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Özpolat BD. Annelids as models of germ cell and gonad regeneration. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART B, MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2024; 342:126-143. [PMID: 38078561 PMCID: PMC11060932 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.23233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Germ cells (reproductive cells and their progenitors) give rise to the next generation in sexually reproducing organisms. The loss or removal of germ cells often leads to sterility in established research organisms such as the fruit fly, nematodes, frog, and mouse. The failure to regenerate germ cells in these organisms reinforced the dogma of germline-soma barrier in which germ cells are set-aside during embryogenesis and cannot be replaced by somatic cells. However, in stark contrast, many animals including segmented worms (annelids), hydrozoans, planaria, sea stars, sea urchins, and tunicates can regenerate germ cells. Here I review germ cell and gonad regeneration in annelids, a rich history of research that dates back to the early 20th century in this highly regenerative group. Examples include annelids from across the annelid phylogeny, across developmental stages, and reproductive strategies. Adult annelids regenerate germ cells as a part of regeneration, grafting, and asexual reproduction. Annelids can also recover germ cells after ablation of germ cell progenitors in the embryos. I present a framework to investigate cellular sources of germ cell regeneration in annelids, and discuss the literature that supports different possibilities within this framework, where germ-soma separation may or may not be preserved. With contemporary genetic-lineage tracing and bioinformatics tools, and several genetically enabled annelid models, we are at the brink of answering the big questions that puzzled many for over more than a century.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Duygu Özpolat
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, United States, United States
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2
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Popovic I, Bergeron LA, Bozec YM, Waldvogel AM, Howitt SM, Damjanovic K, Patel F, Cabrera MG, Wörheide G, Uthicke S, Riginos C. High germline mutation rates, but not extreme population outbreaks, influence genetic diversity in a keystone coral predator. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011129. [PMID: 38346089 PMCID: PMC10861045 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Lewontin's paradox, the observation that levels of genetic diversity (π) do not scale linearly with census population size (Nc) variation, is an evolutionary conundrum. The most extreme mismatches between π and Nc are found for highly abundant marine invertebrates. Yet, the influences of new mutations on π relative to extrinsic processes such as Nc fluctuations are unknown. Here, we provide the first germline mutation rate (μ) estimate for a marine invertebrate in corallivorous crown-of-thorns sea stars (Acanthaster cf. solaris). We use high-coverage whole-genome sequencing of 14 parent-offspring trios alongside empirical estimates of Nc in Australia's Great Barrier Reef to jointly examine the determinants of π in populations undergoing extreme Nc fluctuations. The A. cf. solaris mean μ was 9.13 x 10-09 mutations per-site per-generation (95% CI: 6.51 x 10-09 to 1.18 x 10-08), exceeding estimates for other invertebrates and showing greater concordance with vertebrate mutation rates. Lower-than-expected Ne (~70,000-180,000) and low Ne/Nc values (0.0047-0.048) indicated weak influences of population outbreaks on long-term π. Our findings are consistent with elevated μ evolving in response to reduced Ne and generation time length, with important implications for explaining high mutational loads and the determinants of genetic diversity in marine invertebrate taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iva Popovic
- School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Lucie A. Bergeron
- Villum Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Yves-Marie Bozec
- School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Samantha M. Howitt
- School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Frances Patel
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia
| | | | - Gert Wörheide
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Paleontology and Geobiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- GeoBio-Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Staatliche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns (SNSB)–Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie, Munich, Germany
| | - Sven Uthicke
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia
| | - Cynthia Riginos
- School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
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3
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Wang Y, Liu X, Zheng Y, Yang Y, Chen M. Endocrine regulation of reproductive biology in echinoderms: An evolutionary perspective from closest marine invertebrate relatives to chordates. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2024; 580:112105. [PMID: 37952726 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2023.112105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Echinoderms are a phylum of invertebrate deuterostomes, which contain echinoids, asteroids, holothuroids, crinoids, and ophiuroids. Echinoderms have special evolutionary position and unique characteristics, including pentamerous radial body structure, elaborate calcareous endoskeletons, and versatile water vascular system. Echinoderms exhibit extraordinarily diverse reproductive modes: asexual reproduction, sexual reproduction, sexual reversal, etc. Endocrine regulation plays important well-known roles in sex differentiation, gonadal development and maturation, gametogenesis, and reproductive behavior in vertebrates. However, the entire picture of reproductive endocrinology in echinoderms as an evolutionary model of the closest marine invertebrate relatives to chordates has not been revealed. Here, we reviewed previous and recent research progress on reproductive endocrinology in echinoderms, mainly including two sections: Sex steroids in echinoderms and neuropeptide regulation in echinoderm reproduction. This review introduces a variety of endocrine regulatory mechanisms in reproductive biology of echinoderms. It discusses the vertebrate-like sex steroids, putative steroidogenic pathway and metabolism, and reproduction-related neuropeptides. The review will provide a deeper understanding about endocrine regulatory mechanisms of gonadal development in lower deuterostomes and the application of endocrine control in economic echinoderm species in aquaculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixin Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Xinghai Liu
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Yingqiu Zheng
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Yujia Yang
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.
