| Home | About SOMAS | Program Guidelines | Submissions | Contact Us |
|
“Stem Cell Recruitment and Inductive Signaling during Neural Regeneration in the California Blacworm, Lumbriculus variegatus” Studies of regeneration inspire development of therapies in tissue replacement and repair. Lumbriculus variegatus, an aquatic oligochaete, is an excellent regenerative model system, regenerating an entirely new worm from a three segment fragment. The present studies of regeneration in L.variegatus raise questions concerning axial body patterning. Determination of axial position and segmental polarity following transection is critical for the successful regeneration of missing body parts and the recovery of function. Regeneration involves many of the same cellular events that are prevalent during early development, including induction of stem cell populations and differentiation via differential gene expression. While our lab has characterized cellular and molecular aspects of regeneration within the lumbriculid central nervous system (Martinez et al., 2005; 2006; 2008), the mechanism of induction and the genes which may be involved are not well understood. Based on our previous studies, we hypothesize that the newly regenerating head might be a source from which differential gene expression is necessary to maintain neural regeneration. The inductive potential of the newly regenerated head tissue will be tested using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry to identify possible morphogenic influences of the anterior wound blastema. Moreover, we will begin characterization of the cellular populations recruited to the regenerating head using confocal microscopy. Dr. Veronica Giselle Martinez Acosta
|
