1
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Krivenko OV, Kuleshova ON, Baiandina IS. Light sensitivity in Beroidae ctenophores: Insights from laboratory studies and genomics. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2024; 296:111694. [PMID: 38992417 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2024.111694] [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: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Light detection underlies a variety of animal behaviors, including those related to spatial orientation, feeding, avoidance of predators, and reproduction. Ctenophores are likely the oldest animal group in which light sensitivity based on opsins evolved, so they may still have the ancestral molecular mechanisms for photoreception. However, knowledge about ctenophore photosensitivity, associated morphological structures, molecular mechanisms involved, and behavioral reactions is limited and fragmented. We present the initial experiments on the responses of adult Beroe ovata to high-intensity light exposure with different spectra and photosensitivity in various parts of the animal's body. Ctenophores have shown a consistent behavioral response when their aboral organ is exposed to a household-grade laser in the violet spectrum. To investigate the genes responsible for the photosensitivity of Beroidae, we have analyzed transcriptome and genome-wide datasets. We identified three opsins in Beroe that are homologous to those found in Mnemiopsis leidyi (Lobata) and Pleurobrachia bachei (Cydippida). These opsins form clades Ctenopsin1, 2, and 3, respectively. Ctenopsin3 is significantly distinct from other ctenophore opsins and clustered outside the main animal opsin groups. The Ctenopsin1 and Ctenopsin2 groups are sister clusters within the canonical animal opsin tree. These two groups could have originated from gene duplication in the common ancestor of the species we studied and then developed independently in different lineages of Ctenophores. So far, there is no evidence of additional expansion of the opsin family in ctenophore evolution. The involvement of ctenophore opsins in photoreception is discussed by analyzing their protein structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga V Krivenko
- Laboratory of functional genomics, A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Olga N Kuleshova
- Laboratory of functional genomics, A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS, Moscow, Russia
| | - Iuliia S Baiandina
- Laboratory of functional genomics, A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS, Moscow, Russia
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2
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Guzman C, Mohri K, Nakamura R, Miyake M, Tsuchiya Y, Tomii K, Watanabe H. Neuronal and non-neuronal functions of the synaptic cell adhesion molecule neurexin in Nematostella vectensis. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6495. [PMID: 39090098 PMCID: PMC11294457 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50818-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The evolutionary transition from diffusion-mediated cell-cell communication to faster, targeted synaptic signaling in animal nervous systems is still unclear. Genome sequencing analyses have revealed a widespread distribution of synapse-related genes among early-diverging metazoans, but how synaptic machinery evolved remains largely unknown. Here, we examine the function of neurexins (Nrxns), a family of presynaptic cell adhesion molecules with critical roles in bilaterian chemical synapses, using the cnidarian model, Nematostella vectensis. Delta-Nrxns are expressed mainly in neuronal cell clusters that exhibit both peptidergic and classical neurotransmitter signaling. Knockdown of δ-Nrxn reduces spontaneous peristalsis of N. vectensis polyps. Interestingly, gene knockdown and pharmacological studies suggest that δ-Nrxn is involved in glutamate- and glycine-mediated signaling rather than peptidergic signaling. Knockdown of the epithelial α-Nrxn reveals a major role in cell adhesion between ectodermal and endodermal epithelia. Overall, this study provides molecular, functional, and cellular insights into the pre-neural function of Nrxns, as well as key information for understanding how and why they were recruited to the synaptic machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Guzman
- Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
- Department of Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Fribourg, CH-1700, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Kurato Mohri
- Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Ryotaro Nakamura
- Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Minato Miyake
- Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Yuko Tsuchiya
- Artificial Intelligence Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kentaro Tomii
- Artificial Intelligence Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Watanabe
- Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan.
