Biology subjects

Molano, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Molano, A..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Developmental Effects of Lithium and Zinc in Planaria

An investigation was carried out of the stage-specific effects of lithium and zinc on planaria embryologic development. These two reagents had dramatically different effects on the morphological development of planaria: Zinc induced the formation of bifurcations or trifurcations of the head region. In contrast, lithium induced the formation of round masses of cells. The earliest embryological stages (S1 and S2, cryptic larva formation) exhibited extreme sensitivity to lithium, since the lethal dose was at least one order of magnitude lower than for subsequent stages 3-5, suggesting that beta-catenin 1 expression is tightly regulated during the initial embryologic stages and that even slightly increased activity is lethal.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Developmental effects of barium in planaria

An investigation was carried out of the stage-specific effects of barium, a wide spectrum potassium channel blocker that depolarizes cells, on planaria embryologic development. Barium exposure triggered a variety of axes abnormalities in planaria, including dorsoventral malformations (formation of pigmented dorsal bulges, suggestive of BMP up-regulation), anteroposterior abnormalities (two-headed worms with two eyes or a single eye on each end, worms with an ectopic anterior partial body embedded diagonally within the "main" body of the planaria), and other congenital anomalies (baby worms with extremely short bodies, worms with multiple eyes or with a strange tubular structure emerging from the malformed eyes). The implications of these findings for current understanding of planaria development are discussed.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Rapid Peripheral Disintegration of Planaria in the Presence of Barium

Bioelectric signalling has been implicated in planaria regeneration and anatomical homeostasis. Previous reports demonstrated that barium chloride (1 mM), a potassium channel blocker, produced slow disintegration of the head (in 72 hours) in a clonal strain of Dugesia japonica. To investigate whether the effects of barium were similar in all planaria species, I tested its effects in wild Girardia sp. collected from a stream. The results were significantly different from those seen in Dugesia japonica: At 1 mM, these worms underwent complete peripheral disintegration within thirty minutes.

pharmacology and toxicology↗