Dresden 2011 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 5: Tissue Dynamics \& Developmental Processes

BP 5.9: Vortrag

Montag, 14. März 2011, 16:30–16:45, ZEU 250

Dynamics of asexual reproduction in planarians — Bryan Lincoln, Sofia Quinodoz, and •Eva-Maria Schoetz — 170 Carl-Icahn Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA

Planaria research has undergone a recent resurgence due to the development of molecular tools, the Planarian genome project and database resources. Despite the resulting progress in planarian biology research, an extensive study of their physical properties remains to be undertaken. We have developed a method to collect a large amount of data on the dynamics of clonal reproduction in the freshwater planarian S.mediterranea. The capability of planarians to regenerate from a minuscule body part on the order of 10000 cells is based on a homogeneously distributed stem cell population that comprises ~30% of all cells. Due to this stem cell contingent, planarians can further reproduce spontaneously by dividing into a larger head and smaller tail piece, which then will rebuild the missing body parts, including a central nervous system, within about a week. Time-lapse imaging allows us to characterize the fission process in detail, revealing its developmental stages and capturing the critical moment of rupture. A traction force measurement setup is being developed to allow us to quantify the forces planarians exert on the substrate during reproduction, a macroscopic analog to the Traction Force Microscopy setups used to determine local cellular forces. We are particularly interested in the molecular processes during division and the interplay between tissue mechanics and cell signaling.