Forever Young: Scientists Reveal the Secret to a Strange Animal’s Eternal Youth

 


In sea anemones, highly conserved genes guarantee the lifelong differentiation of neurons and glandular cells.


Ocean anemones are apparently interminable creatures. They appear to be immune to the negative effects of aging and the passage of time that humans experience. However, the precise causes of their eternal youth remain a mystery. 


A sea anemone, has a genetic fingerprint that shows that members of this very old animal phylum use the same gene cascades for neural cell differentiation as more complex organisms. Throughout the anemone's lifetime, it is also up to these genes to keep all the organism's cells in balance. A group of developmental biologists led by the University of Vienna's Ulrich Techno recently presented their findings in a paper that was recently published in the journal Cell Reports. 


The majority of animal organisms are composed of millions, if not billions, of cells that join in complex ways to form particular tissues and organs. These tissues and organs are made up of a variety of cell types, including a number of neurons and gland cells. However, it is not clear how this essential equilibrium of diverse cell types is established, how it is controlled, or whether the diverse cell types of various animal organisms share a common ancestor


Single-Cell Fingerprint Leads To Common Ancestors

Ulrich Techno, an evolutionary developmental biologist who is also the head of the Single Cell Regulation of Stem Cells (Sin Ce Re St) research platform at the University of Vienna, is in charge of the research group that has deciphered the diversity and evolution of all nerve and gland cell types as well as their developmental origins in the sea anemone. In order to accomplish this, they made use of single-cell transcriptomics, which is a method that 


This allows for the decoding of all currently expressed genes in each individual cell and the resolution of entire organisms into single cells. Gene expression is fundamentally different in each cell type. As a result, the molecular fingerprint of each individual cell can be determined using single cell transcriptomics, as Julia Stager, the first author of the current publication, explains. 


Cells with overlapping fingerprints were grouped in the study. The researchers were able to identify distinct cell types or cells in transitional stages of development, each with its own expression patterns, thanks to this. The researchers were also able to identify the common progenitor and stem cell populations of the various tissues thanks to this.  


They were surprised to discover that, contrary to previous hypotheses, neurons, glandular cells, and other sensory cells originate from a single progenitor population that can be identified through genetic labelling in living animals. This could suggest that neurons and gland cells have a long and illustrious evolutionary history due to the fact that vertebrates also possess some cells with neuronal functions


Ancient Genes In Constant Use

These cells with a common ancestor share a specific gene that is crucial to their development. The authors were also able to demonstrate in knockout experiments that SOX C is required for the formation of all cell types, including neurons, gland cells because it is expressed in all these precursor cells. 


Intriguingly, this gene is not new. It additionally assumes a significant part in the arrangement of the sensory system in people and numerous different creatures, which, along with different information, shows that these critical administrative components of nerve cell separation appear to be rationed across the collective of animals, says Techno 


The authors also discovered that the genetic processes of neuron development are maintained from the embryo to the adult organism in sea anemones by comparing different life stages. This contributes to the balance of neurons throughout the life 


This is remarkable because, in contrast to humans, sea anemones are capable of acquiring new neurons at any time during their entire lives. This raises the question of how the sea anemone manages to control these mechanisms in the adult organism, which in more complex organisms only occur during the embryonic stage

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What Is Difference Between Chia Seeds And Flaxseed

Image
  Certain seeds have gained a reputation as superfoods in recent years. Examples include the well-known chia and flax seeds. Both have been linked to health benefits such as a healthier heart, lower blood sugar levels, and protection against certain types of cancer. However, many people wonder which of the two seeds is actually the healthiest. Both are extremely rich in nutrients. To answer this question, this article looks at the scientific evidence that supports each The Saliva Hispanic plant, more commonly referred to as the chia plant, is the source of the tiny oval-shaped chia seeds. Chia seeds are slightly larger and flatter than flax seeds. Flax seeds, on the other hand, have a slightly nuttier flavor than chia seeds. However, incorporating both kinds of seeds into a variety of dishes is simple Nutrition comparison Comparative analysis of the nutrients present in chia and flax seeds The major nutrients contained in a 1-ounce (28-gram) serving, or approximately 4 tablespoons,...
Read more

Overconsumption of Common Red Food Dye May Lead to Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Image
  Allure Red AC, a synthetic dye found in popular foods like Skittles, Doritos, Gatorade, Jell-O, and Fruit Loops, has been linked to an increased risk of developing inflammatory bowel diseases (I-B D S) such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis if consumed frequently. The dye, also known as FD & C Red 40 and Food Red 17, is thought to have negative effects on gut health and increase inflammation, according to a small study done on laboratory mice. The study, which was recently published in Nature Communications, found that the additive directly breaks the gut barrier, which helps keep bacteria from getting in, and that it also makes more serotonin, a hormone and neurotransmitter in the gut. According to the report, this reaction alters the microbiome of the gut, making people more likely to develop inflammatory bowel conditions. What we have found is striking and alarming, as this common synthetic food dye may be a dietary trigger for I-B D S, said senior author W-A L-I U...
Read more

Border violence displaces 76,000 in Lebanon: Hezbollah

 The International Organization for Migration (IOM) of the United Nations reported on Friday that nearly three months of nearly daily fighting along the border with Israel had resulted in the displacement of more than 76,000 people in Lebanon. The boundary region has seen a flood of viciousness since early October, with blow for blow trades of fire forging ahead with Friday between Israeli powers and Hezbollah. In a report distributed on Thursday, the IOM said that the heightening had uprooted 76,018 individuals, predominantly in areas of southern Lebanon lining Israel. More than 80% of the dislodged Lebanese are remaining with family members, as per the report, and just two percent housed in 14 aggregate sanctuaries spread across the south of the country, predominantly in the seaside city of Tire and in the Hasbaya locale. The remainder, according to the UN agency, have relocated to homes or apartments further from the border. Cross-line brutality has left 175 individuals dead in ...
Read more