| | - Muyan Chen
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.
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4
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Tominaga H, Nishitsuji K, Satoh N. A single-cell RNA-seq analysis of early larval cell-types of the starfish, Patiria pectinifera: Insights into evolution of the chordate body plan. Dev Biol 2023; 496:52-62. [PMID: 36717049 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2023.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Ambulacrarians (echinoderms and hemichordates) are a sister group to chordates; thus, their larval cell-types may provide clues about evolution of chordate body plans. Although most genic information accumulated to date pertains to sea urchin embryogenesis, starfish embryogenesis represents a more ancestral mode than that of sea urchins. We performed single-cell RNA-seq analysis of cell-types from gastrulae and bipinnarial larvae of the starfish, Patiria pectinifera, and categorized them into 22 clusters, each of which is composed of cells with specific, shared profiles of development-relevant gene expression. Oral and aboral ectoderm, apical plate, hindgut or archenteron, midgut or intestine, pharynx, endomesoderm, stomodeum, and mesenchyme of the gastrulae, and neurons, ciliary bands, enterocoel and muscle of larvae were characterized by expression profiles of at least two relevant transcription factor genes and signaling molecular genes. Expression of Hox2, Hox7, Hox9/10, and Hox11/13b was detected in cells of clusters that form the larval enterocoel. By comparing homologous gene expression profiles in chordate embryos, we discuss and propose how the chordate body plan evolved from a deuterostome ancestor, from which the echinoderm body plan also evolved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hitoshi Tominaga
- Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan.
| | - Koki Nishitsuji
- Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan
| | - Noriyuki Satoh
- Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan.
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5
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Spurrell M, Oulhen N, Foster S, Perillo M, Wessel G. Gene regulatory divergence amongst echinoderms underlies appearance of pigment cells in sea urchin development. Dev Biol 2023; 494:13-25. [PMID: 36519720 PMCID: PMC9870932 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Larvae of the sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, have pigmented migratory cells implicated in immune defense and gut patterning. The transcription factor SpGcm activates the expression of many pigment cell-specific genes, including those involved in pigment biosynthesis (SpPks1 and SpFmo3) and immune related genes (e.g. SpMif5). Despite the importance of this cell type in sea urchins, pigmented cells are absent in larvae of the sea star, Patiria miniata. In this study, we tested the premises that sea stars lack genes to synthesize echinochrome pigment, that the genes are present but are not expressed in the larvae, or rather that the homologous gene expression does not contribute to echinochrome synthesis. Our results show that orthologs of sea urchin pigment cell-specific genes (PmPks1, PmFmo3-1 and PmMifL1-2) are present in the sea star genome and expressed in the larvae. Although no cell lineage homologous to migratory sea urchin pigment cells is present, dynamic gene activation accomplishes a similar spatial and temporal expression profile. The mechanisms regulating the expression of these genes, though, is highly divergent. In sea stars, PmGcm lacks the central role in pigment gene expression since it is not expressed in PmPks1 and PmFmo3-1-positive cells, and knockdown of Gcm does not abrogate pigment gene expression. Pigment genes are instead expressed in the coelomic mesoderm early in development before later being expressed in the ectoderm. These findings were supported by in situ RNA hybridization and comparative scRNA-seq analyses. We conclude that simply the coexpression of Pks1 and Fmo3 orthologs in cells of the sea star is not sufficient to underlie the emergence of the larval pigment cell in the sea urchin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxwell Spurrell
- Brown University, Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Nathalie Oulhen
- Brown University, Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Stephany Foster
- Brown University, Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Margherita Perillo
- Brown University, Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Gary Wessel
- Brown University, Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry, Providence, RI, USA.
