Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Whole Body Regeneration01:33

Whole Body Regeneration

Regeneration is the process of restoring injured or lost tissues, organs, or body parts. While simpler organisms generally show greater ability to regenerate their whole body, few complex animals show similarly exceptional regeneration. For example, planarian flatworms have a unique regenerative potential making them a popular study organism among biologists to understand the mechanisms of whole body regeneration. Other organisms, such as hydra, also show extreme regeneration potential; even...
Autophagy01:27

Autophagy

Autophagy is a self-digesting process by which a cell protects itself from threats both within and outside the cell, ranging from abnormal proteins to invading bacteria. In this process, obsolete components of the cell and invading microbes are degraded by hydrolytic enzymes active in an acidic environment of the lysosomal lumen.
An autophagic pathway consists of a series of signaling events activated in response to diverse stress and physiological conditions such as food deprivation,...
Delivery Pathways to the Lysosome01:36

Delivery Pathways to the Lysosome

Eukaryotic cells use different mechanisms to eliminate toxic waste obsolete and worn-out substances. Lysosomes play a pivotal role in this, and hence, these substances are carried to the lysosome from other parts of the cell and extracellular space through different pathways. The most elaborately studied pathways to the lysosome are the endocytic pathways.
Endocytosis
In endocytosis, the cell membrane takes up macromolecules and particles from the surrounding medium. Clathrin-mediated...
Autophagic Cell Death01:18

Autophagic Cell Death

Christian de Duve discovered “autophagy,” a process in which cellular components are engulfed by membrane-bound organelles called autophagosomes. The autophagosomes then fuse with lysosomes to digest the enclosed contents. Autophagy is generally activated in cells to prevent cell death. However, cell death is triggered when the damage is beyond repair.
Autophagy and Apoptosis
Autophagy can activate apoptosis. In normal conditions, the autophagy activating protein Beclin-1 and pro-apoptotic...
Phagocytosis00:41

Phagocytosis

Cells pull particles inward and engulf them in spherical vesicles in an energy-requiring process called endocytosis. Phagocytosis (“cellular eating”) is one of three major types of endocytosis. Cells use phagocytosis to take in large objects—such as other cells (or their debris), bacteria, and even viruses.The objective of phagocytosis is often destruction. Cells use phagocytosis to eliminate unwelcome visitors, like pathogens (e.g., viruses and bacteria). It is perhaps unsurprising, that many...
Phagocytosis00:41

Phagocytosis

Cells pull particles inward and engulf them in spherical vesicles in an energy-requiring process called endocytosis. Phagocytosis ("cellular eating") is one of three major types of endocytosis. Cells use phagocytosis to take in large objects, such as other cells (or their debris), bacteria, and even viruses.
The objective of phagocytosis is often destruction. Cells use phagocytosis to eliminate unwelcome visitors, like pathogens (e.g., viruses and bacteria). Many immune system cells, including...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Cell death in regeneration and cell turnover: Lessons from planarians and Drosophila.

Seminars in cell & developmental biology·2025
Same author

Autophagy in Tissue Repair and Regeneration.

Cells·2025
Same author

PI(18:1/18:1) is a SCD1-derived lipokine that limits stress signaling.

Nature communications·2022
Same author

Regeneration in starved planarians depends on TRiC/CCT subunits modulating the unfolded protein response.

EMBO reports·2021
Same author

Tnfaip2/exoc3-driven lipid metabolism is essential for stem cell differentiation and organ homeostasis.

EMBO reports·2020
Same author

Staphylococcus aureus-Derived α-Hemolysin Evokes Generation of Specialized Pro-resolving Mediators Promoting Inflammation Resolution.

Cell reports·2020

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Inducing Complete Polyp Regeneration from the Aboral Physa of the Starlet Sea Anemone Nematostella vectensis
08:17

Inducing Complete Polyp Regeneration from the Aboral Physa of the Starlet Sea Anemone Nematostella vectensis

Published on: January 14, 2017

Autophagy meets planarians.

Cristina González-Estévez1

  • 1Department of Developmental Genetics and Gene Control, Institute of Genetics, Queen's Medical Centre, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK. cristina.gonzalez-estevez@nottingham.ac.uk

Autophagy
|January 24, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Freshwater planarians are important model organisms for studying autophagy (a cellular recycling process). Research highlights their role in body remodeling and stem cell biology, advancing autophagy understanding.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Regenerative Medicine

Background:

  • Freshwater planarians possess remarkable regenerative capabilities.
  • Autophagy, a fundamental cellular process, is crucial for maintaining cellular homeostasis and survival.
  • Understanding autophagy in diverse model organisms enhances our knowledge of its conserved mechanisms and roles.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the significance of freshwater planarians as model organisms for autophagy research.
  • To elucidate the role of autophagy in planarian body remodeling and stem cell biology.
  • To provide a comprehensive understanding of autophagy for researchers unfamiliar with planarians.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and synthesis of existing research on planarians and autophagy.

More Related Videos

Chemical Amputation and Regeneration of the Pharynx in the Planarian Schmidtea mediterranea
06:14

Chemical Amputation and Regeneration of the Pharynx in the Planarian Schmidtea mediterranea

Published on: March 26, 2018

A Planarian Motility Assay to Gauge the Biomodulating Properties of Natural Products
07:13

A Planarian Motility Assay to Gauge the Biomodulating Properties of Natural Products

Published on: May 30, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Inducing Complete Polyp Regeneration from the Aboral Physa of the Starlet Sea Anemone Nematostella vectensis
08:17

Inducing Complete Polyp Regeneration from the Aboral Physa of the Starlet Sea Anemone Nematostella vectensis

Published on: January 14, 2017

Chemical Amputation and Regeneration of the Pharynx in the Planarian Schmidtea mediterranea
06:14

Chemical Amputation and Regeneration of the Pharynx in the Planarian Schmidtea mediterranea

Published on: March 26, 2018

A Planarian Motility Assay to Gauge the Biomodulating Properties of Natural Products
07:13

A Planarian Motility Assay to Gauge the Biomodulating Properties of Natural Products

Published on: May 30, 2020

  • Analysis of studies demonstrating the importance of autophagy in planarian regeneration and development.
  • Discussion of current hypotheses and future directions in planarian autophagy research.

    • Main Results:

    • Planarians exhibit unique characteristics, such as extensive tissue turnover and regeneration, making them ideal for studying autophagy.
    • Autophagy plays a critical role in planarian body remodeling, including tissue turnover and regeneration processes.
    • Evidence suggests a significant role for autophagy in the regulation and maintenance of planarian stem cells.

    Conclusions:

    • Freshwater planarians are valuable model organisms for dissecting the molecular mechanisms of autophagy.
    • Autophagy research in planarians offers insights into fundamental biological processes relevant to regeneration and stem cell biology.
    • The planarian system is poised to make significant contributions to the broader field of autophagy research.