Project description:We used Nimblegen arrays with design 2007-11-06_Smed_ESTs_4_exp to measure changes in gene expression during a timecourse of regeneration of one side of the head in Schmidtea mediterranea flatworms. Following amputation of one side of the head, samples were collected from both the regeneration blastema and non-regenerating side of the head on days 2, 3, and 4 post-amputation. Gene expression in these samples was compared to that in non-regenerating control samples collected at the time of amputation.
Project description:Stem cells integrate extracellular cues with downstream transcriptional responses to channel their differentiation, but the underlying mechanisms responsible remain unclear. Planarians possess distinct organs embedded in a vast pool of pluripotent stem cells that maintain tissue turnover and drive whole-body regeneration. This unique configuration provides an ideal model for exploring how pluripotent stem cells sense tissue boundaries, guiding appropriate differentiation. Here, we use the planarian pharynx to define the cell lineages that originate from stem cells expressing the pioneer transcription factor foxA. The anatomical restriction of pharynx-specific lineages is disrupted by knockdown of the Roundabout receptor roboA, leading to ectopic pharynx neurons (EPNs) emerging in the brain. An RNAi screen for genes that phenocopy roboA identifies the extracellular protein anosmin-1, a gene responsible for Kallmann syndrome, as a potential partner of roboA. Aberrant induction of EPNs in the brain requires foxA, while knockdown of foxA induces head-specific neurons in the pharynx, revealing a latent plasticity in stem cells to adopt alternative fates. Together, we propose that RoboA and Anos1 act as fate-reinforcing genes (FRGs) that suppress inappropriate cell fates, maintaining organ integrity and enabling stem cell plasticity during regeneration.
Project description:This study is the first to report genome-scale polyadenylation events in S.mediterranea using poly-A position profiling (3P-Seq).Various cis-acting elements such as hexameric PAS & U/GU enrichment after cleavage site were observed to be conserved in planaria.The cleavage site derived from 3P-Seq could be successfully associated with ~38-60% of transcripts (Makers -38%, oxford- 60% and Dresden- 44%).We also investigated the functional consequences of altered 3’UTRs arising from ApA. Around 97 transcripts were observed to undergo coding region alternate polyadenylation (CR-ApA) that resulted in loss of specific domains from proteins (as inferred from pfam domain search). In this study, we also demonstrated that microRNA-mediated regulation might be one of the key factors playing an important role in selection/evolution of alternate 3’UTRs. The 3’ UTR is one of the key regulatory element that decides the fate of mRNA inside a cell. Switching isoforms according to the need of cell and environmental cues could help the cell to adapt. In this study, we also attempted to study the tissue-specific role of ApA pattern in planaria. Due to the limitations associated with isolation of different tissue-specific cells from planaria, we performed a high-throughput microarray analysis across X1, X2 and Xins cell populations. We were clearly able to identify the differential expression pattern of the ApA events across cell population.
Project description:This study is the first to report genome-scale polyadenylation events in S.mediterranea using poly-A position profiling (3P-Seq).Various cis-acting elements such as hexameric PAS & U/GU enrichment after cleavage site were observed to be conserved in planaria.The cleavage site derived from 3P-Seq could be successfully associated with ~38-60% of transcripts (Makers -38%, oxford- 60% and Dresden- 44%).We also investigated the functional consequences of altered 3’UTRs arising from ApA. Around 97 transcripts were observed to undergo coding region alternate polyadenylation (CR-ApA) that resulted in loss of specific domains from proteins (as inferred from pfam domain search). In this study, we also demonstrated that microRNA-mediated regulation might be one of the key factors playing an important role in selection/evolution of alternate 3’UTRs. The 3’ UTR is one of the key regulatory element that decides the fate of mRNA inside a cell. Switching isoforms according to the need of cell and environmental cues could help the cell to adapt. In this study, we also attempted to study the tissue-specific role of ApA pattern in planaria. Due to the limitations associated with isolation of different tissue-specific cells from planaria, we performed a high-throughput microarray analysis across X1, X2 and Xins cell populations. We were clearly able to identify the differential expression pattern of the ApA events across cell population.