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6
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Post-transcriptional regulation of factors important for the germ line. Curr Top Dev Biol 2022; 146:49-78. [PMID: 35152986 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2021.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Echinoderms are a major model system for many general aspects of biology, including mechanisms of gene regulation. Analysis of transcriptional regulation (Gene regulatory networks, direct DNA-binding of proteins to specific cis-elements, and transgenesis) has contributed to our understanding of how an embryo works. This chapter looks at post-transcriptional gene regulation in the context of how the primordial germ cells are formed, and how the factors essential for this process are regulated. Important in echinoderms, as in many embryos, is that key steps of fate determination are made post-transcriptionally. This chapter highlights these steps uncovered in sea urchins and sea stars, and links them to a general theme of how the germ line may regulate its fate differently than many of the embryo's somatic cell lineages.
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Perillo M, Swartz SZ, Wessel GM. A conserved node in the regulation of Vasa between an induced and an inherited program of primordial germ cell specification. Dev Biol 2022; 482:28-33. [PMID: 34863708 PMCID: PMC8761175 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are specified by diverse mechanisms in early development. In some animals, PGCs are specified via inheritance of maternal determinants, while in others, in a process thought to represent the ancestral mode, PGC fate is induced by cell interactions. Although the terminal factors expressed in specified germ cells are widely conserved, the mechanisms by which these factors are regulated can be widely diverse. Here we show that a post-translational mechanism of germ cell specification is conserved between two echinoderm species thought to employ divergent germ line segregation strategies. Sea urchins segregate their germ line early by an inherited mechanism. The DEAD-box RNA - helicase Vasa, a conserved germline factor, becomes enriched in the PGCs by degradation in future somatic cells by the E3-ubiquitin-ligase Gustavus (Gustafson et al., 2011). This post-translational activity occurs early in development, substantially prior to gastrulation. Here we test this process in germ cell specification of sea star embryos, which use inductive signaling mechanisms after gastrulation for PGC fate determination. We find that Vasa-GFP protein becomes restricted to the PGCs in the sea star even though the injected mRNA is present throughout the embryo. Gustavus depletion, however, results in uniform accumulation of the protein. These data demonstrate that Gustavus-mediated Vasa turnover in somatic cells is conserved between species with otherwise divergent PGC specification mechanisms. Since Gustavus was originally identified in Drosophila melanogaster to have similar functions in Vasa regulation (Kugler et al., 2010), we conclude that this node of Vasa regulation in PGC formation is ancestral and evolutionarily transposable from the ancestral, induced PGC specification program to an inherited PGC specification mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margherita Perillo
- Department of Molecular, Cellular Biology and Biochemistry, BioMed Division, Brown University, 185 Meeting Street, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - S Zachary Swartz
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, 455 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Gary M Wessel
- Department of Molecular, Cellular Biology and Biochemistry, BioMed Division, Brown University, 185 Meeting Street, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
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8
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Rosenberg E, Zilber-Rosenberg I. Reconstitution and Transmission of Gut Microbiomes and Their Genes between Generations. Microorganisms 2021; 10:microorganisms10010070. [PMID: 35056519 PMCID: PMC8780831 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10010070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 12/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbiomes are transmitted between generations by a variety of different vertical and/or horizontal modes, including vegetative reproduction (vertical), via female germ cells (vertical), coprophagy and regurgitation (vertical and horizontal), physical contact starting at birth (vertical and horizontal), breast-feeding (vertical), and via the environment (horizontal). Analyses of vertical transmission can result in false negatives (failure to detect rare microbes) and false positives (strain variants). In humans, offspring receive most of their initial gut microbiota vertically from mothers during birth, via breast-feeding and close contact. Horizontal transmission is common in marine organisms and involves selectivity in determining which environmental microbes can colonize the organism's microbiome. The following arguments are put forth concerning accurate microbial transmission: First, the transmission may be of functions, not necessarily of species; second, horizontal transmission may be as accurate as vertical transmission; third, detection techniques may fail to detect rare microbes; lastly, microbiomes develop and reach maturity with their hosts. In spite of the great variation in means of transmission discussed in this paper, microbiomes and their functions are transferred from one generation of holobionts to the next with fidelity. This provides a strong basis for each holobiont to be considered a unique biological entity and a level of selection in evolution, largely maintaining the uniqueness of the entity and conserving the species from one generation to the next.
