title: Indomethacin reproducibly induces metamorphosis inCassiopea xamachanascyphistomae.
abstract: Cassiopea xamachanajellyfish are an attractive model system to study metamorphosis and/or cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis due to the ease of cultivation of their planula larvae and scyphistomae through their asexual cycle, in which the latter can bud new larvae and continue the cycle without differentiation into ephyrae. Then, a subsequent induction of metamorphosis and full differentiation into ephyrae is believed to occur when the symbionts are acquired by the scyphistomae. Although strobilation induction and differentiation into ephyrae can be accomplished in various ways, a controlled, reproducible metamorphosis induction has not been reported. Such controlled metamorphosis induction is necessary for an ensured synchronicity and reproducibility of biological, biochemical, and molecular analyses. For this purpose, we tested if differentiation could be pharmacologically stimulated as inAurelia aurita, by the metamorphic inducers thyroxine, KI, NaI, Lugol's iodine, H2O2, indomethacin, or retinol. We found reproducibly induced strobilation by 50 μM indomethacin after six days of exposure, and 10-25 μM after 7 days. Strobilation under optimal conditions reached 80-100% with subsequent ephyrae release after exposure. Thyroxine yielded inconsistent results as it caused strobilation occasionally, while all other chemicals had no effect. Thus, indomethacin can be used as a convenient tool for assessment of biological phenomena through a controlled metamorphic process inC. xamachanascyphistomae.
authors.affiliation: Posgrado en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología-UNAM, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología-UNAM , Ciudad de México , México.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cabrales-Arellano
authors.affiliation: Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología-UNAM , Puerto Morelos , México.
authors.forename: Tania
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Islas-Flores
authors.affiliation: Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología-UNAM , Puerto Morelos , México.
authors.forename: Patricia E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Thomé
authors.affiliation: Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología-UNAM , Puerto Morelos , México.
authors.forename: Marco A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Villanueva
keywords: Cassiopea xamachana; Chemical inducer; Indomethacin; Scyphistomae; Strobilation