This developmental feature underlies diverse phenomena, such as secondary outgrowth formation 4, asexual reproduction 5, and branching in colonial species 6. Similar to plants, these early-branching animals can generate organs and body axes throughout their entire life. These findings show an unexpected plasticity of tentacle development, and link post-embryonic body patterning with food availability.Ĭnidarians such as sea anemones, corals, and hydrozoans have continuous developmental capacities 1, 2, 3. Interestingly, Fgfrb-dependent polarized growth is observed in polyp but not embryonic tentacle primordia. Using a combination of genetic, cellular and molecular approaches, we demonstrate that the crosstalk between Target of Rapamycin (TOR) and Fibroblast growth factor receptor b ( Fgfrb) signaling in ring muscles defines tentacle primordia in fed polyps. By analyzing over 1000 growing polyps, we find that tentacle progression is stereotyped and occurs in a feeding-dependent manner. Here we utilize the tentacles of the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis as an experimental paradigm for developmental patterning across distinct life history stages. How this developmental capacity copes with fluctuations of food availability and whether it recapitulates embryonic mechanisms remain poorly understood. In cnidarians, axial patterning is not restricted to embryogenesis but continues throughout a prolonged life history filled with unpredictable environmental changes.
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