Functional study of the planarian RNA helicase DDX6, DjCBC-1

Autor: Yen-Han Wang, 王嬿涵
Rok vydání: 2016
Druh dokumentu: 學位論文 ; thesis
Popis: 104
Regeneration is the process of renewal and regrowth of damaged tissue to maintain the normal physiological functions for surviving. Planarian has a robust ability of regeneration. Regeneration in planarians requires neoblasts, the pluripotent somatic stem cells, which can proliferate and differentiate into all different cell types. Regulation of neoblasts proliferation and differentiation is critical for planarians homeostasis and regeneration. DDX6, a member of the DEAD-box protein family, is highly conserved among most eukaryotes. DDX6 homologs play multiple roles in many biological processes. Recent studies showed that DDX6 regulates the differentiation of mammalian neural stem cells by microRNAs, as well as regulates the proliferation and the differentiation of mammalian epidermal stem cells by mRNA degradation and translational repression. However, it is unclear that whether DjCBC-1, the DDX6 ortholog in planarians, also regulates the proliferation and differentiation of neoblasts. Previous studies showed that Djcbc-1 is expressed in neoblasts, neurons, and germline cells. In addition, depletion of Djcbc-1 limited the formation of photoreceptors. Here, I further demonstrated that Djcbc-1 is highly expressed in the regenerating tissue, and is essential for planarian survival at regeneration status. Besides, depletion of Djcbc-1 perturbed the homeostasis of brain structure and reduced the negative phototaxis in planarians. Collectively, these results suggest that Djcbc-1 participates in tissue homeostasis, regeneration, and the regulation of negative phototaxis in planarians.
Databáze: Networked Digital Library of Theses & Dissertations