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Nanes Sarfati D, Xue Y, Song ES, Byrne A, Le D, Darmanis S, Quake SR, Burlacot A, Sikes J, Wang B. Coordinated wound responses in a regenerative animal-algal holobiont. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4032. [PMID: 38740753 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48366-2] [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: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Animal regeneration involves coordinated responses across cell types throughout the animal body. In endosymbiotic animals, whether and how symbionts react to host injury and how cellular responses are integrated across species remain unexplored. Here, we study the acoel Convolutriloba longifissura, which hosts symbiotic Tetraselmis sp. green algae and can regenerate entire bodies from tissue fragments. We show that animal injury causes a decline in the photosynthetic efficiency of the symbiotic algae, alongside two distinct, sequential waves of transcriptional responses in acoel and algal cells. The initial algal response is characterized by the upregulation of a cohort of photosynthesis-related genes, though photosynthesis is not necessary for regeneration. A conserved animal transcription factor, runt, is induced after injury and required for acoel regeneration. Knockdown of Cl-runt dampens transcriptional responses in both species and further reduces algal photosynthetic efficiency post-injury. Our results suggest that the holobiont functions as an integrated unit of biological organization by coordinating molecular networks across species through the runt-dependent animal regeneration program.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yuan Xue
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Eun Sun Song
- Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Daniel Le
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Stephen R Quake
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Adrien Burlacot
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - James Sikes
- Department of Biology, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Bo Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
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Abstract
Tissue regeneration is not simply a local repair event occurring in isolation from the distant, uninjured parts of the body. Rather, evidence indicates that regeneration is a whole-animal process involving coordinated interactions between different organ systems. Here, we review recent studies that reveal how remote uninjured tissues and organ systems respond to and engage in regeneration. We also discuss the need for toolkits and technological advancements to uncover and dissect organ communication during regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Sun
- Duke Regeneration Center, Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Kenneth D. Poss
- Duke Regeneration Center, Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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Fan Y, Chai C, Li P, Zou X, Ferrell JE, Wang B. Ultrafast distant wound response is essential for whole-body regeneration. Cell 2023; 186:3606-3618.e16. [PMID: 37480850 PMCID: PMC10957142 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
Injury induces systemic responses, but their functions remain elusive. Mechanisms that can rapidly synchronize wound responses through long distances are also mostly unknown. Using planarian flatworms capable of whole-body regeneration, we report that injury induces extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk) activity waves to travel at a speed 10-100 times faster than those in other multicellular tissues. This ultrafast propagation requires longitudinal body-wall muscles, elongated cells forming dense parallel tracks running the length of the organism. The morphological properties of muscles allow them to act as superhighways for propagating and disseminating wound signals. Inhibiting Erk propagation prevents tissues distant to the wound from responding and blocks regeneration, which can be rescued by a second injury to distal tissues shortly after the first injury. Our findings provide a mechanism for long-range signal propagation in large, complex tissues to coordinate responses across cell types and highlight the function of feedback between spatially separated tissues during whole-body regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhang Fan
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Chew Chai
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Pengyang Li
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Xinzhi Zou
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - James E Ferrell
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Bo Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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Fan Y, Chai C, Li P, Zou X, Ferrell JE, Wang B. Ultrafast and long-range coordination of wound responses is essential for whole-body regeneration. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.15.532844. [PMID: 36993633 PMCID: PMC10055111 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.15.532844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Injury induces systemic, global responses whose functions remain elusive. In addition, mechanisms that rapidly synchronize wound responses through long distances across the organismal scale are mostly unknown. Using planarians, which have extreme regenerative ability, we report that injury induces Erk activity to travel in a wave-like manner at an unexpected speed (∼1 mm/h), 10-100 times faster than those measured in other multicellular tissues. This ultrafast signal propagation requires longitudinal body-wall muscles, elongated cells forming dense parallel tracks running the length of the organism. Combining experiments and computational models, we show that the morphological properties of muscles allow them to minimize the number of slow intercellular signaling steps and act as bidirectional superhighways for propagating wound signals and instructing responses in other cell types. Inhibiting Erk propagation prevents cells distant to the wound from responding and blocks regeneration, which can be rescued by a second injury to distal tissues within a narrow time window after the first injury. These results suggest that rapid responses in uninjured tissues far from wounds are essential for regeneration. Our findings provide a mechanism for long-range signal propagation in large and complex tissues to coordinate cellular responses across diverse cell types, and highlights the function of feedback between spatially separated tissues during whole-body regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhang Fan
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Chew Chai
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Pengyang Li
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Xinzhi Zou
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - James E. Ferrell
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Bo Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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Wang J, Huang D, Zhao Y. Energetic regenerative medicine based on plant photosynthesis grafted human cells. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2023; 68:370-372. [PMID: 36740529 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2023.01.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jinglin Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Hepatobiliary Institute of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Danqing Huang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Hepatobiliary Institute of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Yuanjin Zhao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Hepatobiliary Institute of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China.
