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

神经系统受伤后，受损的组织必须用新细胞补充，受损的神经元连接必须重新连接，以恢复原始功能。大多数成年脊椎动物在中枢神经系统受损后几乎没有表现出任何再生。然而，其他动物群体，特别是棘皮动物，提供了快速和完整的神经系统再生的极好例子。本研究利用一种新的棘皮动物模式生物，海参Holothuria glaberrima，可以在横断后再生其中枢神经成分。本项目研究成功进行神经修复所发生的细胞和分子事件。特别是细胞死亡和细胞增殖对中枢神经系统再生的贡献，以及在神经再生过程中高度表达的几个基因的可能作用将被分析。这些结果将把再生相关基因的表达与它们所涉及的细胞和/或过程联系起来，并有助于阐明它们可能的功能。该项目为从高中到博士等不同层次的未被充分代表的西班牙裔学生提供“动手”研究培训。学生将接触到神经可塑性领域的竞争性研究，这是一个越来越引人注目的研究领域，吸引着各种兴趣的学生。此外，研究外展将通过网页信息、新闻稿和访谈等方式扩展到科学教师和一般公众。最后，这些实验的发现探索了再生过程的基本组成部分，可用于理解包括人类在内的其他动物群体的再生限制，并在未来可能构成生物技术和医学应用的基础。

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.