Gene Expression Profiling of Intestinal Regeneration in the Sea Cucumber

The study on intestinal regeneration in the sea cucumber Holothuria glaberrima used microarray technology to analyze gene expression at various stages of regeneration, identifying over 7,000 expressed sequence tags (ESTs). Significant differences in gene expression were observed, particularly at 3, 7, and 14 days post-evisceration, with many genes showing no similarity to known sequences, indicating potential novel genes involved in regeneration. Key developmental genes such as Hox, Wnt, and BMP were upregulated, and changes in cytoskeletal and extracellular matrix genes were noted, highlighting their roles in the regeneration process. The study emphasized the complexity of intestinal regeneration and the potential of echinoderms as models for regenerative biology, providing insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying this process. Validation through RT-PCR confirmed the microarray results, with a high concordance rate.