Progression of regeneration in demosponge Cinachyrella cf cavernosa based on wound location

Abstract

In this study, the differential regeneration process in sponge Cinachyrella cf cavernosa (Lamarck, 1815) was examined by creating wounds at basal and apical tissues. The differences in wound healing were investigated based on qualitative and quantitative changes in collagen at both wound locations. The different cell types were also documented. The basal tissue was found to heal faster than apical tissue. Collagen was 21.74% more in regenerating basal tissue than the apical tissue, indicating its involvement in accelerated regeneration. To understand the molecular process of gene regulation during regeneration in basal tissues of C.cf cavernosa, transcriptomic analysis was carried out using Illumina NextSeq 500. From the samples used for RNA-seq, on an average, 35 million reads were obtained. Out of 65587 total Coding DNA Sequences (CDS), 37145 were annotated. The differential gene expression analysis showed upregulation in collagen-related gene Col and actin-related genes during progressive stages of regeneration. Contrary to other metabolism-related genes, lipid metabolism-related genes were expressed in more numbers with consecutive stages of regeneration highlighting their role in stress management of the sponge. This study serves to advance our understanding of the regeneration process, factors affecting the rate of this process and transcriptomic changes in regenerating sponge.