# Molecular Mechanisms of the sea anemone stinging response

> **NIH NIH F31** · HARVARD UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $39,644

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Understanding the mechanisms by which cells detect, integrate, and respond to distinct signals
is of fundamental importance to biological systems. Cnidarians, such as jellyfish, hydroids, and
sea anemones, use specialized stinging cells called nematocytes to facilitate both sensation and
secretion involved with prey capture and defense. Mechanical and chemical signals
synergistically act on nematocytes to elicit rapid discharge of a hollow, barbed tubule
(nematocyst) to pierce and envenomate prey. Given the energetically expensive, single-use
nature of discharge, the mechanisms regulating this event must be tightly regulated but are not
understood. Thus, the nematocyte represents a unique system to probe how cells distinguish and
process salient signals to regulate organellar physiology and elicit a robust response.
Here, I will determine how environmental stimuli are filtered and integrated to activate nematocyte
discharge, as well as the receptors and transduction mechanisms used to produce an appropriate
behavioral response. I recently developed a patch-clamp electrophysiology preparation using
isolated nematocytes from the starlet sea anemone (Nematostella vectensis), which allows for
examination of the electrical properties of these cells, including those crticial for sensory
transduction and amplification. My preliminary experiments demonstrate that nematocytes
express a unique voltage-gated calcium conductance with biophysical properties that mediate
nematocyte activation only in response to the most salient environmental signals. Proposed
experiments will further examine the relationship between electrical signaling and discharge (Aim
1), the structural basis for the unique calcium channel properties (Aim 2), and the mechanisms
by which nematocytes detect and integrate sensory signals (Aim 3).
Proposed fellowship training leverages a diverse mentorship team to facilitate my multifaceted
research approach utilizing physiological, genetic, and behavioral analyses to provide insight into
mechanisms underlying signal transduction, filtering, and the coupling of sensory transduction to
organellar physiology. Thus, this research represents a foundational study using a unique model
organism to reveal molecular and cellular mechanisms broadly applicable to cell biology,
neuroscience, and evolution.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9992031
- **Project number:** 1F31NS117055-01
- **Recipient organization:** HARVARD UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Keiko Weir
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $39,644
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-04-02 → 2021-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9992031

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9992031, Molecular Mechanisms of the sea anemone stinging response (1F31NS117055-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9992031. Licensed CC0.

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