{"title":"Structure of putative epidermal sensory receptors in an acoel flatworm, Praesagittifera naikaiensis","authors":"","doi":"10.1007/s00441-024-03865-y","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Abstract</h3> <p>Acoel flatworms possess epidermal sensory-receptor cells on their body surfaces and exhibit behavioral repertoires such as geotaxis and phototaxis. Acoel epidermal sensory receptors should be mechanical and/or chemical receptors; however, the mechanisms of their sensory reception have not been elucidated. We examined the three-dimensional relationship between epidermal sensory receptors and their innervation in an acoel flatworm, <em>Praesagittifera naikaiensis</em>. The distribution of the sensory receptors was different between the ventral and dorsal sides of worms. The nervous system was mainly composed of a peripheral nerve net, an anterior brain, and three pairs of longitudinal nerve cords. The nerve net was located closer to the body surface than the brain and the nerve cords. The sensory receptors have neural connections with the nerve net in the entire body of worms. We identified five homologs of polycystic kidney disease (<em>PKD</em>): <em>PKD1-1</em>, <em>PKD1-2</em>, <em>PKD1-3</em>, <em>PKD1-4</em>, and, <em>PKD2</em>, from the <em>P. naikaiensis</em> genome. All of these <em>PKD</em> genes were implied to be expressed in the epidermal sensory receptors of <em>P. naikaiensis</em>. <em>PKD1-1</em> and <em>PKD2</em> were dispersed across the entire body of worms. <em>PKD1-2</em>, <em>PKD1-3</em>, and <em>PKD1-4</em> were expressed in the anterior region of worms. <em>PKD1-4</em> was also expressed around the mouth opening. Our results indicated that <em>P. naikaiensis</em> possessed several types of epidermal sensory receptors to convert various environmental stimuli into electrical signals via the PKD channels and transmit the signals to afferent nerve and/or effector cells.</p>","PeriodicalId":9712,"journal":{"name":"Cell and Tissue Research","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2000,"publicationDate":"2024-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Cell and Tissue Research","FirstCategoryId":"99","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-024-03865-y","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"CELL BIOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Acoel flatworms possess epidermal sensory-receptor cells on their body surfaces and exhibit behavioral repertoires such as geotaxis and phototaxis. Acoel epidermal sensory receptors should be mechanical and/or chemical receptors; however, the mechanisms of their sensory reception have not been elucidated. We examined the three-dimensional relationship between epidermal sensory receptors and their innervation in an acoel flatworm, Praesagittifera naikaiensis. The distribution of the sensory receptors was different between the ventral and dorsal sides of worms. The nervous system was mainly composed of a peripheral nerve net, an anterior brain, and three pairs of longitudinal nerve cords. The nerve net was located closer to the body surface than the brain and the nerve cords. The sensory receptors have neural connections with the nerve net in the entire body of worms. We identified five homologs of polycystic kidney disease (PKD): PKD1-1, PKD1-2, PKD1-3, PKD1-4, and, PKD2, from the P. naikaiensis genome. All of these PKD genes were implied to be expressed in the epidermal sensory receptors of P. naikaiensis. PKD1-1 and PKD2 were dispersed across the entire body of worms. PKD1-2, PKD1-3, and PKD1-4 were expressed in the anterior region of worms. PKD1-4 was also expressed around the mouth opening. Our results indicated that P. naikaiensis possessed several types of epidermal sensory receptors to convert various environmental stimuli into electrical signals via the PKD channels and transmit the signals to afferent nerve and/or effector cells.
期刊介绍:
The journal publishes regular articles and reviews in the areas of molecular, cell, and supracellular biology. In particular, the journal intends to provide a forum for publishing data that analyze the supracellular, integrative actions of gene products and their impact on the formation of tissue structure and function. Submission of papers with an emphasis on structure-function relationships as revealed by recombinant molecular technologies is especially encouraged. Areas of research with a long-standing tradition of publishing in Cell & Tissue Research include:
- neurobiology
- neuroendocrinology
- endocrinology
- reproductive biology
- skeletal and immune systems
- development
- stem cells
- muscle biology.