Collecting and Culturing Lineus sanguineus to Study Nemertea WBR

ZATTARA, EDUARDO E.; FERNÁNDEZ-ÁLVAREZ, FERNANDO A.

Whole-Body Regeneration

Humana Press

Lugar: New York; Año: 2022; p. 227 - 243

Whole-body regeneration, the ability to reconstruct completeindividuals from small fragments, while rare among the Nemertea, is present inthe pilidiophoran species Lineus sanguineus. Individuals from thisspecies can regenerate complete individuals from a tiny midbody section, andeven from a quarter of a piece, provided it retains a fragment of a lateralnerve cord. Recent studies have revealed that a few other unrelated species ofribbon worms are also excellent regenerators; however, such studies also suggestthat L. sanguineus regenerative abilities have evolved quite recently,providing a unique opportunity to gain insight into the evolutionary mechanismsof regeneration enhancement. Interestingly, both their sister species Lineuslacteus, and L. pseudolacteus, a third species derived from therecent hybridization of the other two, differ in their regeneration abilities:while L. lacteus is uncapable of regenerating a lost head, L.pseudolacteus is capable of anterior regeneration, albeit at a slower ratethan L. sanguineus. L. sanguineus has a worldwide distribution intemperate shores of both hemispheres, is readily found at intertidal habitats,and can survive, feed and be bred through asexual replication with minimaleffort in laboratory settings. All of these make this species a superbcandidate for studies of regenerative biology. In this chapter, we presentprotocols to collect, identify and breed L. sanguineus for their study.