The worms 'Frankenstein' Could Change Shape head

Boston - scientists succeeded in creating flatworms 'Franken', a name derived from the fictional works of Mary Shelley's monster. The worm is so called because the head and brain taken from another species, then bonded by manipulating cell communication.
This research is an example of the growing control of the creatures and not just from genetics. Researchers not only remodel the DNA flatworms, but also manipulate the proteins that control how communication between cells.
"It's common to think that the sequence and structure chromaton determine the shape of an organism. However, these results suggest that the function of the physical network can override the general anatomy of a specific species," study researcher Michael Levin, a biological at Tufts University revealed in a statement, quoted by Live Science,
This change is only temporary for the head of the worm will change back to its original shape within a matter of weeks. But researchers hope these findings will lead to the medical treatment of congenital defects and production of drugs that are regenerative, ie able to rebuild tissue or organ damage.
In this study, researchers studied the tiny freshwater flatworms, Girardia dorotocephala. They are known to regenerate its own tissue is missing.

These flatworms have a large number of cells called neoblasts, totipotent stem cells (young cells to provide a complete embryo on other cells), so it could be any type of cell in the body. In humans, only a totipotent cell in the first days of embryonic development.
In the experiment, scientists cut off the head of the worm. Furthermore, in order that the head of the worm can regenerate, Levin and colleagues decided protein channels called gap junctions.
Cells send electrical impulses through gap junctions to communicate. Researchers know the cell can be easily push the worms develop ourselves back of the head and brain flatworms similar to their close relatives.
Normally, G. dorotocephala has a tapered head with two ear-like protrusions near the head (called auricles). After going through the process, some of the worms develop their normal heads.
While others form a rounded head similar to the type of S. mediterranea, thick neck and head with 'ears' tapered like a cat, like P. felina, or triangular heads like type D. japonica.
Their brains also follow the shape of the head, thereby regenerating flatworms head shaped like D. japonica, for example, also shows the morphology of the brain that is shorter and wider than G. dorotocephala, and karakteristrik over D. japonica.
The farther between the two species in the evolutionary family tree, the more difficult to see the effect of 'mix and match' this.
"This discovery leads to significant questions about how genes and tissue bioloektrik (electrical activity in living beings) interact to build a complex body shape," said Levin. If genes provide the blueprints for the body of an organism, cells become like a construction worker who needs to transform the plan into a building. And gap junctions function like walkie-talkies used by the workers. If the communication is a constraint, of course development process will be disrupted.
G. worm dorotocephala change shape only in a limited time before neoblast impact and change the back of the head and their brains before. However, the Levin lab previously make changes in other flatworm species grown two heads, where the shape of their heads last.

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