of adult somatic stem cells (neoblasts) that maintain differentiated tissue in planarians. Thus, expression of all eight CCT subunits is required to execute the essential functions of the CCT complex. Furthermore, expression of the somatic paralogs in planarian testes is not sufficient to complete spermatogenesis when testis-specific paralogs are knocked down, suggesting that the evolution of chaperonin subunits may drive changes in the development of sperm structure and that correct CCT subunit stoichiometry is crucial for spermiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna T Counts
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio
| | - Tasha M Hester
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio
| | - Labib Rouhana
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio
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30
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Moore D, Walker SI, Levin M. Cancer as a disorder of patterning information: computational and biophysical perspectives on the cancer problem. CONVERGENT SCIENCE PHYSICAL ONCOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1088/2057-1739/aa8548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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31
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Almazan EMP, Lesko SL, Markey MP, Rouhana L. Girardia dorotocephala transcriptome sequence, assembly, and validation through characterization of piwi homologs and stem cell progeny markers. Dev Biol 2017; 433:433-447. [PMID: 28774726 PMCID: PMC5750089 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2017] [Revised: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 07/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Planarian flatworms are popular models for the study of regeneration and stem cell biology in vivo. Technical advances and increased availability of genetic information have fueled the discovery of molecules responsible for stem cell pluripotency and regeneration in flatworms. Unfortunately, most of the planarian research performed worldwide utilizes species that are not natural habitants of North America, which limits their availability to newcomer laboratories and impedes their distribution for educational activities. In order to circumvent these limitations and increase the genetic information available for comparative studies, we sequenced the transcriptome of Girardia dorotocephala, a planarian species pandemic and commercially available in North America. A total of 254,802,670 paired sequence reads were obtained from RNA extracted from intact individuals, regenerating fragments, as well as freshly excised auricles of a clonal line of G. dorotocephala (MA-C2), and used for de novo assembly of its transcriptome. The resulting transcriptome draft was validated through functional analysis of genetic markers of stem cells and their progeny in G. dorotocephala. Akin to orthologs in other planarian species, G. dorotocephala Piwi1 (GdPiwi1) was found to be a robust marker of the planarian stem cell population and GdPiwi2 an essential component for stem cell-driven regeneration. Identification of G. dorotocephala homologs of the early stem cell descendent marker PROG-1 revealed a family of lysine-rich proteins expressed during epithelial cell differentiation. Sequences from the MA-C2 transcriptome were found to be 98-99% identical to nucleotide sequences from G. dorotocephala populations with different chromosomal number, demonstrating strong conservation regardless of karyotype evolution. Altogether, this work establishes G. dorotocephala as a viable and accessible option for analysis of gene function in North America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene Matthew P Almazan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State University, 3640 Colonel Glenn Highway, Dayton, OH 45435, United States
| | - Sydney L Lesko
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State University, 3640 Colonel Glenn Highway, Dayton, OH 45435, United States
| | - Michael P Markey
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Wright State University, 3640 Colonel Glenn Highway, Dayton, OH 45435, United States
| | - Labib Rouhana
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State University, 3640 Colonel Glenn Highway, Dayton, OH 45435, United States.
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Shimoyama S, Inoue T, Kashima M, Agata K. Multiple Neuropeptide-Coding Genes Involved in Planarian Pharynx Extension. Zoolog Sci 2016; 33:311-9. [PMID: 27268986 DOI: 10.2108/zs150170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Planarian feeding behavior involves three steps: moving toward food, extending the pharynx from their planarian's ventral side after arriving at the food, and ingesting the food through the pharynx. Although pharynx extension is a remarkable behavior, it remains unknown what neuronal cell types are involved in its regulation. To identify neurons involved in regulating pharynx extension, we quantitatively analyzed pharynx extension and sought to identify these neurons by RNA interference (RNAi) and in situ hybridization. This assay, when performed using planarians with amputation of various body parts, clearly showed that the head portion is indispensable for inducing pharynx extension. We thus tested the effects of knockdown of brain neurons such as serotonergic, GABAergic, and dopaminergic neurons by RNAi, but did not observe any effects on pharynx extension behavior. However, animals with RNAi of the Prohormone Convertase 2 (PC2, a neuropeptide processing enzyme) gene did not perform the pharynx extension behavior, suggesting the possible involvement of neuropeptide(s in the regulation of pharynx extension. We screened 24 neuropeptide-coding genes, analyzed their functions by RNAi using the pharynx extension assay system, and identified at least five neuropeptide genes involved in pharynx extension. These was expressed in different cells or neurons, and some of them were expressed in the brain, suggesting complex regulation of planarian feeding behavior by the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seira Shimoyama
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Takeshi Inoue
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Makoto Kashima
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
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33
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Chan JD, Zhang D, Liu X, Zarowiecki MZ, Berriman M, Marchant JS. Dataset for a Dugesia japonica de novo transcriptome assembly, utilized for defining the voltage-gated like ion channel superfamily. Data Brief 2016; 9:1044-1047. [PMID: 27909700 PMCID: PMC5124351 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2016.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2016] [Revised: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
