RENEW – Deciphering the gene regulatory network logic underlying whole-body regeneration (2020-2025) PI: Eric RÖTTINGER

Regeneration varies drastically between species, from poorly regenerating mammals to whole-body regenerating (WBR) marine organisms, such as cnidarians. Determining the gene regulatory networks (GRN) underlying WBR in cnidarians is thus a global and powerful approach to reveal similarities and differences with mammals, and how these have evolved. Nevertheless, comprehensive regeneration GRNs, especially from non-bilaterian animals with WBR capacities (i.e. cnidarians) are in their infancy. Our overall objective is to determine the regulatory networks triggered by an injury and that initiate a whole-body regenerative response by dissecting the 1) transcriptional dynamics and 2) genome-wide chromatin accessibility at the tissue and single-cell levels, in order to 3) infer and 4) validate the predicted regulatory elements using genetic approaches. This study is based on data we obtained over the past years and will be carried out on an emerging whole-body regeneration model, the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis, developed by members of the consortium.