Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hui Zhen, Mujie Huang, Mingyue Zheng, Lili Gao, Zepeng Guo, Qiuxiang Pang, Guoxiang Jin, Zhongjun Zhou
Summary: In this study, we investigated the expression pattern and functions of the conserved WTAP gene in planarians. Knocking down WTAP resulted in severe morphological defects and lethality within 20 days. Silencing WTAP promoted the proliferation of PiwiA+ cells but impaired the differentiation of various cell types. RNA-seq analysis revealed upregulation of H4, Histone-lysine N-methyltransferase-SETMAR like, and TNF receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) upon WTAP knockdown. Knocking down TRAF6 partially rescued the tissue homeostasis and regeneration defects, suggesting that WTAP maintains planarian regeneration and homeostasis via TRAF6.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biochemical Research Methods
Leonard Drees, Jochen C. C. Rink
Summary: Planaria are flatworms that belong to the phylum Platyhelminthes. Species such as Schmidtea mediterranea have the ability to regenerate their bodies from small tissue fragments and are easily maintainable in laboratory settings, making them an excellent model system for studying whole-body regeneration.
Article
Biology
Jakke Neiro, Divya Sridhar, Anish Dattani, Aziz Aboobaker
Summary: By integrating epigenetic and expression data, we predicted enhancer elements active in adult stem cells that are responsible for regeneration. These enhancers are enriched with binding sites for transcription factors expressed in adult stem cells, and footprinting analysis supported their occupancy in these cells. Our study contributes to understanding the regulatory mechanisms of stem cells and the process of regeneration.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shaocong Wang, Yujia Sun, Xiaomai Liu, Yajun Guo, Yongding Huang, Shoutao Zhang, Qingnan Tian
Summary: As a member of TALE family, Meis1 regulates cell proliferation and differentiation during cell fate commitment, but its mechanism remains unclear. The planarian Dugesia japonica, with abundant neoblasts responsible for organ regeneration, provides an ideal model for studying tissue identity determination. Knockdown of DjMeis1 inhibits neoblast differentiation into eye progenitor cells, resulting in a eyeless phenotype with a normal central nervous system. DjMeis1 is also necessary for the activation of Wnt signaling pathway by promoting Djwnt1 expression during posterior regeneration. Silencing of DjMeis1 suppresses Djwnt1 expression and prevents the reconstruction of posterior poles.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
M. Dolores Molina, Francesc Cebria
Summary: Planarians are flatworms capable of regenerating any part of their bodies, thanks to the presence of somatic pluripotent stem cells known as neoblasts. The study of neoblasts has been advanced through technologies like FACS isolation, RNAi analysis, and single-cell sequencing, leading to a deeper understanding of their biology and differentiation into specific cell types within planarians.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yael Dagan, Yarden Yesharim, Ashley R. Bonneau, Tamar Frankovits, Schraga Schwartz, Peter W. Reddien, Omri Wurtzel
Summary: m6A plays a critical role in the regulation of gene expression and chromatin modifications, contributing to the homeostasis and regeneration of planarian stem cells.
