Publications and Patents

Refereed Journals:

Barak N. , Brekhman V., Aharonovich D., Lotan T., Sher D. Jellyfish blooms through the microbial lens: temporal changes, cross-species and jellyfish-water comparisons. Environmental Microbiome 20, 49 2025. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40793-025-00714-5
Park, P., Barak, N., Lotan T., Yossifon, G. Biohybrid microrobots based on jellyfish stinging capsules and Janus particles for in vitro deep‐tissue drug penetration. Small Science 2025 ; DOI: 10.1002/smsc.202400551
Malul, D., Berman, H., Solodoch, A., Tal, O., Barak, N#., Mizrahi, G., Berenshtein, I., Toledo, Y., Lotan, T., Sher, D., Shavit, U., Lehann, Y. Directional swimming patterns in jellyfish aggregations. Current Biology, 34 2024; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2024.07.038
Maor-Landaw, K., Smirnov, M., and Lotan, T. The tilapia cyst tissue enclosing the proliferating Myxobolus bejeranoi parasite exhibits cornified structure and immune barrier function Int. J. Mol. Sci. 25 , 5683, 2024 ; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25115683
Salti, B., Atkinson, S.D., Brekhman, V., Smirnov, M., and Lotan, T. Exotic myxozoan parasites establish complex life cycles in farm pond aquaculture. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. 204: 2024 ; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jip.2024.108105
Diamant, R., Alexandri, T., Barak, N. and Lotan, T. A remote sensing approach for exploring the dynamics of jellyfish, relative to the water current. Sci Rep 13, 14769 2023; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-41655-8
Maor-Landaw, K., Avidor, I., Rostowsky, N., Salti, B., Smirnov, M., Ofek-Lalzar, M., Brekhman, V., Levin, L. & Lotan, T. The Molecular Mechanisms Employed by the Parasite Myxobolus bejeranoi (Cnidaria: Myxozoa) from Invasion through Sporulation for Successful Proliferation in Its Fish Host. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 24 , 12824, 2023; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241612824
Maor-Landaw, K., Avidor, I., Salti, B., Smirnov, M., Brekhman, V., & Lotan, T. The myxozoan parasite Myxobolus bejeranoi (Cnidaria: Myxozoa) infection dynamics and host specificity in hybrid tilapia aquaculture. Parasitology, 1-7, 2023; doi:10.1017/S0031182023000240
Barak N, Fadeev E, Brekhman V, Aharonovich D, Lotan T, Sher D. Selecting 16S rRNA Primers for Microbiome Analysis in a Host–Microbe System: The Case of the Jellyfish Rhopilema nomadica. Microorganisms 11, 955, 2023; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11040955
Nadir E, Lotan T, Benayahu Y. Xenia umbellata (Octocorallia); a novel model organism for studying octocoral regeneration ability. Frontiers in Marine Science.;10:143, 2023; doi:10.3389/fmars.2023.1021679

Spores developed in worm

ISH of M. bejeranoi

Shlosberg, Y., Brekhman, V., Lotan, T., and Sepunaru, L. Direct Electricity Production from Nematostella and Arthemia’s Eggs in a Bio-Electrochemical Cell. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 23, 15001, 2022; . https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232315001
Maor-Landaw, K., Smirnov, M., Brekhman, V., Ofek-Lalzar, M., Yahav, T., Lotan, T. Infection by the parasite Myxobolus bejeranoi (Cnidaria: Myxozoa) suppresses the immune system of hybrid tilapia. Microorganisms 10:1893 2022; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10101893

