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- Developmental neurotoxicity (4)
- Planarian (4)
- Alternative animal models (3)
- Behavior (2)
- Acetylcholinesterase (1)
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- Animal behavior (1)
- Center of mass tracking (1)
- Flame retardants (1)
- Hands-on research (1)
- Heat stress (1)
- High-throughput screening (1)
- Hydra (1)
- Image analysis (1)
- Inquiry-based learning (1)
- Invertebrate (1)
- Medium-throughput screening (1)
- NTP-library (1)
- OPFRs (1)
- Organophosphorus pesticides (1)
- Planarians (1)
- Polarity (1)
- Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (1)
- Regeneration (1)
- Solvents (1)
- Symmetry breaking (1)
- Tox21 (1)
- Undergraduate (1)
- Wnt signaling (1)
- Zebrafish (1)
Articles 1 - 11 of 11
Full-Text Articles in Systems Biology
Quantifying Planarian Behavior As An Introduction To Object Tracking And Signal Processing, Nicole C. Stowell, T. Goel, Vir Shetty , '22, Jocelyne Noveral, Eva-Maria S. Collins
Quantifying Planarian Behavior As An Introduction To Object Tracking And Signal Processing, Nicole C. Stowell, T. Goel, Vir Shetty , '22, Jocelyne Noveral, Eva-Maria S. Collins
Biology Faculty Works
Answers to mechanistic questions about biological phenomena require fluency in a variety of molecular biology techniques and physical concepts. Here, we present an interdisciplinary approach to introducing undergraduate students to an important problem in the areas of animal behavior and neuroscience—the neuronal control of animal behavior. In this lab module, students explore planarian behavior by quantitative image and data analysis with freely available software and low-cost resources. Planarians are ∼1–2-cm-long aquatic free-living flatworms famous for their regeneration abilities. They are inexpensive and easy to maintain, handle, and perturb, and their fairly large size allows for image acquisition with a webcam, …
Wnt Signaling Determines Body Axis Polarity In Regenerating Hydra Tissue Fragments, R. Wang, R. E. Steele, Eva-Maria S. Collins
Wnt Signaling Determines Body Axis Polarity In Regenerating Hydra Tissue Fragments, R. Wang, R. E. Steele, Eva-Maria S. Collins
Biology Faculty Works
How an animal establishes its body axis is a fundamental question in developmental biology. The freshwater cnidarian Hydra is an attractive model for studying axis formation because it is radially symmetric, with a single oral-aboral axis. It was recently proposed that the orientation of the new body axis in a regenerating Hydra polyp is determined by the oral-aboral orientation of the actin-myosin contractile processes (myonemes) in the animal’s outer epithelial layer. However, it remained unclear how the oral-aboral polarity of the body axis would be defined. As Wnt signaling is known to control axis polarity in Hydra and bilaterians, we …
Dugesia Japonica Is The Best Suited Of Three Planarian Species For High-Throughput Toxicology Screening, D. Ireland, Veronica Bochenek , '22, Daniel Chaiken , '20, C. Rabeler, Sumi Onoe , '21, Ameet Soni, Eva-Maria S. Collins
Dugesia Japonica Is The Best Suited Of Three Planarian Species For High-Throughput Toxicology Screening, D. Ireland, Veronica Bochenek , '22, Daniel Chaiken , '20, C. Rabeler, Sumi Onoe , '21, Ameet Soni, Eva-Maria S. Collins
Biology Faculty Works
High-throughput screening (HTS) using new approach methods is revolutionizing toxicology. Asexual freshwater planarians are a promising invertebrate model for neurotoxicity HTS because their diverse behaviors can be used as quantitative readouts of neuronal function. Currently, three planarian species are commonly used in toxicology research: Dugesia japonica, Schmidtea mediterranea, and Girardia tigrina. However, only D. japonica has been demonstrated to be suitable for HTS. Here, we assess the two other species for HTS suitability by direct comparison with D. japonica. Through quantitative assessments of morphology and multiple behaviors, we assayed the effects of 4 common solvents (DMSO, …
Pharmacological Or Genetic Targeting Of Transient Receptor Potential (Trp) Channels Can Disrupt The Planarian Escape Response, Ziad Sabry , '21, A. Ho, D. Ireland, C. Rabeler, O. Cochet-Escartin, Eva-Maria S. Collins
Pharmacological Or Genetic Targeting Of Transient Receptor Potential (Trp) Channels Can Disrupt The Planarian Escape Response, Ziad Sabry , '21, A. Ho, D. Ireland, C. Rabeler, O. Cochet-Escartin, Eva-Maria S. Collins
