MBL March Madness: Sea Lamprey

The sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) is an aggressive parasite that is considered a pest in many regions, including the U.S. Great Lakes. An ancient vertebrate, its lineage diverged from that of humans about 500 million years ago. Scientists study lampreys to help gain molecular understanding of human neurodegenerative disease and neurological disorders and to better understand the genetic basis of regeneration. The lamprey can fully regenerate its spinal cord even after it’s been severed — within 3 months the lamprey is swimming, burrowing, and flipping around again, as if nothing had happened. In 2019, scientists at the MBL’s Eugene Bell Center for Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering found that lampreys recover and regenerate just as impressively after a second complete spinal cord injury at the same location—opening up a new path for identifying pro-regenerative molecules and potential therapeutic targets for human spinal cord injury. 

Fun Facts: 

• In 2013, the sea lamprey became our earliest vertebrate ancestor to have its whole genome sequenced and assembled. 
• Although classified in the subphylum Vertebrata, this species does not have vertebrae and its entire skeleton is cartilaginous.
• Adult lampreys use their ‘sucker’ to attach to their host and rasp out a hole with their rough tongue. An anticoagulant in their saliva prevents the wounds from clotting.