DHEA inhibits regeneration in Lumbriculus variegatus

Some organisms can regrow severed body parts. In vertebrates, the anabolic pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) aids regeneration, but we do not know if invertebrates require the PPP for regeneration. To test this, we attempted to inhibit the PPP rate limiting enzyme, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), with the steroid dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), using the regenerative annelid Lumbriculus variegatus as our model organism. DHEA inhibited Lumbriculus regeneration, a result also observed in tadpole tails, which may suggest conserved regenerative mechanisms in vertebrates and invertebrates. Notably, we did not observe G6PD inhibition with DHEA treatment, suggesting that DHEA may be working through a G6PD-independent mechanism. .