Harbuzov, Z. , Farberova, V., Tom, M, Pallavicini, A., Stanković , D., Lotan, T., Lubinevsky, H. Amplicon sequence variant-based meiofaunal community composition revealed by DADA2 tool is compatible with species composition. Marine Genomics 65 100980 2022; https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1fZAL6gHdlmTxB
Americus, B., Hams, N., Klompen, AML., Alama-Bermejo, G., Lotan. T., Bartholomew, JL., Atkinson, SD. The cnidarian parasite Ceratonova shasta utilizes inherited and recruited venom-like compounds during infection. PeerJ 9:e12606 2021; DOI 10.7717/peerj.12606
Baldassarre, L., Levy, S., Bar-Shalom, R., Steindler, L., Lotan, T., Fraune S. Contribution of maternal and paternal transmission to bacterial colonization in Nematostella vectensis. Frontiers in Microbiology 12:726795 2021; https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2021.726795
Reuven, S., Rinsky, M,. Brekhman, V., Malik, A. , Levy, O. and Lotan, T. Cellular pathways during spawning induction in the starlet sea anemone Nematostella vectensis . Scientific Reports, 11 2021; 10.1038/s41598-021-95033-3
Brekhman, V., Ofek-Lalzar, M., Atkinson, SD., Alama-Bermejo, G., Maor-Landaw, K., Malik, A., Bartholomew, JL., and Lotan, T. Proteomic analysis of the parasitic cnidarian Ceratonova shasta (Cnidaria: Myxozoa) reveals diverse roles of actin in motility and spore formation. Frontiers in Marine Science, 8:632700, 2021; 10.3389/fmars.2021.632700
Levy, S., Brekhman, V., Bakhman, A., Malik, A., Sebé-Pedrós, A., Kosloff, M. and Lotan, T. Ectopic activation of GABAB receptors inhibits neurogenesis and metamorphosis in the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis. Nature Ecology and Evolution, 2021; https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-020-01338-3 or https://rdcu.be/b993L

Americus, B., Lotan, T. , Bartholomew, JL., Atkinson, SD. A comparison of the structure and function of nematocysts in free-living and parasitic cnidarians (Myxozoa). International Journal for Parasitology 50: 763-769, 2020; doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2020.04.012
Americus, B., Austin, B., Lotan, T., Bartholomew, JL., Atkinson, SD. In vitro and in vivo assays reveal that sodium affects nematocyst discharge in a Myxozoan. Parasitology 1-28, 2020; doi.org/10.1017/S0031182020001158
Malul, D., Lotan, T., Makovsky, Y., Holzman, R., Shavit, U. The Levantine jellyfish Rhopilema nomadica and Rhizostoma pulmo swim faster against the flow than with the flow. Scientific Reports 9, 20337, 2019; doi:10.1038/s41598-019-56311-3 Read More...
Atkinson, S.D., Bartholomew, J.L., Lotan, T. Myxozoans: Ancient metazoan parasites find a home in phylum Cnidaria. Zoology 129, 66-68, 2018; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.zool.2018.06.005
Lövy, A., Smirnov M., Brekhman V., Ofek T., Lotan T. Morphological and molecular characterization of a novel myxosporean parasite Myxobolus bejeranoi n. sp.(Cnidaria: Myxosporea) from hybrid tilapia in Israel. Parasitology Research: 1-9, 2017; doi:10.1007/s00436-017-5725-2
Piriatinskiy, G., Atkinson, SD., Park S. , Morgenstern, D., Brekhman, V. , Yossifon, G., Bartholomew, JL., Lotan, T. Functional and proteomic analysis of Ceratonova shasta (Cnidaria: Myxozoa) polar capsules reveals adaptations to parasitism. Scientific Reports 7:9010, 2017; doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-09955-y
Agron, M., Brekhman, V., Morgenstern, D., Lotan, T. Regulation of AP-1 by MAPK signaling in metal-stressed sea anemone. Cell Physiol Biochem 42(3):952-964, 2017; https://doi.org/10.1159/000478678

