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Morris ZS, Colbert MW, Rowe TB. Variation and Variability in Skeletal Ossification of the Gray Short-tailed Opossum, Monodelphis domestica. Integr Org Biol 2024; 6:obae024. [PMID: 39114377 PMCID: PMC11305135 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obae024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
By reconstructing and comparing the sequence of ontogenetic (embryonic development and post-natal growth) events across species, developmental biologists have gained unique insights into the key processes underlying the evolution of modern lineages and their extinct relatives. However, despite the importance of intraspecific variation to evolutionary transformation and lineage divergence, variation in the sequence of developmental events is seldom acknowledged. Thus, how much variation or variability should be expected during ontogeny remains poorly understood and it is an open question to what extent it impacts interspecific comparisons of developmental patterns. To address this crucial question, we studied the skeletal development of the important biomedical and developmental model organism, Monodelphis domestica. We investigated cranial, forelimb, and hindlimb elements using ontogenetic sequence analysis (OSA) to quantify and assess the full range of variation and variability in the sequence of ossification. Our study documented that previously unrecognized variation exists during M. domestica ontogeny-with over 5000 sequences for the full 92 event analysis. Further, OSA revealed unexpectedly high variability (i.e., the propensity to express variation) in the sequence of ossification for the skull and across the entire skeleton. Reconstructed modal sequences were generally in agreement with previously recognized patterns, including earlier ossification of the facial skeleton and a slight offset between forelimb and hindlimb development. However, the full range of variation shows that the majority of specimens in our analysis followed developmental trajectories distinct from those recovered by prior studies. This level of variation is quite remarkable and demonstrates the importance of assessing intraspecific ontogenetic variation. By quantifying sequence polymorphism and studying how developmental variation and variability differ among species, we can clarify more precisely how developmental patterns differ among species and gain insights into how ontogeny itself evolves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z S Morris
- Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Dinosaur Institute, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA 90007, USA
| | - M W Colbert
- Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- University of Texas High‐Resolution X‐Ray CT Facility, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - T B Rowe
- Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- University of Texas High‐Resolution X‐Ray CT Facility, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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2
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Epigenetic clock and methylation studies in marsupials: opossums, Tasmanian devils, kangaroos, and wallabies. GeroScience 2022; 44:1825-1845. [PMID: 35449380 PMCID: PMC9213610 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-022-00569-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The opossum (Monodelphis domestica), with its sequenced genome, ease of laboratory care and experimental manipulation, and unique biology, is the most used laboratory marsupial. Using the mammalian methylation array, we generated DNA methylation data from n = 100 opossum samples from the ear, liver, and tail. We contrasted postnatal development and later aging effects in the opossum methylome with those in mouse (Mus musculus, C57BL/6 J strain) and other marsupial species such as Tasmanian devil, kangaroos, and wallabies. While the opossum methylome is similar to that of mouse during postnatal development, it is distinct from that shared by other mammals when it comes to the age-related gain of methylation at target sites of polycomb repressive complex 2. Our immunohistochemical staining results provide additional support for the hypothesis that PRC2 activity increases with later aging in mouse tissues but remains constant in opossum tissues. We present several epigenetic clocks for opossums that are distinguished by their compatibility with tissue type (pan-tissue and blood clock) and species (opossum and human). Two dual-species human-opossum pan-tissue clocks accurately measure chronological age and relative age, respectively. The human-opossum epigenetic clocks are expected to provide a significant boost to the attractiveness of opossum as a biological model. Additional epigenetic clocks for Tasmanian devil, red kangaroos and other species of the genus Macropus may aid species conservation efforts.
