1
|
Doddihal V, Mann FG, Ross EJ, McKinney MC, Guerrero-Hernández C, Brewster CE, McKinney SA, Sánchez Alvarado A. A PAK family kinase and the Hippo/Yorkie pathway modulate WNT signaling to functionally integrate body axes during regeneration. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2321919121. [PMID: 38713625 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2321919121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Successful regeneration of missing tissues requires seamless integration of positional information along the body axes. Planarians, which regenerate from almost any injury, use conserved, developmentally important signaling pathways to pattern the body axes. However, the molecular mechanisms which facilitate cross talk between these signaling pathways to integrate positional information remain poorly understood. Here, we report a p21-activated kinase (smed-pak1) which functionally integrates the anterior-posterior (AP) and the medio-lateral (ML) axes. pak1 inhibits WNT/β-catenin signaling along the AP axis and, functions synergistically with the β-catenin-independent WNT signaling of the ML axis. Furthermore, this functional integration is dependent on warts and merlin-the components of the Hippo/Yorkie (YKI) pathway. Hippo/YKI pathway is a critical regulator of body size in flies and mice, but our data suggest the pathway regulates body axes patterning in planarians. Our study provides a signaling network integrating positional information which can mediate coordinated growth and patterning during planarian regeneration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Viraj Doddihal
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110
| | | | - Eric J Ross
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110
| | - Mary C McKinney
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110
| | | | | | - Sean A McKinney
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110
| | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Huang J, Zhang J, Sun J, Gong M, Yuan Z. Exposure to polystyrene microplastics and perfluorooctane sulfonate disrupt the homeostasis of intact planarians and the growth of regenerating planarians. Sci Total Environ 2024; 924:171653. [PMID: 38485023 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) and perfluorinated compounds (PFAS) are widespread in the global ecosystem. MPs have the ability to adsorb organic contaminants such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), leading to combined effects. The current work aims to explore the individual and combined toxicological effects of polystyrene (PS) and PFOS on the growth and nerves of the freshwater planarian (Dugesia japonica). The results showed that PS particles could adsorb PFOS. PS and PFOS impeded the regeneration of decapitated planarians eyespots, whereas the combined treatment increased the locomotor speed of intact planarians. PS and PFOS caused significant DNA damage, while co-treatment with different PS concentrations aggravated and attenuated DNA damage, respectively. Further studies at the molecular level have shown that PS and PFOS affect the proliferation and differentiation of neoblasts in both intact and regenerating planarians, alter the expression levels of neuronal genes, and impede the development of the nervous system. PS and PFOS not only disrupted the homeostasis of intact planarians, but also inhibited the regeneration of decapitated planarians. This study is the first to assess the multiple toxicity of PS and PFOS to planarians after combined exposure. It provides a basis for the environmental and human health risks of MPs and PFAS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jinying Huang
- School of Life Sciences and Medicine, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255000, Shandong, China
| | - Jianyong Zhang
- School of Life Sciences and Medicine, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255000, Shandong, China
| | - Jingyi Sun
- School of Life Sciences and Medicine, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255000, Shandong, China
| | - Mengxin Gong
- School of Life Sciences and Medicine, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255000, Shandong, China
| | - Zuoqing Yuan
- School of Life Sciences and Medicine, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255000, Shandong, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Chereddy SCRR, Makino T. Conserved Genes in Highly Regenerative Metazoans Are Associated with Planarian Regeneration. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evae082. [PMID: 38652806 PMCID: PMC11077316 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Metazoan species depict a wide spectrum of regeneration ability which calls into question the evolutionary origins of the underlying processes. Since species with high regeneration ability are widely distributed throughout metazoans, there is a possibility that the metazoan ancestor had an underlying common molecular mechanism. Early metazoans like sponges possess high regenerative ability, but, due to the large differences they have with Cnidaria and Bilateria regarding symmetry and neuronal systems, it can be inferred that this regenerative ability is different. We hypothesized that the last common ancestor of Cnidaria and Bilateria possessed remarkable regenerative ability which was lost during evolution. We separated Cnidaria and Bilateria into three classes possessing whole-body regenerating, high regenerative ability, and low regenerative ability. Using a multiway BLAST and gene phylogeny approach, we identified genes conserved in whole-body regenerating species and lost in low regenerative ability species and labeled them Cnidaria and Bilaterian regeneration genes. Through transcription factor analysis, we identified that Cnidaria and Bilaterian regeneration genes were associated with an overabundance of homeodomain regulatory elements. RNA interference of Cnidaria and Bilaterian regeneration genes resulted in loss of regeneration phenotype for HRJDa, HRJDb, DUF21, DISP3, and ARMR genes. We observed that DUF21 knockdown was highly lethal in the early stages of regeneration indicating a potential role in wound response. Also, HRJDa, HRJDb, DISP3, and ARMR knockdown showed loss of regeneration phenotype after second amputation. The results strongly correlate with their respective RNA-seq profiles. We propose that Cnidaria and Bilaterian regeneration genes play a major role in regeneration across highly regenerative Cnidaria and Bilateria.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Takashi Makino
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Kang J, Ai Q, Zhao A, Wang H, Zhang X, Liu Y, Zhang L, Liu Y. Neurotoxicological mechanisms of carbon quantum dots in a new animal model Dugesia japonica. Ecotoxicology 2023; 32:711-719. [PMID: 37386302 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-023-02671-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
As luminescent nanomaterials, the carbon quantum dots (CQDs) research focused on emerging applications since their discovery. However, their toxicological effects on the natural environment are still unclear. The freshwater planarian Dugesia japonica is distributed extensively in aquatic ecosystems and can regenerate a new brain in 5 days after amputation. Therefore it can be used as a new model organism in the field of neuroregeneration toxicology. In our study, D. japonica was cut and incubated in medium treated with CQDs. The results showed that the injured planarian lost the neuronal ability of brain regeneration after treatment with CQDs. Its Hh signalling system was interfered with at Day 5, and all cultured pieces died on or before Day 10 due to head lysis. Our work reveals that CQDs might affect the nerve regeneration of freshwater planarians via the Hh signalling pathway. The results of this study improve our understanding of CQD neuronal development toxicology and can aid in the development of warning systems for aquatic ecosystem damage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Kang
- College of Life Science, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China.
- College of Biomedical Engineering, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China.
| | - Qing Ai
- College of Biomedical Engineering, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Ang Zhao
- College of Life Science, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Haijiao Wang
- College of Life Science, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Xiangpeng Zhang
- Third Affiliated Hospital, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Yanli Liu
- College of Life Science, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | | | - Yuqing Liu
- College of Life Science, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Silva SAM, Prata JC, Dias-Pereira P, Rodrigues ACM, Soares AMVM, Sarmento RA, Rocha-Santos T, Gravato C, Patrício Silva AL. Microplastics altered cellular responses, physiology, behaviour, and regeneration of planarians feeding on contaminated prey. Sci Total Environ 2023; 875:162556. [PMID: 36870489 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Freshwater benthic environments are among the major sinks of microplastics (MPs, < 5 mm) sourced on inland anthropogenic activities. The ecotoxicological effects of MPs on benthic macroinvertebrates have been assessed preferably in collectors, shredders, and filter-feeders, but resulting in insufficient knowledge on the potential trophic transfer and its effects on macroinvertebrates with predator behaviour such as planarians. This work evaluated the behavioural (feeding, locomotion), physiological (regeneration) and biochemical responses (aerobic metabolism, energy reserves, oxidative damage) of the planarian Girardia tigrina after consuming contaminated live prey Chironomus riparius larvae previously exposed to microplastics of polyurethane (PU-MPs; 7-9 μm in size; 375 mg PU-MPs/kg). After the feeding period (3 h), planarians consumed 20 % more contaminated prey than uncontaminated prey, probably related to increased curling/uncurling movements of larvae (that might be more appellative to planarians). Histological analysis revealed planarians' limited intake of PU-MPs, mainly detected near the pharynx. The consumption of contaminated prey (and intake of PU-MPs) did not result in oxidative damage but slightly increased the aerobic metabolism and energy reserves which show that the consumption of more prey was sufficient to cope with the potential adverse effects of internalized MPs. Moreover, no effects were observed in the locomotion of planarians in good agreement with the hypothesis of sufficient energy acquired by the exposed planarians. Despite the previous, it seems that the energy acquired was not allocated for planarians' regeneration since a significant delay in the regeneration of the auricles was observed for planarians feeding on contaminated prey. Therefore, further studies should be performed considering the potential long-term effects (i.e., reproduction/fitness) and the effects of MPs that might result from continuous feeding on contaminated prey, representing a more realistic exposure scenario.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara A M Silva
- Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Joana C Prata
- TOXRUN-Toxicology Research Unit, CESPU, University Institute of Health Sciences (IUCS), 3810-193 Gandra, Portugal
| | - Patrícia Dias-Pereira
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, Porto University (ICBAS-UP), 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Andreia C M Rodrigues
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) & Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Amadeu M V M Soares
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) & Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Renato A Sarmento
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Produção Vegetal, Universidade Federal do Tocantins (UFT), Campus de Gurupi, Gurupi, Tocantins 77402-970, Brazil
| | - Teresa Rocha-Santos
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) & Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Carlos Gravato
- Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Campo Grande 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ana L Patrício Silva
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) & Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Wang S, Sun Y, Liu X, Guo Y, Huang Y, Zhang S, Tian Q. Meis1 Controls the Differentiation of Eye Progenitor Cells and the Formation of Posterior Poles during Planarian Regeneration. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043505. [PMID: 36834910 PMCID: PMC9961902 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
As a member of TALE family, Meis1 has been proven to regulate cell proliferation and differentiation during cell fate commitment; however, the mechanism is still not fully understood. The planarian, which has an abundance of stem cells (neoblasts) responsible for regenerating any organ after injury, is an ideal model for studying the mechanisms of tissue identity determination. Here, we characterized a planarian homolog of Meis1 from the planarian Dugesia japonica. Importantly, we found that knockdown of DjMeis1 inhibits the differentiation of neoblasts into eye progenitor cells and results in an eyeless phenotype with normal central nervous system. Furthermore, we observed that DjMeis1 is required for the activation of Wnt signaling pathway by promoting the Djwnt1 expression during posterior regeneration. The silencing of DjMeis1 suppresses the expression of Djwnt1 and results in the inability to reconstruct posterior poles. In general, our findings indicated that DjMeis1 acts as a trigger for the activation of eye and tail regeneration by regulating the differentiation of eye progenitor cells and the formation of posterior poles, respectively.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shaocong Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Yujia Sun
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Xiaomai Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Yajun Guo
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Yongding Huang
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Shoutao Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
- Longhu Laboratory of Advanced Immunology, Zhengzhou 450046, China
- Correspondence: (S.Z.); (Q.T.)
| | - Qingnan Tian
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
- Correspondence: (S.Z.); (Q.T.)
