@article {1680, title = {The first troglobitic species of freshwater flatworm of the suborder Continenticola (Platyhelminthes) from South America}, journal = {ZooKeys}, volume = {470}, year = {2015}, month = {12/01/2015}, pages = {1-16}, publisher = {Pensoft Publishers}, abstract = {

Brazilian cave diversity, especially of invertebrates, is poorly known. The Bodoquena Plateau, which is located in the Cerrado Biome in central Brazil, has approximately 200 recorded caves with a rich system of subterranean water resources and high troglobitic diversity. Herein we describe a new troglobitic species of Girardia that represents the first obligate cave-dwelling species of the suborder Continenticola in South America. Specimens of the new species, which occur in a limestone cave in the Bodoquena Plateau, in the Cerrado biome, are unpigmented and eyeless. Species recognition in the genus Girardia is difficult, due to their great morphological resemblance. However, the new species can be easily recognized by a unique feature in its copulatory apparatus, namely a large, branched bulbar cavity with multiple diverticula.

}, isbn = {1313-29891313-2970}, url = {https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.470.8728}, author = {de Souza, Stella Teles and Nunes Morais, Ana Laura and Cordeiro , L{\'\i}via Medeiros and Leal-Zanchet, Ana Maria} } @article {1663, title = {Stem cells and fluid flow drive cyst formation in an invertebrate excretory organ}, volume = {4}, year = {2015}, month = {2015//}, author = {Thi-KimVu, H. and Rink, J. C. and McKinney, S. A. and McClain, M. and Lakshmanaperumal, N. and Alexander, R. and SanchezAlvarado, A.} } @article {1664, title = {Genome and transcriptome of the regeneration-competent flatworm, Macrostomum lignano}, volume = {112}, year = {2015}, month = {2015//}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1516718112}, author = {Wasik, K. and Gurtowski, J. and Zhou, X. and Ramos, O. M. and Delas, M. J. and Battistoni, G. and Demerdash, O. and Falciatori, I. and Vizoso, D. B. and Smith, A. D. and Ladurner, P. and Scharer, L. and McCombie, W. R. and Hannon, G. J. and Schatz, M.} } @article {1628, title = {The planarian Schmidtea mediterranea as a model for studying motile cilia and multiciliated cells}, volume = {127}, year = {2015}, month = {2015//}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/bs.mcb.2015.01.009}, author = {Basquin, C. and Orfila, A. M. and Azimzadeh, J.} } @article {1620, title = {Beta-catenin-dependent control of positional information along the AP body axis in planarians involves a teashirt family member}, volume = {10}, year = {2015}, month = {2015//}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2014.12.018}, author = {Reuter, H. and Marz, M. and Vogg, M. C. and Eccles, D. and Grifol-Boldu, L. and Wehner, D. and Owlarn, S. and Adell, T. and Weidinger, G. and Bartscherer, K.} } @article {1593, title = {SmedGD 2.0: The Schmidtea mediterranea genome database}, volume = {53}, year = {2015}, month = {2015//}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/dvg.22872}, author = {Robb, S. M. and Gotting, K. and Ross, E. and Alvarado, A. S.} } @article {1596, title = {A mex3 homolog is required for differentiation during planarian stem cell lineage development}, volume = {4}, year = {2015}, month = {2015//}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.07025}, author = {Zhu, S. J. and Hallows, S. E. and Currie, K. W. and Xu, C. and Pearson, B. J.} } @article {1561, title = {The octopus genome and the evolution of cephalopod neural and morphological novelties}, volume = {524}, year = {2015}, month = {2015//}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature14668}, author = {Albertin, C. B. and Simakov, O. and Mitros, T. and Wang, Z. Y. and Pungor, J. R. and Edsinger-Gonzales, E. and Brenner, S. and Ragsdale, C. W. and Rokhsar, D. S.} } @article {1538, title = {Unusually Large Number of Mutations in Asexually Reproducing Clonal Planarian Dugesia japonica}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, volume = {10}, year = {2015}, month = {2015}, pages = {e0143525}, publisher = {Public Library of Science}, address = {San Francisco, CA USA}, abstract = {

