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
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Fengli Guo, Melainia McClain, Xia Zhao, Kexi Yi, Tari Parmely, Jay Unruh, Brian Slaughter, Leonid Kruglyak, Longhua Guo, Alejandro Sanchez Alvarado
Summary: This research protocol utilizes a brief fixation step to facilitate the localization and dissection of planarian ovaries for downstream analysis. The dissected ovaries are suitable for ultrastructural examination using transmission electron microscopy and antibody immunostaining.
JOVE-JOURNAL OF VISUALIZED EXPERIMENTS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Vairavan Lakshmanan, T. N. Sujith, Dhiru Bansal, Padubidri Shivaprasad, Dasaradhi Palakodeti, Srikar Krishna
Summary: tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs) are dynamically expressed during planarian regeneration, suggesting a possible role in regulating regeneration processes. Spatial profiling reveals diverse expression patterns of tRFs, with some enriched in specific regions. 5'-tsRNA interacts with SMEDWI proteins and AGO1 plays a role in processing itRFs, indicating a novel regulatory mechanism in planarian regeneration.
Article
Cell Biology
Guanshen Cui, Jia-Yi Zhou, Xin-Yang Ge, Bao-Fa Sun, Ge-Ge Song, Xing Wang, Xiu-Zhi Wang, Rui Zhang, Hai-Lin Wang, Qing Jing, Magdalena J. Koziol, Yong-Liang Zhao, An Zeng, Wei-Qi Zhang, Da-Li Han, Yun-Gui Yang, Ying Yang
Summary: Regeneration is a vital process for repairing damaged tissues or organs, from primitive organisms to higher mammals. Planarian, with its extensive reservoir of adult stem cells, provides an ideal model to study regeneration. The depletion of m(6)A methyltransferase regulatory subunit wtap abolishes planarian regeneration, potentially by regulating genes related to cell-cell communication and cell cycle.
CELL PROLIFERATION
(2023)
Article
Biology
Tisha E. Bohr, Divya A. Shiroor, Carolyn E. Adler
Summary: The research found that planarian stem cells adopt distinct behaviors depending on what tissue is missing, targeting progenitor and tissue production accordingly. Loss of non-pharyngeal tissues only increases non-pharyngeal progenitors, while pharynx removal selectively triggers division and expansion of pharynx progenitors.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kexue Ma, Rui Li, Gege Song, Fangying Guo, Meng Wu, Qiong Lu, Xinwei Li, Guangwen Chen
Summary: This study investigates the role of HSP60 in tissue regeneration and homeostasis using freshwater planarians as a model system. HSP60 is found in all types of cells, but is particularly abundant in stem cells and head neural cells. Knockdown of HSP60 leads to head regression and loss of regenerating abilities, as well as disruption of mitochondrial structure and inhibition of intestinal tissue function.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dylan Le, Ziad Sabry, Aarav Chandra, William B. Kristan, Eva-Maria S. Collins, William B. Kristan
Summary: The behavior responses of freshwater planarians to mechanical and near-UV stimulation were found to produce distinct actions, depending on the specific stimulation location. Cutting planarians into multiple pieces revealed that each severed piece exhibited behavior similar to an intact animal, indicating a fast functional reorganization of the planarian nervous system. This reorganization allows planarians to adapt their responses to signals from remaining tissue, providing necessary behavioral capabilities for survival during regeneration.
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
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Na Zhang, Junquan Lin, Vincent Po Hen Lin, Ulla Milbreta, Jiah Shin Chin, Elaine Guo Yan Chew, Michelle Mulan Lian, Jia Nee Foo, Kunyu Zhang, Wutian Wu, Sing Yian Chew
Summary: A novel therapeutic approach for spinal cord injuries involving scaffold-mediated Axon miR treatment with methylprednisolone significantly enhances axon regeneration and functional recovery, while reducing inflammation gene expression.
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
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shuo Liu, Meishan Chen, Xi Liu, Kang Zheng, Baohua Liu, Weiwei Wu, Qiuxiang Pang
Summary: The study reveals the crucial roles of DjApi5 and its interacting molecule DjAcinus in planarian homeostasis and regeneration, which may be correlated with their specific localization in neoblasts and anti-apoptotic functions.
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
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
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
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)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mikhail Biryukov, Anastasia Dmitrieva, Valeriya Vavilova, Kirill Ustyantsev, Erzhena Bazarova, Igor Sukhikh, Eugene Berezikov, Alexandr Blinov
Summary: The study identified an enriched S-phase kinase-associated protein 1 (SKP1) gene in proliferating cells of Macrostomum lignano, suggesting its potential role in regulating stem cells or germline cells. The researchers found that Mlig-SKP1 is not involved in stem cell regulation or regeneration, but plays a vital role in spermatogenesis.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Masanori Hijioka, Yusuke Ikemoto, Kosuke Fukao, Takeshi Inoue, Tatsuki Kobayakawa, Kaneyasu Nishimura, Kazuyuki Takata, Kiyokazu Agata, Yoshihisa Kitamura
Summary: The study revealed the involvement of the MEK/ERK pathway in the regeneration of dopaminergic neurons in planarians, with MEK inhibitors affecting head region morphogenesis and reducing the number of dopaminergic neurons.
NEUROCHEMICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
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
Developmental Biology
Tetsuya Bando, Misa Okumura, Yuki Bando, Marou Hagiwara, Yoshimasa Hamada, Yoshiyasu Ishimaru, Taro Mito, Eri Kawaguchi, Takeshi Inoue, Kiyokazu Agata, Sumihare Noji, Hideyo Ohuchi
Summary: The study investigates the function of Toll-related molecules in leg regeneration of the two-spotted cricket Gryllus bimaculatus, suggesting that the Spz-Toll-related signaling in plasmatocytes promotes leg regeneration through blastema cell proliferation.
Article
Cell Biology
Takeshi Inoue, Kiyokazu Agata
Summary: Studying individual behaviors can reveal the processes and mechanisms behind an animal's habits and interactions with the environment. Planarians, with their unique regenerative abilities and behavioral responses to the environment, offer a valuable opportunity to understand the basic mechanisms underlying neural morphogenesis.
DEVELOPMENT GROWTH & DIFFERENTIATION
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Yuki Sato, Norito Shibata, Chikara Hashimoto, Kiyokazu Agata
Summary: Research on the migration of adult stem cells in vivo is hindered by the complexity of tissue structures and limited accessibility of the cells. In this study, two planarian homologous genes (MTA-A and MTA-B) were identified as being involved in neoblast migration. Knockdown of MTA-A disrupted homeostasis and regeneration, while knockdown of MTA-B inhibited neoblast migration. This study highlights the importance of MTA-A and MTA-B in maintaining tissue homeostasis and regeneration through neoblast migration.
DEVELOPMENT GROWTH & DIFFERENTIATION
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kazuyuki Takata, Hiroyuki Kimura, Daijiro Yanagisawa, Koki Harada, Kaneyasu Nishimura, Yoshihisa Kitamura, Shun Shimohama, Ikuo Tooyama
Summary: Research has found that in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD), there is a decrease in choline signaling, including nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). Currently, there is limited understanding of AD pathophysiology, making it difficult to suppress the progression of the disease. Non-invasive diagnostic methods that can assess disease progression before the onset of symptoms are crucial, and incorporating the concept of neurotheranostics may be valuable for diagnosis and treatment.
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Kaneyasu Nishimura, Tatsumi Nitta, Keisuke Doi, Kazuyuki Takata
Summary: In this study, a rapid and simple induction protocol was established to generate mature dopaminergic neurons by expressing two transcription factors ASCL1 and LMX1A. The induced neurons were characterized and their functional properties were analyzed. This resource has potential applications in high-throughput screening for drug development and toxicology.
STEM CELLS AND DEVELOPMENT
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Shigekuni Hosogi, Atsukazu Kuwahara, Yuko Kuwahara, Saori Tanaka, Chikao Shimamoto, Noriko Tagawa, Ikuo Kato, Kanji Yoshimoto, Wataru Aoi, Kazuyuki Takata, Hiroaki Miyazaki, Naomi Niisato, Yasuhiro Tsubo, Katsumi Yagi, Takashi Nakahari, Yoshinori Marunaka
Summary: The study aimed to investigate the potential of mumefural in preventing hyperglycemia, a typical symptom of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Using OLETF rats as a T2DM model, it was found that mumefural reduced hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and plasma triglyceride concentration. Mumefural also increased protein expression of SMCT1 in the colon and elevated interstitial fluid pH around the brain hippocampus, leading to a decrease in amyloid-beta accumulation.
BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH-TOKYO
(2023)
Review
Biology
Keiichi Ishihara, Kazuyuki Takata, Ken-ichi Mizutani
Summary: The prenatal brain's vascular system is crucial for central nervous system development, and dysfunctional communication between vessels and neural cells can lead to neurodevelopmental diseases. This review introduces neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric diseases potentially caused by neurovascular system disturbances and discusses candidate genes responsible for these impairments. In addition to diseases that can manifest during development, the review also summarizes the disturbances of the neurovascular system in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. The role of abnormal vascularization and dysfunctional vessels in the development of neurovascular-related diseases is also discussed.
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Mayuko Takata, Kaneyasu Nishimura, Koki Harada, Ryota Iwasaki, Momona Ando, Shiho Yamada, Florent Ginhoux, Kazuyuki Takata
Summary: The extracellular accumulation of amyloid-beta (A beta) in plaques and associated neurodegeneration are the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Microglia, including a unique subpopulation called disease-associated microglia (DAM), are strongly implicated in AD pathology; however, their exact function and physiology remain largely unknown. Researchers demonstrated that hiMacs, a type of induced macrophages derived from hiPSC, can phagocytose extracellular A beta and exhibit a DAM-like phenotype. Adding hiMacs to cell and tissue culture systems attenuated neurodegeneration and altered the morphology of A beta plaques.
