Strategic Communications and Marketing News Bureau

Scientists identify gene involved in stem cell self-renewal in planarians

New research has identified a protein, produced by a gene found in both planarians and humans, that plays a vital role in maintaining the stem cell population in planarians. Phillip A. Newmark, U. of I. professor of cell and developmental biology, and graduate student Tingxia Guo were the Illinois co-authors of the paper to appear in the August issue of the journal Developmental Cell.

New research has identified a protein, produced by a gene found in both planarians and humans, that plays a vital role in maintaining the stem cell population in planarians. Phillip A. Newmark, U. of I. professor of cell and developmental biology, and graduate student Tingxia Guo were the Illinois co-authors of the paper to appear in the August issue of the journal Developmental Cell.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – No matter how you slice it, the freshwater planarian possesses an amazing ability to regenerate lost body parts. Chop one into pieces, and each piece can grow into a complete planarian. The flatworm relies upon a population of stem cells to accomplish this remarkable feat; recent work sheds light on how planarians maintain these stem cells throughout their lives.

In a paper to appear in the August issue of the journal Developmental Cell, scientists show that a member of the Bruno-like family of RNA binding proteins – produced by a gene found in both planarians and humans – plays a vital role in maintaining the stem cell population in the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea. The work could lead to a better understanding of the fundamental mechanisms by which stem cells are regulated; such basic understanding is required for the successful therapeutic application of stem cells in humans.

“One of the defining characteristics of stem cells is their ability to self-renew – that is, to make more stem cells in addition to differentiating into multiple cell types,” said Phillip A. Newmark, a professor of cell and developmental biology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and corresponding author of the paper. “We found that in the absence of this protein, the stem cells could respond to wound stimuli, proliferate, and differentiate, but they were unable to self-renew. As a result, the regeneration process failed and the animals died.”

Using a technique called RNA interference, Illinois graduate student Tingxia Guo and Newmark first eliminated most of the Bruno-like protein (Bruli) from a number of planarians. Then they amputated a small piece from each flatworm.

In the usual manner, the planarian stem cells migrated to the site of the wound, sensed what was missing and began rebuilding. Regeneration ceased, however, when the stem cell population became depleted.

“Had Bruli protein been present, the regeneration process would have continued to completion,” Newmark said. “What may be happening is that when this protein is eliminated, RNAs that are supposed to be turned off (that is, not made into proteins) are now turned on and made into proteins. Those proteins may then cause the stem cells to differentiate, instead of also producing new stem cells to maintain the population.”

While there is still much to be learned about stem cell self-renewal, the researchers’ results suggest that Bruli protein is required for stem cell maintenance in planarians.

“The next steps are to see if the gene that makes this protein in planarians plays a similar role in stem cells in other organisms and to identify possible RNA targets of this protein,” Newmark said.

In addition to Newmark and Guo, Antoine Peters at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical research in Basel, Switzerland, was a co-author on the paper. Funding was provided by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation.

Editor’s note: To reach Phillip Newmark, call 217-244-4674; e-mail: pnewmark@uiuc.edu.

Read Next

Life sciences Portrait of the research team posing together.

Minecraft players can now explore whole cells and their contents

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Scientists have translated nanoscale experimental and computational data into precise 3D representations of bacteria, yeast and human epithelial, breast and breast cancer cells in Minecraft, a video game that allows players to explore, build and manipulate structures in three dimensions. The innovation will allow researchers and students of all ages to navigate […]

Arts Photo of seven dancers onstage wearing blue tops and orange or yellow flowing skirts. The backdrop is a Persian design.

February Dance includes works experimenting with live music, technology and a ‘sneaker ballet’

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The dance department at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will present February Dance 2025: Fast Forward this week at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. February Dance will be one of the first performances in the newly renovated Colwell Playhouse Theatre since its reopening. The performances are Jan. 30-Feb. 1. Dance professor […]

Honors portraits of four Illinois researchers

Four Illinois researchers receive Presidential Early Career Award

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Four researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign were named recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on young professionals at the outset of their independent research careers. The winners this year are health and kinesiology professor Marni Boppart, physics professor Barry Bradlyn, chemical and biomolecular engineering professor Ying […]

Strategic Communications and Marketing News Bureau

507 E. Green St
MC-426
Champaign, IL 61820

Email: stratcom@illinois.edu

Phone (217) 333-5010