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The Effects of Artificial Night Lighting on Tail Regeneration and Prey Consumption in a Nocturnal Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) and on the Behavior of Fruit Fly Prey (Drosophila virilis). Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12162105. [PMID: 36009695 PMCID: PMC9405242 DOI: 10.3390/ani12162105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Amphibians, including salamanders, are declining worldwide at an alarming rate due to a variety of factors that include habitat decline and destruction and environmental pollutants. Artificial light at night (ALAN) due to human activities is a nearly ubiquitous pollutant and can have serious consequences for amphibians. We examined the impact of ecologically-relevant levels of ALAN on tail regeneration in the eastern red-backed salamander, prey consumption by these salamanders and behavior of their fruit fly prey. We found that ALAN reduced the rate of salamander tail regeneration at some light levels above the naturally dark nocturnal illumination and increased the activity of their prey but not always in a simple, linear fashion. Thus, ALAN, even at very low levels, can influence the physiology and regeneration of a nocturnal salamander. Abstract As human development continues to encroach into natural habitats, artificial light at night (ALAN) has increasingly become a concern for wildlife. Nocturnal animals are especially vulnerable to ALAN, as the physiology and behavior of nocturnal species have evolved under conditions associated with predictably dark environments. Studies exposing amphibians to constant bright light provide evidence for changes to normal metabolism, growth, and behavior, but few of these studies have used treatments of dim ALAN comparable to that found in affected habitats. Eastern red-backed salamanders, Plethodon cinereus, use their tails for fat storage and communication, are capable of tail autotomy as an antipredator mechanism, and can regenerate the tail in its entirety. We examined the effect of different, ecologically-relevant intensities of ALAN on the rate of tail regeneration in adult P. cinereus. We hypothesized that ALAN would increase tail regeneration rates such that salamanders exposed to higher levels of light at night would regenerate tails faster than those exposed to lower light levels. In a controlled laboratory setting, we exposed salamanders (N = 76) in test chambers to nocturnal illuminations of 0.0001 lx (no ALAN, natural nocturnal illumination dark control), 0.01 lx (weak ALAN), 1 lx (moderate ALAN), or 100 lx (bright ALAN, equal to dim daytime and our day lighting treatment) for a period of 90 d immediately following tail autotomy. In addition, because these salamanders eat mostly live, moving prey, we investigated the impact of ALAN on the behavior of prey (Drosophila virilis) fed to the salamanders in our laboratory trials, which could alter feeding and regeneration rates in salamanders. We predicted that prey consumption would not be affected by ALAN and measured both prey consumption and prey behavior (activity) to examine the potential influence on regeneration. For tail regeneration, we found a non-monotonic response to ALAN, with salamanders exposed to nocturnal illuminations 0.1 lx and 100 lx regenerating tails significantly slower than salamanders in the 0.0001 lx or 1 lx treatments. Prey consumption did not differ among light treatments; however, fruit fly activity increased with increasing ALAN. These results suggest that ALAN influences regeneration rates, but the rate of regeneration is not dose-dependent and is not explained easily by prey consumption or movement of prey. We suggest that tail regeneration in these salamanders may involve a complex mechanism of altered gene expression and/or modulation of hormonal activity (corticosterone, melatonin, serotonin, and/or prolactin) at different intensities of nocturnal lighting.
