Exploring an immortal as a less conventional natural system for study of aging.

Aim: Given its excellent capability of escaping from unavoidable harm and death, () has captured the attention and fascination of scientists as a less conventional tool for aging research. The current study introduces a method for establishment of a research model and comprehensive transcriptomic analysis to reveal the structural and functional diversity of

Methods: medusae collected from the Pacific Ocean near Japan were reared using a common laboratory setting. Tissues of the gastrovascular cavity part (GP) and nerve ring part (NP) were collected, and total RNA was extracted. Bulk RNA-seq was performed to compare the different transcriptome landscapes between GP and NP.

Results: The GP fragment could be utilized for studies related to stress response and systemic senescence, while the NP fragment could be used to explore system rejuvenation, self-repair and regeneration.

Conclusions: As a less conventional system for aging research, by employing the most recently developed tools and techniques in the genomic revolution, comprehensive elucidation of the composition, development, and functions of . enabled us to explore the underlying mechanisms of the response to environmental stress and rejuvenation.