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Cocurullo M, Paganos P, Benvenuto G, Arnone MI. Characterization of thyrotropin-releasing hormone producing neurons in sea urchin, from larva to juvenile. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1378520. [PMID: 38660219 PMCID: PMC11039832 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1378520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Most sea urchin species are indirect developers, going through a larval stage called pluteus. The pluteus possesses its own nervous system, consisting mainly of the apical organ neurons (controlling metamorphosis and settlement) and ciliary band neurons (controlling swimming behavior and food collection). Additional neurons are located in various areas of the gut. In recent years, the molecular complexity of this apparently "simple" nervous system has become apparent, with at least 12 neuronal populations identified through scRNA-sequencing in the species Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. Among these, there is a cluster of neurosecretory cells that produce a thyrotropin-releasing hormone-type neuropeptide (TRHergic) and that are also photosensory (expressing a Go-Opsin). However, much less is known about the organization of the nervous system in other sea urchin species. The aim of this work was to thoroughly characterize the localization of the TRHergic cells from early pluteus to juvenile stages in the Mediterranean sea urchin species Paracentrotus lividus combining immunostaining and whole mount in situ hybridization. We also compared the localization of TRHergic cells in early plutei of two other sea urchin species, Arbacia lixula and Heliocidaris tuberculata. This work provides new information on the anatomy and development of the nervous system in sea urchins. Moreover, by comparing the molecular signature of the TRHergic cells in P. lividus and S. purpuratus, we have obtained new insights how TRH-type neuropeptide signaling evolved in relatively closely related species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Maria Ina Arnone
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
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2
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Cocurullo M, Paganos P, Annunziata R, Voronov D, Arnone MI. Single-Cell Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals the Molecular Profile of Go-Opsin Photoreceptor Cells in Sea Urchin Larvae. Cells 2023; 12:2134. [PMID: 37681865 PMCID: PMC10486798 DOI: 10.3390/cells12172134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to perceive and respond to light stimuli is fundamental not only for spatial vision but also to many other light-mediated interactions with the environment. In animals, light perception is performed by specific cells known as photoreceptors and, at molecular level, by a group of GPCRs known as opsins. Sea urchin larvae possess a group of photoreceptor cells (PRCs) deploying a Go-Opsin (Opsin3.2) which have been shown to share transcription factors and morphology with PRCs of the ciliary type, raising new questions related to how this sea urchin larva PRC is specified and whether it shares a common ancestor with ciliary PRCs or it if evolved independently through convergent evolution. To answer these questions, we combined immunohistochemistry and fluorescent in situ hybridization to investigate how the Opsin3.2 PRCs develop in the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus larva. Subsequently, we applied single-cell transcriptomics to investigate the molecular signature of the Sp-Opsin3.2-expressing cells and show that they deploy an ancient regulatory program responsible for photoreceptors specification. Finally, we also discuss the possible functions of the Opsin3.2-positive cells based on their molecular fingerprint, and we suggest that they are involved in a variety of signaling pathways, including those entailing the thyrotropin-releasing hormone.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Maria Ina Arnone
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy; (M.C.); (P.P.); (R.A.); (D.V.)
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3
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Perillo M, Swartz SZ, Pieplow C, Wessel GM. Molecular mechanisms of tubulogenesis revealed in the sea star hydro-vascular organ. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2402. [PMID: 37160908 PMCID: PMC10170166 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37947-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
A fundamental goal in the organogenesis field is to understand how cells organize into tubular shapes. Toward this aim, we have established the hydro-vascular organ in the sea star Patiria miniata as a model for tubulogenesis. In this animal, bilateral tubes grow out from the tip of the developing gut, and precisely extend to specific sites in the larva. This growth involves cell migration coupled with mitosis in distinct zones. Cell proliferation requires FGF signaling, whereas the three-dimensional orientation of the organ depends on Wnt signaling. Specification and maintenance of tube cell fate requires Delta/Notch signaling. Moreover, we identify target genes of the FGF pathway that contribute to tube morphology, revealing molecular mechanisms for tube outgrowth. Finally, we report that FGF activates the Six1/2 transcription factor, which serves as an evolutionarily ancient regulator of branching morphogenesis. This study uncovers distinct mechanisms of tubulogenesis in vivo and we propose that cellular dynamics in the sea star hydro-vascular organ represents a key comparison for understanding the evolution of vertebrate organs.
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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.