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Schwarzer S, Rekhade DR, Machate A, Spieß S, Geffarth M, Ezhkova D, Hans S. Reactivation of the Neurogenic Niche in the Adult Zebrafish Statoacoustic Ganglion Following a Mechanical Lesion. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:850624. [PMID: 35372332 PMCID: PMC8964994 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.850624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensorineural hearing loss is caused by the loss of sensory hair cells and/or their innervating neurons within the inner ear and affects millions of people worldwide. In mammals, including humans, the underlying cell types are only produced during fetal stages making loss of these cells and the resulting consequences irreversible. In contrast, zebrafish produce sensory hair cells throughout life and additionally possess the remarkable capacity to regenerate them upon lesion. Recently, we showed that also inner ear neurogenesis continues to take place in the zebrafish statoacoustic ganglion (SAG) well into adulthood. The neurogenic niche displays presumptive stem cells, proliferating Neurod-positive progenitors and a high level of neurogenesis at juvenile stages. It turns dormant at adult stages with only a few proliferating presumptive stem cells, no proliferating Neurod-positive progenitors, and very low levels of newborn neurons. Whether the neurogenic niche can be reactivated and whether SAG neurons can regenerate upon damage is unknown. To study the regenerative capacity of the SAG, we established a lesion paradigm using injections into the otic capsule of the right ear. Upon lesion, the number of apoptotic cells increased, and immune cells infiltrated the SAG of the lesioned side. Importantly, the Neurod-positive progenitor cells re-entered the cell cycle displaying a peak in proliferation at 8 days post lesion before they returned to homeostatic levels at 57 days post lesion. In parallel to reactive proliferation, we observed increased neurogenesis from the Neurod-positive progenitor pool. Reactive neurogenesis started at around 4 days post lesion peaking at 8 days post lesion before the neurogenesis rate decreased again to low homeostatic levels at 57 days post lesion. Additionally, administration of the thymidine analog BrdU and, thereby, labeling proliferating cells and their progeny revealed the generation of new sensory neurons within 19 days post lesion. Taken together, we show that the neurogenic niche of the adult zebrafish SAG can indeed be reactivated to re-enter the cell cycle and to increase neurogenesis upon lesion. Studying the underlying genes and pathways in zebrafish will allow comparative studies with mammalian species and might provide valuable insights into developing cures for auditory and vestibular neuropathies.
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Epimorphic regeneration of the mouse digit tip is finite. Stem Cell Res Ther 2022; 13:62. [PMID: 35130972 PMCID: PMC8822779 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-022-02741-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Structural regeneration of amputated appendages by blastema-mediated, epimorphic regeneration is a process whose mechanisms are beginning to be employed for inducing regeneration. While epimorphic regeneration is classically studied in non-amniote vertebrates such as salamanders, mammals also possess a limited ability for epimorphic regeneration, best exemplified by the regeneration of the distal mouse digit tip. A fundamental, but still unresolved question is whether epimorphic regeneration and blastema formation is exhaustible, similar to the finite limits of stem-cell mediated tissue regeneration. Methods In this study, distal mouse digits were amputated, allowed to regenerate and then repeatedly amputated. To quantify the extent and patterning of the regenerated digit, the digit bone as the most prominent regenerating element in the mouse digit was followed by in vivo µCT. Results Analyses revealed that digit regeneration is indeed progressively attenuated, beginning after the second regeneration cycle, but that the pattern is faithfully restored until the end of the fourth regeneration cycle. Surprisingly, when unamputated digits in the vicinity of repeatedly amputated digits were themselves amputated, these new amputations also exhibited a similarly attenuated regeneration response, suggesting a systemic component to the amputation injury response. Conclusions In sum, these data suggest that epimorphic regeneration in mammals is finite and due to the exhaustion of the proliferation and differentiation capacity of the blastema cell source. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13287-022-02741-2.
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Kriegman S, Blackiston D, Levin M, Bongard J. Kinematic self-replication in reconfigurable organisms. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2112672118. [PMID: 34845026 PMCID: PMC8670470 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2112672118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
All living systems perpetuate themselves via growth in or on the body, followed by splitting, budding, or birth. We find that synthetic multicellular assemblies can also replicate kinematically by moving and compressing dissociated cells in their environment into functional self-copies. This form of perpetuation, previously unseen in any organism, arises spontaneously over days rather than evolving over millennia. We also show how artificial intelligence methods can design assemblies that postpone loss of replicative ability and perform useful work as a side effect of replication. This suggests other unique and useful phenotypes can be rapidly reached from wild-type organisms without selection or genetic engineering, thereby broadening our understanding of the conditions under which replication arises, phenotypic plasticity, and how useful replicative machines may be realized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Kriegman
- Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Douglas Blackiston
- Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Josh Bongard
- Department of Computer Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405
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