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3
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Sachkova MY. Evolutionary origin of the nervous system from Ctenophora prospective. Evol Dev 2024; 26:e12472. [PMID: 38390763 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12472] [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: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Nervous system is one of the key adaptations underlying the evolutionary success of the majority of animal groups. Ctenophores (or comb jellies) are gelatinous marine invertebrates that were probably the first lineage to diverge from the rest of animals. Due to the key phylogenetic position and multiple unique adaptations, the noncentralized nervous system of comb jellies has been in the center of the debate around the origin of the nervous system in the animal kingdom and whether it happened only once or twice. Here, we discuss the latest findings in ctenophore neuroscience and multiple challenges on the way to build a clear evolutionary picture of the origin of the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Y Sachkova
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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4
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Su L, Li G, Chow BKC, Cardoso JCR. Neuropeptides and receptors in the cephalochordate: A crucial model for understanding the origin and evolution of vertebrate neuropeptide systems. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2024; 592:112324. [PMID: 38944371 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2024.112324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 05/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
Genomes and transcriptomes from diverse organisms are providing a wealth of data to explore the evolution and origin of neuropeptides and their receptors in metazoans. While most neuropeptide-receptor systems have been extensively studied in vertebrates, there is still a considerable lack of understanding regarding their functions in invertebrates, an extraordinarily diverse group that account for the majority of animal species on Earth. Cephalochordates, commonly known as amphioxus or lancelets, serve as the evolutionary proxy of the chordate ancestor. Their key evolutionary position, bridging the invertebrate to vertebrate transition, has been explored to uncover the origin, evolution, and function of vertebrate neuropeptide systems. Amphioxus genomes exhibit a high degree of sequence and structural conservation with vertebrates, and sequence and functional homologues of several vertebrate neuropeptide families are present in cephalochordates. This review aims to provide a comprehensively overview of the recent findings on neuropeptides and their receptors in cephalochordates, highlighting their significance as a model for understanding the complex evolution of neuropeptide signaling in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liuru Su
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Guang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
| | - Billy K C Chow
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - João C R Cardoso
- Comparative Endocrinology and Integrative Biology, Centre of Marine Sciences, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal.
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5
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Thiel D, Yañez Guerra LA, Kieswetter A, Cole AG, Temmerman L, Technau U, Jékely G. Large-scale deorphanization of Nematostella vectensis neuropeptide G protein-coupled receptors supports the independent expansion of bilaterian and cnidarian peptidergic systems. eLife 2024; 12:RP90674. [PMID: 38727714 PMCID: PMC11087051 DOI: 10.7554/elife.90674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuropeptides are ancient signaling molecules in animals but only few peptide receptors are known outside bilaterians. Cnidarians possess a large number of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) - the most common receptors of bilaterian neuropeptides - but most of these remain orphan with no known ligands. We searched for neuropeptides in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis and created a library of 64 peptides derived from 33 precursors. In a large-scale pharmacological screen with these peptides and 161 N. vectensis GPCRs, we identified 31 receptors specifically activated by 1 to 3 of 14 peptides. Mapping GPCR and neuropeptide expression to single-cell sequencing data revealed how cnidarian tissues are extensively connected by multilayer peptidergic networks. Phylogenetic analysis identified no direct orthology to bilaterian peptidergic systems and supports the independent expansion of neuropeptide signaling in cnidarians from a few ancestral peptide-receptor pairs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Thiel
- Living Systems Institute, University of ExeterExeterUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Amanda Kieswetter
- Animal Physiology & Neurobiology, Department of Biology, University of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Alison G Cole
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Liesbet Temmerman
- Animal Physiology & Neurobiology, Department of Biology, University of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Ulrich Technau
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Gáspár Jékely
- Living Systems Institute, University of ExeterExeterUnited Kingdom
- Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), Heidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
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6
