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Hirasawa T, Kuratani S. Reply to: Palaeospondylus and the early evolution of gnathostomes. Nature 2023; 620:E23-E24. [PMID: 37612398 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06435-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuya Hirasawa
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
- Evolutionary Morphology Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research (CPR), Kobe, Japan.
| | - Shigeru Kuratani
- Evolutionary Morphology Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research (CPR), Kobe, Japan
- Laboratory for Evolutionary Morphology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR), Kobe, Japan
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Hirasawa T, Hu Y, Uesugi K, Hoshino M, Manabe M, Kuratani S. Morphology of Palaeospondylus shows affinity to tetrapod ancestors. Nature 2022; 606:109-112. [PMID: 35614222 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04781-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Palaeospondylus gunni, from the Middle Devonian period, is one of the most enigmatic fossil vertebrates, and its phylogenetic position has remained unclear since its discovery in Scotland in 1890 (ref. 1). The fossil's strange set of morphological features has made comparisons with known vertebrate morphotype diversity difficult. Here we use synchrotron radiation X-ray micro-computed tomography to show that Palaeospondylus was a sarcopterygian, and most probably a stem-tetrapod. The skeleton of Palaeospondylus consisted solely of endoskeletal elements in which hypertrophied chondrocyte cell lacunae, osteoids and a small fraction of perichondral bones developed. Despite the complete lack of teeth and dermal bones, the neurocranium of Palaeospondylus resembles those of stem-tetrapod Eusthenopteron2 and Panderichthys3, and phylogenetic analyses place Palaeospondylus in between them. Because the unique features of Palaeospondylus, such as the cartilaginous skeleton and the absence of paired appendages, are present in the larva of crown tetrapods, our study highlights an unanticipated heterochronic evolution at the root of tetrapods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuya Hirasawa
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
- Evolutionary Morphology Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research (CPR), Kobe, Japan.
| | - Yuzhi Hu
- Department of Materials Physics, Research School of Physics and Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Kentaro Uesugi
- Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI), Sayo-cho, Japan
| | - Masato Hoshino
- Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI), Sayo-cho, Japan
| | - Makoto Manabe
- Department of Geology and Paleontology, National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Shigeru Kuratani
- Evolutionary Morphology Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research (CPR), Kobe, Japan
- Laboratory for Evolutionary Morphology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR), Kobe, Japan
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Leurs N, Martinand-Mari C, Marcellini S, Debiais-Thibaud M. Parallel evolution of ameloblastic scpp genes in bony and cartilaginous vertebrates. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6582990. [PMID: 35535508 PMCID: PMC9122587 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
In bony vertebrates, skeletal mineralization relies on the secretory calcium-binding phosphoproteins (Scpp) family whose members are acidic extracellular proteins posttranslationally regulated by the Fam20°C kinase. As scpp genes are absent from the elephant shark genome, they are currently thought to be specific to bony fishes (osteichthyans). Here, we report a scpp gene present in elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) that evolved from local tandem duplication of sparc-L 5′ exons and show that both genes experienced recent gene conversion in sharks. The elasmobranch scpp is remarkably similar to the osteichthyan scpp members as they share syntenic and gene structure features, code for a conserved signal peptide, tyrosine-rich and aspartate/glutamate-rich regions, and harbor putative Fam20°C phosphorylation sites. In addition, the catshark scpp is coexpressed with sparc-L and fam20°C in tooth and scale ameloblasts, similarly to some osteichthyan scpp genes. Despite these strong similarities, molecular clock and phylogenetic data demonstrate that the elasmobranch scpp gene originated independently from the osteichthyan scpp gene family. Our study reveals convergent events at the sparc-L locus in the two sister clades of jawed vertebrates, leading to parallel diversification of the skeletal biomineralization toolkit. The molecular evolution of sparc-L and its coexpression with fam20°C in catshark ameloblasts provides a unifying genetic basis that suggests that all convergent scpp duplicates inherited similar features from their sparc-L precursor. This conclusion supports a single origin for the hypermineralized outer odontode layer as produced by an ancestral developmental process performed by Sparc-L, implying the homology of the enamel and enameloid tissues in all vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Leurs
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, ISEM, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Camille Martinand-Mari
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, ISEM, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Sylvain Marcellini
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Chile
| | - Mélanie Debiais-Thibaud
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, ISEM, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
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Romero A, Leurs N, Muñoz D, Debiais-Thibaud M, Marcellini S. Divergent Expression of SPARC, SPARC-L, and SCPP Genes During Jawed Vertebrate Cartilage Mineralization. Front Genet 2021; 12:788346. [PMID: 34899866 PMCID: PMC8656109 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.788346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