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9
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Wessel GM, Morita S, Oulhen N. Somatic cell conversion to a germ cell lineage: A violation or a revelation? JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART B, MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2021; 336:666-679. [PMID: 32445519 PMCID: PMC7680723 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2019] [Revised: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The germline is unique and immortal (or at least its genome is). It is able to perform unique jobs (meiosis) and is selected for genetic changes. Part of being this special also means that entry into the germline club is restricted and cells of the soma are always left out. However, the recent evidence from multiple animals now suggests that somatic cells may join the club and become germline cells in an animal when the original germline is removed. This "violation" may have garnered acceptance by the observation that iPScells, originating experimentally from somatic cells of an adult, can form reproductively successful eggs and sperm, all in vitro. Each of the genes and their functions used to induce pluripotentiality are found normally in the cell and the in vitro conditions to direct germline commitment replicate conditions in vivo. Here, we discuss evidence from three different animals: an ascidian, a segmented worm, and a sea urchin; and that the cells of a somatic cell lineage can convert into the germline in vivo. We discuss the consequences of such transitions and provide thoughts as how this process may have equal precision to the original germline formation of an embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary M. Wessel
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Brown University, Providence RI 02912 USA
| | - Shumpei Morita
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Brown University, Providence RI 02912 USA
| | - Nathalie Oulhen
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Brown University, Providence RI 02912 USA
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Abstract
Echinoderms and especially echinoids have a rich history as model systems for the study of oogenesis, fertilization, and early embryogenesis. The ease of collecting and maintaining adults, as well as in obtaining gametes and culturing large quantities of synchronous embryos, is complemented by the ability to do biochemistry, reverse genetics, embryo manipulations and study gene regulatory networks. The diversity of species and developmental modes as well as unparalleled transparency in early developmental stages also makes echinoderms an excellent system in which to study evolutionary aspects of developmental biology. This chapter provides a practical guide to experimental methods for procuring adults and gametes, achieving synchronous in vitro fertilization, and culturing embryos through early larval stages for several echinoderm species representing four classes (Echinoidea, Asteroidea, Ophiuroidea, and Holothuroidea). We provide specific examples of protocols for obtaining adults and gametes and for culturing embryos of a selected number of species for experimental analysis of their development. The species were chosen to provide breadth across the phylum Echinodermata, as well as to provide practical guidelines for handling some of the more commonly studied species. For each species, we highlight specific advantages, and special note is made of key issues to consider when handling adults, collecting gametes, or setting and maintaining embryo cultures. Finally, information regarding interspecific crosses is provided.
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11
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Kawaguchi M, Sugiyama K, Matsubara K, Lin CY, Kuraku S, Hashimoto S, Suwa Y, Yong LW, Takino K, Higashida S, Kawamura D, Yu JK, Seki Y. Co-option of the PRDM14–CBFA2T complex from motor neurons to pluripotent cells during vertebrate evolution. Development 2019; 146:dev.168633. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.168633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Gene regulatory networks underlying cellular pluripotency are controlled by a core circuitry of transcription factors in mammals, including POU5F1. However, the evolutionary origin and transformation of pluripotency-related transcriptional networks have not been elucidated in deuterostomes. PR domain-containing protein 14 (PRDM14) is specifically expressed in pluripotent cells and germ cells, and required for establishing embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and primordial germ cells in mice. Here, we compared the functions and expression patterns of PRDM14 orthologues within deuterostomes. Amphioxus PRDM14 and zebrafish PRDM14, but not sea urchin PRDM14, compensated for mouse PRDM14 function in maintaining mouse ESC pluripotency. Interestingly, sea urchin PRDM14 together with sea urchin CBFA2T, an essential partner of PRDM14 in mouse ESCs, complemented the self-renewal defect in mouse Prdm14 KO ESCs. Contrary to the Prdm14-expression pattern in mouse embryos, Prdm14 was expressed in motor neurons of amphioxus embryos as observed in zebrafish embryos. Thus, Prdm14 expression in motor neurons was conserved in non-tetrapod deuterostomes and the co-option of the PRDM14-CBFA2T complex from motor neurons into pluripotent cells may have maintained the transcriptional network for pluripotency during vertebrate evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masanori Kawaguchi
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin Univerisity, Japan
| | - Kota Sugiyama
