Regeneration in Macrostomum lignano (Platyhelminthes): cellular dynamics in the neoblast stem cell system

Nimeth, K.; Egger, Bernhard; Rieger, Reinhard M.; Salvenmoser, Willi; Peter, Roland; Gschwentner, Robert

doi:10.1007/s00441-006-0299-9

Cited by 35 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 48 publications

(54 reference statements)

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“…Sections were stained according to Richardson et al (1960) or to Heidenhain (Romeis, 1968;Nimeth et al 2007). Ultra-thin sections of 1 specimen were made at 80 nm thickness using an ultramicrotome UCT (Leica, Vienna, Austria), stained with lead citrate and mounted on filmed 50-mesh, and 200-mesh thinbar grids.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A cultivable acoel species from the Mediterranean, Aphanostoma pisae sp. nov. (Acoela, Acoelomorpha)

Zauchner¹,

Salvenmoser²,

Egger³

2015

Zootaxa

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Aphanostoma pisae sp. nov. is an interstitial acoel found at the coast of the Liguric Sea in Pisa (Tuscany, Italy). It belongs to the large family Isodiametridae, characterised by a male copulatory organ with a cylindrical shape and non-anastomising longitudinal muscle fibers. It is the first recognised species of Aphanostoma in the Mediterranean and it can occur in great abundance at its type locality (several hundred specimens in a spoonful of sand). A. pisae has been cultured in the laboratory for several years with diatoms for food. The embryonic development lasts for just under two days at 20 °C.We provide a description of the new species using live observations, light and electron microscopy of sagittal sections and stainings of the filamentous actin and the serotonergic nervous system, and we discuss and update the genus diagnoses of the genera Aphanostoma and Praeconvoluta.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A cultivable acoel species from the Mediterranean, Aphanostoma pisae sp. nov. (Acoela, Acoelomorpha)

Zauchner¹,

Salvenmoser²,

Egger³

2015

Zootaxa

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“…In Schmidtea mediterranea (planarian flatworm), even a single transplanted neoblast has the ability to rescue, regenerate, and change the genotype of a fatally irradiated worm (12). M. lignano can regenerate every tissue, with the exception of the head region containing the brain (13,14).Neoblasts in M. lignano ( Fig. 1 D and E), in contrast to most vertebrate somatic stem cells, are plentiful, making up about ∼6.5% of all cells (15), and have a very high proliferation rate (16,17).…”

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

Genome and transcriptome of the regeneration-competent flatworm, Macrostomum lignano

Wasik

Gurtowski

Zhou

et al. 2015

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

138

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The free-living flatworm, Macrostomum lignano has an impressive regenerative capacity. Following injury, it can regenerate almost an entirely new organism because of the presence of an abundant somatic stem cell population, the neoblasts. This set of unique properties makes many flatworms attractive organisms for studying the evolution of pathways involved in tissue self-renewal, cellfate specification, and regeneration. The use of these organisms as models, however, is hampered by the lack of a well-assembled and annotated genome sequences, fundamental to modern genetic and molecular studies. Here we report the genomic sequence of M. lignano and an accompanying characterization of its transcriptome. The genome structure of M. lignano is remarkably complex, with ∼75% of its sequence being comprised of simple repeats and transposon sequences. This has made high-quality assembly from Illumina reads alone impossible (N50 = 222 bp). We therefore generated 130× coverage by long sequencing reads from the Pacific Biosciences platform to create a substantially improved assembly with an N50 of 64 Kbp. We complemented the reference genome with an assembled and annotated transcriptome, and used both of these datasets in combination to probe gene-expression patterns during regeneration, examining pathways important to stem cell function.F latworms belong to the superphylum Lophotrochozoa, a vast assembly of protostome invertebrates (1, 2) (Fig. 1A). The evolutionary relationships within this clade are poorly resolved and the specific position of flatworms is currently debated (3, 4). Flatworms have attracted scientific attention for centuries because of their astonishing regenerative capabilities (5, 6), as well as their ability to "degrow" in a controlled way when starved (7). As far back as the early 1900s, Thomas Morgan recognized the potential of flatworms and conducted a number of fascinating regeneration experiments on planarian flatworms before his focus shifted to Drosophila genetics (8).Macrostomum lignano is (Fig. 1B), a free-living, regenerating flatworm isolated from the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. M. lignano is an obligatorily cross-fertilizing simultaneous hermaphrodite (9) that belongs to Macrostomorpha, whereas the other often-studied freeliving flatworms and human parasitic flatworms all belong to clades that are potentially more derived (less ancestral) in comparison with Macrostomorpha (2) (Fig. 1C).Many flatworms can regenerate nearly their entire body or amputated organs. This regenerative capacity is thought to be attributable to the presence of somatic stem cells, termed neoblasts (10, 11). In Schmidtea mediterranea (planarian flatworm), even a single transplanted neoblast has the ability to rescue, regenerate, and change the genotype of a fatally irradiated worm (12). M. lignano can regenerate every tissue, with the exception of the head region containing the brain (13,14).Neoblasts in M. lignano ( Fig. 1 D and E), in contrast to most vertebrate somatic stem cells, are plentiful, making up about ...

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“…The free-living Platyhelminthes have long been known to possess an unusual system of mesenchymal stem cells known as neoblasts (Baguñà et al, 1989;Newmark and Sánchez Alvarado, 2000;Nimeth et al, 2007). As the only mitotically active cells in adult flatworms, neoblasts allow flatworms to persist in a continuous state of cell turnover.…”

Section: Platyhelminthesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Regeneration in spiralians: evolutionary patterns and developmental processes

Bely¹,

Zattara²,

Sikes³

2014

Int. J. Dev. Biol.

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Animals differ markedly in their ability to regenerate, yet still little is known about how regeneration evolves. In recent years, important advances have been made in our understanding of animal phylogeny and these provide new insights into the phylogenetic distribution of regeneration. The developmental basis of regeneration is also being investigated in an increasing number of groups, allowing commonalities and differences across groups to become evident. Here, we focus on regeneration in the Spiralia, a group that includes several champions of animal regeneration, as well as many groups with more limited abilities. We review the phylogenetic distribution and developmental processes of regeneration in four major spiralian groups: annelids, nemerteans, platyhelminths, and molluscs. Although comparative data are still limited, this review highlights phylogenetic and developmental patterns that are emerging regarding regeneration in spiralians and identifies important avenues for future research.

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Regeneration in Macrostomum lignano (Platyhelminthes): cellular dynamics in the neoblast stem cell system

Cited by 35 publications

References 48 publications

A cultivable acoel species from the Mediterranean, Aphanostoma pisae sp. nov. (Acoela, Acoelomorpha)

A cultivable acoel species from the Mediterranean, Aphanostoma pisae sp. nov. (Acoela, Acoelomorpha)

Genome and transcriptome of the regeneration-competent flatworm, Macrostomum lignano

Regeneration in spiralians: evolutionary patterns and developmental processes

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