This data article provides a transcriptomic resource for the free living planarian flatworm Dugesia japonica related to the research article entitled 'Utilizing the planarian voltage-gated ion channel transcriptome to resolve a role for a Ca2+ channel in neuromuscular function and regeneration (J.D. Chan, D. Zhang, X. Liu, M. Zarowiecki, M. Berriman, J.S. Marchant, 2016) [1]. Data provided in this submission comprise sequence information for the unfiltered de novo assembly, the filtered assembly and a curated analysis of voltage-gated like (VGL) ion channel sequences mined from this resource. Availability of this data should facilitate further adoption of this model by laboratories interested in studying the role of individual genes of interest in planarian physiology and regenerative biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- John D. Chan
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, MN 55455, USA
| | - Dan Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, MN 55455, USA
| | - Xiaolong Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, MN 55455, USA
| | | | - Matthew Berriman
- Parasite Genomics Group, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan S. Marchant
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, MN 55455, USA
- The Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota Medical School, MN 55455, USA
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34
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Chan JD, Zhang D, Liu X, Zarowiecki M, Berriman M, Marchant JS. Utilizing the planarian voltage-gated ion channel transcriptome to resolve a role for a Ca 2+ channel in neuromuscular function and regeneration. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2016; 1864:1036-1045. [PMID: 27771293 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2016.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2016] [Revised: 10/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The robust regenerative capacity of planarian flatworms depends on the orchestration of signaling events from early wounding responses through the stem cell enacted differentiative outcomes that restore appropriate tissue types. Acute signaling events in excitable cells play an important role in determining regenerative polarity, rationalized by the discovery that sub-epidermal muscle cells express critical patterning genes known to control regenerative outcomes. These data imply a dual conductive (neuromuscular signaling) and instructive (anterior-posterior patterning) role for Ca2+ signaling in planarian regeneration. Here, to facilitate study of acute signaling events in the excitable cell niche, we provide a de novo transcriptome assembly from the planarian Dugesia japonica allowing characterization of the diverse ionotropic portfolio of this model organism. We demonstrate the utility of this resource by proceeding to characterize the individual role of each of the planarian voltage-operated Ca2+ channels during regeneration, and demonstrate that knockdown of a specific voltage operated Ca2+ channel (Cav1B) that impairs muscle function uniquely creates an environment permissive for anteriorization. Provision of the full transcriptomic dataset should facilitate further investigations of molecules within the planarian voltage-gated channel portfolio to explore the role of excitable cell physiology on regenerative outcomes. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: ECS Meeting edited by Claus Heizmann, Joachim Krebs and Jacques Haiech.
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Affiliation(s)
- John D Chan
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, MN 55455, United States
| | - Dan Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, MN 55455, United States
| | - Xiaolong Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, MN 55455, United States
| | - Magdalena Zarowiecki
- Parasite Genomics Group, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew Berriman
- Parasite Genomics Group, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan S Marchant
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, MN 55455, United States; The Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota Medical School, MN 55455, United States.
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Neuhof M, Levin M, Rechavi O. Vertically- and horizontally-transmitted memories - the fading boundaries between regeneration and inheritance in planaria. Biol Open 2016; 5:1177-88. [PMID: 27565761 PMCID: PMC5051648 DOI: 10.1242/bio.020149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The Weismann barrier postulates that genetic information passes only from the germline to the soma and not in reverse, thus providing an obstacle to the inheritance of acquired traits. Certain organisms such as planaria – flatworms that can reproduce through asymmetric fission – avoid the limitations of this barrier, thus blurring the distinction between the processes of inheritance and development. In this paper, we re-evaluate canonical ideas about the interaction between developmental, genetic and evolutionary processes through the lens of planaria. Biased distribution of epigenetic effects in asymmetrically produced parts of a regenerating organism could increase variation and therefore affect the species' evolution. The maintenance and fixing of somatic experiences, encoded via stable biochemical or physiological states, may contribute to evolutionary processes in the absence of classically defined generations. We discuss different mechanisms that could induce asymmetry between the two organisms that eventually develop from the regenerating parts, including one particularly fascinating source – the potential capacity of the brain to produce long-lasting epigenetic changes. Summary: In this hypothesis paper we re-evaluate canonical ideas about the interaction between developmental, genetic and evolutionary processes through the lens of planaria, an invertebrate model organism which challenges fundamental assumptions regarding reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moran Neuhof
- Department of Neurobiology, Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Oded Rechavi
- Department of Neurobiology, Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155, USA Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
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36