- Marine Biological Laboratory, 7 MBL Street, Woods Hole, MA, 02543, USA.
| | - S Zachary Swartz
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, 455 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
- Marine Biological Laboratory, 7 MBL Street, Woods Hole, MA, 02543, USA
| | - Cosmo Pieplow
- Department of Molecular, Cellular Biology and Biochemistry, BioMed Division, Brown University, 185 Meeting Street, Providence, RI, 02912, 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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4
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Paganos P, Ullmann CV, Gaglio D, Bonanomi M, Salmistraro N, Arnone MI, Jimenez-Guri E. Plastic leachate-induced toxicity during sea urchin embryonic development: Insights into the molecular pathways affected by PVC. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 864:160901. [PMID: 36526210 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics are now polluting all seas and, while studies have found numerous negative interactions between plastic pollution and marine animals, the effects on embryonic development are poorly understood. A potentially important source of developmental ecotoxicity comes from chemicals leached from plastic particles to the marine environment. Here we investigate the effects of leachates from new and beach-collected pellets on the embryonic and larval development of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus and demonstrate that exposure of developing embryos to these leachates elicits severe, consistent and treatment-specific developmental abnormalities including radialisation of the embryo and malformation of the skeleton, neural and immune cells. Using a multi-omics approach we define the developmental pathways disturbed upon exposure to PVC leachates and provide a mechanistic view that pinpoints cellular redox stress and energy production as drivers of phenotypic abnormalities following exposure to PVC leachates. Analysis of leachates identified high concentrations of zinc that are the likely cause of these observed defects. Our findings point to clear and specific detrimental effects of marine plastic pollution on the development of echinoderms, demonstrating that chemicals leached from plastic particles into sea water can produce strong developmental abnormalities via specific pathways, and therefore have the potential to impact on a wide range of organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Periklis Paganos
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Naples, Italy.
| | - Clemens Vinzenz Ullmann
- Department for Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, UK.
| | - Daniela Gaglio
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology (IBFM), National Research Council (CNR), Segrate, Milan, Italy; ISBE, IT/Centre of Systems Biology-Elixir Infrastructure and NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy.
| | - Marcella Bonanomi
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy; ISBE, IT/Centre of Systems Biology-Elixir Infrastructure and NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy.
| | - Noemi Salmistraro
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology (IBFM), National Research Council (CNR), Segrate, Milan, Italy; ISBE, IT/Centre of Systems Biology-Elixir Infrastructure and NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy.
| | - Maria Ina Arnone
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Naples, Italy.
| | - Eva Jimenez-Guri
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Naples, Italy; Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, UK.
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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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Cocurullo M, Paganos P, Wood NJ, Arnone MI, Oliveri P. Molecular and Cellular Characterization of the TH Pathway in the Sea Urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. Cells 2023; 12:cells12020272. [PMID: 36672206 PMCID: PMC9856734 DOI: 10.3390/cells12020272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Thyroid Hormones (THs) are a class of signaling molecules produced by coupling iodine with tyrosine residues. In vertebrates, extensive data support their important role in a variety of processes such as metabolism, development and metamorphosis. On the other hand, in invertebrates, the synthesis and role of the THs have been, so far, poorly investigated, thus limiting our understanding of the function and evolution of this important animal signaling pathway. In sea urchins, for example, while several studies focused on the availability and function of external sources of iodotyrosines, preliminary evidence suggests that an endogenous TH pathway might be in place. Here, integrating available literature with an in silico analysis, various homologous genes of the vertebrate TH molecular toolkit have been identified in the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. They include genes involved in the synthesis (Sp-Pxdn), metabolism (Sp-Dios), transport (Sp-Ttrl, Sp-Mct7/8/10) and response (Sp-Thr, Sp-Rxr and Sp-Integrin αP) to thyroid hormones. To understand the cell type(s) involved in TH synthesis and/or response, we studied the spatial expression of the TH toolkit during urchin development. Exploiting single-cell transcriptomics data in conjunction with in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, we identified cell types that are potentially producing or responding to THs in the sea urchin. Finally, growing sea urchin embryos until the larva stage with and without a source of inorganic iodine, we provided evidence that iodine organification is important for larval skeleton growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cocurullo
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy
| | - Periklis Paganos
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy
| | - Natalie J. Wood
- Centre for Life’s Origins and Evolution, Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Maria I. Arnone
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy
- Correspondence: (M.I.A.); (P.O.)
| | - Paola Oliveri
- Centre for Life’s Origins and Evolution, Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Correspondence: (M.I.A.); (P.O.)
