Plasticity of the echinoderm nervous system: cellular and molecular mechanisms of central nervous system regeneration

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Following injury to the nervous system, the damaged tissue must be replenished with new cells, and the damaged neuronal connections must be re-wired properly for the original function to be restored. Most adult vertebrates show little if any regeneration after damage to the central nervous system. However, other animal groups, specifically echinoderms, provide excellent examples of fast and complete nervous system regeneration. This research makes use of a novel echinoderm model organism, the sea cucumber Holothuria glaberrima that can regenerate their central nervous components following transection. This project studies the cellular and molecular events that take place in order to undergo successful neural repair. Specifically the contributions of cell death and cell proliferation to central nervous system regeneration and the possible role of several genes that are highly expressed during neural regeneration will be analyzed. The results will correlate the expression of regeneration-associated genes to the cells and/or processes where they are involved and will help elucidate their possible function. This project provides "hands-on" research training to underrepresented Hispanic students at various levels, from high-school to doctoral. Students will be exposed to competitive research in the field of neural plasticity, an area of research that has an increasingly high profile and that serves to attract students with various interests. Moreover, the research outreach will extend to science teachers and the general public via web page information, press releases and interviews. Finally, the findings from these experiments explore basic components of regenerative processes that can be used to understand the regenerative limitations in other animal groups, including humans, and that in the future could constitute the basis for applications in biotechnology and medicine.