Biology Faculty Works
In response to noxious stimuli, planarians cease their typical ciliary gliding and exhibit an oscillatory type of locomotion called scrunching. We have previously characterized the biomechanics of scrunching and shown that it is induced by specific stimuli, such as amputation, noxious heat, and extreme pH. Because these specific inducers are known to activate Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) channels in other systems, we hypothesized that TRP channels control scrunching. We found that chemicals known to activate TRPA1 (allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) and hydrogen peroxide) and TRPV (capsaicin and anandamide) in other systems induce scrunching in the planarian species Dugesia japonica and, except …
Linalool Acts As A Fast And Reversible Anesthetic In Hydra, T. Goel, R. Wang, S Martin, Elizabeth Y. Lanphear , '19, Eva-Maria S. Collins
Linalool Acts As A Fast And Reversible Anesthetic In Hydra, T. Goel, R. Wang, S Martin, Elizabeth Y. Lanphear , '19, Eva-Maria S. Collins
Biology Faculty Works
The ability to make transgenic Hydra lines has allowed for quantitative in vivo studies of Hydra regeneration and physiology. These studies commonly include excision, grafting and transplantation experiments along with high-resolution imaging of live animals, which can be challenging due to the animal’s response to touch and light stimuli. While various anesthetics have been used in Hydra studies, they tend to be toxic over the course of a few hours or their long-term effects on animal health are unknown. Here, we show that the monoterpenoid alcohol linalool is a useful anesthetic for Hydra. Linalool is easy to use, non-toxic, fast …
Mouth Function Determines The Shape Oscillation Pattern In Regenerating Hydra Tissue Spheres, R. Wang, T. Goel, K. Khazoyan, Ziad Sabry , '21, H. J. Quan, P. H. Diamond, Eva-Maria S. Collins
Mouth Function Determines The Shape Oscillation Pattern In Regenerating Hydra Tissue Spheres, R. Wang, T. Goel, K. Khazoyan, Ziad Sabry , '21, H. J. Quan, P. H. Diamond, Eva-Maria S. Collins
Biology Faculty Works
Hydra is a small freshwater polyp capable of regeneration from small tissue pieces and from aggregates of cells. During regeneration, a hollow bilayered sphere is formed that undergoes osmotically driven shape oscillations of inflation and rupture. These oscillations are necessary for successful regeneration. Eventually, the oscillating sphere breaks rotational symmetry along the future head-foot axis of the animal. Notably, the shape oscillations show an abrupt shift from large-amplitude, long-period oscillations to small-amplitude, short-period oscillations. It has been widely accepted that this shift in oscillation pattern is linked to symmetry breaking and axis formation, and current theoretical models of Hydra symmetry …
Screening For Neurotoxic Potential Of 15 Flame Retardants Using Freshwater Planarians, S. Zhang, D. Ireland, N. S. Sipes, M. Behl, Eva-Maria S. Collins
Screening For Neurotoxic Potential Of 15 Flame Retardants Using Freshwater Planarians, S. Zhang, D. Ireland, N. S. Sipes, M. Behl, Eva-Maria S. Collins
Biology Faculty Works
Asexual freshwater planarians are an attractive invertebrate model for high-throughput neurotoxicity screening, because they possess multiple quantifiable behaviors to assess distinct neuronal functions. Planarians uniquely allow direct comparisons between developing and adult animals to distinguish developmentally selective effects from general neurotoxicity. In this study, we used our automated planarian screening platform to compare the neurotoxicity of 15 flame retardants (FRs), consisting of representative phased-out brominated (BFRs) and replacement organophosphorus FRs (OPFRs). OPFRs have emerged as a proposed safer alternative to BFRs; however, limited information is available on their health effects. We found 11 of the 15 FRs (3/6 BFRs, 7/8 …
Comparative Analysis Of Zebrafish And Planarian Model Systems For Developmental Neurotoxicity Screens Using An 87-Compound Library, D. Hagstrom, L. Truong, S. Zhang, R. Tanguay, Eva-Maria S. Collins
Comparative Analysis Of Zebrafish And Planarian Model Systems For Developmental Neurotoxicity Screens Using An 87-Compound Library, D. Hagstrom, L. Truong, S. Zhang, R. Tanguay, Eva-Maria S. Collins