Welcome Home Myxozoa

Park, S., Capelin, D., Piriatinskiy, G., Lotan, T., Yossifon, G. Dielectrophoretic characterization and isolation of jellyfish stinging capsules. Electrophoresis, 38:1996–2003, 2017; https://doi.org/10.1002/elps.201700072
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Park, S., Piriatinskiy, G., Zeevi, D., Ben-David, J., Yossifon, G., Shavit, U. and Lotan, T. The nematocyst’s sting is driven by the tubule moving front. Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 14: 20160917, 2017 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2016.0917 (For the movie please see this link).
Ben-David, J., Atkinson,SD., Pollak,Y., Yossifon, G., Shavit, U., Bartholomew, JL. and Lotan, T. Myxozoan polar tubules display structural and functional variation. Parasit Vectors, 9:549, 2016; doi: 10.1186/k016-1819-4 (open access).
Levitan S., Sher N., Brekhman V., Ziv T., Lubzens E. and Lotan T. The making of an embryo in a basal metazoan: proteomic analysis in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. Proteomics 2015.
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Brekhman, V., Malik, A., Haas, B., Sher, N. and Lotan, T. Transcriptome profiling of the dynamic life cycle of the scypohozoan jellyfish Aurelia aurita. BMC Genomics 16:74, 2015.
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Rachamim, T., Morgenstern, D., Aharonovich, D., Brekhman, V., Lotan, T and Sher, D. The dynamically-evolving nematocyst content of an Anthozoan, a Scyphozoan and a Hydrozoan. Molecular Biology and Evolution 32 (3) 740-753, 2015.
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Elran R., Raam M., Kraus R., Brekhman V., Sher N., Plaschkes, I., Califa-Capsi V., Lotan T. Early and late response of Nematostella vectensis transcriptome to heavy metals. Molecular Ecology, 23:19 4722-4736, 2014
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Hensel, K, Lotan, T, Sanders, S.M, Cartwright, P. and Frank U. Lineage-specific evolution of cnidarian Wnt ligand. Evolution & Development, 16:5, 259–269, 2014.
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Tal. Y, Sharaev, A, Kazir Z, Brekhman, V., Lotan, T. Continuous Drug Release by Sea Anemone Nematostella vectensis Stinging Microcapsules. Marine Drugs 12(2): 734-745, 2014.
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Lotan, T. Chalifa-Caspi V., Ziv T, Brekhman V, Gordon MM, Admon A, Lubzens E. Evolutionary conservation of the mature oocyte proteome. EuPA Open Proteomics 3: 27-36, 2014.
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Shaoul, E., Ayalon, A., Tal. Y., & Lotan, T. Transdermal Delivery of Scopolamine by Natural Submicron Injectors: In-Vivo Study in Pig PloS ONE 7(2) e31922, 2012.
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Yoffe, C., Lotan, T., Benayhu, Y. A modified view on Octocorals: Heteroxenia ‎fuscescenes nematocysts are diverse featuring ancestral and novel type. PLoS ONE 7(2):e31902, 2012.
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Ayalon, A., Schichor I., Tal Y. and Lotan, T. Immediate topical drug delivery by natural submicron injectors. Int J Pharm 419:147-153, 2011.
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Lotan, T. Ohto, M-A., Matsudaria Yee, K., West, M.A.L., Lo, R. Kwong, R.W. Yamagishi, K., Fischer, R.L., Goldberg, R.B. and Harada, J.J. Arabidopsis LEAFY COTYLEDON1 is sufficient to induce embryo development in vegetative cells. Cell 93:1195-1205, 1998.
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Harada, J.J., Lotan, T., Fischer, R.L. and Goldberg, R.B. Embryos without sex. Trends Plant Sci. 3:452-453, 1998.
Hirschberg, J.,Cohen, M., Harker, M., Lotan,T., Mann, V. and Pecker, I. Molecular genetics of the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway in plants and algae. Pure & Appl. Chem. 69:2151-2158, 1997.
Lotan, T. and Hirschberg, J. Cloning an expression in Escherichia coli of the gene encoding b-C-4-oxygenase, that converts b-carotene to the ketocarotenoid cantahxanthin in Haematococcus pluvialis. FEBS 364:125-128, 1995.
Eyal-Giladi, H., Lotan, T., Levin,T., Avner, O. and Hochman, J. Avian marginal zone cells function as primitive streak inducers only after their migration into the hypoblast. Development 120:2501-2509, 1994.
Ori, N., Sessa, G., Lotan, T., Himmelhoch, S. and Fluhr, R. A major stylar matrix polypeptide (sp41) is a member of the pathogenesis-related proteins superclass. EMBO J. 9: 3429-3436, 1991.
Fluhr, R., G. Sessa, A. Sharon, N. Ori and T. Lotan. Pathogenesis-related proteins exhibit both pathogen-induced and developmental regulation. In: Proceedings of the 5th International Symp. on: Molecular Genetics of Plant-Microbe Interaction. Hennecke, H., ed. Kluwer Acad. Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands. 1:387-394, 1990.
Lotan, T. and Fluhr, R. Function and regulation accumulation of plant pathogenesis-related proteins. Symbiosis 8:33-46, 1990.
Lotan, T. and Fluhr, R. Xylanase, a Novel elicitor of pathogenesis-related proteins in tobacco, uses a non-ethylene pathways for induction. Plant Physiol. 93:811-817, 1990.
Lotan, T., Ori, N. and Fluhr, R. Pathogenesis-related proteins are developmentally regulated in tobacco flowers. Plant Cell 1:881-887, 1989.

