Wnt Pathway in Sand Dollar Dendraster excentricus Clones

Abstract

Although regeneration has been described in many deuterstomes, little is known about the molecular pathways involved in regeneration and cloning in the echinoderms (Rychel and Swalla, 2008). Larval cloning occurs in the sand dollar Dendraster excentricus in the presence of predatory threat and food stress (Vaughn, 2007). The molecular pathways involved in the process of limb patterning in development and in cloning may be analogous (Mueoka and Bryant, 1982). The goal of this research project is to determine the role of Wnt expression in newly cloned larval Dendraster excentricus.