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  • 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

  • Glia detect and transiently protect against dendrite substructure disruption in C. elegans. Nature communications Varandas, K. C., Hodges, B. M., Lubeck, L., Farinas, A., Liang, Y., Lu, Y., Shaham, S. 2025; 16 (1): 79

    Abstract

    Glia assess axon structure to modulate myelination and axon repair. Whether glia similarly detect dendrites and their substructures is not well understood. Here we show that glia monitor the integrity of dendrite substructures and transiently protect them against perturbations. We demonstrate that disruption of C. elegans sensory neuron dendrite cilia elicits acute glial responses, including increased accumulation of glia-derived extracellular matrix around cilia, changes in gene expression, and alteration of secreted protein repertoire. DGS-1, a 7-transmembrane domain neuronal protein, and FIG-1, a multifunctional thrombospondin-domain glial protein, are required for glial detection of cilia integrity, physically interact, and exhibit mutually-dependent localization to and around cilia, respectively. Glial responses to dendrite cilia disruption transiently protect against damage. Thus, our studies uncover a homeostatic, protective, dendrite-glia signaling interaction regulating dendrite substructure integrity.

    View details for DOI 10.1038/s41467-024-55674-0

    View details for PubMedID 39747235

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC11696001

  • Marine Invertebrates One Cell at A Time: Insights from Single-Cell Analysis. Integrative and comparative biology Bump, P., Lubeck, L. 2023

    Abstract

    Over the past decade, single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) has made it possible to study the cellular diversity of a broad range of organisms. Technological advances in single-cell isolation and sequencing have expanded rapidly, allowing the transcriptomic profile of individual cells to be captured. As a result, there has been an explosion of cell type atlases created for many different marine invertebrate species from across the tree of life. Our focus in this review is to synthesize current literature on marine invertebrate scRNA-seq. Specifically, we provide perspectives on key insights from scRNA-seq studies including descriptive studies of cell type composition, how cells respond in dynamic processes such as development and regeneration, and the evolution of new cell types. Despite these tremendous advances, there also lie several challenges ahead. We discuss the important considerations that are essential when making comparisons between experiments or between datasets from different species. Finally, we address the future of single-cell analyses in marine invertebrates including combining scRNA-seq data with other 'omics methods to get a fuller understanding of cellular complexities. The full diversity of cell types across marine invertebrates remains unknown and understanding this diversity and evolution will provide rich areas for future study.

    View details for DOI 10.1093/icb/icad034

    View details for PubMedID 37188638