Gene expression and regeneration in ophiuroids: A study of transcriptional activity and regeneration in the temperate Amphiura filiformis and Antarctic Ophionotus victoriae

Sammanfattning: Regeneration, in which lost or damaged tissues are re-grown, is a common phenomenon amongst animals and especially so within the ophiuroids (brittle stars) of the phylum echinodermata. The process of regeneration begins with the injury event followed by a period of cell and tissue reorganization which results in wound healing and tissue re-growth. The genetic programme of regeneration is complex and poorly understood, however the role of gene expression is becoming increasingly well characterised. The goal of this thesis was to identify genes that are transcribed during the process of regeneration in ophiuroids to determine the pathways and gene families active during the various stages of regeneration. By developing and adapting high throughput genomic techniques for use with ophiuroids the investigation of ophiuroid regeneration was taken from the single gene to whole transcriptome studies. This effort was carried out in two diverse ophiuroid species; the Antarctic Ophionotus