Meeting Abstract
Whole body regeneration is widespread in the animal kingdom, although surprisingly little is known about diversity in the genetic basis of regeneration ability in a comparative context. The diverse regeneration abilities and straightforward body plan segmentation in annelids offer a unique opportunity for comparative regeneration studies. For example, the segmented worm Capitella teleta is capable of regenerating posterior segments but incapable of anterior structures. To identify molecular signatures of regeneration, we employed RNA sequencing to examine gene transcription across multiple stages of regeneration after amputation, and between anterior and posterior regeneration, in C. teleta. Our study suggests two global biological processes during regeneration, an early wound healing and a subsequent developmental patterning process. We identified 685 differentially expressed genes during posterior regeneration, including genes involved in stress response, extracelluar matrix remodeling, cell migration behavior, signaling, neurogenesis and myogenesis. We observed a number of putative early prepatterning genes that have dynamic expression patterns during regeneration. Many axial patterning genes involved in Wnt and TGF-beta/BMP signaling were significantly differentially regulated during regeneration. Several genes encoding homeobox domain proteins were also significantly regulated. Comparison analysis between anterior and posterior regeneration pinpoint a few differential expressed genes related to cell adhesion and development. The results point to previously undescribed mechanisms for organizing regeneration in annelids and will be a valuable resource for further research in regeneration biology.