Article
Cell Biology
Hanxue Zheng, Hongbo Liu, Qian Xu, Wenjun Wang, Linfeng Li, Gang Ye, Xiaomin Wen, Fulin Chen, Yuan Yu
Summary: This study investigated the role of PI3K signaling in wound response and tissue regeneration in planarian flatworms, revealing its key function in blastema regrowth and cilia maintenance. The findings suggest that PI3K signaling may influence cellular responses to amputation by regulating mitotic and apoptotic reactions.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Developmental Biology
Hayoung Lee, Kanon Hikasa, Yoshihiko Umesono, Tetsutaro Hayashi, Kiyokazu Agata, Norito Shibata
Summary: The regenerative ability of planarians relies on their adult pluripotent stem cell population. Recent research has shown that piwi+ stem cells can be classified into specialized subpopulations based on the expression of differentiation-related genes. However, after amputation, piwi+ stem cells behave as a homogenous population and show accelerated proliferation, called 'induced hyperproliferation'. This study reveals that the reduction of plac8-A expression, caused by activated JNK signaling after amputation, is responsible for the induced hyperproliferation in a broad stem cell subpopulation. Inhibition of JNK signaling leads to regenerative defects, which can be rescued by knockdown of plac8-A expression. This suggests that JNK-dependent suppression of plac8-A is crucial for the dynamics of stem cells involved in regeneration and acts as a molecular switch for piwi+ stem cells to enter the regenerative state.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Andy Chan, Sophia Ma, Bret J. Pearson, Danny Chan
Summary: The extracellular matrix plays a crucial role in the maintenance, regeneration, and differentiation of stem cells within their niche. By studying the collagen gene family in the freshwater planarian Schmidtea mediterranea, researchers have identified a key gene, col4-1, which influences the proliferation of neoblasts. Furthermore, evidence suggests that an interaction between type IV collagen, the discoidin domain receptor, and neuregulin-7 regulate the balance of symmetric and asymmetric division of neoblasts through the NRG-7/EGFR pathway.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Eugene Matthew P. Almazan, Joseph F. Ryan, Labib Rouhana
Summary: Chemical stimulus detection is essential for living systems, and the study on planarian flatworms reveals the importance of auricles in chemotaxis. While the regeneration of auricle morphology requires stem cells, the restoration of chemotactic capacity can still be achieved in the absence of normal auricle morphology. SoxB1 plays a conserved role in regulating auricle development and function.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Pablo Coronel-Cordoba, M. Dolores Molina, Gemma Cardona, Susanna Fraguas, Eudald Pascual-Carreras, Emili Salo, Francesc Cebria, Teresa Adell
Summary: Fox genes, including the less characterized FoxK genes, play important roles in controlling various cellular processes. A recent study identified three foxK paralogs in the genome of Schmidtea mediterranea, showing that foxK1 inhibition affects regeneration of ectodermal tissues by influencing apoptosis. These results suggest that foxK1 is required for differentiation and maintenance of ectodermal tissues in planarians.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Zoology
Jia-Jia Chen, Kai Lei
Summary: Planarians, the most primitive bilateral triploblastic animals, possess robust whole-body regeneration capacity, making them ideal model organisms for regenerative research. Recent studies have elucidated the cellular mechanisms underlying regeneration, particularly the role of stem cells in tissue homeostasis and regeneration.
ZOOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Cui Ge, Cun Lin, Mengzhen Zhang, Jingchen Yuan, Xiyan Feng, Zhitai Hao, Shoutao Zhang, Qingnan Tian
Summary: Tubgcp3 is a crucial mitotic regulator in planarian flatworms, playing a significant role in maintaining epidermal lineage. Knockdown of Tubgcp3 results in reduced cell divisions and loss of mature epidermal cells.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kai Lei, Wenya Zhang, Jiajia Chen, Sean A. McKinney, Eric J. Ross, Heng-Chi Lee, Alejandro Sanchez Alvarado
Summary: Planarians possess natural pluripotent adult somatic stem cells required for homeostasis and whole-body regeneration. Reliable neoblast culture methods are currently unavailable, hindering pluripotency studies and transgenic tool development. This study reports robust neoblast culture and exogenous mRNA delivery methods, enabling introduction and expression of foreign mRNA in neoblasts. These advances provide opportunities for mechanistic studies of pluripotency and the development of cell culture techniques in other research organisms.
Article
Cell Biology
Peter W. Reddien
Summary: Research has shown that in planarian eye regeneration, the production of eye progenitors is not dependent on the presence of the eye, but mainly influenced by stem cells and self-organization. Eye progenitors target migratory locations based on external cues and differentiated eye cells, while guidepost-like cells influence axon regeneration to facilitate the restoration of eye circuitry.
