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Bertemes P, Pjeta R, Wunderer J, Grosbusch AL, Lengerer B, Grüner K, Knapp M, Mertens B, Andresen N, Hess MW, Tomaiuolo S, Zankel A, Holzer P, Salvenmoser W, Egger B, Ladurner P. (Un)expected Similarity of the Temporary Adhesive Systems of Marine, Brackish, and Freshwater Flatworms. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:12228. [PMID: 34830109 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Many free-living flatworms have evolved a temporary adhesion system, which allows them to quickly attach to and release from diverse substrates. In the marine Macrostomum lignano, the morphology of the adhesive system and the adhesion-related proteins have been characterised. However, little is known about how temporary adhesion is performed in other aquatic environments. Here, we performed a 3D reconstruction of the M. lignano adhesive organ and compared it to the morphology of five selected Macrostomum, representing two marine, one brackish, and two freshwater species. We compared the protein domains of the two adhesive proteins, as well as an anchor cell-specific intermediate filament. We analysed the gene expression of these proteins by in situ hybridisation and performed functional knockdowns with RNA interference. Remarkably, there are almost no differences in terms of morphology, protein regions, and gene expression based on marine, brackish, and freshwater habitats. This implies that glue components produced by macrostomids are conserved among species, and this set of two-component glue functions from low to high salinity. These findings could contribute to the development of novel reversible biomimetic glues that work in all wet environments and could have applications in drug delivery systems, tissue adhesives, or wound dressings.
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Wudarski J, Egger B, Ramm SA, Schärer L, Ladurner P, Zadesenets KS, Rubtsov NB, Mouton S, Berezikov E. The free-living flatworm Macrostomum lignano. EvoDevo 2020; 11:5. [PMID: 32158530 PMCID: PMC7053086 DOI: 10.1186/s13227-020-00150-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Macrostomum lignano is a free-living flatworm that is emerging as an attractive experimental animal for research on a broad range of biological questions. One feature setting it apart from other flatworms is the successful establishment of transgenesis methods, facilitated by a steady supply of eggs in the form of single-cell zygotes that can be readily manipulated. This, in combination with the transparency of the animal and its small size, creates practical advantages for imaging and fluorescence-activated cell sorting in studies related to stem cell biology and regeneration. M. lignano can regenerate most of its body parts, including the germline, thanks to the neoblasts, which represent the flatworm stem cell system. Interestingly, neoblasts seem to have a high capacity of cellular maintenance, as M. lignano can survive up to 210 Gy of γ-irradiation, and partially offset the negative consequence of ageing. As a non-self-fertilizing simultaneous hermaphrodite that reproduces in a sexual manner, M. lignano is also used to study sexual selection and other evolutionary aspects of sexual reproduction. Work over the past several years has led to the development of molecular resources and tools, including high-quality genome and transcriptome assemblies, transcriptional profiling of the germline and somatic neoblasts, gene knockdown, and in situ hybridization. The increasingly detailed characterization of this animal has also resulted in novel research questions, such as bio-adhesion based on its adhesion-release glands and genome evolution due to its recent whole-genome duplication.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Wudarski
- 1European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713AV Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Bernhard Egger
- 2Institute of Zoology and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Steven A Ramm
- 3Department of Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Morgenbreede 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Lukas Schärer
- 4Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoological Institute, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Peter Ladurner
- 2Institute of Zoology and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Kira S Zadesenets
- 5The Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Prospekt Lavrentyeva 10, Novosibirsk, 630090 Russia
| | - Nikolay B Rubtsov
- 5The Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Prospekt Lavrentyeva 10, Novosibirsk, 630090 Russia
| | - Stijn Mouton
- 1European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713AV Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Eugene Berezikov
- 1European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713AV Groningen, The Netherlands.,5The Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Prospekt Lavrentyeva 10, Novosibirsk, 630090 Russia
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Grudniewska M, Mouton S, Simanov D, Beltman F, Grelling M, de Mulder K, Arindrarto W, Weissert PM, van der Elst S, Berezikov E. Transcriptional signatures of somatic neoblasts and germline cells in Macrostomum lignano. eLife 2016; 5. [PMID: 27997336 PMCID: PMC5173321 DOI: 10.7554/elife.20607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2016] [Accepted: 12/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The regeneration-capable flatworm Macrostomum lignano is a powerful model organism to study the biology of stem cells in vivo. As a flatworm amenable to transgenesis, it complements the historically used planarian flatworm models, such as Schmidtea mediterranea. However, information on the transcriptome and markers of stem cells in M. lignano is limited. We generated a de novo transcriptome assembly and performed the first comprehensive characterization of gene expression in the proliferating cells of M. lignano, represented by somatic stem cells, called neoblasts, and germline cells. Knockdown of a selected set of neoblast genes, including Mlig-ddx39, Mlig-rrm1, Mlig-rpa3, Mlig-cdk1, and Mlig-h2a, confirmed their crucial role for the functionality of somatic neoblasts during homeostasis and regeneration. The generated M. lignano transcriptome assembly and gene expression signatures of somatic neoblasts and germline cells will be a valuable resource for future molecular studies in M. lignano. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.20607.001
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Affiliation(s)
- Magda Grudniewska
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Stijn Mouton
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Hubrecht Institute-KNAW, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Daniil Simanov
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Hubrecht Institute-KNAW, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Frank Beltman
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Margriet Grelling
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Katrien de Mulder
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Wibowo Arindrarto
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Philipp M Weissert
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Stefan van der Elst