Biology Faculty Works
There is a clear need to establish and validate new methodologies to more quickly and efficiently screen chemicals for potential toxic effects, particularly on development. The emergence of alternative animal systems for rapid toxicology screens presents valuable opportunities to evaluate how systems complement each other. In this article, we compare a chemical library of 87-compounds in two such systems, developing zebrafish and freshwater planarians, by screening for developmental neurotoxic effects. We show that the systems’ toxicological profiles are complementary to each other, with zebrafish yielding more detailed morphological endpoints and planarians more behavioral endpoints. Overall, zebrafish was more sensitive to …
Multi-Behavioral Endpoint Testing Of An 87-Chemical Compound Library In Freshwater Planarians, S. Zhang, D. Hagstrom, P. Hayes, A. Graham, Eva-Maria S. Collins
Multi-Behavioral Endpoint Testing Of An 87-Chemical Compound Library In Freshwater Planarians, S. Zhang, D. Hagstrom, P. Hayes, A. Graham, Eva-Maria S. Collins
Biology Faculty Works
There is an increased recognition in the field of toxicology of the value of medium-to-high-throughput screening methods using in vitro and alternative animal models. We have previously introduced the asexual freshwater planarian Dugesia japonica as a new alternative animal model and proposed that it is particularly well-suited for the study of developmental neurotoxicology. In this paper, we discuss how we have expanded and automated our screening methodology to allow for fast screening of multiple behavioral endpoints, developmental toxicity, and mortality. Using an 87-compound library provided by the National Toxicology Program (NTP), consisting of known and suspected neurotoxicants, including drugs, flame …
Studying Planarian Regeneration Aboard The International Space Station Within The Student Space Flight Experimental Program, Vista Ssep Mission 11 Team, D. Hagstrom, C. Bartee, Eva-Maria S. Collins
Studying Planarian Regeneration Aboard The International Space Station Within The Student Space Flight Experimental Program, Vista Ssep Mission 11 Team, D. Hagstrom, C. Bartee, Eva-Maria S. Collins
Biology Faculty Works
The growing possibilities of space travel are quickly moving from science fiction to reality. However, to realize the dream of long-term space travel, we must understand how these conditions affect biological and physiological processes. Planarians are master regenerators, famous for their ability to regenerate from very small parts of the original animal. Understanding how this self-repair works may inspire regenerative therapies in humans. Two studies conducted aboard the International Space Station (ISS) showed that planarian regeneration is possible in microgravity. One study reported no regenerative defects, whereas the other study reported behavioral and microbiome alterations post-space travel and found that …
Planarian Cholinesterase: Molecular And Functional Characterization Of An Evolutionarily Ancient Enzyme To Study Organophosphorus Pesticide Toxicity, D. Hagstrom, S. Zhang, A. Ho, E. S. Tsai, Z. Radić, A. Jahromi, K. J. Kaj, Y. He, P. Taylor, Eva-Maria S. Collins
Planarian Cholinesterase: Molecular And Functional Characterization Of An Evolutionarily Ancient Enzyme To Study Organophosphorus Pesticide Toxicity, D. Hagstrom, S. Zhang, A. Ho, E. S. Tsai, Z. Radić, A. Jahromi, K. J. Kaj, Y. He, P. Taylor, Eva-Maria S. Collins
Biology Faculty Works
The asexual freshwater planarian Dugesia japonica has emerged as a medium-throughput alternative animal model for neurotoxicology. We have previously shown that D. japonica are sensitive to organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) and characterized the in vitro inhibition profile of planarian cholinesterase (DjChE) activity using irreversible and reversible inhibitors. We found that DjChE has intermediate features of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). Here, we identify two candidate genes (Djche1 and Djche2) responsible for DjChE activity. Sequence alignment and structural homology modeling with representative vertebrate AChE and BChE sequences confirmed our structural predictions, and show that both DjChE enzymes have intermediate sized catalytic gorges …