We established a laboratory clonal strain of freshwater planarian (Dugesia japonica) that was derived from a single individual and that continued to undergo autotomous asexual reproduction for more than 20 years, and we performed large-scale genome sequencing and transcriptome analysis on it. Despite the fact that a completely clonal strain of the planarian was used, an unusually large number of mutations were detected. To enable quantitative genetic analysis of such a unique organism, we developed a new model called the Reference Gene Model, and used it to conduct large-scale transcriptome analysis. The results revealed large numbers of mutations not only outside but also inside gene-coding regions. Non-synonymous SNPs were detected in 74\% of the genes for which valid ORFs were predicted. Interestingly, the high-mutation genes, such as metabolism- and defense-related genes, were correlated with genes that were previously identified as diverse genes among different planarian species. Although a large number of amino acid substitutions were apparently accumulated during asexual reproduction over this long period of time, the planarian maintained normal body-shape, behaviors, and physiological functions. The results of the present study reveal a unique aspect of asexual reproduction.

}, isbn = {1932-6203}, url = {http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4654569/}, author = {Nishimura, Osamu and Hosoda, Kazutaka and Kawaguchi, Eri and Yazawa, Shigenobu and Hayashi, Tetsutaro and Inoue, Takeshi and Umesono, Yoshihiko and Agata, Kiyokazu}, editor = {Fu, Binying} } @article {1499, title = {Control of Maintenance and Regeneration of Planarian Eyes by ovoPlanarian Eye Regeneration by ovo}, volume = {56}, year = {2015}, note = {10.1167/iovs.15-17458}, month = {2015/11/30}, pages = {7604 - 7610}, abstract = {

Abstract Purpose: Following decapitation, the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea regenerates its head and eyes. The gene ovo is required for eye maintenance and regeneration in response to wounding. In this study, we investigated whether eye regeneration in S. mediterranea could occur absent a wound healing response. Methods: One hundred twenty S. mediterranea were treated with ovo RNA interference (RNAi) or control (unc-22) RNAi by feeding double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). Following eye loss, ovo RNAi treatment was halted and replaced with control RNAi treatment. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) was used to monitor ovo expression. Eye functionality was monitored via a phototaxis assay. Photoreceptor neurons were visualized via immunofluorescence staining of arrestin. Results: Treatment with ovo RNAi caused eyes to gradually shrink until they were completely absent. One hundred percent of ovo RNAi-treated planarians lost both eyes within 137 days of treatment onset. ovo RNAi-treated planarians were unable to regenerate eyes in response to decapitation. Upon removal of ovo RNAi, eyes became visible as small pigmented spots in the head within 28 days. The eyes slowly developed, appearing to gain pigmented cells first and then nonpigmented photoreceptors. Phototaxis assays demonstrated functional eye loss and eye restoration. ovo mRNA was significantly decreased following treatment with ovo RNAi and significantly increased following removal of ovo RNAi. Arrestin staining was present in the eyes, optic nerves, and optic chiasm of worms with regenerated eyes but not in eyeless worms. Conclusions: S. mediterranea have the ability to generate functional eyes in the absence of a wound healing response. This ability requires the expression of ovo.

}, isbn = {1552-5783}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1167/iovs.15-17458}, author = {Cross, Samuel D. and Johnson, Adiv A. and Gilles, Benjamin J. and Bachman, Lori A. and Inoue, Takeshi and Agata, Kiyokazu and Marmorstein, Lihua Y. and Marmorstein, Alan D.} } @article {1498, title = {Planarians: an In Vivo Model for Regenerative Medicine}, journal = {International Journal of Stem Cells}, volume = {8}, year = {2015}, month = {2015/11/}, pages = {128 - 133}, publisher = {Korean Society for Stem Cell Research}, abstract = {

