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Updated: Jul 16, 2025
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Generation of Transgenic Hydra by Embryo Microinjection
Published on: September 11, 2014
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Universal calcium fluctuations inHydramorphogenesis.
1The Racah Institute of Physics, Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel.
Physical Biology
|September 11, 2023
Summary
Calcium (Ca2+) spatial fluctuations during Hydra regeneration show universal properties. Modulating Ca2+ activity with electric fields or heptanol reversibly halts regeneration, highlighting its role in morphogenesis.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Biophysics
- Cellular Biology
Background:
- Morphological transitions in animal development are driven by collective physical processes.
- Calcium (Ca2+) is a key signaling molecule involved in morphogenesis.
- Understanding the role of Ca2+ in regeneration is crucial for developmental biology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the universal properties of Ca2+ spatial fluctuations during *Hydra* regeneration.
- To investigate the influence of external electric fields and gap junction blockers on Ca2+ activity and regeneration.
- To develop a theoretical model explaining the observed Ca2+ dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Experimental manipulation of Ca2+ activity using external electric fields and heptanol.
- Quantitative analysis of Ca2+ spatial fluctuations and their statistical characteristics.
- Development of a field-theoretic model based on a tilted double-well potential.
Main Results:
- Ca2+ spatial fluctuations during *Hydra* regeneration exhibit universal characteristics.
- External electric fields enhance Ca2+ activity and spatial correlations, while heptanol inhibits them.
- Statistical properties of Ca2+ fluctuations show universal distributions, and the tissue operates near bistability.
Conclusions:
- The Ca2+ field plays a prominent role in *Hydra* morphogenesis and regeneration.
- Ca2+ activity is spatially localized, with *Hydra* tissue operating near the onset of bistability.
- These findings provide insights into the mechanisms of robust morphological transitions in development.
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