Project description:The planarian Dugesia japonica has amazing ability to regenerate a head from the anterior ends of the amputated stump with maintenance of the original anterior-posterior polarity. Although planarians present an attractive system for molecular investigation of regeneration and research has focused on clarifying the molecular mechanism of regeneration initiation in planarians, but proteomic studies are still in the early stages. Here, a global proteomics analysis of regenerating head fragments in planarians at 0h, 2h and 6h after amputation was performed using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)-based quantitative proteomics coupled with LC-MS/MS strategy. Then the significantly changed proteins were identified. The correlation betwwen protein expression profiles and signaling pathways/biological processes was analyzed by bioinformatics and systems biology.
Project description:Nkx2.2 is an intestine-enriched transcription factor required for regeneration in planarians. The goal of this study was to identify differentially expressed transcripts in uninjured nkx2.2(RNAi) planarians.
Project description:MyoD is a conserved myogenic factor which controls formation of longitundinal muscle fibers in planarians. nkx1-1 is a conserved transcription factor which controls formation of circular muscle fibers in planarians.
Project description:ApoB-1 and ApoB-2 are intestine-enriched regulators of lipoprotein secretion in planarians. The goal of this study was to identify differentially expressed transcripts in uninjured apob-1(RNAi);apob-2(RNAi) double knockdown planarians relative to egfp(RNAi) control animals.
Project description:Planarian flatworms are known for their remarkable regenerative capacity; however, the precise intercellular communication mechanisms underlying this process remain unsolved. Here, we report the discovery and characterization of abundant extracellular vesicles (EVs) in planarians. Using imaging and molecular analysis, we show conservation of biogenesis, morphology, and protein composition of planarian EVs. Environmental stressors significantly elevate EV release, indicating that planarians dynamically regulate vesicle production. Functionally, planarian EVs mediate intercellular communication by transferring regulatory signals: We find that they shuttle small RNAs that effect systemic RNA interference (RNAi) throughout the organism. Notably, gene knockdown experiments reveal a crucial role for AGO-3, a member of the Argonaute family of proteins, in modulating the association of small interfering RNAs with EVs, linking the intracellular RNAi machinery to EV-based signaling. These findings highlight EVs as pivotal mediators of cell-cell communication in planarians, with broad implications for understanding the coordination of gene regulation and tissue regeneration in animals.