Fig. 8: Summary of gene and protein expression (A) and model of putative cell lineages deriving from the Vasa2+/Piwi1+ cell population (B).
From: A population of Vasa2 and Piwi1 expressing cells generates germ cells and neurons in a sea anemone
A Schematic summary of the ___location of vasa2 and piwi1 mRNA expression and the relative levels and locations of Vasa2, mOr2-Piwi1, vasa2::mOr2 and GFP(-P2A-Piwi1) proteins of different reporter lines in Vasa2+/Piwi1+ stem/progenitor (blue box), germ and potential somatic progeny cells. Fluorophores driven by sox(B)2, insm, prdm14 and elav1 partially co-localize with mOr2-Piwi1, vasa2::mOr2 and GFP(-P2A-Piwi1) in neuronal and possibly neuroglandular lineages. Based on our work, we hypothesize that all Vasa2 protein is asymmetrically retained in Vasa2+/Piwi1+ stem/progenitor cells and becomes undetectable in any somatic progeny cells. See also Source Data file for a detailed summary of gene and protein expression locations. B Hypothetical cell lineage relationships between an adult Vasa2+/Piwi1+ multipotent stem/progenitor cell population and their germinal and somatic progeny. The homo- or heterogeneity of the Vasa2+/Piwi1+ cell population, the potency of their individual cells and the precise lineages of their somatic progeny remain to be further investigated. Our data is however inconsistent with a model where post-larval Vasa2+/Piwi1+ cells consist solely of primordial germ cells as previously suggested33,56. Instead, our data suggests a model where the Vasa2+/Piwi1+ cell population not only generates germ cells, but also somatic progeny.
