Regeneration in starved planarians depends on TRiC/CCT subunits modulating the unfolded protein response.

Planarians are able to stand long periods of starvation by maintaining adult stem cell pools and regenerative capacity. The molecular pathways that are needed for the maintenance of regeneration during starvation are not known. Here, we show that down-regulation of chaperonin TRiC/CCT subunits abrogates the regeneration capacity of planarians during starvation, but TRiC/CCT subunits are dispensable for regeneration in fed planarians.

It is not all about regeneration: Planarians striking power to stand starvation.

All living forms, prokaryotes as eukaryotes, have some means of adaptation to food scarcity, which extends the survival chances under extreme environmental conditions. Nowadays we know that dietary interventions, including fasting, extends lifespan of many organisms and can also protect against age-related diseases including in humans. Therefore, the capacity of adapting to periods of food scarcity may have evolved billions of years ago not only to allow immediate organismal survival but also to be able to extend organismal lifespan or at least to lead to a healthier remaining lifespan.