Transcriptomic Analysis of Early Stages of Intestinal Regeneration in Holothuria glaberrima

We assembled and annotated a de novo transcriptome using RNA-seq data consisting of regenerating and non-regenerating intestinal tissues from the sea cucumber Holothuria glaberrima. Analysis of differential expression revealed a large number of differentially expressed transcripts associated with transcription factors with diverse expression patterns. Activity involving developmental and cancer-related events found in the analysis could be related to the regenerative process. Our study demonstrates the broad and diversified gene expression profile during the early stages of the process using the mesentery as the focal point of intestinal regeneration. It also establishes the genes that are the most important candidates in the cellular processes that underlie regenerative responses. Comparison of non-regenerating mesenteric tissues against 24 hour and 3 days regenerating intestine.