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Figure 1. Nucleotide and amino acid sequences of short-chain dehydrogenase reductase found in the sea cucumber, H. glaberrima.
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Figure 2. Multiple sequence alignment of the sea cucumber short-chain dehydrogenase reductase 7 amino acid sequence and those of selected protostomes, deuterostomes, chordates, and vertebrates. Conserved residues are shaded in black when they are 100% similar, dark grey if they are 99â80% similar, light grey when 79â60% similar, or white when less than 60% similar. The characteristic functional sites and interfaces of the protein are depicted herein.
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Figure 3. Predicted 3-D folding pattern of the sea cucumber SDR7 sequence using the Phyre2 program.
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Figure 4. Nucleotide and amino acid organization of aldehyde dehydrogenase 8A1 found in the sea cucumber, H. glaberrima.
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Figure 5. Multiple sequence alignment of the sea cucumber aldehyde dehydrogenase family 8A1 amino acid sequence and those of selected metazoan species. Conserved residues are shaded in black when they are 100% similar, dark grey if they are 99â80% similar, light grey when 79â60% similar, or white when less than 60% similar. The characteristic functional domains and sites of the protein are depicted herein.
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Figure 6. Maximum likelihood phylogram based on the amino acid sequences of the short chain dehydrogenase reductase 7 found in the sea cucumber, Holothuria glaberrima, compared against homologs from multiple species, other SDRs families, and retinol dehydrogenases (RD) from the sea urchin. Every SDR7 localize to the top of the phylogram and is identified by a â.7â suffix while every other SDR localize to the bottom of it and are identified by the specific family number or letter suffix. The retinol dehydrogenases also localize to the bottom of the phylogram and are identified by a â.rd#â suffix. Every sequence used for this analysis is referenced in Supplementary Table S1. Major taxonomic groups are defined by color boxes (chordates = blue; non-chordate deuterostomes = green; Lophotrochozoa = red; Ecdysozoa = beige; and other SDRs or RDs = grey) and by the bootstrap values depicted in a larger font. The numbers at the nodes correspond to the bootstrap proportion expressed as the percentage of 1000 replicates while the length of the branches is proportional to the amount of inferred evolutionary change as defined by the bar in substitutions per site.
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Figure 7. Maximum likelihood phylogram based on the amino acid sequences of the aldehyde dehydrogenase 8A1 (ALDH8A1) found in the sea cucumber, Holothuria glaberrima, compared against its homologs in multiple species, other ALDH8A1 families from the sea urchin, and retinaldehyde dehydrogenases (RALDH) from the mouse. Every ALDH8A1 localize to the bottom of the phylogram and is identified by a â.8â suffix while every other ALDH localize to the top of it and are identified by the specific family number or letter suffix. The RALDHs also localize to the top of the phylogram and are identified by a â.R#â suffix. Every sequence used for this analysis is referenced in Table S1. Major taxonomic groups are defined by color boxes (chordates = blue; non-chordate deuterostomes = green; Lophotrochozoa = red; Ecdysozoa = beige, Cnidaria = purple; and other ALDHs or RALDHs = grey) and by the bootstrap values depicted in a larger font. The numbers at the nodes correspond to the bootstrap proportion expressed as the percentage of 1000 replicates while the length of the branches is proportional to the amount of inferred evolutionary change as defined by the bar in substitutions per site.
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Figure 8. mRNA expression profiles of short chain dehydrogenase reductase 7 includes different regenerative stages (3, 5, 7, and 14 days post evisceration) and normal intestinal tissue. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR of the SDR7 transcript along the (a) anterior, (b) medial, and (c) posterior segments of the intestine. Three biological replicates were analyzed at each regenerating interval and four in the normal gut. Ordinary one-way ANOVA showed differences among means statistically significant in graphs b (p = 0.02), F = 3.5, df(treatment) = 4, df(residual) = 10 and c (p = 0.01), F = 5.3, df(treatment) = 4, df(residual) = 11. A multiple comparison test (Tukey) showed significant difference (p < 0.5) between groups bearing different letters in these two graphs. Those groups bearing two letters are not statistically different to those with any of the letters. n = biological replicates.
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Figure 9. mRNA expression profiles of aldehyde dehydrogenase family 8A1 includes different regenerative stages (3, 5, 7, and 14 days post evisceration) and normal intestinal tissue. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR of the ALDH8A1 transcript along the (a) anterior, (b) medial, and (c) posterior segments of the intestine. Three biological replicates were analyzed at each regenerating interval and four in the normal gut. Ordinary one-way ANOVA showed no significant difference among the groups in each graph (p = 0.2), F = 1.5, df (treatment) = 4, df(residual) = 10. n = biological replicates.
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Figure 10. Quantification of the intestinal rudiment area of regenerating individuals. (a) The area of the tissue section was measured on individuals treated with (b) DMSOâvehicle, (c) tazaroteneâRAR agonist, (d) citralâRALDH inhibitor, or (e) LE135âRAR antagonist following six days post evisceration. Five technical replicates (different slide sections of the same animal) and at least four biological replicates were performed per group: DMSO n = 10, tazarotene n = 4, citral n = 10, LE135 n = 4. Ordinary one-way ANOVA showed differences among means statistically significant with a p value < 0.0001, F = 15.87, df(treatment) = 3, df(residual) = 22. A multiple comparison test (Tukey) in these showed significant difference when comparing DMSO against citral or LE135 (p < 0.001) or tazarotene against citral or LE135 (p < 0.01). Statistically significant difference between groups is represented by different letters atop of the bars. Arrows signal the boundary between the mesentery and the new intestinal rudiment. n = biological replicates.
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Figure 11. Cell proliferation along the regenerating blastema of the intestinal rudiment. (a) The percentage of dividing cells along the rudimentâs mesothelium was established from tissue sections labeled with an antibody against BrdU (red) on individuals treated with (b) DMSOâvehicle, (c) tazarotene â RAR agonist, (d) citralâRALDH inhibitor, or (e) LE135âRAR antagonist following 6 days post evisceration. Between three and five technical replicates and at least three biological replicates were performed per group: DMSO n = 8, tazarotene n = 3, citral n = 10, LE135 n = 4. Ordinary one-way ANOVA showed differences among means statistically significant with a p value < 0.0001, F = 15.28, df(treatment) = 3, df(residual) = 22. A multiple comparison test (Tukey) in these showed significant difference when comparing DMSO against citral or LE135 (p < 0.001) and tazarotene against citral or LE135 (p < 0.01) that is represented by different letters atop of the bars. Arrows signal the boundary between the mesentery and the new intestinal rudiment. n = biological replicates.
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Figure 12. Formation of spindle-like structures by muscle cells during intestinal regeneration. (a) The percentage of SLS along the mesenteries near the blastema was established form animals treated with (b) DMSOâvehicle, (c) tazaroteneâRAR agonist, (d) citralâRALDH inhibitor, or (e) LE135âRAR antagonist following 6 days post evisceration. Between three and five technical replicates and at least three biological replicates were performed per group: DMSO n = 9, tazarotene n = 4, citral n = 10, LE135 n = 3. Ordinary one-way ANOVA showed differences among means statistically significant with a p value < 0.0001 F = 29.55, df(treatment) = 3, df(residual) = 22. A multiple comparison test (Tukey) in these showed significant difference when comparing DMSO against citral or LE135 (p < 0.001) and tazarotene against citral or LE135 (p < 0.01) that is represented by different letters atop of the bars. n = biological replicates.
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