Morphallaxis versus Epimorphosis? Cellular and Molecular Aspects of Regeneration and Asexual Reproduction in Annelids

Abstract

This article addresses the question of the role of morphallactic and epimorphic events in regeneration and asexual reproduction in annelids. It was shown that tissue reorganization and changes at the molecular level occur already at the very early stages of regenerative processes. These data indicate that morphallaxis is required for all progressive stages of full epimorphic regeneration, including initiation and completion, and de novo formation of missing parts in new zooids during asexual reproduction.