The EGFR signaling pathway controls gut progenitor differentiation during planarian regeneration and homeostasis.
The planarian Schmidtea mediterranea maintains and regenerates all its adult tissues through the proliferation and differentiation of a single population of pluripotent adult stem cells (ASCs) called neoblasts. Despite recent advances, the mechanisms regulating ASC differentiation into mature cell types are poorly understood. Here, we show that silencing of the planarian EGF receptor egfr-1 by RNA interference (RNAi) impairs gut progenitor differentiation into mature cells, compromising gut regeneration and maintenance. We identify a new putative EGF ligand, nrg-1, the silencing of which phenocopies the defects observed in egfr-1(RNAi) animals. These findings indicate that egfr-1 and nrg-1 promote gut progenitor differentiation, and are thus essential for normal cell turnover and regeneration in the planarian gut. Our study demonstrates that the EGFR signaling pathway is an important regulator of ASC differentiation in planarians.
Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona and Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), Av. Diagonal 643, Edifici Prevosti, Planta 1, Barcelona, Catalunya 08028, Spain.
Sara
S
Barberán
Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona and Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), Av. Diagonal 643, Edifici Prevosti, Planta 1, Barcelona, Catalunya 08028, Spain.
Susanna
S
Fraguas
Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona and Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), Av. Diagonal 643, Edifici Prevosti, Planta 1, Barcelona, Catalunya 08028, Spain fcebrias@ub.edu.
Francesc
0000-0002-4028-3135
F
Cebrià
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002452:Cell Count; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000166:cytology*; D020868:Gene Silencing; D051557:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4 / Q000378:metabolism; D006706:Homeostasis; D008024:Ligands; D008954:Models, Biological; D020890:Neuregulin-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D010932:Planarians / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D034622:RNA Interference; D012038:Regeneration; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism
D015415:Biomarkers; D051557:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4; D008024:Ligands; D020890:Neuregulin-1; D066246:ErbB Receptors
Differentiation; Epidermal growth factor receptor; Planarian; Schmidtea mediterranea; Stem cell; Tissue turnover