Planarian GSK3s are involved in neural regeneration.
Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) is a key element in several signaling cascades that is known to be involved in both patterning and neuronal organization. It is, therefore, a good candidate to play a role in neural regeneration in planarians. We report the characterization of three GSK3 genes in Schmidtea mediterranea. Phylogenetic analysis shows that Smed-GSK3.1 is highly conserved compared to GSK3 sequences from other species, whereas Smed-GSK3.2 and Smed-GSK3.3 are more divergent. Treatment of regenerating planarians with 1-azakenpaullone, a synthetic GSK3 inhibitor, suggests that planarian GSK3s are essential for normal differentiation and morphogenesis of the nervous system. Cephalic ganglia appear smaller and disconnected in 1-azakenpaullone-treated animals, whereas visual axons are ectopically projected, and the pharynx does not regenerate properly. This phenotype is consistent with a role for Smed-GSK3s in neuronal polarization and axonal growth.
Adell
Teresa
T
Departament de Genètica, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Diagonal 645, 08028, Barcelona, Spain. tadellc@ub.edu
Marsal
Maria
M
Saló
Emili
E
D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D009024:Morphogenesis; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D010641:Phenotype; D010802:Phylogeny; D010932:Planarians / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000502:physiology
D015801:Helminth Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3