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7
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Schwaiger M, Andrikou C, Dnyansagar R, Murguia PF, Paganos P, Voronov D, Zimmermann B, Lebedeva T, Schmidt HA, Genikhovich G, Benvenuto G, Arnone MI, Technau U. An ancestral Wnt-Brachyury feedback loop in axial patterning and recruitment of mesoderm-determining target genes. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:1921-1939. [PMID: 36396969 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01905-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Transcription factors are crucial drivers of cellular differentiation during animal development and often share ancient evolutionary origins. The T-box transcription factor Brachyury plays a pivotal role as an early mesoderm determinant and neural repressor in vertebrates; yet, the ancestral function and key evolutionary transitions of the role of this transcription factor remain obscure. Here, we present a genome-wide target-gene screen using chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis, an early branching non-bilaterian, and the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, a representative of the sister lineage of chordates. Our analysis reveals an ancestral gene regulatory feedback loop connecting Brachyury, FoxA and canonical Wnt signalling involved in axial patterning that predates the cnidarian-bilaterian split about 700 million years ago. Surprisingly, we also found that part of the gene regulatory network controlling the fate of neuromesodermal progenitors in vertebrates was already present in the common ancestor of cnidarians and bilaterians. However, while several endodermal and neuronal Brachyury target genes are ancestrally shared, hardly any of the key mesodermal downstream targets in vertebrates are found in the sea anemone or the sea urchin. Our study suggests that a limited number of target genes involved in mesoderm formation were newly acquired in the vertebrate lineage, leading to a dramatic shift in the function of this ancestral developmental regulator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Schwaiger
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences,University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Carmen Andrikou
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Naples, Italy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Rohit Dnyansagar
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences,University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Patricio Ferrer Murguia
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences,University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Danila Voronov
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Naples, Italy
| | - Bob Zimmermann
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences,University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Tatiana Lebedeva
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences,University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Heiko A Schmidt
- Center for Integrative Bioinformatics Vienna, Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Grigory Genikhovich
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences,University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Ulrich Technau
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences,University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Research Platform 'Single Cell Regulation of Stem Cells', University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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8
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A New Model Organism to Investigate Extraocular Photoreception: Opsin and Retinal Gene Expression in the Sea Urchin Paracentrotus lividus. Cells 2022; 11:cells11172636. [PMID: 36078045 PMCID: PMC9454927 DOI: 10.3390/cells11172636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular research on the evolution of extraocular photoreception has drawn attention to photosensitive animals lacking proper eye organs. Outside of vertebrates, little is known about this type of sensory system in any other deuterostome. In this study, we investigate such an extraocular photoreceptor cell (PRC) system in developmental stages of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. We provide a general overview of the cell type families present at the mature rudiment stage using single-cell transcriptomics, while emphasizing the PRCs complexity. We show that three neuronal and one muscle-like PRC type families express retinal genes prior to metamorphosis. Two of the three neuronal PRC type families express a rhabdomeric opsin as well as an echinoderm-specific opsin (echinopsin), and their genetic wiring includes sea urchin orthologs of key retinal genes such as hlf, pp2ab56e, barh, otx, ac/sc, brn3, six1/2, pax6, six3, neuroD, irxA, isl and ato. Using qPCR, in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemical analysis, we found that the expressed retinal gene composition becomes more complex from mature rudiment to juvenile stage. The majority of retinal genes are expressed dominantly in the animals’ podia, and in addition to the genes already expressed in the mature rudiment, the juvenile podia express a ciliary opsin, another echinopsin, and two Go-opsins. The expression of a core of vertebrate retinal gene orthologs indicates that sea urchins have an evolutionarily conserved gene regulatory toolkit that controls photoreceptor specification and function, and that their podia are photosensory organs.
