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  • Survival Benefits Outweigh Germline Competition Costs in Kin Chimeras. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology Voskoboynik, R., Askren, C., Gordon, N. G., Krishnamurthy, D., Larson, A. G., Yu, J. C., Kowarsky, M., Levy, T., Ishizuka, K. J., Palmeri, K. J., Rolander, T., Neff, N. F., Detwellier, A. M., Quake, S. R., Prakash, M., Weissman, I. L., Voskoboynik, A. 2026

    Abstract

    Chimerism, the coexistence of genetically distinct cells within an organism, is a widespread phenomenon in nature. In the colonial chordate Botryllus schlosseri, fusion between compatible colonies can lead to stem cell competition with a single genotype taking over the gonadal and/or somatic tissue of the chimera. Over five years, we quantified the frequency and consequences of chimeric formation among 809 larvae, assessing the rates of fusion after natural settlement and its long-term impact on colony survival. We found larvae preferentially settle near kin, facilitating high rates of successful fusion. Fusion was concentrated around the first month of life, boosting survival during this period of high mortality. At all timepoints chimerism significantly increased survival relative to naive and rejected colonies and extended overall lifespan. However, fusion triggered intense internal competition: in all cases tested, a single genotype achieved dominance over both germline and somatic tissues within several weeks post-fusion, regardless of initial genotype contribution. We estimate that among kin, the survival benefits of chimerism outweigh the potential costs of germline loss, extending Hamilton's kin selection framework to colonial marine organisms. In this context, chimerism functions as an adaptive strategy that enhances early survival while enabling selection among competing stem cell lineages.

    View details for DOI 10.64898/2026.04.22.720247

    View details for PubMedID 42079036

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC13131503

  • Regional Signaling Controls Stem Cell-Mediated Regeneration in an Invertebrate Chordate. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology Gordon, T., Levy, T., Yu, C. J., Rosental, B., Lubeck, L., Manni, L., Weissman, I. L., Voskoboynik, A. 2025

    Abstract

    Many tissues harbor quiescent stem cells that activate after injury, yet how local signals regulate this transition is not well understood. The solitary ascidian Ciona robusta provides a unique model, as upper body fragments regenerate while lower fragments fail to do so. By comparing these regenerative and non-regenerative contexts, we reveal striking differences in transcriptional dynamics and signaling environments. Combining flow cytometry, scRNA-seq, transplantation, and fate mapping, we identified a candidate stem cell population with robust proliferative and differentiation potential following transplantation. However, regenerative capacity does not simply reflect stem cell abundance, but instead depends on region-specific signaling cues. Local expression of metabolic, immune and differentiation-related factors further underscores the importance of spatially distinct environments in shaping outcomes. Our findings show how a shared injury response can diverge into regeneration versus failure, highlighting principles that may be leveraged to enhance tissue repair in other systems.

    View details for DOI 10.1101/2025.09.25.678506

    View details for PubMedID 41040342

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC12485933

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9252-8616