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Comparison of telomere length among different life cycle stages of the jellyfish Cassiopea andromeda

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Abstract

The polyp (scyphistoma) of the jellyfish Cassiopea andromeda reproduces asexually repeatedly, while the medusa, the sexually reproducing stage, exhibits a relatively shorter life span. As a first step to understand the mechanism behind the differences in the life spans of the polyp and medusa stages of the jellyfish, we compared the lengths of the telomere region of one targeted chromosome between the polyp and medusa stages using a modified single telomere length assay (STELA). The double-stranded regions of the telomeres were amplified by PCR, and the average length of the PCR products was estimated by densitometry analysis of the gel smear. Chromosomes within cells of the bell region of the medusa were characterized by longer telomeres than those of polyps, asexual propagules, or other regions of the medusa. This is the first study to estimate the telomere lengths of targeted chromosomes in a cnidarian and opens a way to understand the mechanism underlying different life spans of the polyp and medusa stages.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. N. Isomura for helpful suggestions at an early phase of this study. This study was supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research No. 20570093 (MH) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan and the twenty-first century Center of Excellence (COE) program of the University of the Ryukyus. We would like to thank anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marine and Environmental Science Course, Graduate School of Engineering and Science, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa, 903-0213, Japan

    Michiko C. Ojimi

  2. Department of Chemistry, Biology and Marine Science, Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa, 903-0213, Japan

    Michio Hidaka

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  1. Michiko C. Ojimi
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  2. Michio Hidaka
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Correspondence to Michio Hidaka.

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Communicated by R. H. Richmond.

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Ojimi, M.C., Hidaka, M. Comparison of telomere length among different life cycle stages of the jellyfish Cassiopea andromeda . Mar Biol 157, 2279–2287 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-010-1495-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-010-1495-4

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