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9
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Paganos P, Ronchi P, Carl J, Mizzon G, Martinez P, Benvenuto G, Arnone MI. Integrating single cell transcriptomics and volume electron microscopy confirms the presence of pancreatic acinar-like cells in sea urchins. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:991664. [PMID: 36060803 PMCID: PMC9437490 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.991664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The identity and function of a given cell type relies on the differential expression of gene batteries that promote diverse phenotypes and functional specificities. Therefore, the identification of the molecular and morphological fingerprints of cell types across taxa is essential for untangling their evolution. Here we use a multidisciplinary approach to identify the molecular and morphological features of an exocrine, pancreas-like cell type harbored within the sea urchin larval gut. Using single cell transcriptomics, we identify various cell populations with a pancreatic-like molecular fingerprint that are enriched within the S. purpuratus larva digestive tract. Among these, in the region where they reside, the midgut/stomach domain, we find that populations of exocrine pancreas-like cells have a unique regulatory wiring distinct from the rest the of the cell types of the same region. Furthermore, Serial Block-face scanning Electron Microscopy (SBEM) of the exocrine cells shows that this reported molecular diversity is associated to distinct morphological features that reflect the physiological and functional properties of this cell type. Therefore, we propose that these sea urchin exocrine cells are homologous to the well-known mammalian pancreatic acinar cells and thus we trace the origin of this particular cell type to the time of deuterostome diversification. Overall, our approach allows a thorough characterization of a complex cell type and shows how both the transcriptomic and morphological information contribute to disentangling the evolution of cell types and organs such as the pancreatic cells and pancreas.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paolo Ronchi
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jil Carl
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Giulia Mizzon
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Pedro Martinez
- Institut Català de Recerca i Estudis Avancats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain,Genetics Department, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Maria Ina Arnone
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (SZN), Naples, Italy,*Correspondence: Maria Ina Arnone,
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10
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Paganos P, Caccavale F, La Vecchia C, D'Aniello E, D'Aniello S, Arnone MI. FISH for All: A Fast and Efficient Fluorescent In situ Hybridization (FISH) Protocol for Marine Embryos and Larvae. Front Physiol 2022; 13:878062. [PMID: 35514360 PMCID: PMC9062072 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.878062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In situ hybridization is one the most commonly used techniques for developmental and evolutionary biology and has extensively contributed to the identification of distinct cell types and cell states, as well dissecting several molecular mechanisms involved in physiological processes. Moreover, it has been used as a tool to compare distinct gene expression patterns and, therefore, genetic programs across animal species. Nowadays, the predominance of transcriptomics in science has imposed the need to establish a reliable, fast and easy whole mount in situ hybridization protocol. Here we describe a fluorescent in situ hybridization protocol that is rapid, accurate and applicable in a great variety of marine species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Periklis Paganos
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Filomena Caccavale
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Claudia La Vecchia
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Enrico D'Aniello
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Salvatore D'Aniello
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Ina Arnone
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
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11
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Meyer A, Hinman V. The arm of the starfish: The far-reaching applications of Patiria miniata as a model system in evolutionary, developmental, and regenerative biology. Curr Top Dev Biol 2022; 147:523-543. [PMID: 35337461 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2022.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Many species of echinoderms have long been considered model research organisms in biology. Historically, much of this research has focused on the embryology of sea urchins and the use of their extensive gene regulatory networks as a tool to understand how the genome controls cell state specification and patterning. The establishment of Patiria miniata, the bat sea star, as a research organism has allowed us to expand on the concepts explored with sea urchins, viewing these genetic networks through a comparative lens, gaining great insight into the evolutionary mechanisms that shape developmental diversity. Extensive molecular tools have been developed in P. miniata, designed to explore gene expression dynamics and build gene regulatory networks. Echinoderms also have a robust set of bioinformatic and computational resources, centered around echinobase.org, an extensive database containing multiomic, developmental, and experimental resources for researchers. In addition to comparative evolutionary development, P. miniata is a promising system in its own right for studying whole body regeneration, metamorphosis and body plan development, as well as marine disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Meyer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Veronica Hinman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.
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12
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Zhenhui W, Qi C, Shuo Y, Shuoyu Y, Qin L, Endong W, Bo Z, Jiale L, Xuenong X. Molecular characterization, expression, and function of Vitellogenin genes in Phytoseiulus persimilis. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2022; 86:343-356. [PMID: 35239074 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-022-00698-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Vitellogenin (Vg) is an important factor that impacts oocyte maturation, egg formation and embryonic development in Arthropoda. Two orthologs of Vg gene were obtained from the genome of Phytoseiulus persimilis and termed as PpVg1 and PpVg2. Both orthologs belong to the large lipid transfer protein superfamily. The expression of PpVg1 and PpVg2 was low in immatures and male adults, and increased rapidly in female adults after mating, and reached a peak before the first egg was laid (168× and 20.5× the level in virgin females, respectively). When PpVg1 and PpVg2 were interfered with dsRNA, the relative expression decreased by 81.0 and 30.9%, respectively, and 7.8 and 31.4% interfered individuals died within 24 h. Among surviving individuals, ca. 51.1 and 44.8% are infertile. Factors that might be related to expression of Vg genes are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wang Zhenhui
- Lab of Predatory Mites, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Cai Qi
- Lab of Predatory Mites, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Shuo
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Shuoyu
- Beijing Hooseen Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Lu Qin
- Lab of Predatory Mites, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wang Endong
- Lab of Predatory Mites, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhang Bo
- Lab of Predatory Mites, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lv Jiale
- Lab of Predatory Mites, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Xu Xuenong
- Lab of Predatory Mites, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.