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin Univerisity, Japan
| | - Kazumi Matsubara
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin Univerisity, Japan
| | - Che-Yi Lin
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Shigehiro Kuraku
- Laboratory for Phyloinformatics, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minami, Kobe, 650-0047, Japan
| | - Shota Hashimoto
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin Univerisity, Japan
| | - Yoshiaki Suwa
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin Univerisity, Japan
| | - Luok Wen Yong
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Koji Takino
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin Univerisity, Japan
| | - Shota Higashida
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin Univerisity, Japan
| | - Daisuke Kawamura
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin Univerisity, Japan
| | - Jr-Kai Yu
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Yoshiyuki Seki
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin Univerisity, Japan
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12
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Fresques TM, Wessel GM. Nodal induces sequential restriction of germ cell factors during primordial germ cell specification. Development 2018; 145:dev155663. [PMID: 29358213 PMCID: PMC5825842 DOI: 10.1242/dev.155663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Specification of the germ cell lineage is required for sexual reproduction in animals. The mechanism of germ cell specification varies among animals but roughly clusters into either inherited or inductive mechanisms. The inductive mechanism, the use of cell-cell interactions for germ cell specification, appears to be the ancestral mechanism in animal phylogeny, yet the pathways responsible for this process are only recently surfacing. Here, we show that germ cell factors in the sea star initially are present broadly, then become restricted dorsally and then in the left side of the embryo where the germ cells form a posterior enterocoel. We find that Nodal signaling is required for the restriction of two germ cell factors, Nanos and Vasa, during the early development of this animal. We learned that Nodal inhibits germ cell factor accumulation in three ways including: inhibition of specific transcription, degradation of specific mRNAs and inhibition of tissue morphogenesis. These results document a signaling mechanism required for the sequential restriction of germ cell factors, which causes a specific set of embryonic cells to become the primordial germ cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara M Fresques
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, 185 Meeting St., Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Gary M Wessel
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, 185 Meeting St., Providence, RI 02912, USA
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13
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Oulhen N, Heyland A, Carrier TJ, Zazueta-Novoa V, Fresques T, Laird J, Onorato TM, Janies D, Wessel G. Regeneration in bipinnaria larvae of the bat star Patiria miniata induces rapid and broad new gene expression. Mech Dev 2016; 142:10-21. [PMID: 27555501 PMCID: PMC5154901 DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2016.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2016] [Revised: 08/12/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Some metazoa have the capacity to regenerate lost body parts. This phenomenon in adults has been classically described in echinoderms, especially in sea stars (Asteroidea). Sea star bipinnaria larvae can also rapidly and effectively regenerate a complete larva after surgical bisection. Understanding the capacity to reverse cell fates in the larva is important from both a developmental and biomedical perspective; yet, the mechanisms underlying regeneration in echinoderms are poorly understood. RESULTS Here, we describe the process of bipinnaria regeneration after bisection in the bat star Patiria miniata. We tested transcriptional, translational, and cell proliferation activity after bisection in anterior and posterior bipinnaria halves as well as expression of SRAP, reported as a sea star regeneration associated protease (Vickery et al., 2001b). Moreover, we found several genes whose transcripts increased in abundance following bisection, including: Vasa, dysferlin, vitellogenin 1 and vitellogenin 2. CONCLUSION These results show a transformation following bisection, especially in the anterior halves, of cell fate reassignment in all three germ layers, with clear and predictable changes. These results define molecular events that accompany the cell fate changes coincident to the regenerative response in echinoderm larvae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Oulhen
- Brown University, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, USA
| | - Andreas Heyland
- Brown University, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, USA; University of Guelph, Integrative Biology, Canada.
| | - Tyler J Carrier
- Brown University, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, USA; University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Department of Biological Sciences, USA
| | | | - Tara Fresques
- Brown University, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, USA
| | - Jessica Laird
- Brown University, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, USA
| | | | - Daniel Janies
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, USA
| | - Gary Wessel
- Brown University, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, USA.
