---
title: "Sea star larval blastema links wound signals to regeneration and developmental gene programs"
id: "biorxiv-18-a-blastema-in-sea-star-larvae-integrates-wound-signaling-to-drive-regeneration"
canonical_url: "https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/biorxiv-18-a-blastema-in-sea-star-larvae-integrates-wound-signaling-to-drive-regeneration"
content_type: "clinical_feed_article"
specialty: "General"
source_name: "bioRxiv (Biomedical Preprints)"
source_url: "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.20.752982v1?rss=1"
published_at: "2026-09-22T12:00:00.000Z"
evidence_level: "Verified Feed"
license: "CC-BY-NC-4.0 / Informational Use"
---
# Sea star larval blastema links wound signals to regeneration and developmental gene programs
## Provenance & Clinical Metadata
- **Canonical URL:** https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/biorxiv-18-a-blastema-in-sea-star-larvae-integrates-wound-signaling-to-drive-regeneration
- **Specialty:** [General](https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/general.md)
- **Primary Source:** bioRxiv (Biomedical Preprints)
- **Source URL:** [Original Journal Publication](https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.20.752982v1?rss=1)
- **Published At:** 2026-09-22T12:00:00.000Z
- **Evidence Rating:** Verified Feed
## Executive GIST (TL;DR)
- The study examines regeneration in larvae of the sea star Patiria miniata, addressing whether regeneration reuses developmental programs, invokes regeneration-specific mechanisms, or both. - Authors combined **single-nucleus transcriptomics** and **chromatin accessibility** profiling across development and regeneration to map molecular states. - They identify a **regeneration-induced blastema** cell state that is molecularly distinct from pre-existing larval populations and functions as the source of regenerated tissues. - Regeneration is associated with distinct classes of **regeneration-responsive enhancers**, including enhancers that are **regeneration-specific** and enhancers that are reused from development. - These enhancer classes link wound-induced signals to activation of gene regulatory networks (GRNs) during regeneration. - Analyses converge on regulatory programs associated with the transcription factor **Runx**, positioning Runx as a central node in the inferred regeneration GRN. - The authors describe a Runx-associated regulatory framework that explains the de novo appearance of **sox4+** cells during regeneration via novel deployment of developmentally shared enhancers. - The results provide a model for how wound signals specify regenerative cell states and how regeneration-specific and developmental GRNs may be coordinated to rebuild lost tissues. - This work was reported as a preprint and has not undergone peer review; additional details beyond the abstract (experimental parameters, sample numbers, or quantitative results) were not reported in the source document provided.
## Clinical Analysis & Structured Key Points
A blastema in sea star larvae integrates wound signaling to drive regeneration-specific and developmental gene expression patterns. | bioRxiv Skip to main content New Results A blastema in sea star larvae integrates wound signaling to drive regeneration-specific and developmental gene expression patterns. View ORCID Profile Jon Lee Andrade , View ORCID Profile Andrew Wolff , Lexi Rios , Adel Fergatova , View ORCID Profile Veronica Hinman doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.09.20.752982 Jon Lee Andrade 1 Marian University; Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site ORCID record for Jon Lee Andrade Andrew Wolff 2 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Catonsville, MD 21250, USA; Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site ORCID record for Andrew Wolff Lexi Rios 3 Carnegie Mellon U; Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Adel Fergatova 4 Carnegie Mellon U,Ohio State U; Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Veronica Hinman 5 University of Florida Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site ORCID record for Veronica Hinman For correspondence: veronica.hinman{at}ufl.edu Abstract Info/History Metrics Preview PDF Abstract Whether regeneration depends on the reactivation of developmental programs, regeneration-specific regulatory mechanisms, or both remains a central question in regeneration biology. Here, we investigate these processes in regenerating larvae of the sea star Patiria miniata, a deuterostome with robust regenerative capacity. By integrating single-nucleus transcriptomics with chromatin accessibility profiling across development and regeneration, we identify a regeneration-induced blastema cell state that is molecularly distinct from pre-existing larval populations and serves as the source of regenerated tissues. We show that regeneration is associated with distinct classes of regeneration-responsive enhancers, including regeneration-specific elements and enhancers reused from development, which link wounding signals to gene regulatory network (GRN) activation. These enhancer classes converge on regulatory programs associated with the transcription factor Runx, positioning Runx as a central node within the inferred regeneration GRN. Notably, we identify a Runx-associated regulatory framework that provides a mechanistic explanation for the de novo emergence of sox4⁺ cells during regeneration through novel deployment of developmentally shared enhancers. Together, our results provide a framework for how wound-induced signals specify regenerative cell states and how regeneration-specific and developmental gene regulatory networks may be coordinated to rebuild lost tissues. Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. Copyright The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission. Back to top Previous Next Posted September 22, 2026. Download PDF Email Thank you for your interest in spreading the word about bioRxiv. NOTE: Your email address is requested solely to identify you as the sender of this article. Your Email * Your Name * Send To * Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas. You are going to email the following A blastema in sea star larvae integrates wound signaling to drive regeneration-specific and developmental gene expression patterns. Message Subject (Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from bioRxiv Message Body (Your Name) thought you would like to see this page from the bioRxiv website. Your Personal Message CAPTCHA This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Share A blastema in sea star larvae integrates wound signaling to drive regeneration-specific and developmental gene expression patterns. Jon Lee Andrade , Andrew Wolff , Lexi Rios , Adel Fergatova , Veronica Hinman bioRxiv 2026.09.20.752982; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.09.20.752982 Share This Article: Copy Citation Tools A blastema in sea star larvae integrates wound signaling to drive regeneration-specific and developmental gene expression patterns. Jon Lee Andrade , Andrew Wolff , Lexi Rios , Adel Fergatova , Veronica Hinman bioRxiv 2026.09.20.752982; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.09.20.752982 Citation Manager Formats BibTeX Bookends EasyBib EndNote (tagged) EndNote 8 (xml) Medlars Mendeley Papers RefWorks Tagged Ref Manager RIS Zotero Tweet Widget Facebook Like Google Plus One Subject Areas All Articles Animal Behavior and Cognition (8019) Biochemistry (18749) Bioengineering (14905) Bioinformatics (44471) Biophysics (22615) Cancer Biology (19733) Cell Biology (26913) Clinical Trials (138) Developmental Biology (13974) Ecology (21013) Epidemiology (2067) Evolutionary Biology (25466) Genetics (16177) Genomics (23527) Immunology (18720) Microbiology (42540) Molecular Biology (18075) Neuroscience (93552) Paleontology (701) Pathology (2984) Pharmacology and Toxicology (5102) Physiology (8123) Plant Biology (16006) Scientific Communication and Education (2095) Synthetic Biology (4562) Systems Biology (10239) Zoology (2392)
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