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Teramoto M, Kudome-Takamatsu T, Nishimura O, An Y, Kashima M, Shibata N, Agata K. Molecular markers for X-ray-insensitive differentiated cells in the Inner and outer regions of the mesenchymal space in planarian Dugesia japonica. Dev Growth Differ 2016; 58:609-19. [PMID: 27530596 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2016] [Revised: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 06/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Planarian's strong regenerative ability is dependent on stem cells (called neoblasts) that are X-ray-sensitive and proliferative stem cells. In addition to neoblasts, another type of X-ray-sensitive cells was newly identified by recent research. Thus, planarian's X-ray-sensitive cells can be divided into at least two populations, Type 1 and Type 2, the latter corresponding to planarian's classically defined "neoblasts". Here, we show that Type 1 cells were distributed in the outer region (OR) immediately underneath the muscle layer at all axial levels from head to tail, while the Type 2 cells were distributed in a more internal region (IR) of the mesenchymal space at the axial levels from neck to tail. To elucidate the biological significance of these two regions, we searched for genes expressed in differentiated cells that were locate close to these X-ray-sensitive cell populations in the mesenchymal space, and identified six genes mainly expressed in the OR or IR, named OR1, OR2, OR3, IR1, IR2 and IR3. The predicted amino acid sequences of these genes suggested that differentiated cells expressing OR1, OR3, IR1, or IR2 provide Type 1 and Type 2 cells with specific extracellular matrix (ECM) environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Machiko Teramoto
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | | | - Osamu Nishimura
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Global COE Program: Evolution and Biodiversity, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Center for Life Science Technologies, RIKEN, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Yang An
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Immolife-biotech Co. Ltd., Nanking, China
| | - Makoto Kashima
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Norito Shibata
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Department of Integrated Science and Technology, National Institute of Technology, Tsuyama College 624-1, Tsuyama-City, Okayama, Japan
| | - Kiyokazu Agata
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. .,Center for Developmental Biology, RIKEN, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan. .,Global COE Program: Evolution and Biodiversity, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
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Solana J, Irimia M, Ayoub S, Orejuela MR, Zywitza V, Jens M, Tapial J, Ray D, Morris Q, Hughes TR, Blencowe BJ, Rajewsky N. Conserved functional antagonism of CELF and MBNL proteins controls stem cell-specific alternative splicing in planarians. eLife 2016; 5. [PMID: 27502555 PMCID: PMC4978528 DOI: 10.7554/elife.16797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2016] [Accepted: 07/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In contrast to transcriptional regulation, the function of alternative splicing (AS) in stem cells is poorly understood. In mammals, MBNL proteins negatively regulate an exon program specific of embryonic stem cells; however, little is known about the in vivo significance of this regulation. We studied AS in a powerful in vivo model for stem cell biology, the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea. We discover a conserved AS program comprising hundreds of alternative exons, microexons and introns that is differentially regulated in planarian stem cells, and comprehensively identify its regulators. We show that functional antagonism between CELF and MBNL factors directly controls stem cell-specific AS in planarians, placing the origin of this regulatory mechanism at the base of Bilaterians. Knockdown of CELF or MBNL factors lead to abnormal regenerative capacities by affecting self-renewal and differentiation sets of genes, respectively. These results highlight the importance of AS interactions in stem cell regulation across metazoans. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.16797.001 Stem cells are specialized cells found in all animals that can develop into several different types of mature cells. Stem cells are therefore well suited for maintaining organs that are in heavy use, such as the intestine, and for regenerating tissues that are prone to injury, like the skin. One reason why stem cells differ from mature cell types is because they activate, or “express”, different sets of genes. In addition, many genes can be expressed as one of several versions. These variants, also known as isoforms, are generated by a process called alternative splicing. In mature cells in mammals, a group of proteins called the MBNL proteins help to prevent the expression of gene isoforms that are characteristic to stem cells. The adult flatworm Schmidtea mediterranea contains stem cells that can regenerate any part of the body. Solana, Irimia et al. have now investigated whether alternative splicing is important for controlling how the worm’s stem cells behave. After establishing which gene isoforms are expressed in the stem cells and the mature cells, the levels of different sets of proteins that control alternative splicing were experimentally reduced. The results indicate that just as seen in mammals, the MBNL proteins reduce the expression of stem cell-related gene isoforms in the flatworms. Furthermore, Solana, Irimia et al. found that another protein called CELF counteracts MBNL proteins by helping to express gene isoforms that are active in stem cells. The interplay between the MBNL and CELF proteins has also been observed in human cells. Thus, it appears that this way of controlling alternative splicing is common to flatworms and mammals and is therefore evolutionarily ancient. This suggests that other similar ways of controlling stem cells by interactions between regulatory proteins might be working in all animal stem cells. Further studies are now needed to investigate these control proteins. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.16797.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Solana
- Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Manuel Irimia
- Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Salah Ayoub
- Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marta Rodriguez Orejuela
- Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Vera Zywitza
- Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marvin Jens
- Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Javier Tapial
- Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Debashish Ray
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Quaid Morris
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Timothy R Hughes
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Benjamin J Blencowe
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Nikolaus Rajewsky
- Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
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Shibata N, Kashima M, Ishiko T, Nishimura O, Rouhana L, Misaki K, Yonemura S, Saito K, Siomi H, Siomi M, Agata K. Inheritance of a Nuclear PIWI from Pluripotent Stem Cells by Somatic Descendants Ensures Differentiation by Silencing Transposons in Planarian. Dev Cell 2016; 37:226-37. [DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2016.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2015] [Revised: 01/18/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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