In the stories of classical mythology the hydra is a multi-headed monster, but it is also a real microscopic animal whose abilities to regenerate fascinate scientists, and a team of them at the University of Geneva has managed to make it develop two heads, like its fantastic namesake.
In a study published in the specialized magazine Science Advancesthe biochemistry team led by Aurélien Roux has shown that a hydra viridissmall aquatic animal of the jellyfish family, can grow two heads if it is cut longitudinally and pressure is applied to its body.
“Our work shows that topological defects in their microfilaments play a central role in the head regeneration, and act as mechanical organizers,” explained another of the team’s researchers, Yamini Ravichandran, in a statement from the Geneva university.
The scientists tried to eliminate these topological defects to try to see if the animal could still regenerate, and they found that the animal formed a toral or donut structure, which is not present in any animal organism and does not allow survival.
“These results offer new visions on the mechanical signals that guide tissue repair and regeneration, with potential implications for understanding morphogenesis in other organisms,” highlighted the scientific team.
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