Article
Cell Biology
Yoshihito Kuroki, Kiyokazu Agata
Summary: The study developed a method to isolate viable single cells from adult planarian bodies using FACS, achieving high-quality RNA sequencing data and excluding low-quality cells through effective gating conditions, leading to high-quality results for all cell types.
Article
Neurosciences
Takeshi Kato, Kaneyasu Nishimura, Masahiro Hirao, Shun Shimohama, Kazuyuki Takata
Summary: By studying the expression and function of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes during the differentiation of midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) neurons from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), it was found that activating the & alpha;6 subtype of nAChR may promote the development of dopaminergic neurons towards the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNC).
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Kaneyasu Nishimura, Emilia Sif Asgrimsdottir, Shanzheng Yang, Ernest Arenas
Summary: This article introduces a method for generating functional midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) neurons from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), which mimics the development of the human ventral midbrain. The protocol includes steps for hESC proliferation, induction of mDA progenitors, freezing stocks of mDA progenitors as an intermediate starting point to reduce the time to make mDA neurons, and maturation of mDA neurons. The entire method is feeder-free and utilizes chemically defined materials. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Nishimura et al. (2023).
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Aina Fukuda, Souichi Nakashima, Yoshimi Oda, Kaneyasu Nishimura, Hidekazu Kawashima, Hiroyuki Kimura, Takashi Ohgita, Eri Kawashita, Keiichi Ishihara, Aoi Hanaki, Mizuki Okazaki, Erika Matsuda, Yui Tanaka, Seikou Nakamura, Takahiro Matsumoto, Satoshi Akiba, Hiroyuki Saito, Hisashi Matsuda, Kazuyuki Takata
Summary: In this study, plantainoside B was found to have affinity with Afl oligomers and effectively prevent their attachment on the surface of hiPSC-derived cholinergic neurons, showing significant neuroprotective effects and alleviating memory impairment in mice with intrahippocampal Afl injections. This suggests that plantainoside B may act as a potential theranostic agent in AD, serving as both a diagnostic and therapeutic drug by binding to Afl oligomers and interrupting their binding to cell surfaces.
BIOLOGICAL & PHARMACEUTICAL BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Yang He, Jun Tang, Meng Zhang, Junjie Ying, Dezhi Mu
Summary: This study investigated the protective effects and mechanisms of human placenta derived mesenchymal stem cells (hPMSCs) transplantation in a rat model of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). The results showed that hPMSCs transplantation reduced apoptosis and improved long-term neurological prognosis. Furthermore, the downregulation of Sema 3A/NRP-1 expression and activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway played a key role in the protective effects of hPMSCs.
Article
Neurosciences
Emily L. Isenstein, Edward G. Freedman, Jiayi Xu, Ian A. DeAndrea-Lazarus, John J. Foxe
Summary: This study evaluated electrophysiological discrimination of parametric somatosensory stimuli in healthy young adults to understand how the brain processes the duration of tactile information. The results showed that participants did not electrophysiologically discriminate between 100 and 115 ms, but they exhibited distinct electrophysiological responses when the deviant stimuli were 130, 145, and 160 ms. These findings contribute to a better understanding of tactile sensitivity in different clinical conditions.
Article
Neurosciences
Juliana R. Souza, Ludmila Lima-Silveira, Daniela Accorsi-Mendonca, Benedito H. Machado
Summary: This study demonstrates that A2A receptors play a crucial role in modulating synaptic transmission in the NTS neurons and are required for the enhancement of glutamatergic transmission observed under short-term sustained hypoxia conditions.
Article
Neurosciences
Miki Hashizume, Rina Ito, Rie Suge, Yasushi Hojo, Gen Murakami, Takayuki Murakoshi
Summary: The basolateral amygdaloid complex (BLA) is closely involved in the formation of emotional memories, including both aversive memory and contextual fear memory. Acute sleep deprivation (SD) disrupts the acquisition of tone-associated fear memory in juvenile rats, but has no significant effect on contextual fear memory. Slow network oscillation in the amygdala contributes to the formation of amygdala-dependent fear memory in relation to sleep.
Article
Neurosciences
Qunxian Wang, Shipeng Guo, Dongjie Hu, Xiangjun Dong, Zijun Meng, Yanshuang Jiang, Zijuan Feng, Weihui Zhou, Weihong Song
Summary: GSDME plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease by regulating the switch from apoptosis to pyroptosis and participating in neuroinflammatory response. Knockdown of GSDME has been shown to improve cognitive impairments, indicating that GSDME could be a therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease.
