The identification of ᴅ-tryptophan as a bioactive substance for postembryonic ovarian development in the planarian Dugesia ryukyuensis.

Many metazoans start germ cell development during embryogenesis, while some metazoans possessing pluripotent stem cells undergo postembryonic germ cell development. The latter reproduce asexually but develop germ cells from pluripotent stem cells or dormant primordial germ cells when they reproduce sexually. Sexual induction of the planarian Dugesia ryukyuensis is an important model for postembryonic germ cell development.

Innate sexuality determines the mechanisms of telomere maintenance.

Recently, telomere length has been shown to be differentially regulated in asexually and sexually reproducing planarians. In addition, it was found that asexual worms maintain telomere length somatically during reproduction by fission or when regeneration is induced by amputation, whereas sexual worms only achieve telomere elongation through sexual reproduction. We have established an experimental bioassay system to induce switching from asexual to sexual reproduction in planarians, that is, sexualization.

Stem cells from innate sexual but not acquired sexual planarians have the capability to form a sexual individual.

Planarian species may harbor as many as three populations with different reproductive strategies. Animals from innate asexual (AS) and innate sexual (InS) populations reproduce only by fission and cross-fertilization, respectively, whereas the third population switches seasonally between the two reproductive modes. AS worms can be experimentally sexualized by feeding them with minced InS worms; we termed the resulting animals "acquired sexual" (AqS) worms.

Structure of acrosome reaction-inducing substance in the jelly coat of starfish eggs: a mini review.

Our knowledge at present on the structure of acrosome-reaction inducing substance (ARIS) in the jelly coat of starfish eggs is summarized. ARIS ia a proteoglycan-like molecule consisting of very long, linear, and highly sulfated glycans and three ARIS proteins, ARIS1-3. Detailed structures of the major glycan of ARIS and of ARIS1-3 are discussed.

Existence of two sexual races in the planarian species switching between asexual and sexual reproduction.

In certain planarian species that are able to switch between asexual and sexual reproduction, determining whether a sexual has the ability to switch to the asexual state is problematic, which renders the definition of sexuals controversial. We experimentally show the existence of two sexual races, acquired and innate, in the planarian Dugesia ryukyuensis. Acquired sexuals used in this study were experimentally switched from asexuals.

Sex-inducing effect of a hydrophilic fraction on reproductive switching in the planarian Dugesia ryukyuensis (Seriata, Tricladida).

Background: The mechanisms underlying the switching from an asexual to a sexual mode of reproduction, and vice versa, remain unknown in metazoans. In planarians, asexual worms acquire cryptic sexuality when fed with sexual worms, indicating that sexual worms contain a sex-inducing substance. Although such a chemical compound will provide clues about the mechanisms underlying the switching, information on the sex-inducing substance is poor.

Effects of 17β-estradiol and bisphenol A on the formation of reproductive organs in planarians.

Planarians have a remarkable capacity for regeneration after ablation, and they reproduce asexually by fission. However, some planarians can also reproduce and maintain their sexual organs. During the regenerative process, their existing sexual organs degenerate and new ones develop.

Novel conserved structural domains of acrosome reaction-inducing substance are widespread in invertebrates.

In the starfish Asterias amurensis, acrosome reaction inducing substance (ARIS) is the main factor responsible for allowing sperm to recognize the egg jelly and begin the acrosome reaction (AR). ARIS is a large proteoglycan-like molecule, and its pentasaccharide repeat, Fragment 1 (Fr. 1), is responsible for inducing AR.

Acrosome reaction-related steroidal saponin, Co-ARIS, from the starfish induces structural changes in microdomains.

Cofactor for acrosome reaction-inducing substance (Co-ARIS) is a steroidal saponin from the starfish Asterias amurensis. Saponins exist in many plants and few animals as self-defensive chemicals, but Co-ARIS has been identified as a cofactor for inducing the acrosome reaction (AR). In A.

Production of asexual and sexual offspring in the triploid sexual planarian Dugesia ryukyuensis.

Certain freshwater planarians reproduce asexually as well as sexually, and their chromosomal ploidies include polyploidy, aneuploidy and mixoploidy. Previously, we successfully performed an experiment in which a clonal population produced by asexual reproduction of the Dugesia ryukyuensis (OH strain) switched to the sexual mode of reproduction. Worms of this strain are triploid with a pericentric inversion on Chromosome 4.

A chloride ion channel in Halocynthia roretzi hemocytes is associated with PO activity but not pigmentation during the contact reaction.

When hemocytes of two different individuals of the solitary ascidian Halocynthia roretzi come into contact (allogeneic recognition), they devacuolate in several seconds following contact, release phenoloxidase (PO) into the supernatant, and form coagulates. These coagulates show brown pigmentation. This reaction is referred to as the contact reaction (CR).

Neoblast-enriched fraction rescues eye formation in eye-defective planarian 'menashi' Dugesia ryukyuensis.

Planarians are well known for their remarkable regenerative capacity. This capacity to regenerate is thought to be due to the presence of totipotent somatic stem cells known as 'neoblasts', which have particular morphological characteristics. The totipotency of neoblasts was supported by Baguñà's experiment, which involved the introduction of donor cells into irradiated hosts.

