{
  "abstract": "Many tissues harbor quiescent stem cells that activate after injury, yet how local signals regulate this transition is not well understood. The solitary ascidian Ciona robusta provides a unique model, as bottom body fragments regenerate while upper fragments fail to do so. By comparing these regenerative and non-regenerative contexts, we reveal striking differences in transcriptional dynamics and signaling environments. Combining flow cytometry, scRNA-seq, transplantation, and fate mapping, we identified a candidate stem cell population with robust proliferative and differentiation potential following transplantation. However, regenerative capacity does not simply reflect stem cell abundance, but instead depends on region-specific signaling cues. Local expression of metabolic, immune and differentiation-related factors further underscores the importance of spatially distinct environments in shaping outcomes. Our findings show how a shared injury response is associated with divergent regenerative outcomes, highlighting principles that may inform strategies to enhance tissue repair in other systems.\n\nMany tissues harbor quiescent stem cells that are activated upon injury, yet how local signals regulate this transition remains unclear. This study shows that there are significant differences in the injury response by a stem cell population depending on region-specific signalling cues in the tunicate Ciona robusta.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America",
    "Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, California, United States of America",
    "Biology Department, Padova University, Padova, Italy",
    "Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America",
    "The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cells, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel"
  ],
  "article_type": "Research Article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 8,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Tal Gordon"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Tom Levy"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Chester Jiamu Yu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Benyamin Rosental"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Lauren Lubeck"
    },
    {
      "name": "Lucia Manni"
    },
    {
      "name": "Irving L. Weissman"
    },
    {
      "name": "Ayelet Voskoboynik"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7a9b6t57ms018.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1371/journal.pbio.3004000",
  "fulltext_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3004000",
  "id": "7a9b6t57ms018",
  "issns": [
    "1545-7885"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3004000",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "1312|Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Cell biology/Cellular types/Animal cells/Blood cells/White blood cells/Phagocytes"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Cell biology/Cellular types/Animal cells/Immune cells/White blood cells/Phagocytes"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Cell biology/Cellular types/Animal cells/Stem cells"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Cell biology/Signal transduction/Cell signaling/Signaling cascades/MAPK signaling cascades"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Computational biology/Genome analysis/Gene ontologies"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Developmental biology/Cell differentiation"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Developmental biology/Morphogenesis/Regeneration"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Developmental biology/Organism development/Regeneration"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Genetics/Gene expression"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Genetics/Genomics/Genome analysis/Gene ontologies"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Immunology/Immune cells/White blood cells/Phagocytes"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Immunology/Immune cells/White blood cells/Phagocytes"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Surgical and invasive medical procedures/Blood and lymphatic system procedures/Stem cell transplantation"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Surgical and invasive medical procedures/Transplantation/Cell transplantation/Stem cell transplantation"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7213532123",
  "pdf_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3004000&type=printable",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-18",
  "publisher": "Public Library of Science",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7a9b6t57ms018.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:43Z",
      "native_id": "10.1371/journal.pbio.3004000",
      "source": "plos",
      "url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3004000"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "plos:cell biology",
      "subfield": "cell-biology"
    },
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "plos:stem cells",
      "subfield": "developmental-biology"
    },
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "plos:immunology",
      "subfield": "immunology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Regional signaling controls stem cell-mediated regeneration in an invertebrate chordate",
  "title_text": "Regional signaling controls stem cell-mediated regeneration in an invertebrate chordate",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:49Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7a9b6t57ms018",
  "venue": "PLOS Biology",
  "versions": []
}