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Jurisch-Yaksi N, Wachten D, Gopalakrishnan J. The neuronal cilium - a highly diverse and dynamic organelle involved in sensory detection and neuromodulation. Trends Neurosci 2024; 47:383-394. [PMID: 38580512 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2024.03.004] [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: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Cilia are fascinating organelles that act as cellular antennae, sensing the cellular environment. Cilia gained significant attention in the late 1990s after their dysfunction was linked to genetic diseases known as ciliopathies. Since then, several breakthrough discoveries have uncovered the mechanisms underlying cilia biogenesis and function. Like most cells in the animal kingdom, neurons also harbor cilia, which are enriched in neuromodulatory receptors. Yet, how neuronal cilia modulate neuronal physiology and animal behavior remains poorly understood. By comparing ciliary biology between the sensory and central nervous systems (CNS), we provide new perspectives on the functions of cilia in brain physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Jurisch-Yaksi
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine (IKOM), Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Erling Skalgssons gate 1, 7491 Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Dagmar Wachten
- Department of Biophysical Imaging, Institute of Innate Immunity, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Jay Gopalakrishnan
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; Institute for Human Genetics, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, 07740 Jena, Germany
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7
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Istiban MN, De Fruyt N, Kenis S, Beets I. Evolutionary conserved peptide and glycoprotein hormone-like neuroendocrine systems in C. elegans. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2024; 584:112162. [PMID: 38290646 PMCID: PMC11004728 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2024.112162] [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: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Peptides and protein hormones form the largest group of secreted signals that mediate intercellular communication and are central regulators of physiology and behavior in all animals. Phylogenetic analyses and biochemical identifications of peptide-receptor systems reveal a broad evolutionary conservation of these signaling systems at the molecular level. Substantial progress has been made in recent years on characterizing the physiological and putative ancestral roles of many peptide systems through comparative studies in invertebrate models. Several peptides and protein hormones are not only molecularly conserved but also have conserved roles across animal phyla. Here, we focus on functional insights gained in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans that, with its compact and well-described nervous system, provides a powerful model to dissect neuroendocrine signaling networks involved in the control of physiology and behavior. We summarize recent discoveries on the evolutionary conservation and knowledge on the functions of peptide and protein hormone systems in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Majdulin Nabil Istiban
- Neural Signaling and Circuit Plasticity, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nathan De Fruyt
- Neural Signaling and Circuit Plasticity, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Signe Kenis
- Neural Signaling and Circuit Plasticity, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Isabel Beets
- Neural Signaling and Circuit Plasticity, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
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8
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Kalienkova V, Dandamudi M, Paulino C, Lynagh T. Structural basis for excitatory neuropeptide signaling. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2024; 31:717-726. [PMID: 38337033 PMCID: PMC11026163 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-023-01198-y] [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: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Rapid signaling between neurons is mediated by ligand-gated ion channels, cell-surface proteins with an extracellular ligand-binding domain and a membrane-spanning ion channel domain. The degenerin/epithelial sodium channel (DEG/ENaC) superfamily is diverse in terms of its gating stimuli, with some DEG/ENaCs gated by neuropeptides, and others gated by pH, mechanical force or enzymatic activity. The mechanism by which ligands bind to and activate DEG/ENaCs is poorly understood. Here we dissected the structural basis for neuropeptide-gated activity of a neuropeptide-gated DEG/ENaC, FMRFamide-gated sodium channel 1 (FaNaC1) from the annelid worm Malacoceros fuliginosus, using cryo-electron microscopy. Structures of FaNaC1 in the ligand-free resting state and in several ligand-bound states reveal the ligand-binding site and capture the ligand-induced conformational changes of channel gating, which we verified with complementary mutagenesis experiments. Our results illuminate channel gating in DEG/ENaCs and offer a structural template for experimental dissection of channel pharmacology and ion conduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Kalienkova
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | | | - Cristina Paulino
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
- Biochemistry Center, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Timothy Lynagh
- Michael Sars Centre, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
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9
