A5047762841- Planarian Biology and Electrostimulation
- Marine Ecology and Invasive Species
- Marine Invertebrate Physiology and Ecology
- Plant and Biological Electrophysiology Studies
- Cephalopods and Marine Biology
- Echinoderm biology and ecology
- Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics
- Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation
University of Bergen
2023-2024
Universitat de Barcelona
2015-2023
Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona
2019-2022
Abstract For successful regeneration, the identity of missing tissue must be specified according to pre-existing tissue. Planarians are ideal for study mechanisms underlying this process; same field cells can regrow a head or tail body part. After amputation, differential activation Wnt/β-catenin signal specifies anterior versus posterior identity. Initially, both wnt1 and notum (Wnt inhibitor) expressed in all wounds, but 48 hours later they restricted facing respectively, by an unknown...
ABSTRACT Many animals share a lifelong capacity to adapt their growth rates and body sizes changing environmental food supplies. However, the cellular molecular basis underlying this plasticity remains only poorly understood. We therefore studied how sea anemones Nematostella vectensis Aiptasia (Exaiptasia pallida) respond feeding starvation. Combining quantifications of size cell numbers with mathematical modelling, we observed that shrinkage in are exponential, stereotypic accompanied by...
Animals with lifelong growth adjust their rates to nutrient availability, yet the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we studied how food supply TOR signalling regulate cell cycle in a multipotent, Vasa2-/Piwi1-expressing population sea anemone Nematostella vectensis . We discovered that starvation induces reversible G 1 /G 0 arrest Vasa2+/Piwi1+ cells re-entry upon refeeding is dependent on signalling. In addition, length of stimulus after determines...
The wnt signaling pathway is an intercellular communication mechanism essential in cell-fate specification, tissue patterning and regional-identity specification. A βcatenin-dependent signal specifies the AP (Anteroposterior) axis of planarians, both during regeneration new tissues normal homeostasis. Accordingly, four wnts (posterior wnts) are expressed a nested manner central posterior regions planarians. We have analyzed specific role each possible cooperation between them specifying...
The forkhead box (Fox) genes encode transcription factors that control several key aspects of development. Present in the ancestor all eukaryotes, Fox underwent duplications followed by loss and diversification events gave rise to current 25 families. However, few members have been identified from Lophotrochozoa clade, specifically planarians, which are a unique model for understanding development, due striking plasticity adult. aim this study was identify perform evolutionary functional...
Abstract Germline segregation, essential for protecting germ cells against mutations, occurs during early embryogenesis in vertebrates, insects and nematodes. Highly regenerative animals (e.g., cnidarians), however, retain stem with both germinal somatic potentials throughout adulthood, but their biology evolution remain poorly understood. Among cnidarians sea anemones, jellyfish), are only known few hydrozoans Hydra ). Here, we identify characterize a rare, multipotent population of and/or...
ABSTRACT Control of cell number is crucial to define body size during animal development and restrict tumoral transformation. The determined by the balance between proliferation death. Although many genes are known regulate those processes, molecular mechanisms underlying relationship remain poorly understood. This can be better understood studying planarians, flatworms that continuously change their according nutrient availability. We identified a novel gene family, blitzschnell (bls),...
There is an increasing amount of transcriptomic and genomic data available for planarians with the advent both traditional single-cell RNA sequencing technologies. Therefore, exploring, visualizing making sense all these in order to understand planarian regeneration development can be challenging.In this work, we present PlanExp, a web-application explore visualize gene expression from different RNA-seq experiments (both RNA-seq) planaria Schmidtea mediterranea. PlanExp provides tools...
An organizer is defined as a group of cells that secrete extracellular proteins specify the fate surrounding according to their concentration. Their function during embryogenesis key in patterning new growing tissues. Although organizers should also participate adult development when structures are regenerated, presence adults has only been identified few species with striking regenerative abilities, such planarians. Planarians provide unique model understand organizers, since pluripotent...
Forkhead box (Fox) genes belong to the "winged helix" transcription factor superfamily. The function of some Fox is well known, such as role foxO in controlling metabolism and longevity foxA differentiation endodermal tissues. However, factors not yet characterized. Such case FoxK genes, which are mainly studied mammals have been implicated diverse processes including cell proliferation, tissue carcinogenesis. Planarians free-living flatworms, whose importance biomedical research lies their...
Abstract Embryonic specification of the first body axis requires formation an Organizer, a group cells with ability to instruct fates in surrounding tissue. The existence organizing regions adults, i.e. during regeneration, which also patterning new tissues, remains unstudied. To that aim, we study regeneration planarians, flatworms can regenerate any missing structure, even head, few days. In as described embryonic models, cWNT pathway specifies anterior-posterior axis. During 12-24h after...
Abstract Animals with indeterminate growth can adapt their rate and body size to changing food availability throughout lifetime. As the cellular basis underlying food-dependent plasticity is poorly understood, we quantified how sea anemones Nematostella vectensis Exaiptasia diaphana (Aiptasia) respond feeding starvation on organismal levels. Using mathematical modelling analyse phases, found that shrinkage rates in are exponential, stereotypic accompanied by high levels of cell gain or loss,...
Abstract The forkhead box (Fox) genes encode transcription factors that control several key aspects of development. Present in the ancestor all eukaryotes, Fox underwent duplications followed by loss and diversification events gave rise to current 25 families. However, few members have been identified from Lophotrochozoa clade, specifically planarians, which are a unique model for understanding development, due striking plasticity adult. aim this study was identify perform evolutionary...