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3
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Cook LE, Newton AH, Hipsley CA, Pask AJ. Postnatal development in a marsupial model, the fat-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata; Dasyuromorphia: Dasyuridae). Commun Biol 2021; 4:1028. [PMID: 34475507 PMCID: PMC8413461 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02506-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Marsupials exhibit unique biological features that provide fascinating insights into many aspects of mammalian development. These include their distinctive mode of reproduction, altricial stage at birth, and the associated heterochrony that is required for their crawl to the pouch and teat attachment. Marsupials are also an invaluable resource for mammalian comparative biology, forming a distinct lineage from the extant placental and egg-laying monotreme mammals. Despite their unique biology, marsupial resources are lagging behind those available for placentals. The fat-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata) is a laboratory based marsupial model, with simple and robust husbandry requirements and a short reproductive cycle making it amenable to experimental manipulations. Here we present a detailed staging series for the fat-tailed dunnart, focusing on their accelerated development of the forelimbs and jaws. This study provides the first skeletal developmental series on S. crassicaudata and provides a fundamental resource for future studies exploring mammalian diversification, development and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E Cook
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Axel H Newton
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Christy A Hipsley
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Sciences, Museums Victoria, Carlton, VIC, Australia
| | - Andrew J Pask
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
- Department of Sciences, Museums Victoria, Carlton, VIC, Australia.
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4
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Nojiri T, Fukui D, Werneburg I, Saitoh T, Endo H, Koyabu D. Embryonic staging of bats with special reference to Vespertilio sinensis and its cochlear development. Dev Dyn 2021; 250:1140-1159. [PMID: 33683772 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.325] [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: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND How bats deviate heterochronically from other mammals remains largely unresolved, reflecting the lack of a quantitative staging framework allowing comparison among species. The standard event system (SES) is an embryonic staging system allowing quantitative detection of interspecific developmental variations. Here, the first SES-based staging system for bats, using Asian parti-colored bat (Vespertilio sinensis) is introduced. General aspects of normal embryonic development and the three-dimensional development of the bat cochlea were described for the first time. Recoding the embryonic staging tables of 18 previously reported bat species and Mus musculus into the SES system, quantitative developmental comparisons were performed. RESULTS It was found that limb bud development of V. sinensis is relatively late among 19 bat species and late limb development is a shared trait of vespertilionid bats. The inner ear cochlear canal forms before the semicircular canal in V. sinensis while the cochlear canal forms after the semicircular canal in non-volant mammals. CONCLUSIONS The present approach using the SES system provides a powerful framework to detect the peculiarities of bat development. Incorporating the timing of gene expression patterns into the SES framework will further contribute to the understanding of the evolution of specialized features in bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taro Nojiri
- Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Dai Fukui
- The University of Tokyo Hokkaido Forest, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Furano, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Ingmar Werneburg
- Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Paleoenvironment an der Eberhard Karls Universität, Tübingen, Germany.,Fachbereich Geowissenschaften, Eberhard Karls Universität, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Takashi Saitoh
- Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Hideki Endo
- The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daisuke Koyabu
- Research and Development Center for Precision Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.,Department of Molecular Craniofacial Embryology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
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Wu X, Hu J, Li G, Li Y, Li Y, Zhang J, Wang F, Li A, Hu L, Fan Z, Lü S, Ding G, Zhang C, Wang J, Long M, Wang S. Biomechanical stress regulates mammalian tooth replacement via the integrin β1-RUNX2-Wnt pathway. EMBO J 2020; 39:e102374. [PMID: 31830314 PMCID: PMC6996503 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2019102374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Revised: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Renewal of integumentary organs occurs cyclically throughout an organism's lifetime, but the mechanism that initiates each cycle remains largely unknown. In a miniature pig model of tooth development that resembles tooth development in humans, the permanent tooth did not begin transitioning from the resting to the initiation stage until the deciduous tooth began to erupt. This eruption released the accumulated mechanical stress inside the mandible. Mechanical stress prevented permanent tooth development by regulating expression and activity of the integrin β1-ERK1-RUNX2 axis in the surrounding mesenchyme. We observed similar molecular expression patterns in human tooth germs. Importantly, the release of biomechanical stress induced downregulation of RUNX2-wingless/integrated (Wnt) signaling in the mesenchyme between the deciduous and permanent tooth and upregulation of Wnt signaling in the epithelium of the permanent tooth, triggering initiation of its development. Consequently, our findings identified biomechanical stress-associated Wnt modulation as a critical initiator of organ renewal, possibly shedding light on the mechanisms of integumentary organ regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoshan Wu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Tooth Regeneration and Function ReconstructionCapital Medical University School of StomatologyBeijingChina