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Petersen CP. Wnt signaling in whole-body regeneration. Curr Top Dev Biol 2023; 153:347-380. [PMID: 36967200 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2023.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Regeneration abilities are widespread among animals and select species can restore any body parts removed by wounds that sever the major body axes. This capability of whole-body regeneration as exemplified in flatworm planarians, Acoels, and Cnidarians involves initial responses to injury, the assessment of wound site polarization, determination of missing tissue and programming of blastema fate, and patterned outgrowth to restore axis content and proportionality. Wnt signaling drives many shared and conserved aspects of the biology of whole-body regeneration in the planarian species Schmidtea mediterranea and Dugesia japonica, in the Acoel Hofstenia miamia, and in Cnidarians Hydra and Nematostella. These overlapping mechanisms suggest whole-body regeneration might be an ancestral property across diverse animal taxa.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christian P Petersen
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States; Robert Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Ireland D, Collins EMS. New Worm on the Block: Planarians in (Neuro)Toxicology. Curr Protoc 2022; 2:e637. [PMID: 36571713 PMCID: PMC9797031 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Traditional mammalian testing is too time- and cost-intensive to keep up with the large number of environmental chemicals needing assessment. This has led to a dearth of information about the potential adverse effects of these chemicals, especially on the developing brain. Thus, there is an urgent need for rapid and cost-effective neurotoxicity and developmental neurotoxicity testing. Because of the complexity of the brain, metabolically competent organismal models are necessary to understand the effects of chemicals on nervous system development and function on a systems level. In this overview, we showcase asexual freshwater planarians as an alternative invertebrate ("non-animal") organismal model for neurotoxicology research. Planarians have long been used to study the effects of chemicals on regeneration and behavior. But they have only recently moved back into the spotlight because modern molecular and computational approaches now enable quantitative high-content and high-throughput toxicity studies. Here, we present a short history of the use of planarians in toxicology research, highlight current techniques to measure toxicity qualitatively and quantitatively in planarians, and discuss how to further promote this non-animal organismal system into mainstream toxicology research. The articles in this collection will help work towards this goal by providing detailed protocols that can be adopted by the community to standardize planarian toxicity testing. © 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Ireland
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA, United States of America
| | - Eva-Maria S. Collins
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA, United States of America
- Department of Physics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
- Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Wong LL, Bruxvoort CG, Cejda NI, Delaney MR, Otero JR, Forsthoefel DJ. Intestine-enriched apolipoprotein b orthologs are required for stem cell progeny differentiation and regeneration in planarians. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3803. [PMID: 35778403 PMCID: PMC9249923 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31385-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Lipid metabolism plays an instructive role in regulating stem cell state and differentiation. However, the roles of lipid mobilization and utilization in stem cell-driven regeneration are unclear. Planarian flatworms readily restore missing tissue due to injury-induced activation of pluripotent somatic stem cells called neoblasts. Here, we identify two intestine-enriched orthologs of apolipoprotein b, apob-1 and apob-2, which mediate transport of neutral lipid stores from the intestine to target tissues including neoblasts, and are required for tissue homeostasis and regeneration. Inhibition of apob function by RNAi causes head regression and lysis in uninjured animals, and delays body axis re-establishment and regeneration of multiple organs in amputated fragments. Furthermore, apob RNAi causes expansion of the population of differentiating neoblast progeny and dysregulates expression of genes enriched in differentiating and mature cells in eight major cell type lineages. We conclude that intestine-derived lipids serve as a source of metabolites required for neoblast progeny differentiation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lily L Wong
- Genes and Human Disease Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Christina G Bruxvoort
- Genes and Human Disease Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
- Arthritis and Clinical Immunology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
- Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center - Research Services, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Nicholas I Cejda
- Genes and Human Disease Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
- Center for Biomedical Data Science, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Matthew R Delaney
- Genes and Human Disease Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Jannette Rodriguez Otero
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Education, Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA
| | - David J Forsthoefel
- Genes and Human Disease Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Abstract
The capacity for regeneration is broad in the animal kingdom. Planarians are flatworms that can regenerate any missing body part and their regenerative powers have combined with ease of experimentation to make them a classic regeneration model for more than a century. Pluripotent stem cells called neoblasts generate missing planarian tissues. Fate specification happens in the neoblasts, and this can occur in response to regeneration instructions in the form of positional information. Fate specification can lead to differentiating cells in single steps rather than requiring a long lineage hierarchy. Planarians display constitutive expression of positional information from muscle cells, which is required for patterned maintenance of tissues in tissue turnover. Amputation leads to the rapid resetting of positional information in a process triggered by wound signaling and the resetting of positional information is required for regeneration. These findings suggest a model for planarian regeneration in which adult positional information resets after injury to regulate stem cells to bring about the replacement of missing parts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter W Reddien
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
- Department of Biology, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- Department of Biology, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Bar Yaacov D. Functional analysis of ADARs in planarians supports a bilaterian ancestral role in suppressing double-stranded RNA-response. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010250. [PMID: 35041722 PMCID: PMC8797187 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
ADARs (adenosine deaminases acting on RNA) are known for their adenosine-to-inosine RNA editing activity, and most recently, for their role in preventing aberrant dsRNA-response by activation of dsRNA sensors (i.e., RIG-I-like receptor homologs). However, it is still unclear whether suppressing spurious dsRNA-response represents the ancestral role of ADARs in bilaterians. As a first step to address this question, we identified ADAR1 and ADAR2 homologs in the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea, which is evolutionarily distant from canonical lab models (e.g., flies and nematodes). Our results indicate that knockdown of either planarian adar1 or adar2 by RNA interference (RNAi) resulted in upregulation of dsRNA-response genes, including three planarian rig-I-like receptor (prlr) homologs. Furthermore, independent knockdown of adar1 and adar2 reduced the number of infected cells with a dsRNA virus, suggesting they suppress a bona fide anti-viral dsRNA-response activity. Knockdown of adar1 also resulted in lesion formation and animal lethality, thus attesting to its essentiality. Simultaneous knockdown of adar1 and prlr1 rescued adar1(RNAi)-dependent animal lethality and rescued the dsRNA-response, suggesting that it contributes to the deleterious effect of adar1 knockdown. Finally, we found that ADAR2, but not ADAR1, mediates mRNA editing in planarians, suggesting at least in part non-redundant activities for planarians ADARs. Our results underline the essential role of ADARs in suppressing activation of harmful dsRNA-response in planarians, thus supporting it as their ancestral role in bilaterians. Our work also set the stage to study further and better understand the regulatory mechanisms governing anti-viral dsRNA-responses from an evolutionary standpoint using planarians as a model. Today, more than ever, it is crucial to gain a deep understating of our anti-viral defenses. One of the ways to accomplish it is to study the principles governing anti-viral responses across various organisms. ADARs are a group of proteins that act on RNA molecules and alter their sequence compared to the genes that encode them (a process termed RNA editing). In recent years, ADARs have been shown to suppress abnormal anti-viral responses triggered by self-components of the cell (RNA encoded by the cell). Here, we show that the involvement of ADARs in anti-viral response regulation is conserved in planarians (free-living flatworms). We identified two ADAR proteins in planarians and showed that eliminating one (ADAR1) results in animal death and that an anti-viral response commenced in the absence of either ADAR1 or ADAR2. We further identified one of the proteins (PRLR1) that participate in initiating this anti-viral response in planarians, which its mammalian homolog (MDA5) serves a similar role. Thus, our work suggests that ADARs involvement in suppressing aberrant anti-viral response is an ancient evolutionary invention and is likely shared across multicellular organisms with bilateral symmetry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dan Bar Yaacov
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Ly VT, Baudin PV, Pansodtee P, Jung EA, Voitiuk K, Rosen YM, Willsey HR, Mantalas GL, Seiler ST, Selberg JA, Cordero SA, Ross JM, Rolandi M, Pollen AA, Nowakowski TJ, Haussler D, Mostajo-Radji MA, Salama SR, Teodorescu M. Picroscope: low-cost system for simultaneous longitudinal biological imaging. Commun Biol 2021; 4:1261. [PMID: 34737378 PMCID: PMC8569150 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02779-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Simultaneous longitudinal imaging across multiple conditions and replicates has been crucial for scientific studies aiming to understand biological processes and disease. Yet, imaging systems capable of accomplishing these tasks are economically unattainable for most academic and teaching laboratories around the world. Here, we propose the Picroscope, which is the first low-cost system for simultaneous longitudinal biological imaging made primarily using off-the-shelf and 3D-printed materials. The Picroscope is compatible with standard 24-well cell culture plates and captures 3D z-stack image data. The Picroscope can be controlled remotely, allowing for automatic imaging with minimal intervention from the investigator. Here, we use this system in a range of applications. We gathered longitudinal whole organism image data for frogs, zebrafish, and planaria worms. We also gathered image data inside an incubator to observe 2D monolayers and 3D mammalian tissue culture models. Using this tool, we can measure the behavior of entire organisms or individual cells over long-time periods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Victoria T Ly
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA.
| | - Pierre V Baudin
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Pattawong Pansodtee
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Erik A Jung
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Kateryna Voitiuk
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Yohei M Rosen
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Helen Rankin Willsey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Gary L Mantalas
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Spencer T Seiler
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - John A Selberg
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Sergio A Cordero
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Jayden M Ross
- The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Marco Rolandi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Alex A Pollen
- The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Tomasz J Nowakowski
- The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - David Haussler
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
- UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Mohammed A Mostajo-Radji
- The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Sofie R Salama
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
- UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Mircea Teodorescu
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA.
- UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Simão FCP, Rodrigues ACM, Soares AMVM, Pestana JLT. Planarian behavioural endpoints in ecotoxicology: A case study evaluating mercury and salinity effects. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol 2021; 88:103747. [PMID: 34536621 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2021.103747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Freshwater planarians can be useful for the evaluation of contaminant stress on behavioral endpoints. In this work, we studied the sensitivity of the freshwater planarian Girardia tigrina in response to two model stressors (Hg and NaCl) by evaluating mortality, feeding rate and locomotion. A simple feeding assay with G. tigrina was devised, and an automated tracking system was used to evaluate locomotion. The estimated 96 h LC50s were 176.8 μg L-1 of Hg and 6.79 g L-1 of NaCl. Acute effects of Hg also included the disintegration of tissues, and loss of pigmentation. Acute effects of NaCl included motionlessness and rupture of the tegument. Hg and NaCl sub-lethal exposures caused feeding inhibition and locomotion impairment. This study demonstrates the usefulness of planarians for ecotoxicological research and that sensitive behavioral endpoints can evaluate the sub-lethal impacts of stressors to freshwater invertebrates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fátima C P Simão
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies & Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Andreia C M Rodrigues
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies & Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Amadeu M V M Soares
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies & Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - João L T Pestana
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies & Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Tian Q, Sun Y, Gao T, Li J, Fang H, Zhang S. Djnedd4L Is Required for Head Regeneration by Regulating Stem Cell Maintenance in Planarians. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222111707. [PMID: 34769140 PMCID: PMC8583885 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
SUMOylation and ubiquitylation are homologous processes catalyzed by homologous enzymes, and they are involved in nearly all aspects of eukaryotic biology. Planarians, which have the remarkable ability to regenerate their central nervous system (CNS), provide an excellent opportunity to investigate the molecular processes of CNS regeneration in vivo. In this study, we analyzed gene expression profiles during head regeneration with an RNA-seq-based screening approach and found that Djnedd4L and Djubc9 were required for head regeneration in planarians. RNA interference targeting of Djubc9 caused the phospho-H3 mitotic cells to decrease in quantity, or even become absent as a part of the Djubc9 RNAi phenotype, which also showed the collapse of the stem cell lineage along with the reduced expression of epidermal differentiation markers. Furthermore, we found that Djnedd4L RNAi induced increased cell division and promoted the premature differentiation during regeneration. Taken together, our findings show that Djubc9 and Djnedd4L are required for stem cell maintenance in the planarian Dugesia japonica, which helps to elucidate the role of SUMOylation and ubiquitylation in regulating the regeneration process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qingnan Tian
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; (Q.T.); (Y.S.); (T.G.); (J.L.)
| | - Yujia Sun
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; (Q.T.); (Y.S.); (T.G.); (J.L.)
| | - Tingting Gao
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; (Q.T.); (Y.S.); (T.G.); (J.L.)
| | - Jiaxin Li
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; (Q.T.); (Y.S.); (T.G.); (J.L.)
| | - Huimin Fang
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; (Q.T.); (Y.S.); (T.G.); (J.L.)
- Correspondence: (H.F.); (S.Z.)
| | - Shoutao Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; (Q.T.); (Y.S.); (T.G.); (J.L.)
- Henan Key Laboratory of Bioactive Macromolecules, Zhengzhou 450001, China
- Correspondence: (H.F.); (S.Z.)
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Sonpho E, Mann FG, Levy M, Ross EJ, Guerrero-Hernández C, Florens L, Saraf A, Doddihal V, Ounjai P, Sánchez Alvarado A. Decellularization Enables Characterization and Functional Analysis of Extracellular Matrix in Planarian Regeneration. Mol Cell Proteomics 2021; 20:100137. [PMID: 34416386 PMCID: PMC8503668 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcpro.2021.100137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a three-dimensional network of macromolecules that provides a microenvironment capable of supporting and regulating cell functions. However, only a few research organisms are available for the systematic dissection of the composition and functions of the ECM, particularly during regeneration. We utilized the free-living flatworm Schmidtea mediterranea to develop an integrative approach consisting of decellularization, proteomics, and RNAi to characterize and investigate ECM functions during tissue homeostasis and regeneration. ECM-enriched samples were isolated from planarians, and their proteomes were characterized by LC-MS/MS. The functions of identified ECM components were interrogated using RNA interference. Using this approach, we found that heparan sulfate proteoglycan is essential for tissue regeneration. Our strategy provides an experimental approach for identifying both known and novel ECM components involved in regeneration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ekasit Sonpho
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Frederick G Mann
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
| | - Michaella Levy
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
| | - Eric J Ross
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
| | | | - Laurence Florens
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
| | - Anita Saraf
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
| | - Viraj Doddihal
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
| | - Puey Ounjai
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Center of Excellence on Environmental Health and Toxicology (EHT), Office of Higher Education Commission, Ministry of Education, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Kansas City, Missouri, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Huang M, Gao S, Gao L, Liu D, Liu X, Sun Z, Deng H, Zhao B, Liu B, Li A, Pang Q. β-Thymosin is an essential regulator of stem cell proliferation and neuron regeneration in planarian (Dugesia japonica). Dev Comp Immunol 2021; 121:104097. [PMID: 33831480 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2021.104097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
β-Thymosin is a multifunctional peptide ubiquitously expressed in vertebrates and invertebrates. Many studies have found β-thymosin is critical for wound healing, angiogenesis, cardiac repair, hair regrowth, and anti-fibrosis in vertebrates, and plays an important role in antimicrobial immunity in invertebrates. However, whether β-thymosin participates in the regeneration of organisms is still poorly understood. In this study, we identified a β-thymosin gene in Dugesia japonica which played an important role in stem cell proliferation and neuron regeneration during the tissue repair process in D. japonica. Sequencing analysis showed that β-thymosin contained two conserved β-thymosin domains and two actin-binding motifs, and had a high similarity with other β-thymosins of invertebrates. In situ or fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis revealed that Djβ-thymosin was co-localized with DjPiWi in the neoblast cells of intact adult planarians and the blastema of regenerating planarians, suggesting Djβ-thymosin has a potential function of regeneration. Disruption Djβ-thymosin by RNA interference results in a slightly curled up head of planarian and stem cell proliferation defects. Additionally, we found that, upon amputation, Djβ-thymosin RNAi-treated animals had impaired regeneration ability, including impaired blastema formation, delayed eyespot formation, decreased brain area, and disrupted central CNS formation, implying Djβ-thymosin is an essential regulator of stem cell proliferation and neuron regeneration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mujie Huang
- Anti-aging & Regenerative Medicine Research Institution, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049, PR China; Laboratory of Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049, PR China
| | - Sijia Gao
- Anti-aging & Regenerative Medicine Research Institution, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049, PR China; Laboratory of Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049, PR China
| | - Lili Gao
- Anti-aging & Regenerative Medicine Research Institution, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049, PR China; Laboratory of Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049, PR China
| | - Dongwu Liu
- Anti-aging & Regenerative Medicine Research Institution, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049, PR China
| | - Xi Liu
- Anti-aging & Regenerative Medicine Research Institution, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049, PR China; Laboratory of Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049, PR China
| | - Zhe Sun
- Anti-aging & Regenerative Medicine Research Institution, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049, PR China; Laboratory of Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049, PR China
| | - Hongkuan Deng
- Anti-aging & Regenerative Medicine Research Institution, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049, PR China; Laboratory of Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049, PR China
| | - Bosheng Zhao
- Laboratory of Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049, PR China
| | - Baohua Liu
- Anti-aging & Regenerative Medicine Research Institution, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049, PR China; Shenzhen University of Health Science Center, District Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Ao Li
- Anti-aging & Regenerative Medicine Research Institution, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049, PR China; Laboratory of Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049, PR China.
| | - Qiuxiang Pang
- Anti-aging & Regenerative Medicine Research Institution, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049, PR China; Laboratory of Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Gambino G, Ippolito C, Evangelista M, Salvetti A, Rossi L. Sub-Lethal 5-Fluorouracil Dose Challenges Planarian Stem Cells Promoting Transcriptional Profile Changes in the Pluripotent Sigma-Class Neoblasts. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11070949. [PMID: 34206807 PMCID: PMC8301986 DOI: 10.3390/biom11070949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Under physiological conditions, the complex planarian neoblast system is a composite of hierarchically organized stem cell sub-populations with sigma-class neoblasts, including clonogenic neoblasts, endowed with larger self-renewal and differentiation capabilities, thus generating all the other sub-populations and dominating the regenerative process. This complex system responds to differentiated tissue demands, ensuring a continuous cell turnover in a way to replace aged specialized cells and maintain tissue functionality. Potency of the neoblast system can be appreciated under challenging conditions in which these stem cells are massively depleted and the few remaining repopulate the entire body, ensuring animal resilience. These challenging conditions offer the possibility to deepen the relationships among different neoblast sub-populations, allowing to expose uncanonical properties that are negligible under physiological conditions. In this paper, we employ short, sub-lethal 5-fluorouracil treatment to specifically affect proliferating cells passing through the S phase and demonstrate that S-phase slowdown triggers a shift in the transcriptional profile of sigma neoblasts, which reduces the expression of their hallmark sox-P1. Later, some cells reactivate sox-P1 expression, suggesting that some neoblasts in the earlier steps of commitment could modulate their expression profile, reacquiring a wider differentiative potential.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gaetana Gambino
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (G.G.); (C.I.); (L.R.)
| | - Chiara Ippolito
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (G.G.); (C.I.); (L.R.)
| | | | - Alessandra Salvetti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (G.G.); (C.I.); (L.R.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0502219108
| | - Leonardo Rossi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (G.G.); (C.I.); (L.R.)