Book Chapters:

Lotan, T., The effect of the jellyfish proliferation – ramifications on the national level. In: Maritime Strategic Evaluation for Israel 2018/19 Horev, S. & Gonen, A. (eds.) 269-279, 2019.
Lotan, T., Tal. Y., Ayalon, A. Fast acting topical hydrophilic drug delivery via a natural nano-injection system. In: Percutaneous Penetration Enhancers Physical Methods in Penetration Enhancement, Dragicevic-Curic, N. & Maibach, H. I. (eds.) (Springer Berlin Heidelberg). Chap: 21 343-350, 2017.
Lotan T. Leveraging nematocysts toward human care. The Cnidaria, past, present and future, The world of Medusa and her sisters. 1st edition. Goffredo, G. and Dubinsky, Z. (eds). (Springer International Publishing). Chap: 42 683-690, 2016
Lotan, T, Jellyfish a winning structure. In: The Glory of the Sea: Stability and Change in the Aquatic Systems of Israel, 1st edition, Stambler,N., Lotan, T., Goodman, B., Berman-Frank, I. (Eds.), Chap 14:158-166, 2013.
Lotan, T. Immediate topical drug delivery using natural nano-injectors. In: Modified Release Drug Delivery Technology, 2nd edition, Hadgraft J., Rathbone M. and Lane M. (Eds.), 2008.
Lotan, T. Natural nano-injectors as a vehicle for novel topical drug delivery. In: Precutaneous absorption, 4th edition, Bronaugh, R. L. & Maibach, H. I. (Eds.), 2005.

Edited Books:

The Glory of the Sea: Stability and Change in the Aquatic Systems of Israel, 1st edition, Stambler,N., Lotan, T., Goodman, B., Berman-Frank, I. (eds) , 2013. See the book...

Guest Editor:

Benayahu, Y., Levy, O. and Lotan, T. Coelenterate Biology: Advanced studies on Cnidaria and Ctenophora- special volume in the Hydrobiologia journal- 759:1-2. 2015

Patents Granted:

