Regenerating aggregates of hydra display unique cytoskeletal organisation that is absent in a regeneration-deficient strain

Abstract

Hydra has the unique ability to regenerate from aggregates of dissociated single cells that lack positional information. We compared two strains of hydra, a strain of hydra that was capable of regenerating from aggregates and a strain of hydra that was deficient in this type of regeneration. We observed unique actin cytoskeletal arrangements that were present in the regenerates of regeneration-competent strain but not in the regeneration-deficient strain. Concomitantly, the regeneration-deficient strain failed to organise the extracellular cytoskeleton of laminin and collagen between ectodermal and endodermal epithelial cells. These interesting preliminary observations highlight the importance of the cytoskeletal organisation in regeneration of hydra and suggest that regeneration from the aggregates of dissociated cells through de novo patterning requires correct structural organisation of cytoskeletal elements.