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Benvenuto G, Leone S, Astoricchio E, Bormke S, Jasek S, D'Aniello E, Kittelmann M, McDonald K, Hartenstein V, Baena V, Escrivà H, Bertrand S, Schierwater B, Burkhardt P, Ruiz-Trillo I, Jékely G, Ullrich-Lüter J, Lüter C, D'Aniello S, Arnone MI, Ferraro F. Evolution of the ribbon-like organization of the Golgi apparatus in animal cells. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113791. [PMID: 38428420 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113791] [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: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The "ribbon," a structural arrangement in which Golgi stacks connect to each other, is considered to be restricted to vertebrate cells. Although ribbon disruption is linked to various human pathologies, its functional role in cellular processes remains unclear. In this study, we investigate the evolutionary origin of the Golgi ribbon. We observe a ribbon-like architecture in the cells of several metazoan taxa suggesting its early emergence in animal evolution predating the appearance of vertebrates. Supported by AlphaFold2 modeling, we propose that the evolution of Golgi reassembly and stacking protein (GRASP) binding by golgin tethers may have driven the joining of Golgi stacks resulting in the ribbon-like configuration. Additionally, we find that Golgi ribbon assembly is a shared developmental feature of deuterostomes, implying a role in embryogenesis. Overall, our study points to the functional significance of the Golgi ribbon beyond vertebrates and underscores the need for further investigations to unravel its elusive biological roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Benvenuto
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (SZN), Naples, Italy
| | - Serena Leone
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (SZN), Naples, Italy
| | - Emanuele Astoricchio
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (SZN), Naples, Italy
| | | | - Sanja Jasek
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK; Heidelberg University, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Enrico D'Aniello
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (SZN), Naples, Italy
| | - Maike Kittelmann
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
| | - Kent McDonald
- Electron Microscope Lab, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Volker Hartenstein
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Valentina Baena
- Department of Cell Biology, UConn Health, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Héctor Escrivà
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins, BIOM, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | - Stephanie Bertrand
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins, BIOM, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | - Bernd Schierwater
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Hannover University of Veterinary Medicine Foundation, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Iñaki Ruiz-Trillo
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain; ICREA, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gáspár Jékely
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK; Heidelberg University, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | | | - Salvatore D'Aniello
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (SZN), Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Ina Arnone
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (SZN), Naples, Italy
| | - Francesco Ferraro
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (SZN), Naples, Italy.
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10
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Robertson HE, Sebé-Pedrós A, Saudemont B, Loe-Mie Y, Zakrzewski AC, Grau-Bové X, Mailhe MP, Schiffer P, Telford MJ, Marlow H. Single cell atlas of Xenoturbella bocki highlights limited cell-type complexity. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2469. [PMID: 38503762 PMCID: PMC10951248 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45956-y] [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: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Phylogenetic analyses over the last two decades have united a few small, and previously orphan clades, the nematodermatids, acoels and xenoturbelids, into the phylum Xenacoelomorpha. Some phylogenetic analyses support a sister relationship between Xenacoelomorpha and Ambulacraria (Xenambulacraria), while others suggest that Xenacoelomorpha may be sister to the rest of the Bilateria (Nephrozoa). An understanding of the cell type complements of Xenacoelomorphs is essential to assessing these alternatives as well as to our broader understanding of bilaterian cell type evolution. Employing whole organism single-cell RNA-seq in the marine xenacoelomorph worm Xenoturbella bocki, we show that Xenambulacrarian nerve nets share regulatory features and a peptidergic identity with those found in cnidarians and protostomes and more broadly share muscle and gland cell similarities with other metazoans. Taken together, these data are consistent with broad homologies of animal gland, muscle, and neurons as well as more specific affinities between Xenoturbella and acoel gut and epidermal tissues, consistent with the monophyly of Xenacoelomorpha.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen E Robertson
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- (Epi)genomics of Animal Development Unit, Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Centre for Life's Origins and Evolution, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Arnau Sebé-Pedrós
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- ICREA, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Baptiste Saudemont
- (Epi)genomics of Animal Development Unit, Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Yann Loe-Mie
- (Epi)genomics of Animal Development Unit, Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Anne-C Zakrzewski
- Centre for Life's Origins and Evolution, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Xavier Grau-Bové
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marie-Pierre Mailhe
- (Epi)genomics of Animal Development Unit, Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Philipp Schiffer
- Centre for Life's Origins and Evolution, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
- Institute of Zoology, Section Developmental Biology, University of Cologne, Köln, Wormlab, Germany
| | - Maximilian J Telford
- Centre for Life's Origins and Evolution, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Heather Marlow