Lotan, T. and Eckhouse, S. Methods, compositions and devices utilizing stinging cells/capsules for conditioning a tissue prior to delivery of an active agent. EP patent EP 1956894, 2016
Lotan, T. and Eckhouse, S. Methods, compositions and devices utilizing stinging cells/capsules for conditioning a tissue prior to delivery of an active agent. US patent 8,834,862, 2014
Lotan, T. and Eckhouse, S. Methods compositions and devices utilizing stinging cells/capsules for delivering a therapeutic or a cosmetic agent into a tissue. Israel patent 199236, 2014
Lotan, T. and Eckhouse, S. Methods compositions and devices utilizing stinging cells/capsules for delivering a therapeutic or a cosmetic agent into a tissue. US Patent 8,486,441, 2013.
Lotan, T. and Eckhouse, S. Methods compositions and devices utilizing stinging cells/capsules for delivering a therapeutic or a cosmetic agent into a tissue. US patent 8,297,912, 2012.
Lotan, T., Eckhouse, S., Shaoul, E. Stinging cells expressing an exogenous polynucleotide encoding a therapeutic, diagnostics or a cosmetic agent and methods compositions and devices utilizing such stinging cells or capsules derive there from for delivering the therapeutic, diagnostic or cosmetic agent into a tissue. US patent 8,337,868, 2012.
Lotan, T., and Eckhouse, S. Methods compositions and devices utilizing stinging cells/capsules for delivering a therapeutic or a cosmetic agent into a tissue. EP patent 1379127.
Lotan, T. and Eckhouse, S. Use of stinging cells/capsules for the delivery of active agents to keratinous substances. US patent 7,998,509, 2011.
Lotan, T., Eckhouse S., Shaoul, E. Stinging cells expressing an exogenous polynucleotide encoding a therapeutic, diagnostics or a cosmetic agent and methods compositions and devices utilizing such stinging cells or capsules derive there from for delivering the therapeutic, diagnostic or cosmetic agent into a tissue. Israel patent 2003164191, 2011.
Lotan, T. and Eckhouse, S. Methods compositions and devices utilizing stinging cells/capsules for delivering a therapeutic or a cosmetic agent into a tissue. US patent 8,062,660, 2011.
Lotan, T. and Eckhouse, S. Compositions of matter and pharmaceutical compositions comprising stinging capsules and cosmetic agents. Israel patent 2001155097, 2011.
Lotan, T. and Eckhouse, S. Use of stinging cells/capsules for the delivery of active agents to keratinous substances. US patent 7,998,509, 2011.
Lotan, T. and Eckhouse, S. Use of stinging cells/capsules for the delivery of active agents to keratinous substances. US patent 7,632,522, 2009.
Lotan, T., Eckhouse, S., Shaoul, E. Stinging cells expressing an exogenous polynucleotide encoding a therapeutic, diagnostics or a cosmetic agent and methods compositions and devices utilizing such stinging cells or capsules derive there from for delivering the therapeutic, diagnostic or cosmetic agent into a tissue. US patent 7,611,723, 2009.
Lotan, T., Eckhouse S., Shaoul, E. Stinging cells expressing an exogenous polynucleotide encoding a therapeutic, diagnostics or a cosmetic agent and methods compositions and devices utilizing such stinging cells or capsules derive there from for delivering the therapeutic, diagnostic or cosmetic agent into a tissue. EP patent 1519755 2008.
Lotan, T. and Eckhouse, S. Methods compositions and devices utilizing stinging cells/capsules for delivering a therapeutic or a cosmetic agent into a tissue. US patent 7,338,665, 2008.
Lotan, T. and Eckhouse, S. Methods compositions and devices utilizing stinging cells/capsules for delivering therapeutic or a cosmetic agent into a tissue. US patent 6,923,976, 2005.
Hirschberg, J. and Lotan, T. Polynucleotide molecule from Haematococcus pluvialis encoding a polypeptide having a beta-C-4-oxygenase activity for biotechnological production of (3S, 3'S) astaxanthin and its specific expression in chromoplasts of higher plants. US patent 6,903,245, 2005.
Harada, JJ, Lotan, T., Ohto, M-a., Goldberg, RB, Fischer, RL. Leafy cotyledon1 genes and their uses. US patent 6,781,035, 2004.
Harada, JJ., Lotan, T., Ohto, M-a., Goldberg, RB, Fischer, RL. Leafy cotyledon1 genes and their uses. US patent 6,545,201, 2003.
Lotan, T. and Eckhouse, S. Methods utilizing stinging cells/capsules. US patent 6,613,344, 2003.
Harada, JJ., Lotan T., Ohto, M-a., Goldberg, RB., Fischer, RL. Leafy cotyledon genes and their uses. US patent 6,320,102, 2001.
Harada, JJ., Lotan T., Ohto, M-a., Goldberg, RB., Fischer, RL. Leafy cotyledon1 genes and methods of modulating embryo development in transgenic plants. US patent 6,235,975, 2001.
Hirschberg, J. and Lotan, T. Polynucleotide molecule from Haematococcus pluvialis encoding a polypeptide having a beta-C-4-oxygenase activity for biotechnological production of (3S, 3'S) astaxanthin and its specific expression in chromoplasts of higher plants. US patent 6,218,599, 2001.
Hirschberg, J. and Lotan, T. Polynucleotide molecule from Haematococcus pluvialis encoding a polypeptide having a beta-C-4-oxygenase activity for biotechnological production of (3S, 3'S) astaxanthin and its specific expression in chromoplasts of higher plants. US patent 5,965,795, 1999.
Hirschberg, J. and Lotan, T. Polynucleotide molecule from Haematococcus pluvialis encoding a polypeptide having a beta-C-4-oxygenase activity for biotechnological production of (3S,3S) astaxanthin. US patent 5,916,791, 1999.