近日,，科學家們宣布已經(jīng)發(fā)現(xiàn)了蠕蟲在被截肢后，控制它再生自己身體某一部分的基因,。
諾丁漢大學的科研人員對蠕蟲再生身體的一部分進行了研究,，這些部位甚至包括頭部和腦子——這項研究可能會使老化或損壞的人體器官和組織再生成為可能。
研究團隊由Aziz Aboobaker博士帶領,，他們發(fā)現(xiàn)名為’Smed-prep’的基因顯示了其在蠕蟲軀體再生方面所起的重要性,。
研究顯示，蠕蟲在被截去某一部分的時候,，有超乎尋常的再生身體能力,，這些部位甚至包括頭部和腦子。這個"再生工程"是由一種基因來保證正確運作使得它們再生出正確的部位,，并且大小,、形狀等均保持原性。
aboobaker博士說：“這些驚人的蠕蟲提供給了我們很好的機會,，能夠觀察一個非常簡單的生物如何在一定程度上輕松的再生肢體,。如果我們未來知道了組織再生是如何運作的，我們就可以開始研究如何替換損壞或患病的器官,、組織和細胞,。例如這將很好的為治療老年癡呆癥服務。”
研究人員稱Smed-prep基因對于蠕蟲正確的再生是必要的,，雖然有時蠕蟲干細胞可能還是會由于其他與基因無關的原因影響而重新生長成腦細胞,。即便如此，如果沒有Smed-prep基因,，那這些細胞也不會再生形成正常的大腦,。
研究人員丹尼爾-費雷克斯說：“對組織改造和再生機制的理解對于研究再生醫(yī)學是至關重要的。渦蟲非凡的再生能力是非常有名的,，能在砍掉頭以后再生一個新的出來,。關于同源異型框基因Smed-prep,，會起到在最開始階段控制再生正確性的作用。這是一個真正扣人心弦的項目,，有這項研究作為我的論文核心我感到非常幸運,。(生物谷Bioon.com)
更多閱讀
Science：深海蠕蟲可放“煙霧彈”迷惑敵人
PNAS：控制器官再生能力的分子機制
生物谷推薦原文出處：
PLoS Genet 6(4): e1000915. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1000915
The TALE Class Homeobox Gene Smed-prep Defines the Anterior Compartment for Head Regeneration
Daniel A. Felix, A. Aziz Aboobaker*
Institute of Genetics, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
Planaria continue to blossom as a model system for understanding all aspects of regeneration. They provide an opportunity to understand how the replacement of missing tissues from preexisting adult tissue is orchestrated at the molecular level. When amputated along any plane, planaria are capable of regenerating all missing tissue and rescaling all structures to the new size of the animal. Recently, rapid progress has been made in understanding the developmental pathways that control planarian regeneration. In particular Wnt/beta-catenin signaling is central in promoting posterior fates and inhibiting anterior identity. Currently the mechanisms that actively promote anterior identity remain unknown. Here, Smed-prep, encoding a TALE class homeodomain, is described as the first gene necessary for correct anterior fate and patterning during planarian regeneration. Smed-prep is expressed at high levels in the anterior portion of whole animals, and Smed-prep(RNAi) leads to loss of the whole brain during anterior regeneration, but not during lateral regeneration or homeostasis in intact worms. Expression of markers of different anterior fated cells are greatly reduced or lost in Smed-prep(RNAi) animals. We find that the ectopic anterior structures induced by abrogation of Wnt signaling also require Smed-prep to form. We use double knockdown experiments with the S. mediterranea ortholog of nou-darake (that when knocked down induces ectopic brain formation) to show that Smed-prep defines an anterior fated compartment within which stem cells are permitted to assume brain fate, but is not required directly for this differentiation process. Smed-prep is the first gene clearly implicated as being necessary for promoting anterior fate and the first homeobox gene implicated in establishing positional identity during regeneration. Together our results suggest that Smed-prep is required in stem cell progeny as they form the anterior regenerative blastema and is required for specifying anterior cell fates and correct patterning.