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Bohr TE, Shiroor DA, Adler CE. Planarian stem cells sense the identity of the missing pharynx to launch its targeted regeneration. eLife 2021; 10:e68830. [PMID: 34156924 PMCID: PMC8219383 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In order to regenerate tissues successfully, stem cells must detect injuries and restore missing cell types through largely unknown mechanisms. Planarian flatworms have an extensive stem cell population responsible for regenerating any organ after amputation. Here, we compare planarian stem cell responses to different injuries by either amputation of a single organ, the pharynx, or removal of tissues from other organs by decapitation. We find that planarian stem cells adopt distinct behaviors depending on what tissue is missing to target progenitor and tissue production towards missing tissues. Loss of non-pharyngeal tissues only increases non-pharyngeal progenitors, while pharynx removal selectively triggers division and expansion of pharynx progenitors. By pharmacologically inhibiting either mitosis or activation of the MAP kinase ERK, we identify a narrow window of time during which stem cell division and ERK signaling produces pharynx progenitors necessary for regeneration. These results indicate that planarian stem cells can tailor their output to match the regenerative needs of the animal.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tisha E Bohr
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Cornell University College of Veterinary MedicineIthacaUnited States
| | - Divya A Shiroor
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Cornell University College of Veterinary MedicineIthacaUnited States
| | - Carolyn E Adler
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Cornell University College of Veterinary MedicineIthacaUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Bijnens K, Jaenen V, Wouters A, Leynen N, Pirotte N, Artois T, Smeets K. A Spatiotemporal Characterisation of Redox Molecules in Planarians, with a Focus on the Role of Glutathione during Regeneration. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11050714. [PMID: 34064618 PMCID: PMC8150688 DOI: 10.3390/biom11050714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
A strict coordination between pro- and antioxidative molecules is needed for normal animal physiology, although their exact function and dynamics during regeneration and development remains largely unknown. Via in vivo imaging, we were able to locate and discriminate between reactive oxygen species (ROS) in real-time during different physiological stages of the highly regenerative planarian Schmidtea mediterranea. All ROS signals were strong enough to overcome the detected autofluorescence. Combined with an in situ characterisation and quantification of the transcription of several antioxidant genes, our data showed that the planarian gut and epidermis have a well-equipped redox system. Pharmacological inhibition or RNA interference of either side of the redox balance resulted in alterations in the regeneration process, characterised by decreased blastema sizes and delayed neurodevelopment, thereby affecting tails more than heads. Focusing on glutathione, a central component in the redox balance, we found that it is highly present in planarians and that a significant reduction in glutathione content led to regenerative failure with tissue lesions, characterised by underlying stem cell alterations. This exploratory study indicates that ROS and antioxidants are tightly intertwined and should be studied as a whole to fully comprehend the function of the redox balance in animal physiology.
Collapse
|
22
|
Pezzulo G, LaPalme J, Durant F, Levin M. Bistability of somatic pattern memories: stochastic outcomes in bioelectric circuits underlying regeneration. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20190765. [PMID: 33550952 PMCID: PMC7935058 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [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] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Nervous systems' computational abilities are an evolutionary innovation, specializing and speed-optimizing ancient biophysical dynamics. Bioelectric signalling originated in cells' communication with the outside world and with each other, enabling cooperation towards adaptive construction and repair of multicellular bodies. Here, we review the emerging field of developmental bioelectricity, which links the field of basal cognition to state-of-the-art questions in regenerative medicine, synthetic bioengineering and even artificial intelligence. One of the predictions of this view is that regeneration and regulative development can restore correct large-scale anatomies from diverse starting states because, like the brain, they exploit bioelectric encoding of distributed goal states-in this case, pattern memories. We propose a new interpretation of recent stochastic regenerative phenotypes in planaria, by appealing to computational models of memory representation and processing in the brain. Moreover, we discuss novel findings showing that bioelectric changes induced in planaria can be stored in tissue for over a week, thus revealing that somatic bioelectric circuits in vivo can implement a long-term, re-writable memory medium. A consideration of the mechanisms, evolution and functionality of basal cognition makes novel predictions and provides an integrative perspective on the evolution, physiology and biomedicine of information processing in vivo. This article is part of the theme issue 'Basal cognition: multicellularity, neurons and the cognitive lens'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Pezzulo
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Joshua LaPalme
- Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - Fallon Durant
- Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Cloutier JK, McMann CL, Oderberg IM, Reddien PW. activin-2 is required for regeneration of polarity on the planarian anterior-posterior axis. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009466. [PMID: 33780442 PMCID: PMC8057570 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Planarians are flatworms and can perform whole-body regeneration. This ability involves a mechanism to distinguish between anterior-facing wounds that require head regeneration and posterior-facing wounds that require tail regeneration. How this head-tail regeneration polarity decision is made is studied to identify principles underlying tissue-identity specification in regeneration. We report that inhibition of activin-2, which encodes an Activin-like signaling ligand, resulted in the regeneration of ectopic posterior-facing heads following amputation. During tissue turnover in uninjured planarians, positional information is constitutively expressed in muscle to maintain proper patterning. Positional information includes Wnts expressed in the posterior and Wnt antagonists expressed in the anterior. Upon amputation, several wound-induced genes promote re-establishment of positional information. The head-versus-tail regeneration decision involves preferential wound induction of the Wnt antagonist notum at anterior-facing over posterior-facing wounds. Asymmetric activation of notum represents the earliest known molecular distinction between head and tail regeneration, yet how it occurs is unknown. activin-2 RNAi animals displayed symmetric wound-induced activation of notum at anterior- and posterior-facing wounds, providing a molecular explanation for their ectopic posterior-head phenotype. activin-2 RNAi animals also displayed anterior-posterior (AP) axis splitting, with two heads appearing in anterior blastemas, and various combinations of heads and tails appearing in posterior blastemas. This was associated with ectopic nucleation of anterior poles, which are head-tip muscle cells that facilitate AP and medial-lateral (ML) pattern at posterior-facing wounds. These findings reveal a role for Activin signaling in determining the outcome of AP-axis-patterning events that are specific to regeneration. A central problem in animal regeneration is how animals determine what body part to regenerate. Planarians are flatworms that can regenerate any missing body region, and are studied to identify mechanisms underlying regeneration. At transverse amputation planes, a poorly understood mechanism specifies regeneration of either a head or a tail. This head-versus-tail regeneration decision-making process is referred to as regeneration polarity and has been studied for over a century to identify mechanisms that specify what to regenerate. The gene notum, which encodes a Wnt antagonist, is induced within hours after injury preferentially at anterior-facing wounds, where it specifies head regeneration. We report that Activin signaling is required for regeneration polarity, and the underlying asymmetric activation of notum at anterior- over posterior-facing wounds. We propose that Activin signaling is involved in regeneration-specific responses broadly in the animal kingdom.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer K. Cloutier
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, United States of America
- Harvard/MIT MD-PhD, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Conor L. McMann
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, United States of America
| | - Isaac M. Oderberg
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, United States of America
| | - Peter W. Reddien
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Burrows JTA, Depierreux D, Nibert ML, Pearson BJ. A Novel Taxon of Monosegmented Double-Stranded RNA Viruses Endemic to Triclad Flatworms. J Virol 2020; 94:e00623-20. [PMID: 32907972 PMCID: PMC7592200 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00623-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Freshwater planarians, flatworms from order Tricladida, are experimental models of stem cell biology and tissue regeneration. An aspect of their biology that remains less well studied is their relationship with viruses that may infect them. In this study, we identified a taxon of monosegmented double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) viruses in five planarian species, including the well-characterized model Schmidtea mediterranea Sequences for the S. mediterranea virus (abbreviated SmedTV for S. mediterranea tricladivirus) were found in public transcriptome data from multiple institutions, indicating that SmedTV is prevalent in S. mediterranea lab colonies, though without causing evident disease. The presence of SmedTV in discrete cells was shown through in situ hybridization methods for detecting the viral RNA. SmedTV-staining cells were found to be concentrated in neural structures (eyes and brain) but were also scattered in other worm tissues as well. In contrast, few SmedTV-staining cells were seen in stem cell compartments (also consistent with RNA sequencing data) or early blastema tissue. RNA interference (RNAi) targeted to the SmedTV sequence led to apparent cure of infection, though effects on worm health or behavior were not observed. Efforts to transmit SmedTV horizontally through microinjection were unsuccessful. Based on these findings, we conclude that SmedTV infects S. mediterranea in a persistent manner and undergoes vertical transmission to progeny worms during serial passage in lab colonies. The utility of S. mediterranea as a regeneration model, coupled with the apparent capacity of SmedTV to evade normal host immune/RNAi defenses under standard conditions, argues that further studies are warranted to explore this newly recognized virus-host system.IMPORTANCE Planarians are freshwater flatworms, related more distantly to tapeworms and flukes, and have been developed as models to study the molecular mechanisms of stem cell biology and tissue regeneration. These worms live in aquatic environments, where they are likely to encounter a variety of viruses, bacteria, and eukaryotic organisms with pathogenic potential. How the planarian immune system has evolved to cope with these potential pathogens is not well understood, and only two types of planarian viruses have been described to date. Here, we report discovery and inaugural studies of a novel taxon of dsRNA viruses in five different planarian species. The virus in the best-characterized model species, Schmidtea mediterranea, appears to persist long term in that host while avoiding endogenous antiviral or RNAi mechanisms. The S. mediterranea virus-host system thus seems to offer opportunity for gaining new insights into host defenses and their evolution in an important lab model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey T A Burrows
- The Hospital for Sick Children, Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Delphine Depierreux
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Max L Nibert
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Bret J Pearson
- The Hospital for Sick Children, Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- University of Toronto, Department of Molecular Genetics, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Ireland D, Bochenek V, Chaiken D, Rabeler C, Onoe S, Soni A, Collins EMS. Dugesia japonica is the best suited of three planarian species for high-throughput toxicology screening. Chemosphere 2020; 253:126718. [PMID: 32298908 PMCID: PMC7350771 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Revised: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/04/2020] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
High-throughput screening (HTS) using new approach methods is revolutionizing toxicology. Asexual freshwater planarians are a promising invertebrate model for neurotoxicity HTS because their diverse behaviors can be used as quantitative readouts of neuronal function. Currently, three planarian species are commonly used in toxicology research: Dugesia japonica, Schmidtea mediterranea, and Girardia tigrina. However, only D. japonica has been demonstrated to be suitable for HTS. Here, we assess the two other species for HTS suitability by direct comparison with D. japonica. Through quantitative assessments of morphology and multiple behaviors, we assayed the effects of 4 common solvents (DMSO, ethanol, methanol, ethyl acetate) and a negative control (sorbitol) on neurodevelopment. Each chemical was screened blind at 5 concentrations at two time points over a twelve-day period. We obtained two main results: First, G. tigrina and S. mediterranea planarians showed significantly reduced movement compared to D. japonica under HTS conditions, due to decreased health over time and lack of movement under red lighting, respectively. This made it difficult to obtain meaningful readouts from these species. Second, we observed species differences in sensitivity to the solvents, suggesting that care must be taken when extrapolating chemical effects across planarian species. Overall, our data show that D. japonica is best suited for behavioral HTS given the limitations of the other species. Standardizing which planarian species is used in neurotoxicity screening will facilitate data comparisons across research groups and accelerate the application of this promising invertebrate system for first-tier chemical HTS, helping streamline toxicology testing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Daniel Chaiken