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial SurgeryXiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaChina
| | - Jinrong Hu
- Center of Biomechanics and BioengineeringKey Laboratory of Microgravity (National Microgravity Laboratory) and Beijing Key Laboratory of Engineered Construction and MechanobiologyInstitute of MechanicsChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- School of Engineering ScienceUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Guoqing Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Tooth Regeneration and Function ReconstructionCapital Medical University School of StomatologyBeijingChina
| | - Yan Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Tooth Regeneration and Function ReconstructionCapital Medical University School of StomatologyBeijingChina
- Fortune Link Triones Scitech Co., Ltd.BeijingChina
| | - Yang Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Tooth Regeneration and Function ReconstructionCapital Medical University School of StomatologyBeijingChina
| | - Jing Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Tooth Regeneration and Function ReconstructionCapital Medical University School of StomatologyBeijingChina
| | - Fu Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Tooth Regeneration and Function ReconstructionCapital Medical University School of StomatologyBeijingChina
- Department of Oral Basic ScienceSchool of StomatologyDalian Medical UniversityDalianChina
| | - Ang Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Tooth Regeneration and Function ReconstructionCapital Medical University School of StomatologyBeijingChina
- Key Laboratory of Shaanxi Province for Craniofacial Precision Medicine ResearchCollege of StomatologyXi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Lei Hu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Tooth Regeneration and Function ReconstructionCapital Medical University School of StomatologyBeijingChina
| | - Zhipeng Fan
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Tooth Regeneration and Function ReconstructionCapital Medical University School of StomatologyBeijingChina
| | - Shouqin Lü
- Center of Biomechanics and BioengineeringKey Laboratory of Microgravity (National Microgravity Laboratory) and Beijing Key Laboratory of Engineered Construction and MechanobiologyInstitute of MechanicsChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- School of Engineering ScienceUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Gang Ding
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Tooth Regeneration and Function ReconstructionCapital Medical University School of StomatologyBeijingChina
- Department of StomatologyYidu Central HospitalWeifang Medical UniversityWeifangChina
| | - Chunmei Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Tooth Regeneration and Function ReconstructionCapital Medical University School of StomatologyBeijingChina
| | - Jinsong Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyCapital Medical University School of Basic Medical SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Mian Long
- Center of Biomechanics and BioengineeringKey Laboratory of Microgravity (National Microgravity Laboratory) and Beijing Key Laboratory of Engineered Construction and MechanobiologyInstitute of MechanicsChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- School of Engineering ScienceUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Songlin Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Tooth Regeneration and Function ReconstructionCapital Medical University School of StomatologyBeijingChina
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyCapital Medical University School of Basic Medical SciencesBeijingChina
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6
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Young JJ, Grayson P, Edwards SV, Tabin CJ. Attenuated Fgf Signaling Underlies the Forelimb Heterochrony in the Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae. Curr Biol 2019; 29:3681-3691.e5. [PMID: 31668620 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Revised: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Powered flight was fundamental to the establishment and radiation of birds. However, flight has been lost multiple times throughout avian evolution. Convergent losses of flight within the ratites (flightless paleognaths, including the emu and ostrich) often coincide with reduced wings. Although there is a wealth of anatomical knowledge for several ratites, the genetic mechanisms causing these changes remain debated. Here, we use a multidisciplinary approach employing embryological, genetic, and genomic techniques to interrogate the mechanisms underlying forelimb heterochrony in emu embryos. We show that the initiation of limb formation, an epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in the lateral plate mesoderm (LPM) and myoblast migration into the LPM, occur at equivalent stages in the emu and chick. However, the emu forelimb fails to subsequently proliferate. The unique emu forelimb expression of Nkx2.5, previously associated with diminished wing development, initiates after this stage (concomitant with myoblast migration into the LPM) and is therefore unlikely to cause this developmental delay. In contrast, RNA sequencing of limb tissue reveals significantly lower Fgf10 expression in the emu forelimb. Artificially increasing Fgf10 expression in the emu LPM induces ectodermal Fgf8 expression and a limb bud. Analyzing open chromatin reveals differentially active regulatory elements near Fgf10 and Sall-1 in the emu wing, and the Sall-1 enhancer activity is dependent on a likely Fgf-mediated Ets transcription factor-binding site. Taken together, our results suggest that regulatory changes result in lower expression of Fgf10 and a concomitant failure to express genes required for limb proliferation in the early emu wing bud.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J Young
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Phil Grayson
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Scott V Edwards
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Clifford J Tabin
