The colonial cnidarian Hydractinia

Abstract

Hydractinia, a genus of colonial marine cnidarians, has been used as a model organism for developmental biology and comparative immunology for over a century. It was this animal where stem cells and germ cells were first studied. However, protocols for efficient genetic engineering have only recently been established by a small but interactive community of researchers. The animal grows well in the lab, spawns daily, and its relatively short life cycle allows genetic studies. The availability of genomic tools and resources opens further opportunities for research using this animal. Its accessibility to experimental manipulation, growth-and cellular-plasticity, regenerative ability, and resistance to aging and cancer place Hydractinia as an emerging model for research in many biological and environmental disciplines.

Gene knockdown via electroporation of short hairpin RNAs in embryos of the marine hydroid Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus

“…Research involving hydrozoans has greatly contributed to our understanding of crucial cellular and developmental processes, as well as their evolution 2 . Within the Hydrozoa, members of the genus Hydractinia have been used as experimental research organisms for more than a century 3 – 5 . Hydractinia is a dioecious, marine, colonial hydroid that is well-suited for lab culturing and rearing.…”

“…A fundamental characteristic of Hydractinia is that it maintains a population of stem cells called interstitial stem cells (or ‘i-cells’) that provides progenitors to both somatic and germ cell lineages in a continuous manner throughout its lifetime, allowing for remarkable regenerative capabilities and longevity 3 , 4 , 7 . The availability of a sequenced genome, and the range of functional genomic tools currently available make Hydractinia a rapidly maturing cnidarian system that is allowing researchers to explore a wide array of biological topics, ranging from stem cells and regeneration to developmental biology and self-recognition (allorecognition) 3 – 5 , 8 . In this study, we focused on a new method to silence genes in the species H. symbiolongicarpus (Fig.…”

New binding specificities evolve via point mutation in an invertebrate allorecognition gene

“…Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus is a colonial cnidarian that uses proteins that are their own ligand for allorecognition (Frank et al, 2020). Hydractinia colonies begin when a sexually produced larva settles on a hermit crab shell and metamorphoses into a polyp.…”

Gene knockdown via electroporation of short hairpin RNAs in embryos of the marine hydroidHydractinia symbiolongicarpus

“…Research involving hydrozoans has greatly contributed to our understanding of crucial cellular and developmental processes, as well as their evolution 2 . Within the Hydrozoa, members of the genus Hydractinia have been used as experimental research organisms for more than a century [3][4][5] . Hydractinia is a dioecious, marine, colonial hydroid that is well-suited for lab culturing and rearing.…”

“…A fundamental characteristic of Hydractinia is that it maintains a population of stem cells called interstitial cells (or 'icells') that provides progenitors to both somatic and germ cell lineages in a continuous manner throughout its lifetime, allowing for remarkable regenerative capabilities and longevity 3,4,7 . The availability of a sequenced genome, and the range of functional genomic tools currently available make Hydractinia a rapidly maturing cnidarian system that is allowing researchers to explore a wide array of biological topics, ranging from stem cells and regeneration to developmental biology and self-recognition (allorecognition) [3][4][5]8 . In this study, we focused on a new method to silence genes in the species Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus (Fig.…”