The formation of the germ line in an embryo marks a fresh round of reproductive potential. The developmental stage and location within the embryo where the primordial germ cells (PGCs) form, however, differs markedly among species. In many animals, the germ line is formed by an inherited mechanism, in which molecules made and selectively partitioned within the oocyte drive the early development...

The study of regeneration in armed echinoderm species, including crinoids, ophiuroids and asteroids, is attracting increasing attention. Recent interest has focused on the presence and potential role of growth factors, including members of the nerve growth factor (NGF) and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) families, in the regenerative process and their possible relationship to the nor...

Neuropeptides are evolutionarily ancient mediators of neuronal signalling that regulate a wide range of physiological processes and behaviours in animals. Neuropeptide signalling has been investigated extensively in vertebrates and protostomian invertebrates, which include the ecdysozoans Drosophila melanogaster (Phylum Arthropoda) and Caenorhabditis elegans (Phylum Nematoda). However, until re...

Vasa, a DEAD box helicase, is a germline marker that may also function in multipotent cells. In the embryo of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, Vasa protein is posttranscriptionally enriched in the small micromere lineage, which results from two asymmetric cleavage divisions early in development. The cells of this lineage are subsequently set aside during embryogenesis for use in co...

Organisms of the phylum Echinodermata show some of the most impressive regenerative feats within the animal kingdom. Following injury or self-induced autotomy, species in this phylum can regenerate most tissues and organs, being the regeneration of the muscular systems one of the best studied. Even though echinoderms are closely related to chordates, they are little known in the biomedical fiel...

It has been challenging to establish the mechanisms that link ecosystem functioning to environmental and resource variation, as well as community structure, composition, and compensatory dynamics. A compelling hypothesis of compensatory dynamics, known as "zero-sum" dynamics, is framed in terms of energy resource and demand units, where there is an inverse link between the number of individuals...