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
- (Epi)genomics of Animal Development Unit, Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
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11
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Mohri K, Watanabe H. Neuromuscular organization of the benthic ctenophore, Vallicula multiformis. ZOOLOGICAL LETTERS 2024; 10:3. [PMID: 38291530 PMCID: PMC10826244 DOI: 10.1186/s40851-024-00225-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Ctenophora is the earliest metazoan taxon with neurons and muscles. Recent studies have described genetic, physiological, and cellular characteristics of the neural and muscular systems of this phylogenically important lineage. However, despite the ecological diversity of ctenophore niches, including both pelagic and benthic forms, studies have focused predominantly on pelagic species. In the present study, we describe the neural and muscular architectures of the benthic ctenophore, Vallicula multiformis (Order Platyctenida), employing immunohistochemical analysis using antibodies against amidated neuropeptides with the C-terminal sequences VWYa, NPWa, FGLa, or WTGa to compare it to pelagic species. In V. multiformis, which lacks the characteristic comb rows seen in pelagic ctenophores, neural structures that develop beneath the comb were not detected, whereas the subepithelial and tentacle neural networks showed considerable similarity to those of pelagic species. Despite significant differences in morphology and lifestyle, muscle organization in V. multiformis closely resembles that of pelagic species. Detailed analysis of neurons that express these peptides unveiled a neural architecture composed of various neural subtypes. This included widely distributed subepithelial neural networks (SNNs) and neurosecretory cells located primarily in the peripheral region. The consistent distribution patterns of the VWYa-positive SNN and tentacle nerves between V. multiformis and the pelagic species, Bolinopsis mikado, suggest evolutionarily conserved function of these neurons in the Ctenophora. In contrast, NPWa-positive neurons, which extend neurites connecting the apical organ and comb rows in B. mikado, showed a neurite-less neurosecretory cell morphology in this flattened, sessile species. Evaluation of characteristics and variations in neural and muscular architectures shared by benthic and pelagic ctenophore species may yield valuable insights for unraveling the biology of this rapidly evolving yet enigmatic metazoan lineage. These findings also provide important insight into neural control modalities in early metazoan evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurato Mohri
- Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Watanabe
- Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan.
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12
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Soto-Angel JJ, Nordmann EL, Sturm D, Sachkova M, Pang K, Burkhardt P. Stable Laboratory Culture System for the Ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2757:123-145. [PMID: 38668964 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3642-8_4] [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] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Ctenophores are marine organisms attracting significant attention from evolutionary biology, molecular biology, and ecological research. Here, we describe an easy and affordable setup to maintain a stable culture of the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi. The challenging delicacy of the lobate ctenophores can be met by monitoring the water quality, providing the right nutrition, and adapting the handling and tank set-up to their fragile gelatinous body plan. Following this protocol allows stable laboratory lines, a continuous supply of embryos for molecular biological studies, and independence from population responses to environmental fluctuations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Maria Sachkova
- Michael Sars Centre, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Kevin Pang
- Michael Sars Centre, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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13
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Moroz LL. Brief History of Ctenophora. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2757:1-26. [PMID: 38668961 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3642-8_1] [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] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
Ctenophores are the descendants of the earliest surviving lineage of ancestral metazoans, predating the branch leading to sponges (Ctenophore-first phylogeny). Emerging genomic, ultrastructural, cellular, and systemic data indicate that virtually every aspect of ctenophore biology as well as ctenophore development are remarkably different from what is described in representatives of other 32 animal phyla. The outcome of this reconstruction is that most system-level components associated with the ctenophore organization result from convergent evolution. In other words, the ctenophore lineage independently evolved as high animal complexities with the astonishing diversity of cell types and structures as bilaterians and cnidarians. Specifically, neurons, synapses, muscles, mesoderm, through gut, sensory, and integrative systems evolved independently in Ctenophora. Rapid parallel evolution of complex traits is associated with a broad spectrum of unique ctenophore-specific molecular innovations, including alternative toolkits for making an animal. However, the systematic studies of ctenophores are in their infancy, and deciphering their remarkable morphological and functional diversity is one of the hot topics in biological research, with many anticipated surprises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonid L Moroz
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL, USA.
