Differential Gene Expression During Early Stages of Regeneration in <em>Holothuria glaberrima.</em>

Abstract

Echinoderms comprise a group of animals with the capability of replacing complex internal organs following injury or autotomy. In holothurians or sea cucumbers, cellular processes of intestinal regeneration have been extensively studied, however, the molecular machinery behind this faculty remains to be understood. In this study, a de novo transcriptome was assembled and annotated using RNA-seq data consisting of regenerating and non-regenerating intestinal tissues from the sea cucumber <em>Holothuria glaberrima</em>. Comparisons of differential expression were made using the mesentery as a reference against 24 hours and 3 days regenerating intestine, revealing numerous differentially expressed transcripts. Gene ontology and pathway enrichment analysis showed evidence of increasing transcriptional activity. Further analysis of transcripts associated with transcription factors revealed diverse expression patterns with developmental and cancer-related mechanisms linked with regenerative responses. This study demonstrates the diverse gene expression profile during the early stages of regeneration using the mesentery as a focal point.