- Department of Computer Science, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA, USA
| | | | - Sumi Onoe
- Department of Computer Science, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA, USA
| | - Ameet Soni
- Department of Computer Science, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA, USA
| | - Eva-Maria S Collins
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA, USA; Department of Physics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Prados J, Fisher CTL, Moreno-Fernández MM, Tazumi T, Urcelay GP. Short- and long-term habituation of photonegative and exploratory responses in the flatworm planaria (Dugesia). J Exp Psychol Anim Learn Cogn 2020; 46:354-365. [PMID: 32730087 DOI: 10.1037/xan0000256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Two experiments address the habituation of photonegative and exploratory responses in the flatworm planaria (Dugesia). Planarians possess a well-documented photonegative response; Experiment 1 showed that repeated exposures to a bright light source with short inter trial intervals (ITIs) within 1 experimental session gradually weakens the unconditioned photonegative response. In addition, it was found that presentation of an unexpected arousal-increasing stimulus (dropped water or a shock) temporarily re-establishes the photonegative response. Experiment 2 addressed the development of long-term habituation; we recorded the locomotor activity of the animals exposed to an inescapable bright light. Experiments 2A and 2B showed that planarians develop long-term habituation but only when they were trained in relatively novel contexts; when they were trained in familiar contexts (in surfaces similar to the ones in the home) the development of habituation was severely impaired. The results are discussed by reference to the theory of short- and long-term habituation put forward by Allan R. Wagner (Wagner, 1976), highlighting the impact that this theory has had in the research of invertebrate learning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jose Prados
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester
| | | | | | - Toru Tazumi
- Faculty of Human Sciences, Department of Psychology, Bunkyo University
| | - Gonzalo P Urcelay
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Lago-Barcia D, DaSilva MB, Conti LA, Carbayo F. Areas of endemism of land planarians (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida) in the Southern Atlantic Forest. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0235949. [PMID: 32687493 PMCID: PMC7371199 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Areas of endemism (AoE) are the main study units in analytical biogeographic methods, and are often defined as an area with two or more endemic species living in them, presenting substantial congruence among their range limits. We explored the distribution of land planarians (Geoplanidae, Platyhelminthes) across the southern region of the Brazilian Atlantic forest (from the state of Rio de Janeiro, to the state of Rio Grande do Sul) utilizing DaSilva's et al. (2015) protocol. We used two methods, Endemicity Analysis (EA), and Geographical Interpolation of Endemism (GIE). We identified nine AoE of terrestrial flatworms in the Southern Atlantic forest. Performance of the methodologies is discussed. These AoE of land planarians can be explained through vicariance events combined with their physiological and ecological own limitations. Interestingly, these AoE are congruent with fine-scale approaches such as that with harvestmen. Most land planarians have revealed to present a very small distributional range evidencing their potential as a good model for fine-scale studies of AoE.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Domingo Lago-Barcia
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução, Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades (EACH), Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Rua do Matão, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcio Bernardino DaSilva
- Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, CCEN, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Cidade Universitária, Conj. Pres. Castelo Branco III, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil
| | - Luis Americo Conti
- Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades (EACH), Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Fernando Carbayo
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução, Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades (EACH), Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Rua do Matão, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Cao Z, Liu H, Zhao B, Pang Q, Zhang X. Extreme Environmental Stress-Induced Biological Responses in the Planarian. Biomed Res Int 2020; 2020:7164230. [PMID: 32596359 PMCID: PMC7305541 DOI: 10.1155/2020/7164230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Planarians are bilaterally symmetric metazoans of the phylum Platyhelminthes. They have well-defined anteroposterior and dorsoventral axes and have a highly structured true brain which consists of all neural cell types and neuropeptides found in a vertebrate. Planarian flatworms are famous for their strong regenerative ability; they can easily regenerate any part of the body including the complete neoformation of a functional brain within a few days and can survive a series of extreme environmental stress. Nowadays, they are an emerging model system in the field of developmental, regenerative, and stem cell biology and have offered lots of helpful information for these realms. In this review, we will summarize the response of planarians to some typical environmental stress and hope to shed light on basic mechanisms of how organisms interact with extreme environmental stress and survive it, such as altered gravity, temperature, and oxygen, and this information will help researchers improve the design in future studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhonghong Cao
- School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, 266 Xincun Western Road, Zibo 255049, China
| | - Hongjin Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, 266 Xincun Western Road, Zibo 255049, China
| | - Bosheng Zhao
- School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, 266 Xincun Western Road, Zibo 255049, China
| | - Qiuxiang Pang
- School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, 266 Xincun Western Road, Zibo 255049, China
| | - Xiufang Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, 266 Xincun Western Road, Zibo 255049, China
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Zhang HC, Yang YJ, Ma KX, Shi CY, Chen GW, Liu DZ. A novel sigma class glutathione S-transferase gene in freshwater planarian Dugesia japonica: cloning, characterization and protective effects in herbicide glyphosate stress. Ecotoxicology 2020; 29:295-304. [PMID: 32088881 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-020-02173-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
As the top-selling herbicide in the world, glyphosate distributes widely in natural environment and its influence on the ecological security and human health has attracted more and more concern. Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are a well-characterized superfamily of isoenzymes for cellular defense against exogenous toxic substances and therefore protect organisms from injury. In this study, the complete cDNA sequence of GST gene (named as Dja-GST) in freshwater planarian Dugesia japonica was firstly cloned by means of RACE method. The full-length Dja-GST comprises of 706 nucleotides which encodes a polypeptide of 200 amino acids. Dja-GST has two representative GST domains at the N- and C-termini. The conservative GST-N domain includes G-site Y8, F9, R14, W39, K43, P52 and S64, while the variable GST-C domain contains H-site K104, V156, D159 and L161. Sequence analysis, phylogenetic tree reconstruction and multiple alignment collectively indicate that Dja-GST belongs to the Sigma class of GST superfamily. Also, GST gene expression profile, GST enzymatic activity and MDA content in response to glyphosate exposure were systematically investigated and the correlations among them were analyzed. The results suggest that glyphosate exposure modified the mRNA transcription and enzymatic activity of GST, as well as the MDA content in planarians, indicating that Dja-GST might play an important part in organisms defending against oxidative stress induced by glyphosate. This work lays a molecular foundation for further exploring the exact functions of Dja-GST and gives an important implication for evaluating the ecological environment effects of herbicide glyphosate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- He-Cai Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China
| | - Yu-Juan Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China
| | - Ke-Xue Ma
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China
| | - Chang-Ying Shi
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China
| | - Guang-Wen Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China.
| | - De-Zeng Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Miyamoto M, Hattori M, Hosoda K, Sawamoto M, Motoishi M, Hayashi T, Inoue T, Umesono Y. The pharyngeal nervous system orchestrates feeding behavior in planarians. Sci Adv 2020; 6:eaaz0882. [PMID: 32285000 PMCID: PMC7141820 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaz0882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Planarians exhibit traits of cephalization but are unique among bilaterians in that they ingest food by means of goal-directed movements of a trunk-positioned pharynx, following protrusion of the pharynx out of the body, raising the question of how planarians control such a complex set of body movements for achieving robust feeding. Here, we use the freshwater planarian Dugesia japonica to show that an isolated pharynx amputated from the planarian body self-directedly executes its entire sequence of feeding functions: food sensing, approach, decisions about ingestion, and intake. Gene-specific silencing experiments by RNA interference demonstrated that the pharyngeal nervous system (PhNS) is required not only for feeding functions of the pharynx itself but also for food-localization movements of individual animals, presumably via communication with the brain. These findings reveal an unexpected central role of the PhNS in the linkage between unique morphological phenotypes and feeding behavior in planarians.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mai Miyamoto
- Graduate School of Life Science, University of Hyogo, 3-2-1 Kouto, Kamigori-cho, Ako-gun, Hyogo 678-1297, Japan
| | - Miki Hattori
- Graduate School of Life Science, University of Hyogo, 3-2-1 Kouto, Kamigori-cho, Ako-gun, Hyogo 678-1297, Japan
| | - Kazutaka Hosoda
- Graduate School of Life Science, University of Hyogo, 3-2-1 Kouto, Kamigori-cho, Ako-gun, Hyogo 678-1297, Japan
| | - Mika Sawamoto
- Graduate School of Life Science, University of Hyogo, 3-2-1 Kouto, Kamigori-cho, Ako-gun, Hyogo 678-1297, Japan
| | - Minako Motoishi
- Graduate School of Life Science, University of Hyogo, 3-2-1 Kouto, Kamigori-cho, Ako-gun, Hyogo 678-1297, Japan
| | - Tetsutaro Hayashi
- Laboratory for Bioinformatics Research, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minami, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Takeshi Inoue
- Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, 1-5-1 Mejiro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8588, Japan
- Corresponding author. (Y.U.); (T.I.)
| | - Yoshihiko Umesono
- Graduate School of Life Science, University of Hyogo, 3-2-1 Kouto, Kamigori-cho, Ako-gun, Hyogo 678-1297, Japan
- Corresponding author. (Y.U.); (T.I.)
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Abstract
Protein ADP-ribosylation is a reversible post-translational modification (PTM) process that plays fundamental roles in cell signaling. The covalent attachment of ADP ribose polymers is executed by PAR polymerases (PARP) and it is essential for chromatin organization, DNA repair, cell cycle, transcription, and replication, among other critical cellular events. The process of PARylation or polyADP-ribosylation is dynamic and takes place across many tissues undergoing renewal and repair, but the molecular mechanisms regulating this PTM remain mostly unknown. Here, we introduce the use of the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea as a tractable model to study PARylation in the complexity of the adult body that is under constant renewal and is capable of regenerating damaged tissues. We identified the evolutionary conservation of PARP signaling that is expressed in planarian stem cells and differentiated tissues. We also demonstrate that Smed-PARP-3 homolog is required for proper regeneration of tissues in the anterior region of the animal. Furthermore, our results demonstrate, Smed-PARP-3(RNAi) disrupts the timely location of injury-induced cell death near the anterior facing wounds and also affects the regeneration of the central nervous system. Our work reveals novel roles for PARylation in large-scale regeneration and provides a simplified platform to investigate PARP signaling in the complexity of the adult body.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul G. Barghouth
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Merced, CA 95340, USA; (P.G.B.); (P.K.); (A.V.)
- Quantitative and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California, Merced, CA 95340, USA
| | - Peter Karabinis
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Merced, CA 95340, USA; (P.G.B.); (P.K.); (A.V.)
- Quantitative and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California, Merced, CA 95340, USA
| | - Andie Venegas
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Merced, CA 95340, USA; (P.G.B.); (P.K.); (A.V.)
| | - Néstor J. Oviedo
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Merced, CA 95340, USA; (P.G.B.); (P.K.); (A.V.)