Regulation of the starfish sperm acrosome reaction by cGMP, pH, cAMP and Ca2+.

In the starfish, Asterias amurensis, three components in the jelly coat of eggs, namely acrosome reaction-inducing substance (ARIS), Co-ARIS and asterosap, act in concert on homologous spermatozoa to induce the acrosome reaction (AR). Molecular recognition between the sperm surface molecules and the egg jelly molecules must underlie signal transduction events triggering the AR. Asterosap is a sperm-activating molecule, which stimulates rapid synthesis of intracellular cGMP, pH and Ca2+.

Conserved sequences of sperm-activating peptide and its receptor throughout evolution, despite speciation in the sea star Asterias amurensis and closely related species.

The asteroidal sperm-activating peptides (asterosaps) from the egg jelly bind to their sperm receptor, a membrane-bound guanylate cyclase, on the tail to activate sperm in sea stars. Asterosaps are produced as single peptides and then cleaved into shorter peptides. Sperm activation is followed by the acrosome reaction, which is subfamily specific.

Egg and sperm recognition systems during fertilization.

Fertilization is a programmed process that has many molecules and sequential events amenable to study. The biochemistry of fertilization has identified cellular and acellular components fundamental to the interactions between sperm and egg. Recent studies highlight the molecular details of the species-specificity of fertilization that involve protein-protein and protein-carbohydrate interactions.

Production of diploid and triploid offspring by inbreeding of the triploid planarian Dugesia ryukyuensis.

Triploidy has generally been considered to be an evolutionary dead end due to problems of chromosomal pairing and segregation during meiosis. Thus, the formation of tetraploids and diploids from triploid types is a rare phenomenon. In the present study, we demonstrated that inbreeding of the triploid planarian Dugesia ryukyuensis resulted in both diploid and triploid offspring in nature.

Characterization of novel genes expressed specifically in the sexual organs of the planarian Dugesia ryukyuensis.

The planarian Dugesia ryukyuensis reproduces both asexually (fissiparous) and sexually (oviparous) and can switch from the asexual mode to the sexual mode. By feeding with mature Bdellocephala brunnea oviparous worms, the fissiparous worms, which do not possess sexual organs, can be converted to fully sexualized worms in a process termed sexualization. As sexualization proceeds, the sexual organs are formed uniformly and five stages (stages 15) of the process have been identified histologically.

The Dugesia ryukyuensis database as a molecular resource for studying switching of the reproductive system.

The planarian Dugesia ryukyuensis reproduces both asexually and sexually, and can switch from one mode of reproduction to the other. We recently developed a method for experimentally switching reproduction of the planarian from the asexual to the sexual mode. We constructed a cDNA library from sexualized D.

Acrosome reaction is subfamily specific in sea star fertilization.

In the fertilization process of sea stars, sperm is activated to go through the acrosome reaction before cell fusion. We focused on induction of the acrosome reaction as a key process in fertilization. Six species of sea stars were used in this study: Asterias amurensis, Asterias rubens, Asterias forbesi, Aphelasterias japonica, Distolasterias nipon, and Asterina pectinifera.

Na+ /Ca2+ exchanger contributes to asterosap-induced elevation of intracellular Ca2+ concentration in starfish spermatozoa.

Asterosap, a group of equally active isoforms of sperm-activating peptides from the egg jelly of the starfish Asterias amurensis, functions as a chemotactic factor for sperm. It transiently increases the intracellular cGMP level of sperm, which in turn induces a transient elevation of intracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)). Using a fluorescent Ca(2+)-sensitive dye, Fluo-4 AM, we measured the changes in sperm [Ca(2+)](i) in response to asterosap.

Peptide-induced hyperactivation-like vigorous flagellar movement in starfish sperm.

Asterosap, a sperm-activating peptide (SAP) from the starfish egg jelly coat, is diffusible and controls a cGMP-signalling pathway in starfish sperm in the same manner as resact, a potent chemoattracting SAP in sea urchins. This fact suggests that asterosap may serve as a chemoattractant like resact at concentrations with appropriate gradients. Since asterosap is one of three egg jelly components, which in concert induce the acrosome reaction, it is still worthwhile to evaluate how asterosap modulates sperm motility prior to this reaction.

Ca2+ spikes in the flagellum control chemotactic behavior of sperm.

The events that occur during chemotaxis of sperm are only partly known. As an essential step toward determining the underlying mechanism, we have recorded Ca2+ dynamics in swimming sperm of marine invertebrates. Stimulation of the sea urchin Arbacia punctulata by the chemoattractant or by intracellular cGMP evokes Ca2+ spikes in the flagellum.

Asterosap-induced elevation in intracellular pH is indispensable for ARIS-induced sustained increase in intracellular Ca2+ and following acrosome reaction in starfish spermatozoa.

In the starfish, Asterias amurensis, the cooperation of three components of the egg jelly, namely ARIS (acrosome reaction-inducing substance), Co-ARIS and asterosap, is responsible for the induction of acrosome reaction. For the induction, ARIS alone is enough in high-Ca2+ or high-pH seawater, but, besides ARIS, the addition of either Co-ARIS or asterosap is required in normal seawater. Asterosap transiently increased both the intracellular pH (pHi) and Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i), while ARIS slightly elevated the basal level of [Ca2+]i.