CURRENT OPINION IN CELL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Kayleigh M. Kresse, Melissa Xu, Joseph Pazzi, Marcos Garcia-Ojeda, Anand Bala Subramaniam
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2016)
Article
Hematology
Marcos E. Garcia-Ojeda, Roel G. J. Klein Wolterink, Fabrice Lemaitre, Odile Richard-Le Goff, Milena Hasan, Rudolf W. Hendriks, Ana Cumano, James P. Di Santo
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Stephanie Smith-Berdan, Andrew Nguyen, Deena Hassanein, Matthew Zimmer, Fernando Ugarte, Jesus Ciriza, Dean Li, Marcos E. Garcia-Ojeda, Lindsay Hinck, E. Camilla Forsberg
Review
Hematology
Jesus Ciriza, Heather Thompson, Raffi Petrosian, Jennifer O. Manilay, Marcos E. Garcia-Ojeda
EXPERIMENTAL HEMATOLOGY
(2013)
Review
Immunology
Roel G. J. Klein Wolterink, Marcos E. Garcia-Ojeda, Christian A. J. Vosshenrich, Rudi W. Hendriks, James P. Di Santo
IMMUNOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2010)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jesus Ciriza, Dominique Hall, Alison Lu, Joseph Robert De Sena, Mufadhal Al-Kuhlani, Marcos E. Garcia-Ojeda
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Jesus Isaac Luna, Jesus Ciriza, Marcos E. Garcia-Ojeda, Marco Kong, Anthony Herren, Deborah K. Lieu, Ronald A. Li, Charless C. Fowlkes, Michelle Khine, Kara E. McCloskey
TISSUE ENGINEERING PART C-METHODS
(2011)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Jesus Ciriza, Marcos E. Garcia-Ojeda
STEM CELL RESEARCH & THERAPY
(2010)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Petra Kranzfelder, Jennifer L. Bankers-Fulbright, Marcos E. Garcia-Ojeda, Marin Melloy, Sagal Mohammed, Abdi-Rizak M. Warfa
Article
Biology
Petra Kranzfelder, Jennifer L. Bankers-Fulbright, Marcos E. Garcia-Ojeda, Marin Melloy, Sagal Mohammed, Abdi-Rizak M. Warfa
Article
Education, Scientific Disciplines
Seth K. Thompson, Sadie Hebert, Sara Berk, Rebecca Brunelli, Catherine Creech, Abby Grace Drake, Sheritta Fagbodun, Marcos E. Garcia-Ojeda, Carrie Hall, Jordan Harshman, Todd Lamb, Rachael Robnett, Michele Shuster, Sehoya Cotner, Cissy J. Ballen
CBE-LIFE SCIENCES EDUCATION
(2020)
Article
Education, Scientific Disciplines
Candace Guzman-Colea, Marcos E. Garcia-Ojeda
Summary: Due to the COVID-19 shutdown, higher education institutions had to shift to emergency remote teaching, posing a challenge for laboratory courses. This article describes the transformation of a microbiology laboratory course to integrate online simulations and at-home practical experiences, achieving similar learning outcomes to in-person classes. The implementation of Unknown Portfolios helped students develop data analysis and critical thinking skills. The data show that students in online courses performed as well as those in in-person labs, demonstrating proficiency in lab safety, hands-on techniques, and theoretical knowledge.
JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY & BIOLOGY EDUCATION
(2022)
Article
Education & Educational Research
Miriam Segura-Totten, Bryan Dewsbury, Stanley M. Lo, Elizabeth Gibbons Bailey, Laura Beaster-Jones, Robert J. Bills, Sara E. Brownell, Natalia Caporale, Ryan Dunk, Sarah L. Eddy, Marcos E. Garcia-Ojeda, Stephanie M. Gardner, Linda E. Green, Laurel Hartley, Colin Harrison, Mays Imad, Alexis M. Janosik, Sophia Jeong, Tanya Josek, Pavan Kadandale, Jenny Knight, Melissa E. Ko, Sayali Kukday, Paula Lemons, Megan Litster, Barbara Lom, Patrice Ludwig, Kelly K. McDonald, Anne C. S. McIntosh, Sunshine Menezes, Erika M. Nadile, Shannon L. Newman, Stacy D. Ochoa, Oyenike Olabisi, Melinda T. Owens, Rebecca M. Price, Joshua W. Reid, Nancy Ruggeri, Christelle Sabatier, Jaime L. Sabel, Brian K. Sato, Beverly L. Smith-Keiling, Sumitra D. Tatapudy, Elli J. Theobald, Brie Tripp, Madhura Pradhan, Madhvi J. Venkatesh, Mike Wilton, Abdi M. Warfa, Brittney N. Wyatt, Samiksha A. Raut
Summary: The tragic murder of Mr. George Floyd has sparked discussions on racial justice and equity, leading professional organizations like SABER to introspect and take concrete actions to increase People of Color representation and amplify their voices within the organization. These initiatives aim to make SABER more antiracist and inclusive, while also serving as a model for other professional societies to follow suit in promoting diversity and equality.
FRONTIERS IN EDUCATION
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Jackie E. Shay, Ruth Solis, Marcos E. Garcia-Ojeda
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2020)