Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gaelle Botton-Amiot, Pedro Martinez, Simon G. Sprecher
Summary: Sea anemones without centralized nervous systems can still form associative memories, as shown by their conditioned response to light and electric shock. These findings shed light on cnidarian behavior and raise fundamental questions about the origin and evolution of cognition in brainless animals.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Casimir Bamberger, Sandra Pankow, John R. Yates
Summary: The study finds that nvp63 may play a role in controlling genome stability in response to DNA damage, particularly those induced by the activation of transposable elements.
JOURNAL OF PROTEOME RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Arie Fridrich, Miguel Salinas-Saaverda, Itamar Kozlolvski, Joachim M. Surm, Eleni Chrysostomou, Abhinandan M. Tripathi, Uri Frank, Yehu Moran
Summary: The study reveals the importance of miR-2022 in initiating cell generation in Nematostella and its conservation across other cnidarian species.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Quentin I. B. Lemaitre, Natascha Bartsch, Ian U. Kouzel, Henriette Busengdal, Gemma Sian Richards, Patrick R. H. Steinmetz, Fabian Rentzsch
Summary: Endodermal neurogenesis is a rare phenomenon in animals. Researchers have identified a group of endoderm-specific neural progenitor cells in the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis, characterized by the expression of the transcription factor prdm14d. This study sheds light on the molecular regulation of non-ectodermal neurogenesis using Nematostella vectensis as a model, providing new insights into this poorly understood process.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Laura Baldassarre, Hua Ying, Adam Reitzel, Soren Franzenburgq, Sebastian Fraune
Summary: This study shows that sea anemones acclimated to high temperatures demonstrate increased resistance to thermal stress and that this improved adaptation can be transferred through microbiome transplantation. The findings suggest that microbiome plasticity may play a crucial role in thermal adaptations in animals.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Laura Baldassarre, Shani Levy, Rinat Bar-Shalom, Laura Steindler, Tamar Lotan, Sebastian Fraune
Summary: By using Nematostella vectensis as a model organism, this study investigates the transmission of bacteria, revealing distinct bacterial communities carried by oocytes and sperms, indicating vertical transmission of bacteria through gametes. Analysis of microbial community compositions among families identified specific bacterial ASVs that are potential candidates for vertical transmission.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
H. Domin, J. Zimmermann, J. Taubenheim, G. Fuentes Reyes, L. Saueressig, D. Prasse, M. Hoeppner, R. A. Schmitz, U. Hentschel, C. Kaleta, S. Fraune
Summary: The host strongly influences the initial colonization of bacteria, while interactions between bacteria drive the succession process. The recolonization pattern on adult hosts resembles ontogenetic colonization succession, independent of the inoculum composition, and can be followed at the level of individual bacteria.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
James M. Gahan, Ian U. Kouzel, Kamilla Ormevik Jansen, Pawel Burkhardt, Fabian Rentzsch
Summary: This study reveals the role of chromatin modifier Lsd1 in developmental regulation in cnidarians. The findings suggest that the integration of chromatin modifying proteins into developmental regulation predates the divergence of cnidarians and bilaterians, and is an ancient feature of animal development.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Developmental Biology
Eleanor Gilbert, Callum Teeling, Tatiana Lebedeva, Siffreya Pedersen, Nathan Chrismas, Grigory Genikhovich, Vengamanaidu Modepalli
Summary: This study identifies a unique neuronal signature in the apical tissue of sea anemone, showing that it comprises a minimum of six distinct cell types. The apical organ is compartmentalized into apical tuft cells and larval-specific neurons, with a specific gene being responsible for the formation of the apical tuft domain. This comparison of the molecular anatomy of apical organs contributes to the understanding of the evolution of this crucial larval structure.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shelly Reuven, Mieka Rinsky, Vera Brekhman, Assaf Malik, Oren Levy, Tamar Lotan
Summary: In cnidarians like Nematostella vectensis, long-term ecological success relies on sexual reproduction, with temperature and light being major inducers for spawning. Transcriptome analysis revealed upregulation of various processes like receptors and cytoskeleton during spawning induction, while downregulation of cell cycle and metabolism-related processes was observed. Our findings also suggest temperature change as a stronger inducer for spawning in Nematostella, expanding our understanding of sexual reproduction in cnidarians.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Review
Cell Biology
Eric Roettinger
Summary: Scientists have been intrigued by the ability of metazoans to regenerate lost or injured body parts, with whole body regeneration being a widespread phenomenon in aquatic/marine invertebrates. The sea anemone Nematostella vectensis has emerged as a key research model for understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying whole-body regeneration. Comparing embryonic development and regeneration in the same organism helps provide insight into specific elements of regeneration.
Article
Biology
James M. Gahan, Lucas Leclere, Maria Hernandez-Valladares, Fabian Rentzsch
Summary: By analyzing the evolution of the CoREST-Lsd1-HDAC complex, researchers found that it is only present in choanoflagellates and animals. They identified a conserved CoREST complex in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. The expression pattern and mutant phenotypes of NvCoREST and NvLsd1 suggest that this complex is an ancient component of the animal developmental toolkit.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Layla Al-Shaer, Whitney Leach, Noor Baban, Mia Yagodich, Mathew C. C. Gibson, Michael J. J. Layden
Summary: We investigate factors influencing asexual reproduction in Nematostella vectensis, a burrowing sea anemone capable of transverse fission. Our study demonstrates that the presence of a burrowing substrate strongly promotes transverse fission and animal size does not affect fission rates. Gene expression analysis suggests that transcription factors and signaling pathways play vital roles in regulating transverse fission. Additionally, we find that the cell cycle is suppressed and cell adhesion and patterning mechanisms are downregulated during fission. This research provides insights into the reproductive biology of cnidarians.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biology
Jamie A. Havrilak, Layla Al-Shaer, Noor Baban, Nesli Akinci, Michael J. Layden
Summary: The study found that the nerve net of Nematostella is dynamic, capable of scaling with changes in body size, and different neuronal subtypes display varied regenerative responses during the process.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Laura Baldassarre, Adam M. Reitzel, Sebastian Fraune
Summary: Most multicellular organisms have microbial colonizers that provide benefits to the hosts. This study examines the relative contribution of environment and host genotype to bacterial community composition in Nematostella vectensis, a marine organism. The results show that bacterial communities in N. vectensis respond to changes in ambient temperature and are influenced by host genotype. This study highlights the importance of understanding the plasticity of microbial communities in response to environmental changes.
