Indomethacin reproducibly induces metamorphosis inCassiopea xamachanascyphistomae

Abstract

Cassiopea xamachana jellyfish are an attractive model system to study metamorphosis and/or cnidarian–dinoflagellate symbiosis due to the ease of cultivation of their planula larvae and scyphistomae through their asexual cycle, in which the latter can bud new larvae and continue the cycle without differentiation into ephyrae. Then, a subsequent induction of metamorphosis and full differentiation into ephyrae is believed to occur when the symbionts are acquired by the scyphistomae. Although strobilation induction and differentiation into ephyrae can be accomplished in various ways, a controlled, reproducible metamorphosis induction has not been reported. Such controlled metamorphosis induction is necessary for an ensured synchronicity and reproducibility of biological, biochemical, and molecular analyses. For this purpose, we tested if differentiation could be pharmacologically stimulated as in Aurelia aurita, by the metamorphic inducers thyroxine, KI, NaI, Lugol’s iodine, H2O2, indomethacin, or retinol. We found reproducibly induced strobilation by 50 μM indomethacin after six days of exposure, and 10–25 μM after 7 days. Strobilation under optimal conditions reached 80–100% with subsequent ephyrae release after exposure. Thyroxine yielded inconsistent results as it caused strobilation occasionally, while all other chemicals had no effect. Thus, indomethacin can be used as a convenient tool for assessment of biological phenomena through a controlled metamorphic process in C. xamachana scyphistomae.

Thyroid Hormones Accelerate Initiation of Skeletogenesis via MAPK (ERK1/2) in Larval Sea Urchins (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus)

“…It seems increasingly likely that non-genomic mechanisms may be responsible for the regulation of developmental processes by TH which has been observed in some invertebrates. For example, skeletogenesis or metamorphosis have been reported to be regulated by T4 in various Cnidaria, including Aurelia, Cassiopea, and some corals ( 40 , 54 , 55 ). T4 is the only thyroid hormone present in Cnidaria ( 56 ), and is the most active hormone in sea urchins and molluscs.…”

Indoles induce metamorphosis in a broad diversity of jellyfish, but not in a crown jelly (Coronatae)

“…Our results support the hypothesis that there is a conserved molecular pathway involved in metamorphosis induction within Discomedusae [ 20 ], first observed in Aurelia aurita in 2012 [ 16 ]. Despite a long list of chemical and environmental cues known to induce metamorphosis in a species-specific manner within this clade [ 17 , 19 , 27 – 29 ], indomethacin and 5-methoxy-2-methylindole are the first compounds to induce metamorphosis across a broad diversity of species. The species we tested originate from a wide variety of habitats, ranging from tropical marine lakes to temperate northern coastal zones.…”

An overview of jellyfish aquaculture: for food, feed, pharma and fun

“…34,50 In some species, strobilation can also be induced by rising iodine levels (using Lugol's solution or potassium iodine) 49,53,[59][60][61] and through the use of thyroxine 60,62 or indomethacin. 63 However, the exact cues to strobilation and duration of stimulus required to trigger this event is species-and even population-specific. 4,46,47 Additional information concerning polyp maintenance conditions and vessels, and the different methods used to induce strobilation for multiple scyphozoan species are described by Lange and Kaiser, 53 thrive and successfully grow into adult medusae.…”