From One to Many and Back Again A Systemic Signal Triggers Tunicate Regeneration 英文参考文献.docVIP

From One to Many and Back Again: A Systemic SignalTriggersTunicate Regeneration azi L Gross | doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0050098 For a lucky subset of vertebrates, losing an appendage is no big deal. As many an inquisitive child knows, salamanders can regenerate lost limbs or tails; and as lab investigators know, zebra?sh can regrow lost ?ns. Of course, humans and other “higher” vertebrates must make do with repairing rather than regenerating damaged tissues. Though whole body generation (WBR) does occur, it’s typically restricted to a subset of morphologically less complex invertebrates, such as sponges, ?atworms, and jelly?sh. In a new study, Yuval Rinkevich et al. shed light on the molecular signals underlying WBR by investigating the phenomenon in our closest invertebrate relative, the sea squirt Botrylloides leachi. The researchers identi?ed several novel features of WBR in this colonial marine organism, and discovered an unusual mode of regeneration. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0050098.g001 As invertebrate members of the phylum Chordata, sea squirts share several fundamental biological pathways with vertebrates; consequently, using them as a model system to study WBR could illuminate Recognized as the one of the closest relatives to vertebrates, the colonial urochordate Botrylloides leachi possesses unique modes for propagating and regenerating that make this species a robust model organism for studying diverse biological issues related to development, immunology, stem cells, and regeneration. not only the evolutionary origin of regeneration, but also its subsequent attenuation in vertebrates. Sea squirts (also called “tunicates” after their tough outer tunic) are widely distributed in shallow coastal waters as colonies of genetically buds mature, parental zooids degrade and undergo resorption into the colony. Zooids connect to colony mates through a network of blood vessels with delicate ?ngerlike projections called ampullae. Experiments in a close relative o