Characterization of dermatan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate profiles during brain regeneration in Styela plicata
- 1Laboratório Integrado de Biociências Translacionais, Instituto de Biodiversidade e Sustentabilidade – NUPEM Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) Brazil
- 2Laboratório Integrado de Ciências Morfofuncionais, Instituto de Biodiversidade e Sustentabilidade – NUPEM Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) Brazil
- 3Laboratório do Tecido Conjuntivo, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica (IBqM) Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho Brazil
Abstract
Neuroregeneration is the ability of nervous tissue to renew itself after injury. This process is highly limited in mammals. In contrast, marine chordates such as ascidians display a remarkable regenerative capacity, making them valuable models to understand neural regeneration. This study investigated dermatan sulfate (DS) and chondroitin sulfate (CS) profiles during brain regeneration in the ascidian Styela plicata. Neurodegeneration was induced by 3‐acetylpyridine (3‐AP), after which neural complex (NC) analyses were conducted using histology, RT‐qPCR, liquid chromatography, behavioral testing, and phylogenetic methods at 1,5 and 10‐day postinjection. One day after treatment, the cerebral ganglion exhibited significant degeneration, followed by morphological and molecular recovery at 10 days, when neuronal and synaptic markers returned to control levels. Gene expression analyses revealed early upregulation of C‐6, C‐4, and C‐2 sulfotransferases in the final stage. For the first time, the presence of dermatan 2,6 sulfate (D2,6S) and chondroitin 4 sulfate (C4S) in the cortex of the cerebral ganglion was described and 2,6 sulfate disaccharides were found to make up the majority of the NC, emphasizing their relationship with regeneration. A behavioral test revealed that co‐injecting 3‐AP and D2,6S restored the compromised siphon movements. Finally, ascidian DS epimerase (DSE) was most closely related to vertebrate DSE type 2, which is found in the brains of mammals. Together, these results indicate that specific glycosaminoglycan sulfation patterns are dynamically regulated during neural regeneration in ascidians. This study provides new insights into the molecules and strategies promoting neuroregeneration in vertebrates and advances the field of regenerative medicine.
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BibTeX
@article{portal2026characterization,
title = {{Characterization of dermatan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate profiles during brain regeneration in Styela plicata}},
author = {Taynan Motta Portal and Samara de Oliveira Pimentel and Bruno da Costa Rodrigues and Mauro Sérgio Gonçalves Pavão and Rodrigo Nunes da Fonseca and Cintia Monteiro de Barros},
journal = {The Febs Journal},
year = {2026},
month = may,
doi = {10.1111/febs.70598},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/febs.70598},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Characterization of dermatan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate profiles during brain regeneration in Styela plicata
AU - Taynan Motta Portal
AU - Samara de Oliveira Pimentel
AU - Bruno da Costa Rodrigues
AU - Mauro Sérgio Gonçalves Pavão
AU - Rodrigo Nunes da Fonseca
AU - Cintia Monteiro de Barros
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/05/21
JO - The Febs Journal
DO - 10.1111/febs.70598
UR - https://doi.org/10.1111/febs.70598
AB - Neuroregeneration is the ability of nervous tissue to renew itself after injury. This process is highly limited in mammals. In contrast, marine chordates such as ascidians display a remarkable regenerative capacity, making them valuable models to understand neural regeneration. This study investigated dermatan sulfate (DS) and chondroitin sulfate (CS) profiles during brain regeneration in the ascidian Styela plicata. Neurodegeneration was induced by 3‐acetylpyridine (3‐AP), after which neural complex (NC) analyses were conducted using histology, RT‐qPCR, liquid chromatography, behavioral testing, and phylogenetic methods at 1,5 and 10‐day postinjection. One day after treatment, the cerebral ganglion exhibited significant degeneration, followed by morphological and molecular recovery at 10 days, when neuronal and synaptic markers returned to control levels. Gene expression analyses revealed early upregulation of C‐6, C‐4, and C‐2 sulfotransferases in the final stage. For the first time, the presence of dermatan 2,6 sulfate (D2,6S) and chondroitin 4 sulfate (C4S) in the cortex of the cerebral ganglion was described and 2,6 sulfate disaccharides were found to make up the majority of the NC, emphasizing their relationship with regeneration. A behavioral test revealed that co‐injecting 3‐AP and D2,6S restored the compromised siphon movements. Finally, ascidian DS epimerase (DSE) was most closely related to vertebrate DSE type 2, which is found in the brains of mammals. Together, these results indicate that specific glycosaminoglycan sulfation patterns are dynamically regulated during neural regeneration in ascidians. This study provides new insights into the molecules and strategies promoting neuroregeneration in vertebrates and advances the field of regenerative medicine.
SN - 1742-464X
SN - 1742-4658
ER -