The emergence of regenerative medicine has raised the hope of treating an extraordinary range of disease and serious injuries. Understanding the processes of cell proliferation, differentiation and pattern formation in regenerative organisms could help find ways to enhance the poor regenerative abilities shown by many other animals, including humans. Recently, planarians have emerged as an attractive model in which to study regeneration. These animals are considering as in vivo plate, during which we can study the behavior and characristics of stem cells in their own niche. A variety of characteristic such as: simplicity, easy to manipulate experimentally, the existence of more than 100 years of literature, makes these animals an extraordinary model for regenerative medicine researches. Among planarians free-living freshwater hermaphrodite Schmidtea mediterranea has emerged as a suitable model system because it displays robust regenerative properties and, unlike most other planarians, it is a stable diploid with a genome size of about 4.8\×10(8) base pairs, nearly half that of other common planarians. Planarian regeneration involves two highly flexible systems: pluripotent neoblasts that can generate any new cell type and muscle cells that provide positional instructions for the regeneration of anybody region. neoblasts represent roughly 25~30 percent of all planarian cells and are scattered broadly through the parenchyma, being absent only from the animal head tips and the pharynx. Two models for neo-blast specification have been proposed; the naive model posits that all neoblasts are stem cells with the same potential and are a largely homogeneous population.

}, isbn = {2005-36062005-5447}, url = {http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4651277/}, author = {Karami, Ali and Tebyanian, Hamid and Goodarzi, Vahabodin and Shiri, Sajad} } @article {1493, title = {Evolutionary Analysis of Mitogenomes from Parasitic and Free-Living Flatworms}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, volume = {10}, year = {2015}, month = {2015}, pages = {e0120081}, publisher = {Public Library of Science}, address = {San Francisco, CA USA}, abstract = {

Mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) are useful and relatively accessible sources of molecular data to explore and understand the evolutionary history and relationships of eukaryotic organisms across diverse taxonomic levels. The availability of complete mitogenomes from Platyhelminthes is limited; of the 40 or so published most are from parasitic flatworms (Neodermata). Here, we present the mitogenomes of two free-living flatworms (Tricladida): the complete genome of the freshwater species Crenobia alpina (Planariidae) and a nearly complete genome of the land planarian Obama sp. (Geoplanidae). Moreover, we have reanotated the published mitogenome of the species Dugesia japonica (Dugesiidae). This contribution almost doubles the total number of mtDNAs published for Tricladida, a species-rich group including model organisms and economically important invasive species. We took the opportunity to conduct comparative mitogenomic analyses between available free-living and selected parasitic flatworms in order to gain insights into the putative effect of life cycle on nucleotide composition through mutation and natural selection. Unexpectedly, we did not find any molecular hallmark of a selective relaxation in mitogenomes of parasitic flatworms; on the contrary, three out of the four studied free-living triclad mitogenomes exhibit higher A+T content and selective relaxation levels. Additionally, we provide new and valuable molecular data to develop markers for future phylogenetic studies on planariids and geoplanids.

}, isbn = {1932-6203}, url = {http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4368550/}, author = {Sol{\`a}, Eduard and {\'A}lvarez-Presas, Marta and Fr{\'\i}as-L{\'o}pez, Cristina and Littlewood, D Timothy J and Rozas, Julio and Riutort, Marta}, editor = {Escriva, Hector} } @article {1492, title = {The taxonomic status of Dugesia biblica from Israel and Turkey (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Dugesiidae)}, journal = {ZooKeys}, year = {2015}, month = {2015}, pages = {1 - 12}, publisher = {Pensoft Publishers}, abstract = {

The taxonomic status of Dugesia biblica (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Dugesiidae) from Israel and Turkey is problematic due to its morphological similarity with Dugesia sicula since these nominal species present overlapping characters. In this study we analyzed histological preparations of specimens of these two nominal species and also compared mitochondrial COI gene sequences from Israeli populations to the already known haplotype composition of Dugesia sicula. We concluded that these animals belong to the same species and therefore we consider Dugesia biblica to be a junior synonym of Dugesia sicula. This implies that the distribution range of Dugesia sicula is even wider than previously thought, and that the species is present all around the Mediterranean Basin and on many of its islands.

}, isbn = {1313-29891313-2970}, url = {http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4467178/}, author = {Sol{\`a}, Eduard and Sluys, Ronald and Segev, Ori and Blaustein, Leon and Riutort, Marta} }