The molecular basis of planarian regeneration

该项目的首要目标是为动物再生过程定义一个机械基础。该项目利用在上一个资助期间获得的方法学进展和发现：1）定义高时间分辨率，全基因组，再生表达谱; 2）询问已知的胚胎信号通路在组织再生和稳态的成人背景下的功能，并对再生机制与胚胎发生进行正式比较; 3）揭示截肢后成人器官再生相关的基因; 4）启动再生的比较研究，以测试我们发现的普遍性。所有三条调查线相互协同，它们的整合应该为我们提供一套高分辨率的调节再生和再生能力的分子过程。到目前为止，这种方法使我们发现了新的动物细胞生物学和已知基因在成人背景下的功能，并定义了许多保守的动物基因的功能仍然是未知的。鉴于存在于真涡虫和脊椎动物之间的高度进化保守性，真涡虫中基因功能的表征将促进研究人类干细胞功能、再生和伤口愈合的努力，有效地推进人类健康的这些前沿领域。 相关性（参见说明）： 该项目的首要目标是为动物再生过程定义一个机械基础。 鉴于存在于涡虫和脊椎动物之间的高度进化保守性， 对真涡虫基因功能的表征将促进人类干细胞功能的研究， 再生和伤口愈合，有效地推进这些人类健康的前沿。

The overarching goal of this project is to define a mechanistic basis for the process of animal regeneration. This project takes advantage of methodological advances and findings obtained during the last funding period to: 1) define a high temporal resolution, genome-wide, expression profile of regeneration; 2) interrogate the functions of known embryonic signaling pathways in the adult contexts of tissue regeneration and homeostasis, and to carry out a formal comparison of how the mechanisms of regeneration compare to embryogenesis; 3) uncover genes involved in the regeneration of adult organs after amputation; and 4) Initiate comparative studies of regeneration to test the universality of our findings. All three lines of investigation synergize with each other and their integration should provide us with a high-resolution set of molecular processes regulating regeneration and regenerative capacities. Thus far, this approach has led us to uncover novel animal cell biology and functions in adult contexts of known genes, and to define functions for the many conserved animal genes for which functions are still unknown. Given the high degree of evolutionary conservation that exits between planarians and vertebrates, the characterization of gene functions in planarians will advance efforts to study human stem-cell function, regeneration and wound healing, effectively advancing these frontiers of human health. RELEVANCE (See instructions): The overarching goal of this project is to define a mechanistic basis for the process of animal regeneration. Given the high degree of evolutionary conservation that exits between planarians and vertebrates, the characterization of gene functions in planarians will advance efforts to study human stem-cell function, regeneration and wound healing, effectively advancing these frontiers of human health.