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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7
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Sears K, Maier JA, Sadier A, Sorensen D, Urban DJ. Timing the developmental origins of mammalian limb diversity. Genesis 2017; 56. [PMID: 29095555 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Revised: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 10/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Mammals have highly diverse limbs that have contributed to their occupation of almost every niche. Researchers have long been investigating the development of these diverse limbs, with the goals of identifying developmental processes and potential biases that shape mammalian limb diversity. To date, researchers have used techniques ranging from the genomic to the anatomic to investigate the developmental processes shaping the limb morphology of mammals from five orders (Marsupialia, Chiroptera, Rodentia, Cetartiodactyla, and Perissodactyla). Results of these studies suggest that the differential expression of genes controlling diverse cellular processes underlies mammalian limb diversity. Results also suggest that the earliest development of the limb tends to be conserved among mammalian species, while later limb development tends to be more variable. This research has established the mammalian limb as a model system for evolutionary developmental biology, and set the stage for more in-depth, cross-disciplinary research into the genetic controls, tissue-level cellular behaviors, and selective pressures that have driven the developmental evolution of mammalian limbs. Ideally, these studies will be performed in a diverse suite of mammalian species within a comparative, phylogenetic framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Sears
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, 90095
| | - Jennifer A Maier
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, 90095
| | - Alexa Sadier
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, 90095
| | - Daniel Sorensen
- Lillehei Heart Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455
| | - Daniel J Urban
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, 90095.,Department of Animal Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801.,Department of Mammalogy, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, 10024
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8
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Urban DJ, Anthwal N, Luo ZX, Maier JA, Sadier A, Tucker AS, Sears KE. A new developmental mechanism for the separation of the mammalian middle ear ossicles from the jaw. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:20162416. [PMID: 28179517 PMCID: PMC5310609 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple mammalian lineages independently evolved a definitive mammalian middle ear (DMME) through breakdown of Meckel's cartilage (MC). However, the cellular and molecular drivers of this evolutionary transition remain unknown for most mammal groups. Here, we identify such drivers in the living marsupial opossum Monodelphis domestica, whose MC transformation during development anatomically mirrors the evolutionary transformation observed in fossils. Specifically, we link increases in cellular apoptosis and TGF-BR2 signalling to MC breakdown in opossums. We demonstrate that a simple change in TGF-β signalling is sufficient to inhibit MC breakdown during opossum development, indicating that changes in TGF-β signalling might be key during mammalian evolution. Furthermore, the apoptosis that we observe during opossum MC breakdown does not seemingly occur in mouse, consistent with homoplastic DMME evolution in the marsupial and placental lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Urban
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, 505 S Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Neal Anthwal
- Department of Craniofacial Development and Stem Cell Biology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Zhe-Xi Luo
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Jennifer A Maier
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, 505 S Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Alexa Sadier
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, 505 S Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Abigail S Tucker
- Department of Craniofacial Development and Stem Cell Biology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Karen E Sears
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, 505 S Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Carl Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, 1206 W Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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Young JJ, Tabin CJ. Saunders's framework for understanding limb development as a platform for investigating limb evolution. Dev Biol 2016; 429:401-408. [PMID: 27840200 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2016] [Revised: 11/02/2016] [Accepted: 11/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
John W. Saunders, Jr. made seminal discoveries unveiling how chick embryos develop their limbs. He discovered the apical ectodermal ridge (AER), the zone of polarizing activity (ZPA), and the domains of interdigital cell death within the developing limb and determined their function through experimental analysis. These discoveries provided the basis for subsequent molecular understanding of how vertebrate limbs are induced, patterned, and differentiated. These mechanisms are strongly conserved among the vast diversity of tetrapod limbs suggesting that relatively minor changes and tweaks to the molecular cascades are responsible for the diversity observed in nature. Analysis of the pathway systems first identified by Saunders in the context of animals displaying limb reduction show how alterations in these pathways have resulted in multiple mechanisms of limb and digit loss. Other classes of modification to these same patterning systems are seen at the root of other, novel limb morphological alterations and elaborations.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J Young
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Clifford J Tabin
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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