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13
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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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14
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Milito A, Cocurullo M, Columbro A, Nonnis S, Tedeschi G, Castellano I, Arnone MI, Palumbo A. Ovothiol ensures the correct developmental programme of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus embryo. Open Biol 2022; 12:210262. [PMID: 35042403 PMCID: PMC8767189 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.210262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Ovothiols are π-methyl-5-thiohistidines produced in great amounts in sea urchin eggs, where they can act as protective agents against the oxidative burst at fertilization and environmental stressors during development. Here we examined the biological relevance of ovothiol during the embryogenesis of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus by assessing the localization of the key biosynthetic enzyme OvoA, both at transcript and protein level, and perturbing its protein translation by morpholino antisense oligonucleotide-mediated knockdown experiments. In addition, we explored the possible involvement of ovothiol in the inflammatory response by assessing ovoA gene expression and protein localization following exposure to bacterial lipopolysaccharide. The results of the present study suggest that ovothiol may be a key regulator of cell proliferation in early developing embryos. Moreover, the localization of OvoA in key larval cells and tissues, in control and inflammatory conditions, suggests that ovothiol may ensure larval skeleton formation and mediate inflammatory processes triggered by bacterial infection. This work significantly contributes to the understanding of the biological function of ovothiols in marine organisms, and may provide new inspiration for the identification of the biological activities of ovothiols in humans, considering the pharmacological potential of these molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonsina Milito
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy.,Department of Molecular Genetics, Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Cocurullo
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Alfredo Columbro
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Simona Nonnis
- Department of Veterinary Medicine (DIMEVET), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.,CRC 'Innovation for Well-Being and Environment' (I-WE), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Gabriella Tedeschi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine (DIMEVET), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.,CRC 'Innovation for Well-Being and Environment' (I-WE), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Immacolata Castellano
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy.,Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Ina Arnone
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Anna Palumbo
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
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15
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Swartz SZ, Tan TH, Perillo M, Fakhri N, Wessel GM, Wikramanayake AH, Cheeseman IM. Polarized Dishevelled dissolution and reassembly drives embryonic axis specification in sea star oocytes. Curr Biol 2021; 31:5633-5641.e4. [PMID: 34739818 PMCID: PMC8692449 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The organismal body axes that are formed during embryogenesis are intimately linked to intrinsic asymmetries established at the cellular scale in oocytes.1 However, the mechanisms that generate cellular asymmetries within the oocyte and then transduce that polarity to organismal scale body axes are poorly understood outside of select model organisms. Here, we report an axis-defining event in meiotic oocytes of the sea star Patiria miniata. Dishevelled (Dvl) is a cytoplasmic Wnt pathway effector required for axis development in diverse species,2-4 but the mechanisms governing its function and distribution remain poorly defined. Using time-lapse imaging, we find that Dvl localizes uniformly to puncta throughout the cell cortex in Prophase I-arrested oocytes but becomes enriched at the vegetal pole following meiotic resumption through a dissolution-reassembly mechanism. This process is driven by an initial disassembly phase of Dvl puncta, followed by selective reformation of Dvl assemblies at the vegetal pole. Rather than being driven by Wnt signaling, this localization behavior is coupled to meiotic cell cycle progression and influenced by Lamp1+ endosome association and Frizzled receptors pre-localized within the oocyte cortex. Our results reveal a cell cycle-linked mechanism by which maternal cellular polarity is transduced to the embryo through spatially regulated Dvl dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Zachary Swartz
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Embryology Course: Concepts and Techniques in Modern Developmental Biology, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA.