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Zazueta-Novoa V, Onorato TM, Reyes G, Oulhen N, Wessel GM. Complexity of Yolk Proteins and Their Dynamics in the Sea Star Patiria miniata. THE BIOLOGICAL BULLETIN 2016; 230:209-19. [PMID: 27365416 PMCID: PMC5103698 DOI: 10.1086/bblv230n3p209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Oviparous animals store yolk proteins within the developing oocyte. These proteins are used in gametogenesis and as a nutritional source for embryogenesis. Vitellogenin and the major yolk protein are two of the most important yolk proteins among diverse species of invertebrates and vertebrates. Among the echinoderms, members of the subphyla Echinozoa (sea urchins and sea cucumbers) express the major yolk protein (MYP) but not vitellogenin (Vtg), while an initial report has documented that two Asterozoa (sea stars) express a vitellogenin. Our results show that sea stars contain two vitellogenins, Vtg 1 and Vtg 2, and MYP. In Patiria miniata, these genes are differentially expressed in the somatic and germ cells of the ovary: Vtg 1 is enriched in the somatic cells of the ovary but not in the oocytes, and Vtg 2 accumulates in both oocytes and somatic cells; MYP is not robustly present in either. Remarkably, Vtg 2 and MYP mRNA reappear in larvae; Vtg 2 is detected within cells of the ectoderm, and MYP accumulates in the coelomic pouches, the intestine, and the posterior enterocoel (PE), the site of germ line formation in this animal. Additionally, the Vtg 2 protein is present in oocytes, follicle cells, and developing embryos, but becomes undetectable following gastrulation. These results help elucidate the mechanisms involved in yolk dynamics, and provide molecular information that allows for greater understanding of the evolution of these important gene products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanesa Zazueta-Novoa
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, 185 Meeting Street, Box G-SFH, Providence, Rhode Island 02912; and
| | - Thomas M Onorato
- Department of Natural Sciences, LaGuardia Community College/CUNY, Room M207, 31-10 Thomson Avenue, Long Island City, New York 11101
| | - Gerardo Reyes
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, 185 Meeting Street, Box G-SFH, Providence, Rhode Island 02912; and Department of Natural Sciences, LaGuardia Community College/CUNY, Room M207, 31-10 Thomson Avenue, Long Island City, New York 11101
| | - Nathalie Oulhen
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, 185 Meeting Street, Box G-SFH, Providence, Rhode Island 02912; and
| | - Gary M Wessel
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, 185 Meeting Street, Box G-SFH, Providence, Rhode Island 02912; and
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Abstract
Primordial germ cells are usually made early in the development of an organism. These are the mother of all stem cells that are necessary for propagation of the species, yet use highly diverse mechanisms between organisms. How they are specified, and when and where they form, are central to developmental biology. Using diverse organisms to study this development is illuminating for understanding the mechanics these cells use in this essential function and for identifying the breadth of evolutionary changes that have occurred between species. This essay emphasizes how echinoderms may contribute to the patchwork quilt of our understanding of germ line formation during embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary M Wessel
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
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Gonadal transcriptomic analysis and differentially expressed genes in the testis and ovary of the Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). BMC Genomics 2015; 16:1006. [PMID: 26607692 PMCID: PMC4659196 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-2219-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2015] [Accepted: 11/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) is the world’s most prevalent cultured crustacean species. However, the supply of high-quality broodstocks is limited and baseline information related to its reproductive activity and molecular issues related to gonad development are scarce. In this study, we performed transcriptome sequencing on the gonads of adult male and female L. vannamei to identify sex-related genes. Results A total of 25.16 gigabases (Gb) of sequences were generated from four L. vannamei gonadal tissue libraries. After quality control, 24.11 Gb of clean reads were selected from the gonadal libraries. De-novo assembly of all the clean reads generated a total of 65,218 unigenes with a mean size of 1021 bp and a N50 of 2000 bp. A search of all-unigene against Nr, SwissProt, KEGG, COG and NT databases resulted in 26,482, 23,062, 20,659, 11,935 and 14,626 annotations, respectively, providing a total of 30,304 annotated unigenes. Among annotated unigenes, 12,320 unigenes were assigned to gene ontology categories and 20,659 unigenes were mapped to 258 KEGG pathways. By comparing the ovary and testis libraries, 19,279 testicular up-regulated and 3,529 ovarian up-regulated unigenes were identified. Enrichment analysis of differentially expressed unigenes resulted in 1060 significantly enriched GO terms and 34 significantly enriched KEGG pathways. Nine ovary-specific, 6 testis-specific, 45 testicular up-regulated and 39 ovarian up-regulated unigenes were then confirmed by semi-quantitative PCR and quantitative real-time PCR. In addition, using all-unigenes as a reference, a total of 13,233 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were identified in 10,411 unigene sequences. Conclusions The present study depicts the first large-scale RNA sequencing of shrimp gonads. We have identified many important sex-related functional genes, GO terms and pathways, all of which will facilitate future research into the reproductive biology of shrimp. We expect that the SSRs detected in this study can then be used as genetic markers for germplasm evaluation of breeding and imported populations. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-2219-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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