A team of scientists has discovered the key molecular mechanism for tissue regeneration in insects, which opens new possibilities to understand how the proteins involved in this process act.
The study, led by Fernando Casares (Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, CABD-CSIC-JA-UPO) and Isabel Almudí (Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat, IRBio, Universitat de Barcelona), revealed the role of neddylation, a protein quality control system, in tissue regeneration in Cloeon dipterum, a mayfly species. This finding, published in Open Biology, could have implications in organ regeneration in vertebrates and in the development of future medical therapies.
In nature, the ability to regenerate damaged organs varies widely among species. Compared to many animals, humans have very limited regenerative abilities. According to Casares, “understanding how some organisms effectively regenerate their organs will allow us to decipher this process at a molecular and cellular level, opening up new opportunities to address our own regenerative limitations.”
The study focuses on Cloeon dipterum, a freshwater mayfly whose nymphs have essential gills for respiration and osmoregulation. These gills completely detach and regenerate within five to nine days, at a faster rate than during their usual development. Interestingly, this process does not depend on a specialized structure like the blastema, common in other organisms, but on a uniform increase in cell proliferation.
Neddylation: Key in tissue regeneration in insects
The work, which also involves the participation of Carlos A. Martín-Blanco (CABD and Universitat de Barcelona), highlights the importance of neddylation, a mechanism that regulates protein quality by activating the proteasome, the cellular machinery responsible for eliminating defective or unnecessary proteins. This process involves adding the protein Nedd8 to components of the proteasome, optimizing its function.
In addition to its role in regeneration, neddylation is involved in processes such as metabolism, immunity, and tumor formation. Almudí raises a fundamental question: “Could the molecular mechanisms that support regeneration and tumor development be related?”
New perspectives for research
The study also identified other important mechanisms in regeneration, such as the organ growth control pathway through activin and the Lin28 protein, which regulates the stability of certain RNAs. Experiments in Drosophila melanogaster confirmed that these processes are conserved in insects, suggesting their relevance in organ regeneration in other animal groups, including vertebrates.
The next challenge will be to explore whether these mechanisms can be activated in tissues with low regenerative capacity to enhance their response. This approach could have profound biomedical applications, inspiring regenerative therapies in humans based on processes observed in other animals.
With this advancement, tissue regeneration in insects becomes a promising source of knowledge, revealing pathways to address complex medical challenges and expand the boundaries of regenerative biology.
common insects
Tissue regeneration, is it present in all species?
According to the research titled Tissue Regeneration: Novelties of a Surprising Process, published by CONICET years ago, tissue regeneration occurs with the amputation of a part of the body, so the cells located in that area have two options: heal or regenerate.
In this sense, the report details that most species only have the ability to heal, while very few can re-build the lost tissue. According to this work, this is due to the evolutionary history of living beings, which caused the regenerative capacity to be present in “scattered” species, following a pattern that has not been identified yet.
In fact, tissue regeneration does not occur in all species, nor in all tissues of the same organism:
- In humans: Some tissues, such as skin, liver, vas deferens, and blood cells, can regenerate easily. However, other tissues, such as bone, cartilage, and smooth muscle, have a limited regenerative capacity. Additionally, some tissues, like the brain, do not fully regenerate.
- In animals: Some species, like salamanders and lizards, can regenerate body parts that have been damaged or amputated. In contrast, mammals cannot regenerate limbs, organs, and tissues in the same way as some lower animals.
- In plants: Plants also have the ability to regenerate.
In summary, regeneration is a natural process that involves replacing or repairing damaged cells, tissues, or organs to function properly.
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