Mitochondrial dynamics govern whole-body regeneration through stem cell pluripotency and mitonuclear balance.

ABSTRACT: Tissue regeneration is a complex process involving large changes in cell proliferation, fate determination, and differentiation. Mitochondrial dynamics and metabolism play a crucial role in development and wound repair, but their function in large-scale regeneration remains poorly understood. Planarians offer an excellent model to investigate this process due to their remarkable regenerative abilities. In this study, we examine mitochondrial dynamics during planarian regeneration. We find that knockdown of the mitochondrial fusion gene, opa1, impairs both tissue regeneration and stem cell pluripotency. Interestingly, the regeneration defects caused by opa1 knockdown are rescued by simultaneous knockdown of the mitochondrial fission gene, drp1, which partially restores mitochondrial dynamic

SUBMITTER: Pan X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11645412 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature