Nematostella vectensis, an Emerging Model for Deciphering the Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms Underlying Whole-Body Regeneration.

Eric Röttinger

doi:10.3390/cells10102692

Abstract

The capacity to regenerate lost or injured body parts is a widespread feature within metazoans and has intrigued scientists for centuries. One of the most extreme types of regeneration is the so-called whole body regenerative capacity, which enables regeneration of fully functional organisms from isolated body parts. While not exclusive to this habitat, whole body regeneration is widespread in aquatic/marine invertebrates. Over the past decade, new whole-body research models have emerged that complement the historical models Hydra and planarians. Among these, the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis has attracted increasing interest in regard to deciphering the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the whole-body regeneration process. This manuscript will present an overview of the biological features of this anthozoan cnidarian as well as the available tools and resources that have been developed by the scientific community studying Nematostella. I will further review our current understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying whole-body regeneration in this marine organism, with emphasis on how comparing embryonic development and regeneration in the same organism provides insight into regeneration specific elements.

Highlights

Regeneration is the capacity of tissues, organs, or even entire organisms to regrow lost or injured body parts and, maintain function and extend longevity
During the early phase of the evo–devo field [25], the scientific community was in search for cnidarian models (i) that complement the historical hydrozoan cnidarian, Hydra [26,27], and (ii) with access to embryonic material and the development of functional genomic tools
The original description of regeneration in Nematostella referred to the reformation of missing body parts following physal pinching

Summary

Introduction

Regeneration is the capacity of tissues, organs, or even entire organisms to regrow lost or injured body parts and, maintain function and extend longevity. During the early phase of the evo–devo field [25], the scientific community was in search for cnidarian models (i) that complement the historical hydrozoan cnidarian, Hydra [26,27], and (ii) with access to embryonic material and the development of functional genomic tools In this context, in the 1990s, Hand and Uhlinger published a protocol for rearing, induction of spawning, and completing the entire life cycle under laboratory conditions of the anthozoan cnidarian sea anemone Nematostella vectensis [28]. Nematostella can reproduce asexually via two specific types of budding (polarity reversal and physal pinching, see below), undergo whole body regeneration upon injury and is able to cope phenotypically with environmental variations, in particular in response to food availability (Figure 2A). The adaptation and development of new techniques/tools to investigate regeneration in Nematostella, have recently provided new insights into this process at the morphological, cellular, and molecular levels

Morphological and Tissular Dynamics

Cellular Dynamics Underlying Nematostella Regeneration

Regeneration-Specific Genes and Gene Modules