title: Physiological and molecular characterisation of cadmium stress in Schmidtea mediterranea.
abstract: The planarian Schmidtea mediterranea is a well-studied model organism for developmental research, because of its stem cell system. This characteristic also provides a unique opportunity to study stress management and the effect of stress on stem cells. In this study, we characterised the stress signature at different levels of biological organization. The carcinogenic metal cadmium was used as a model chemical stressor. We focused on stem cell activity and its interaction with other known stress parameters. Here, we have found that S. mediterranea is able to cope with high internal levels of cadmium. At endpoints such as size and mobility, cadmium-related stress effects were detected but all of these responses were transient. Correspondingly, cadmium exposure led to an elevated mitotic activity of the neoblasts, at the same time points when the other responses disappeared. At the molecular level, we observed redox-related responses that can be linked with both repair as well as proliferation mechanisms. Together, our results suggest that these animals have a high plasticity. The induction of stem cell activity may underlie this 'restoring' effect, although a carcinogenic outcome after longer exposure times cannot be excluded.
authors.affiliation: Zoology: Biodiversity and Toxicology, Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium. Michelle.plusquin@uhasselt.be
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Plusquin
authors.forename: An-Sofie
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Van Belleghem
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Degheselle
authors.forename: Andromeda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Van Roten
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vroonen
authors.forename: Ronny
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Blust
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cuypers
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Artois
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Smeets
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049628:Body Size / Q000187:drug effects; D002104:Cadmium / Q000633:toxicity*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008124:Locomotion / Q000187:drug effects*; D008938:Mitosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010932:Planarians / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D015801:Helminth Proteins; D002104:Cadmium