title: Symmetrization in jellyfish: reorganization to regain function, and not lost parts.
abstract: We recently reported a previously unidentified strategy of self-repair in the moon jellyfish Aurelia aurita. Rather than regenerating lost parts, juvenile Aurelia reorganize remaining parts to regain essential body symmetry. This process that we called symmetrization is rapid and frequent, and is not driven by cell proliferation or cell death. Instead, the swimming machinery generates mechanical forces that drive symmetrization. We found evidence for symmetrization across three other species of jellyfish (Chrysaora pacifica, Mastigias sp., and Cotylorhiza tuberculata). We propose reorganization to regain function without recovery of initial morphology as a potentially broad class of self-repair strategy beyond radially symmetrical animals, and discuss the implications of this finding on the evolution of self-repair strategies in animals.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Abrams
authors.affiliation: Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA. Electronic address: goentoro@caltech.edu.
authors.forename: Lea
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Goentoro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D012038:Regeneration; D037401:Scyphozoa / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Jellyfish; Regeneration; Self-repair; Symmetrization