- Quantitative and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California, Merced, CA 95340, USA
- Health Sciences Research Institute, University of California, Merced, CA 95340, USA
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Gambino G, Falleni A, Nigro M, Salvetti A, Cecchettini A, Ippolito C, Guidi P, Rossi L. Dynamics of interaction and effects of microplastics on planarian tissue regeneration and cellular homeostasis. Aquat Toxicol 2020; 218:105354. [PMID: 31734615 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2019.105354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2019] [Revised: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Increasing microplastics pollution of marine and terrestrial water is a concerning issue for ecosystems and human health. Nevertheless, the interaction of microplastics with freshwater biota is still a poorly explored field. In order to achieve information concerning the uptake, distribution and effect of microplastics in planarians, Dugesia japonica specimens have been fed with mixtures of food and differently shaped and sized plastic particles. Feeding activity and food intake were non-altered by the presence of high concentrations of different types of plastic particles. However, the persistence of microplastic within the planarian body was a function of size/shape, being small spheres (<10 μm in diameter) and short fibers (14 μm large and 5/6 μm length) more persisting than larger spheres and longer fibers which were eliminated almost entirely by ejection in a few hours. Transmission electron microscopy analysis demonstrated that at least part of microplastics was phagocytized by the enterocytes. Chronic exposure to small plastic did not alter the regenerative ability but caused a significant reduction of the gut epithelium thickness and lipid content of enterocytes, together with the induction of apoptotic cell death, modulation of Djgata 4/5/6 expression and reduced growth rate. The ability of microplastic to perturb planarian homeostasis is concerning being them extremely resilient against mechanical and chemical insults and suggests possible harmful effects upon other more susceptible species in freshwater ecosystems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gaetana Gambino
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Volta 4, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessandra Falleni
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Volta 4, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Marco Nigro
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Volta 4, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessandra Salvetti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Volta 4, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Antonella Cecchettini
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Volta 4, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Chiara Ippolito
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma 55, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Patrizia Guidi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Volta 4, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Leonardo Rossi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Volta 4, 56126, Pisa, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Tewari AG, Stern SR, Oderberg IM, Reddien PW. Cellular and Molecular Responses Unique to Major Injury Are Dispensable for Planarian Regeneration. Cell Rep 2019; 25:2577-2590.e3. [PMID: 30485821 PMCID: PMC6475882 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [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] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The fundamental requirements for regeneration are poorly understood. Planarians can robustly regenerate all tissues after injury, involving stem cells, positional information, and a set of cellular and molecular responses collectively called the "missing tissue" or "regenerative" response. follistatin, which encodes an extracellular Activin inhibitor, is required for the missing tissue response after head amputation and for subsequent regeneration. We found that follistatin is required for the missing tissue response regardless of the wound context, but causes regeneration failure only after head amputation. This head regeneration failure involves follistatin-mediated regulation of Wnt signaling at wounds and is not a consequence of a diminished missing tissue response. All tested contexts of regeneration, including head regeneration, could occur with a defective missing tissue response, but at a slower pace. Our findings suggest that major cellular and molecular programs induced specifically by large injuries function to accelerate regeneration but are dispensable for regeneration itself.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aneesha G Tewari
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Sarah R Stern
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Isaac M Oderberg
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Peter W Reddien
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Ermakov AM, Ermakova ON, Popov AL, Manokhin AA, Ivanov VK. Opposite effects of low intensity light of different wavelengths on the planarian regeneration rate. J Photochem Photobiol B 2019; 202:111714. [PMID: 31830733 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2019.111714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Revised: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Planarian freshwater flatworms have the unique ability to regenerate due to stem cell activity. The process of regeneration is extremely sensitive to various factors, including light radiation. Here, the effect of low-intensity LED light of different wavelengths on regeneration, stem cell proliferation and gene expression associated with these processes was studied. LED matrices with different wavelengths (red (λmax = 635 nm), green (λmax = 520 nm) and blue (λmax = 463 nm), as well as LED laser diodes (red (λmax = 638.5 nm), green (λmax = 533 nm) and blue (λmax = 420 nm), were used in the experiments. Computer-assisted morphometry, whole-mount immunocytochemical study and RT-PCR were used to analyze the biological effects of LED light exposure on the planarian regeneration in vivo. It was found that a one-time exposure of regenerating planarians with low-intensity red light diodes stimulated head blastema growth in a dose-dependent manner (up to 40%). The green light exposure of planarians resulted in the opposite effect, showing a reduced head blastema growth rate by up to 21%. The blue light exposure did not lead to any changes in the rate of head blastema growth. The maximum effects of light exposure were observed at a dose of 175.2 mJ/cm2. No significant differences were revealed in the dynamics of neoblasts' (planarian stem cells) proliferation under red and green light exposure. However, the RT-PCR gene expression analysis of 46 wound-induced genes revealed their up-regulation upon red LED light exposure, and down-regulation upon green light exposure. Thus, we have demonstrated that the planarian regeneration process is rather sensitive to the effects of low-intensity light radiation of certain wavelengths, the biological activity of red and green light being dictated by the different expression of the genes regulating transcriptional activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A M Ermakov
- Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow Region 142290, Russia
| | - O N Ermakova
- Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow Region 142290, Russia
| | - A L Popov
- Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow Region 142290, Russia
| | - A A Manokhin
- Institute of Cell Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow Oblast 142290, Russia
| | - V K Ivanov
- Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119991, Russia.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Boll PK, Marques D, Leal-Zanchet AM. Mind the food: Survival, growth and fecundity of a Neotropical land planarian (Platyhelminthes, Geoplanidae) under different diets. ZOOLOGY 2019; 138:125722. [PMID: 31783237 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2019.125722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Revised: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Although most land planarians are sensitive to environmental changes, some species are well adapted to human-disturbed areas and are easily transported to new places, having the potential to threaten native ecosystems. We investigated growth and survival in a land planarian common in human-disturbed areas in southern Brazil. Specimens of Obama anthropophila were divided into three groups that received different diets: (1) only the land planarian Luteostriata abundans (N=13), (2) only the slug Deroceras leave (N=12), and (3) alternating both prey types (N=13). We monitored the weight of the specimens for a month and counted and weighed egg capsules. Planarians receiving a mixed diet tended to survive less than the groups receiving a single prey type; there were significant differences between those feeding on D. laeve and the other groups. Planarians with the mixed diet ate L. abundans more often than D. laeve, and those feeding only on L. abundans tended to eat more than the other groups. Most egg capsules were laid by specimens with a diet based on D. laeve but the mixed-diet group laid heavier capsules. Both prey species are suitable as food for O. anthropophila, although it prefers planarians when both food items are available. The constant alternation between food items seems to have adverse effects, perhaps related to physiological changes to digest different food items. The heavier egg capsules of the mixed-diet group, considering its lower survival, suggest terminal investment, i.e., an increased reproductive effort when approaching death. The ability to feed on both snails and planarians, combined with its proximity to humans, make O. anthropophila a potentially invasive species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Piter Kehoma Boll
- Instituto de Pesquisas de Planárias and Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos - UNISINOS, Av. Unisinos, 950, Cristo Rei, São Leopoldo, RS, 93022-750, Brazil.
| | - Douglas Marques
- Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde and Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, Rua Sarmento Leite, 500, Farroupilha, Porto Alegre, RS, 90050-170, Brazil
| | - Ana Maria Leal-Zanchet
- Instituto de Pesquisas de Planárias and Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos - UNISINOS, Av. Unisinos, 950, Cristo Rei, São Leopoldo, RS, 93022-750, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Rodrigues Macêdo LP, Pereira Dornelas AS, Vieira MM, Santiago de Jesus Ferreira J, Almeida Sarmento R, Cavallini GS. Comparative ecotoxicological evaluation of peracetic acid and the active chlorine of calcium hypochlorite: Use of Dugesia tigrina as a bioindicator of environmental pollution. Chemosphere 2019; 233:273-281. [PMID: 31176128 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.05.286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Revised: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Chlorine plays a primary role in the disinfection of drinking water and wastewater due to its effectiveness as a biocide; however, there is evidence of the formation of toxic byproducts from its application, and this has promoted the search for alternatives. Alternative disinfectants can be effective in the inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms and are less damaging to human health and aquatic ecosystems. However, more information is needed on the effect of residual concentrations on the environment. This work compares the ecotoxicological effects of PAA disinfectants and the active chlorine of calcium hypochlorite in relation to the organism Dugesia tigrina (planaria), in terms of the acute effects: LC50, and chronic effects: feeding, locomotion, regeneration, reproduction and fertility. The results indicated that the active chlorine was more toxic than PAA, with LC50 (96 h) of 2.63 mg.L-1 and 3.16 mg.L-1, respectively. Sub-lethal exposure to active chlorine was more toxic when compared to PAA, and there was evidence of significantly reduced feeding and locomotion, causing a greater delay in regeneration and impairment in reproduction and fertility. The results allowed the comparison of the two disinfectants using half-life constants of the compounds and the lowest observed effect level (LOEC) of the oxidants. Chlorine represents a greater risk to the ecosystem for a longer period. The results obtained in this study can help in the establishment of discharge limits for PAA in water bodies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mayane Marques Vieira
- Curso de Química Ambiental, Universidade Federal do Tocantins, 77.402-970, Gurupi, Tocantins, Brazil.
| | - Joel Santiago de Jesus Ferreira
- Curso de Engenharia de Bioprocessos e Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Tocantins, 77.402-970, Gurupi, Tocantins, Brazil.
| | - Renato Almeida Sarmento
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Produção Vegetal, Universidade Federal do Tocantins, 77.402-970, Gurupi, Tocantins, Brazil.
