What is it about?
Champion of regeneration, the freshwater polyp Hydra is capable of reforming a complete individual from any fragment of its body. It is even able to remain alive when all its neurons have disappeared. We have discovered that cells of the epithelial layers modify their genetic program by overexpressing various genes, among which some are involved in diverse nervous functions. Studying Hydra cellular plasticity may thus influence research in the context of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Why is it important?
In Hydra as in all other animals, epithelial cells do not possess typical neuronal functions. However, in Hydra the loss of neurogenesis induces epithelial cells to modify their genetic program accordingly, indicating that they are ready to assume some of these functions. These “naturally” genetically modified epithelial cells are thus likely to enhance their sensitivity and response to environmental signals, to partially compensate for the lack of nervous system.
Perspectives
This study shows the strength of "simple" model systems to tackle complex biological questions. Studying Hydra’s cellular plasticity may be relevant in the context of neurodegenerative diseases. Indeed, some of the genes identified in this animal play an important role in cellular reprogramming or in neurogenesis in mammals. This raises the following question: would it be possible to restore sensing or secretion functions from other cell types, when some neurons degenerate?
Professor Brigitte Galliot
University of Geneva
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Loss of neurogenesis inHydraleads to compensatory regulation of neurogenic and neurotransmission genes in epithelial cells, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, November 2015, Royal Society Publishing,
DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0040.
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