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Eugene Berezikov
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Hubrecht Institute-KNAW, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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4
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Zhou X, Battistoni G, El Demerdash O, Gurtowski J, Wunderer J, Falciatori I, Ladurner P, Schatz MC, Hannon GJ, Wasik KA. Dual functions of Macpiwi1 in transposon silencing and stem cell maintenance in the flatworm Macrostomum lignano. RNA 2015; 21:1885-97. [PMID: 26323280 PMCID: PMC4604429 DOI: 10.1261/rna.052456.115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2015] [Accepted: 06/29/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
PIWI proteins and piRNA pathways are essential for transposon silencing and some aspects of gene regulation during animal germline development. In contrast to most animal species, some flatworms also express PIWIs and piRNAs in somatic stem cells, where they are required for tissue renewal and regeneration. Here, we have identified and characterized piRNAs and PIWI proteins in the emerging model flatworm Macrostomum lignano. We found that M. lignano encodes at least three PIWI proteins. One of these, Macpiwi1, acts as a key component of the canonical piRNA pathway in the germline and in somatic stem cells. Knockdown of Macpiwi1 dramatically reduces piRNA levels, derepresses transposons, and severely impacts stem cell maintenance. Knockdown of the piRNA biogenesis factor Macvasa caused an even greater reduction in piRNA levels with a corresponding increase in transposons. Yet, in Macvasa knockdown animals, we detected no major impact on stem cell self-renewal. These results may suggest stem cell maintenance functions of PIWI proteins in flatworms that are distinguishable from their impact on transposons and that might function independently of what are considered canonical piRNA populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Zhou
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Watson School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
| | - Giorgia Battistoni
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Watson School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA
| | - Osama El Demerdash
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Watson School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA
| | - James Gurtowski
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Watson School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA
| | - Julia Wunderer
- University of Innsbruck, Institute of Zoology and CMBI, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Ilaria Falciatori
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Watson School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA
| | - Peter Ladurner
- University of Innsbruck, Institute of Zoology and CMBI, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Michael C Schatz
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Watson School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA
| | - Gregory J Hannon
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Watson School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA CRUK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0RE, United Kingdom
| | - Kaja A Wasik
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Watson School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA
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5
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Wasik K, Gurtowski J, Zhou X, Ramos OM, Delás MJ, Battistoni G, El Demerdash O, Falciatori I, Vizoso DB, Smith AD, Ladurner P, Schärer L, McCombie WR, Hannon GJ, Schatz M. Genome and transcriptome of the regeneration-competent flatworm, Macrostomum lignano. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:12462-7. [PMID: 26392545 PMCID: PMC4603488 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1516718112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The free-living flatworm, Macrostomum lignano has an impressive regenerative capacity. Following injury, it can regenerate almost an entirely new organism because of the presence of an abundant somatic stem cell population, the neoblasts. This set of unique properties makes many flatworms attractive organisms for studying the evolution of pathways involved in tissue self-renewal, cell-fate specification, and regeneration. The use of these organisms as models, however, is hampered by the lack of a well-assembled and annotated genome sequences, fundamental to modern genetic and molecular studies. Here we report the genomic sequence of M. lignano and an accompanying characterization of its transcriptome. The genome structure of M. lignano is remarkably complex, with ∼75% of its sequence being comprised of simple repeats and transposon sequences. This has made high-quality assembly from Illumina reads alone impossible (N50=222 bp). We therefore generated 130× coverage by long sequencing reads from the Pacific Biosciences platform to create a substantially improved assembly with an N50 of 64 Kbp. We complemented the reference genome with an assembled and annotated transcriptome, and used both of these datasets in combination to probe gene-expression patterns during regeneration, examining pathways important to stem cell function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaja Wasik
- Watson School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
| | - James Gurtowski
- Watson School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
| | - Xin Zhou
- Watson School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724; Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, Stony Brook University, NY 11794
| | - Olivia Mendivil Ramos
- Watson School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
| | - M Joaquina Delás
- Watson School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724; Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0RE, United Kingdom
| | - Giorgia Battistoni
- Watson School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724; Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0RE, United Kingdom
| | - Osama El Demerdash
- Watson School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
| | - Ilaria Falciatori
- Watson School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724; Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0RE, United Kingdom
| | - Dita B Vizoso
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute, University of Basel, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andrew D Smith
- Department of Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Peter Ladurner
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Zoology and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Lukas Schärer
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute, University of Basel, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
| | - W Richard McCombie
- Watson School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
| | - Gregory J Hannon
- Watson School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724; Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0RE, United Kingdom;
| | - Michael Schatz
- Watson School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724;
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