| | - Tzer Han Tan
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Physics, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | - Nikta Fakhri
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Physics, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Gary M Wessel
- MCB Department, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Athula H Wikramanayake
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33134, USA; Embryology Course: Concepts and Techniques in Modern Developmental Biology, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Iain M Cheeseman
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
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16
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Paganos P, Voronov D, Musser JM, Arendt D, Arnone MI. Single-cell RNA sequencing of the Strongylocentrotus purpuratus larva reveals the blueprint of major cell types and nervous system of a non-chordate deuterostome. eLife 2021; 10:70416. [PMID: 34821556 PMCID: PMC8683087 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying the molecular fingerprint of organismal cell types is key for understanding their function and evolution. Here, we use single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to survey the cell types of the sea urchin early pluteus larva, representing an important developmental transition from non-feeding to feeding larva. We identify 21 distinct cell clusters, representing cells of the digestive, skeletal, immune, and nervous systems. Further subclustering of these reveal a highly detailed portrait of cell diversity across the larva, including the identification of neuronal cell types. We then validate important gene regulatory networks driving sea urchin development and reveal new domains of activity within the larval body. Focusing on neurons that co-express Pdx-1 and Brn1/2/4, we identify an unprecedented number of genes shared by this population of neurons in sea urchin and vertebrate endocrine pancreatic cells. Using differential expression results from Pdx-1 knockdown experiments, we show that Pdx1 is necessary for the acquisition of the neuronal identity of these cells. We hypothesize that a network similar to the one orchestrated by Pdx1 in the sea urchin neurons was active in an ancestral cell type and then inherited by neuronal and pancreatic developmental lineages in sea urchins and vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Periklis Paganos
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Naples, Italy
| | - Danila Voronov
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Naples, Italy
| | - Jacob M Musser
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Developmental Biology Unit, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Detlev Arendt
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Developmental Biology Unit, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Maria Ina Arnone
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Naples, Italy
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17
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Tsironis I, Paganos P, Gouvi G, Tsimpos P, Stamopoulou A, Arnone MI, Flytzanis CN. Coup-TF: A maternal factor essential for differentiation along the embryonic axes in the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. Dev Biol 2021; 475:131-144. [PMID: 33484706 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2020.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Coup-TF, a member of the nuclear receptor super-family, is present in the pool of maternal mRNAs and proteins in the sea urchin egg. The presence of this protein seems to be essential for the execution of the early developmental program, leading to all three embryonic layers. Our results demonstrate that Pl-Coup-TF morphants, i.e. Pl-Coup-TF morpholino knockdown embryos, resemble blastulae that lack archenteron at 24 hpf (hours post fertilization), a stage at which normal embryos reach the end of gastrulation in Paracentrotus lividus. At 48 hpf, when normal embryos reach the pluteus larva stage, the morphants are seemingly underdeveloped and lack the characteristic skeletal rods. Nevertheless, the morphant embryos express vegetal endomesodermal marker genes, such as Pl-Blimp1, Pl-Endo16, Pl-Alx1 and Pl-Tbr as judged by in situ hybridization experiments. The anterior neuroectoderm genes, Pl-FoxQ2, Pl-Six3 and Pl-Pax6, are also expressed in the morphant embryos, but Pl-Hbn and Pl-Fez mRNAs, which encode proteins significant for the differentiation of serotonergic neurons, are not detected. Consequently, Pl-Coup-TF morphants at 48 hpf lack serotonergic neurons, whereas normal 48 hpf plutei exhibit the formation of two bilateral pairs of such neurons in the apical organ. Furthermore, genes indicative of the ciliary band formation, Pl-Hnf6, Pl-Dri, Pl-FoxG and Pl-Otx, are not expressed in Pl-Coup-TF morphants, suggesting the disruption of this neurogenic territory as well. In addition, the Pl-SynB gene, a marker of differentiated neurons, is silent leading to the hypothesis that Pl-Coup-TF morphants might lack all types of neurons. On the contrary, the genes expressing signaling molecules, which establish the ventral/dorsal axis, Pl-Nodal and Pl-Lefty show the characteristic ventral lateral expression pattern, Pl-Bmp2/4, which activates the dorsal ectoderm GRN is down-regulated and Pl-Chordin is aberrantly over-expressed in the entire ectoderm. The identity of ectodermal cells in Pl-Coup-TF morphant embryos, was probed for expression of the ventral marker Pl-Gsc which was over-expressed and dorsal markers, Pl-IrxA and Pl-Hox7, which were silent. Therefore, we propose that maternal Pl-Coup-TF is essential for correct dissemination of the early embryonic signaling along both animal/vegetal and ventral/dorsal axes. Limiting Pl-Coup-TF's quantity, results in an embryo without digestive and nervous systems, skeleton and ciliary band that cannot survive past the initial 48 h of development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis Tsironis
- Department of Biology, University of Patras, Patras, 26500, Greece
| | - Periklis Paganos
- Department of Biology, University of Patras, Patras, 26500, Greece; Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - Georgia Gouvi
- Department of Biology, University of Patras, Patras, 26500, Greece
| | | | | | - Maria Ina Arnone
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy
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