While cartilage is an ancient tissue found both in protostomes and deuterostomes, its mineralization evolved more recently, within the vertebrate lineage. SPARC, SPARC-L, and the SCPP members (Secretory Calcium-binding PhosphoProtein genes which evolved from SPARC-L) are major players of dentine and bone mineralization, but their involvement in the emergence of the vertebrate mineralized cartilage remains unclear. We performed in situ hybridization on mineralizing cartilaginous skeletal elements of the frog Xenopus tropicalis (Xt) and the shark Scyliorhinus canicula (Sc) to examine the expression of SPARC (present in both species), SPARC-L (present in Sc only) and the SCPP members (present in Xt only). We show that while mineralizing cartilage expresses SPARC (but not SPARC-L) in Sc, it expresses the SCPP genes (but not SPARC) in Xt, and propose two possible evolutionary scenarios to explain these opposite expression patterns. In spite of these genetic divergences, our data draw the attention on an overlooked and evolutionarily conserved peripheral cartilage subdomain expressing SPARC or the SCPP genes and exhibiting a high propensity to mineralize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Romero
- Laboratory of Development and Evolution (LADE), University of Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Nicolas Leurs
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, ISEM, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - David Muñoz
- Laboratory of Development and Evolution (LADE), University of Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Mélanie Debiais-Thibaud
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, ISEM, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Sylvain Marcellini
- Laboratory of Development and Evolution (LADE), University of Concepción, Concepción, Chile
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Johanson Z, Smith M, Sanchez S, Senden T, Trinajstic K, Pfaff C. Questioning hagfish affinities of the enigmatic Devonian vertebrate Palaeospondylus. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:170214. [PMID: 28791148 PMCID: PMC5541543 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.170214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Palaeospondylus gunni Traquair, 1890 is an enigmatic Devonian vertebrate whose taxonomic affinities have been debated since it was first described. Most recently, Palaeospondylus has been identified as a stem-group hagfish (Myxinoidea). However, one character questioning this assignment is the presence of three semicircular canals in the otic region of the cartilaginous skull, a feature of jawed vertebrates. Additionally, new tomographic data reveal that the following characters of crown-group gnathostomes (chondrichthyans + osteichthyans) are present in Palaeospondylus: a longer telencephalic region of the braincase, separation of otic and occipital regions by the otico-occipital fissure, and vertebral centra. As well, a precerebral fontanelle and postorbital articulation of the palatoquadrate are characteristic of certain chondrichthyans. Similarities in the structure of the postorbital process to taxa such as Pucapampella, and possible presence of the ventral cranial fissure, both support a resolution of Pa. gunni as a stem chondrichthyan. The internally mineralized cartilaginous skeleton in Palaeospondylus may represent a stage in the loss of bone characteristic of the Chondrichthyes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zerina Johanson
- Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Moya Smith
- Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
- Tissue Engineering and Biophotonics, Dental Institute, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Sophie Sanchez
- Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble, France
| | - Tim Senden
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Research School of Physics and Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Kate Trinajstic
- Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, Perth, Australia
| | - Cathrin Pfaff
- Department of Palaeontology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Evolutionary origin of endochondral ossification: the transdifferentiation hypothesis. Dev Genes Evol 2016; 227:121-127. [DOI: 10.1007/s00427-016-0567-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Hirasawa T, Oisi Y, Kuratani S. Palaeospondylus as a primitive hagfish. ZOOLOGICAL LETTERS 2016; 2:20. [PMID: 27610240 PMCID: PMC5015246 DOI: 10.1186/s40851-016-0057-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The taxonomic position of the Middle Devonian fish-like animal Palaeospondylus has remained enigmatic, due mainly to the inability to identify homologous cranial elements. This animal has been classified into nearly all of the major vertebrate taxa over a century of heuristic taxonomic research, despite the lack of conclusive morphological evidence. RESULTS Here we report the first comparative morphological analysis of hagfish embryos and Palaeospondylus, and a hitherto overlooked resemblance in the chondrocranial elements of these animals; i.e., congruence in the arrangement of the nasal capsule, neurocranium and mandibular arch-derived velar bar. The large ventral skeletal complex of Palaeospondylus is identified as a cyclostome-specific lingual apparatus. Importantly, the overall morphological pattern of the Palaeospondylus cranium coincides well with the cyclostome pattern of craniofacial development, which is not shared with that of crown gnathostomes. Previously, the presence of the vertebral column in Palaeospondylus made its assignment problematic, but the recent identification of this vertebral element in hagfish is consistent with an affinity between this group and Palaeospondylus. CONCLUSION These lines of evidence support the hagfish affinity of Palaeospondylus. Moreover, based on the less specialized features in its cranial morphology, we conclude that Palaeospondylus is likely a stem hagfish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuya Hirasawa
- Evolutionary Morphology Laboratory, RIKEN, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minami, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047 Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Oisi
- Development and Function of Inhibitory Neural Circuits, Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, FL 33458 USA
| | - Shigeru Kuratani
- Evolutionary Morphology Laboratory, RIKEN, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minami, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047 Japan
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