TY - JOUR T1 - Dynamics and variability in regenerative potential of neuronal subtypes in the <em>Nematostella</em> nerve net JF - bioRxiv DO - 10.1101/685917 SP - 685917 AU - Jamie A. Havrilak AU - Layla Al-Shaer AU - Nesli Akinci AU - Aldine Amiel AU - Eric Röttinger AU - Michael J. Layden Y1 - 2019/01/01 UR - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2019/06/28/685917.abstract N2 - The cell dynamics and responses of individual neuronal cell types during whole-body axis regeneration are not well understood in any system. We exploited transgenic technology to track individual neuronal subtypes within regenerating Nematostella vectensis nerve nets in vivo. Individual neuronal subtypes had specific responses that included always, never, and conditional regeneration. Regenerates were smaller than the pre-amputated animal, and the nerve net was reduced in neuronal number. The reduced nerve net in regenerates led us to investigate whether the nerve net scaled with changes in body size. Neuronal number decreased as animals shrunk in response to starvation. Conversely, neurons increased in fed animals as they increased in length. The increase and decrease of neurons was reversible by switching fed animals to starvation and vice versa. Regenerates and starved/fed animals with scaled-down or scaled-up nervous systems responded to external mechanical cues. These data suggest that the Nematostella nerve net is dynamic, capable of scaling with changes to overall body size, and that individual neuronal subtypes display differential regenerative potential which is likely linked to the scale-state of regenerating nervous system. ER -