| | - Grasiele Soares Cavallini
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Química, Universidade Federal do Tocantins, 77.402-970, Gurupi, Tocantins, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
AminiTabrizi R, Hassan D, Davis R, Tucker KR. Analysis of beta-blocker bioconcentration in brown planaria (Girardia dorotocephala) and its effects on regeneration. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2019; 26:27435-27443. [PMID: 31327142 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-05960-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Production, distribution, and disposal of pharmaceutical products, including beta-blockers, have become a global issue. Beta-blockers are known to persist in the environment months after their release and may result in the disruption of the homeostatic system in non-target organisms. Here, we study the bioconcentration of three of the most commonly used beta-blockers and their effect on the regeneration of Girardia dorotocephala, a freshwater brown planarian. Acute toxicity tests determined LC50s for acebutolol, metoprolol, and propranolol to be 778 mg/L, 711 mg/L, and 111 mg/L, respectively. The quantification and analysis of beta-blocker bioconcentration during acute exposure were performed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). After 4 days of exposure to beta-blockers, the bioconcentration drastically decreased for all three beta-blockers at all exposure levels, suggesting that an effective mechanism to reduce uptake or excrete beta-blockers could be present. Additionally, Girardia dorotocephala were cut proximal to the head and the quality of regeneration was documented from each fragment daily. No significant difference was visually observed after 2 weeks of regeneration between the brown planarians placed in beta-blocker solution and those placed in control solution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roya AminiTabrizi
- Bio5 Institute, The University of Arizona, 1657 East Helen Street, PO Box 210240, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Dalia Hassan
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, 44 Circle Drive, Science Building West, Box - 1652, Edwardsville, IL, 62026-1652, USA
| | - Rachel Davis
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, 44 Circle Drive, Science Building West, Box - 1652, Edwardsville, IL, 62026-1652, USA
| | - Kevin R Tucker
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, 44 Circle Drive, Science Building West, Box - 1652, Edwardsville, IL, 62026-1652, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Ochoa SD, Dores MR, Allen JM, Tran T, Osman M, Vázquez Castellanos NP, Trejo J, Zayas RM. A modular laboratory course using planarians to study genes involved in tissue regeneration. Biochem Mol Biol Educ 2019; 47:547-559. [PMID: 31194289 PMCID: PMC6731126 DOI: 10.1002/bmb.21259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Revised: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Undergraduate research experiences are excellent opportunities to engage students in science alongside experienced scientists, but at large institutions, it is challenging to accommodate all students. To address and engage a larger number of students, we developed a modular laboratory course based on the course-based undergraduate research experiences model. This new course was integrated with the scientific aims of a research laboratory studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying tissue regeneration in planarians. In this course, students were asked to identify genes with roles in planarian biology. Students analyzed and cloned an assigned gene, determined its expression pattern in situ and examined its function in regeneration. Additionally, we developed critical thinking and scientific communication skills by incorporating activities focused on critical concepts. Students obtained high quality primary data and were successful in completing and mastering the course learning outcomes. They benefitted by developing basic research skills, learning to perform, trouble-shooting experiments, reading and critically analyzing primary literature, and using the information to defend and explain their experimental results. Through this course, students also increased their confidence and ability to perform independent scientific research. The course was designed to make it accessible to the community to implement and adapt as appropriate in diverse institutions. © 2019 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 47(5):547-559, 2019.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stacy D Ochoa
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Michael R Dores
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Department of Biology, Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York
| | - John M Allen
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
| | - Tuan Tran
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
| | - Maryan Osman
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
| | | | - JoAnn Trejo
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Ricardo M Zayas
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Córdova López AM, Sarmento RA, de Souza Saraiva A, Pereira RR, Soares AMVM, Pestana JLT. Exposure to Roundup® affects behaviour, head regeneration and reproduction of the freshwater planarian Girardia tigrina. Sci Total Environ 2019; 675:453-461. [PMID: 31030151 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.04.234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Revised: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The demand of glyphosate-based herbicides including Roundup® is rising in the tropics due to increase occurence of glyphosate-resistant weeds that require higher herbicide application rates but also because of their use associated with genetically engineered, glyphosate-tolerant crops. Consequently, there is now an excessive use of glyphosate in agricultural areas with potential adverse effects also for the surrounding aquatic environments. This study aimed to determine the sensitivity of the freshwater planarian Girardia tigrina to acute and chronic exposures of Roundup®. Planarians were exposed to a range of lethal and sub-lethal concentrations of Roundup® to determine the median lethal concentration (LC50) concerning its active ingredient glyphosate and also effects on locomotor velocity (pLMV), feeding rate, regeneration, reproductive parameters and morphological abnormalities. Regeneration endpoints included length of blastema and time for photoreceptors and auricles regeneration after decapitation, while effects on reproduction were assessed measuring fecundity (number of deposited cocoons) and fertility (number of hatchlings) over five weeks of exposure to glyphosate. The estimated 48 h LC50 of was 35.94 mg glyphosate/L. Dose dependent effects were observed for feeding, locomotion and regeneration endpoints with Lowest observed effect concentration (LOEC) values as low as 3.75 mg glyphosate/L. Chronic exposures to environmentally relevant concentrations of glyphosate significantly impaired fecundity and fertility rates of exposed planarians (median effective concentration, EC50 = 1.6 mg glyphosate/L for fecundity and fertility rates). Our results show deleterious effects of Roundup® on regeneration, behavior and reproduction of freshwater planarians and add important ecotoxicological data towards the environmental risk assessment of glyphosate-based herbicide in freshwater ecosystems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana M Córdova López
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Produção Vegetal, Universidade Federal do Tocantins, Campus Universitário de Gurupi, 77402-970 Gurupi, TO, Brazil; ICEMR Amazonia Laboratory and Emerging Diseases - Iquitos Headquarters, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Iquitos, Perú
| | - Renato Almeida Sarmento
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Produção Vegetal, Universidade Federal do Tocantins, Campus Universitário de Gurupi, 77402-970 Gurupi, TO, Brazil
| | - Althiéris de Souza Saraiva
- Departamento de Agropecuária (Conservação de Agroecossistemas e Ecotoxicologia), Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Goiano, campus Campos Belos, 73840-000 Campos Belos, GO, Brazil
| | - Renata Ramos Pereira
- Departamento de Entomologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-900 Viçosa, MG, Brazil
| | - Amadeu M V M Soares
- Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - João L T Pestana
- Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Cuevas-Caballé C, Riutort M, Álvarez-Presas M. Diet assessment of two land planarian species using high-throughput sequencing data. Sci Rep 2019; 9:8679. [PMID: 31213615 PMCID: PMC6581950 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-44952-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Geoplanidae (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida) feed on soil invertebrates. Observations of their predatory behavior in nature are scarce, and most of the information has been obtained from food preference experiments. Although these experiments are based on a wide variety of prey, this catalog is often far from being representative of the fauna present in the natural habitat of planarians. As some geoplanid species have recently become invasive, obtaining accurate knowledge about their feeding habits is crucial for the development of plans to control and prevent their expansion. Using high throughput sequencing data, we perform a metagenomic analysis to identify the in situ diet of two endemic and codistributed species of geoplanids from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest: Imbira marcusi and Cephaloflexa bergi. We have tested four different methods of taxonomic assignment and find that phylogenetic-based assignment methods outperform those based on similarity. The results show that the diet of I. marcusi is restricted to earthworms, whereas C. bergi preys on spiders, harvestmen, woodlice, grasshoppers, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera and possibly other geoplanids. Furthermore, both species change their feeding habits among the different sample locations. In conclusion, the integration of metagenomics with phylogenetics should be considered when establishing studies on the feeding habits of invertebrates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Cuevas-Caballé
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Riutort
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Álvarez-Presas
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Cheng X, Li Y, Guo Q, Tian Q, Zhang Y, Fang H, Zhang S, Guo Y. A planarian RPS3 homolog is critical to the modulation of planarian regeneration. Gene 2019; 691:153-159. [PMID: 30615916 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2018.12.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2018] [Revised: 11/24/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Planarians are an important model for stem cell and regeneration biology, because they can regenerate any missing body structure in a short time. As an important component of ribosomes, ribosomal proteins can synthesize proteins and play a central role in cell cycle checkpoint, cell survival/senescence/apoptosis, and organismal growth and development. In this study, we identified and amplified the homologous gene of RPS3 in Dugesia japonica. Double-stranded RNA mediated RNAi revealed that when the Dj-RPS3 function was lost by planarians; they did not form blastemas and died 100%. Further investigation, confirmed that Dj-RPS3 was involved in regulating the proliferative and early differentiation of neoblasts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xina Cheng
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
| | - Yingzhao Li
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
| | - Qi Guo
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
| | - Qingnan Tian
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
| | - Yizhe Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
| | - Huimin Fang
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
| | - Shoutao Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China; Henan Key Laboratory of Bioactive Macromolecules, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
| | - Yanan Guo
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China; Henan Key Laboratory of Bioactive Macromolecules, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Pietak A, Bischof J, LaPalme J, Morokuma J, Levin M. Neural control of body-plan axis in regenerating planaria. PLoS Comput Biol 2019; 15:e1006904. [PMID: 30990801 PMCID: PMC6485777 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Revised: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Control of axial polarity during regeneration is a crucial open question. We developed a quantitative model of regenerating planaria, which elucidates self-assembly mechanisms of morphogen gradients required for robust body-plan control. The computational model has been developed to predict the fraction of heteromorphoses expected in a population of regenerating planaria fragments subjected to different treatments, and for fragments originating from different regions along the anterior-posterior and medio-lateral axis. This allows for a direct comparison between computational and experimental regeneration outcomes. Vector transport of morphogens was identified as a fundamental requirement to account for virtually scale-free self-assembly of the morphogen gradients observed in planarian homeostasis and regeneration. The model correctly describes altered body-plans following many known experimental manipulations, and accurately predicts outcomes of novel cutting scenarios, which we tested. We show that the vector transport field coincides with the alignment of nerve axons distributed throughout the planarian tissue, and demonstrate that the head-tail axis is controlled by the net polarity of neurons in a regenerating fragment. This model provides a comprehensive framework for mechanistically understanding fundamental aspects of body-plan regulation, and sheds new light on the role of the nervous system in directing growth and form.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Pietak
- Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Johanna Bischof
- Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Joshua LaPalme
- Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Junji Morokuma
- Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
de Sousa N, Rodriguez-Esteban G, Colagè I, D'Ambrosio P, van Loon JJWA, Saló E, Adell T, Auletta G. Transcriptomic Analysis of Planarians under Simulated Microgravity or 8 g Demonstrates That Alteration of Gravity Induces Genomic and Cellular Alterations That Could Facilitate Tumoral Transformation. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E720. [PMID: 30743987 PMCID: PMC6386889 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20030720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2018] [Revised: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The possibility of humans to live outside of Earth on another planet has attracted the attention of numerous scientists around the world. One of the greatest difficulties is that humans cannot live in an extra-Earth environment without proper equipment. In addition, the consequences of chronic gravity alterations in human body are not known. Here, we used planarians as a model system to test how gravity fluctuations could affect complex organisms. Planarians are an ideal system, since they can regenerate any missing part and they are continuously renewing their tissues. We performed a transcriptomic analysis of animals submitted to simulated microgravity (Random Positioning Machine, RPM) (s-µg) and hypergravity (8 g), and we observed that the transcriptional levels of several genes are affected. Surprisingly, we found the major differences in the s-µg group. The results obtained in the transcriptomic analysis were validated, demonstrating that our transcriptomic data is reliable. We also found that, in a sensitive environment, as under Hippo signaling silencing, gravity fluctuations potentiate the increase in cell proliferation. Our data revealed that changes in gravity severely affect genetic transcription and that these alterations potentiate molecular disorders that could promote the development of multiple diseases such as cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nídia de Sousa
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, and Institute of Biomedicine, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Gustavo Rodriguez-Esteban
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08002 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Ivan Colagè
- Pontifical University Antonianum, via Merulana 124, 00185 Rome, Italy.
- Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, DISF Centre, Via dei Pianellari 41, 00186 Rome, Italy.
| | - Paolo D'Ambrosio
- Pontifical University Antonianum, via Merulana 124, 00185 Rome, Italy.
- University of Cassino, Via Zamosch 43, 03043 Cassino, Italy.
| | - Jack J W A van Loon
- Dutch Experiment Support Center (DESC), Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery/Oral Pathology, Amsterdam UMC location VU University Medical Center & Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), 1081 LA Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- European Space Agency-ESA-Technology Center-ESTEC, TEC-MMG-Lab, 2200 AG Noordwijk, The Netherlands.
| | - Emili Saló
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, and Institute of Biomedicine, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Teresa Adell
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, and Institute of Biomedicine, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Gennaro Auletta
- University of Cassino, Via Zamosch 43, 03043 Cassino, Italy.
- Pontifical Gregorian University, Piazza della Pilotta 4, 00187 Roma, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Thommen A, Werner S, Frank O, Philipp J, Knittelfelder O, Quek Y, Fahmy K, Shevchenko A, Friedrich BM, Jülicher F, Rink JC. Body size-dependent energy storage causes Kleiber's law scaling of the metabolic rate in planarians. eLife 2019; 8:e38187. [PMID: 30608231 PMCID: PMC6320072 DOI: 10.7554/elife.38187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Kleiber's law, or the 3/4 -power law scaling of the metabolic rate with body mass, is considered one of the few quantitative laws in biology, yet its physiological basis remains unknown. Here, we report Kleiber's law scaling in the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea. Its reversible and life history-independent changes in adult body mass over 3 orders of magnitude reveal that Kleiber's law does not emerge from the size-dependent decrease in cellular metabolic rate, but from a size-dependent increase in mass per cell. Through a combination of experiment and theoretical analysis of the organismal energy balance, we further show that the mass allometry is caused by body size dependent energy storage. Our results reveal the physiological origins of Kleiber's law in planarians and have general implications for understanding a fundamental scaling law in biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Albert Thommen
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and GeneticsDresdenGermany
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex SystemsDresdenGermany
| | - Steffen Werner
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex SystemsDresdenGermany
- FOM Institute AMOLFAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Olga Frank
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and GeneticsDresdenGermany
| | - Jenny Philipp
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Resource EcologyDresdenGermany
| | | | - Yihui Quek
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex SystemsDresdenGermany
- Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Karim Fahmy
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Resource EcologyDresdenGermany
| | - Andrej Shevchenko
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and GeneticsDresdenGermany
| | - Benjamin M Friedrich
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex SystemsDresdenGermany
- Center for Advancing Electronics DresdenTechnische Universität DresdenDresdenGermany
| | - Frank Jülicher
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex SystemsDresdenGermany
| | - Jochen C Rink
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and GeneticsDresdenGermany
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Van Huizen AV, Morton JM, Kinsey LJ, Von Kannon DG, Saad MA, Birkholz TR, Czajka JM, Cyrus J, Barnes FS, Beane WS. Weak magnetic fields alter stem cell-mediated growth. Sci Adv 2019; 5:eaau7201. [PMID: 30729158 PMCID: PMC6353618 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aau7201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Biological systems are constantly exposed to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in the form of natural geomagnetic fields and EMFs emitted from technology. While strong magnetic fields are known to change chemical reaction rates and free radical concentrations, the debate remains about whether static weak magnetic fields (WMFs; <1 mT) also produce biological effects. Using the planarian regeneration model, we show that WMFs altered stem cell proliferation and subsequent differentiation via changes in reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and downstream heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) expression. These data reveal that on the basis of field strength, WMF exposure can increase or decrease new tissue formation in vivo, suggesting WMFs as a potential therapeutic tool to manipulate mitotic activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alanna V. Van Huizen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, USA
| | - Jacob M. Morton
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, USA
| | - Luke J. Kinsey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, USA
| | - Donald G. Von Kannon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, USA
| | - Marwa A. Saad
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, USA
| | - Taylor R. Birkholz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, USA
| | - Jordan M. Czajka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, USA
| | - Julian Cyrus
- Department of Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Frank S. Barnes
- Department of Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Wendy S. Beane
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, USA
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Schmidt D, Reuter H, Hüttner K, Ruhe L, Rabert F, Seebeck F, Irimia M, Solana J, Bartscherer K. The Integrator complex regulates differential snRNA processing and fate of adult stem cells in the highly regenerative planarian Schmidtea mediterranea. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007828. [PMID: 30557303 PMCID: PMC6312358 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2017] [Revised: 12/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In multicellular organisms, cell type diversity and fate depend on specific sets of transcript isoforms generated by post-transcriptional RNA processing. Here, we used Schmidtea mediterranea, a flatworm with extraordinary regenerative abilities and a large pool of adult stem cells, as an in vivo model to study the role of Uridyl-rich small nuclear RNAs (UsnRNAs), which participate in multiple RNA processing reactions including splicing, in stem cell regulation. We characterized the planarian UsnRNA repertoire, identified stem cell-enriched variants and obtained strong evidence for an increased rate of UsnRNA 3'-processing in stem cells compared to their differentiated counterparts. Consistently, components of the Integrator complex showed stem cell-enriched expression and their depletion by RNAi disrupted UsnRNA processing resulting in global changes of splicing patterns and reduced processing of histone mRNAs. Interestingly, loss of Integrator complex function disrupted both stem cell maintenance and regeneration of tissues. Our data show that the function of the Integrator complex in UsnRNA 3'-processing is conserved in planarians and essential for maintaining their stem cell pool. We propose that cell type-specific modulation of UsnRNA composition and maturation contributes to in vivo cell fate choices, such as stem cell self-renewal in planarians.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Schmidt
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany
- Medical Faculty, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- * E-mail: (DS); (KB)
| | - Hanna Reuter
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany
- Medical Faculty, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Katja Hüttner
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany
- Medical Faculty, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Larissa Ruhe
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany
- Medical Faculty, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Franziska Rabert
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany
- Medical Faculty, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Florian Seebeck
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany
- Medical Faculty, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Manuel Irimia
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Solana
- Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kerstin Bartscherer
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany
- Medical Faculty, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Hubrecht Institute for Developmental Biology and Stem Cell Research, CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
- * E-mail: (DS); (KB)
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Weigand H, Weiss M, Cai H, Li Y, Yu L, Zhang C, Leese F. Fishing in troubled waters: Revealing genomic signatures of local adaptation in response to freshwater pollutants in two macroinvertebrates. Sci Total Environ 2018; 633:875-891. [PMID: 29602123 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.03.109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Revised: 03/02/2018] [Accepted: 03/09/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Local adaptation is of fundamental importance for populations to cope with fast, human-mediated environmental changes. In the past, analyses of local adaptation were restricted to few model species. Nowadays, due to the increased affordability of high-throughput sequencing, local adaptation can be studied much easier by searching for patterns of positive selection using genomic data. In the present study, we analysed effects of wastewater treatment plant and ore mining effluents on stream invertebrate populations. The two different anthropogenic stressors have impacted on stream ecosystems over different time scales and with different potencies. As target organisms we selected two macroinvertebrate species with different life histories and dispersal capacities: the caddisfly Glossosoma conformis and the flatworm Dugesia gonocephala. We applied a genome-wide genetic marker technique, termed ddRAD (double digest restriction site associated DNA) sequencing, to identify local adaptation. Ten and 18% of all loci were identified as candidate loci for local adaptation in D. gonocephala and G. conformis, respectively. However, after stringent re-evaluation of the genomic data, strong evidence for local adaptation remained only for one population of the flatworm D. gonocephala affected by high copper concentration from ore mining. One of the corresponding candidate loci is arnt, a gene associated with the response to xenobiotics and potentially involved in metal detoxification. Our results support the hypotheses that local adaptation is more likely to play a central role in environments impacted by a stronger stressor for a longer time and that it is more likely to occur in species with lower migration rates. However, these findings have to be interpreted cautiously, as several confounding factors may have limited the possibility to detect local adaptation. Our study highlights how genomic tools can be used to study the adaptability and thus resistance of natural populations to changing environments and we discuss prospects and limitations of the methods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Weigand
- Aquatic Ecosystem Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45141 Essen, Germany.
| | - Martina Weiss
- Aquatic Ecosystem Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Huimin Cai
- Department of Computer Science, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | | | - Lili Yu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | | | - Florian Leese
- Aquatic Ecosystem Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45141 Essen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Bornens M. Cell polarity: having and making sense of direction-on the evolutionary significance of the primary cilium/centrosome organ in Metazoa. Open Biol 2018; 8:180052. [PMID: 30068565 PMCID: PMC6119866 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.180052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell-autonomous polarity in Metazoans is evolutionarily conserved. I assume that permanent polarity in unicellular eukaryotes is required for cell motion and sensory reception, integration of these two activities being an evolutionarily constrained function. Metazoans are unique in making cohesive multicellular organisms through complete cell divisions. They evolved a primary cilium/centrosome (PC/C) organ, ensuring similar functions to the basal body/flagellum of unicellular eukaryotes, but in different cells, or in the same cell at different moments. The possibility that this innovation contributed to the evolution of individuality, in being instrumental in the early specification of the germ line during development, is further discussed. Then, using the example of highly regenerative organisms like planarians, which have lost PC/C organ in dividing cells, I discuss the possibility that part of the remodelling necessary to reach a new higher-level unit of selection in multi-cellular organisms has been triggered by conflicts among individual cell polarities to reach an organismic polarity. Finally, I briefly consider organisms with a sensorimotor organ like the brain that requires exceedingly elongated polarized cells for its activity. I conclude that beyond critical consequences for embryo development, the conservation of cell-autonomous polarity in Metazoans had far-reaching implications for the evolution of individuality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michel Bornens
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS - UMR 144, 75005 Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|