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14
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Moroz LL. Syncytial nets vs. chemical signaling: emerging properties of alternative integrative systems. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1320209. [PMID: 38125877 PMCID: PMC10730927 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1320209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Leonid L. Moroz
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL, United States
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15
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Steenwyk JL, Li Y, Zhou X, Shen XX, Rokas A. Incongruence in the phylogenomics era. Nat Rev Genet 2023; 24:834-850. [PMID: 37369847 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-023-00620-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Genome-scale data and the development of novel statistical phylogenetic approaches have greatly aided the reconstruction of a broad sketch of the tree of life and resolved many of its branches. However, incongruence - the inference of conflicting evolutionary histories - remains pervasive in phylogenomic data, hampering our ability to reconstruct and interpret the tree of life. Biological factors, such as incomplete lineage sorting, horizontal gene transfer, hybridization, introgression, recombination and convergent molecular evolution, can lead to gene phylogenies that differ from the species tree. In addition, analytical factors, including stochastic, systematic and treatment errors, can drive incongruence. Here, we review these factors, discuss methodological advances to identify and handle incongruence, and highlight avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob L Steenwyk
- Howards Hughes Medical Institute and the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Yuanning Li
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiaofan Zhou
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xing-Xing Shen
- Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Antonis Rokas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Vanderbilt Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Heidelberg, Germany.
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16
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Yang A, Qiu M, Xu X. Evolution of the Nervous System Extrapolated from Ctenophore and the Resurrection of Golgi's Reticular Theory? Neurosci Bull 2023; 39:1895-1897. [PMID: 37755678 PMCID: PMC10661669 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01119-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Aifen Yang
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Organ Development and Regeneration, Institute of Life Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Mengsheng Qiu
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Organ Development and Regeneration, Institute of Life Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China.
| | - Xiaofeng Xu
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Organ Development and Regeneration, Institute of Life Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China.
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17
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Moroz LL, Romanova DY. Chemical cognition: chemoconnectomics and convergent evolution of integrative systems in animals. Anim Cogn 2023; 26:1851-1864. [PMID: 38015282 PMCID: PMC11106658 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-023-01833-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Neurons underpin cognition in animals. However, the roots of animal cognition are elusive from both mechanistic and evolutionary standpoints. Two conceptual frameworks both highlight and promise to address these challenges. First, we discuss evidence that animal neural and other integrative systems evolved more than once (convergent evolution) within basal metazoan lineages, giving us unique experiments by Nature for future studies. The most remarkable examples are neural systems in ctenophores and neuroid-like systems in placozoans and sponges. Second, in addition to classical synaptic wiring, a chemical connectome mediated by hundreds of signal molecules operates in tandem with neurons and is the most information-rich source of emerging properties and adaptability. The major gap-dynamic, multifunctional chemical micro-environments in nervous systems-is not understood well. Thus, novel tools and information are needed to establish mechanistic links between orchestrated, yet cell-specific, volume transmission and behaviors. Uniting what we call chemoconnectomics and analyses of the cellular bases of behavior in basal metazoan lineages arguably would form the foundation for deciphering the origins and early evolution of elementary cognition and intelligence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonid L Moroz
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA.
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, Saint Augustine, USA.
| | - Daria Y Romanova
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of RAS, Moscow, Russia
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18
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Najle SR, Grau-Bové X, Elek A, Navarrete C, Cianferoni D, Chiva C, Cañas-Armenteros D, Mallabiabarrena A, Kamm K, Sabidó E, Gruber-Vodicka H, Schierwater B, Serrano L, Sebé-Pedrós A. Stepwise emergence of the neuronal gene expression program in early animal evolution. Cell 2023; 186:4676-4693.e29. [PMID: 37729907 PMCID: PMC10580291 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.08.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
The assembly of the neuronal and other major cell type programs occurred early in animal evolution. We can reconstruct this process by studying non-bilaterians like placozoans. These small disc-shaped animals not only have nine morphologically described cell types and no neurons but also show coordinated behaviors triggered by peptide-secreting cells. We investigated possible neuronal affinities of these peptidergic cells using phylogenetics, chromatin profiling, and comparative single-cell genomics in four placozoans. We found conserved cell type expression programs across placozoans, including populations of transdifferentiating and cycling cells, suggestive of active cell type homeostasis. We also uncovered fourteen peptidergic cell types expressing neuronal-associated components like the pre-synaptic scaffold that derive from progenitor cells with neurogenesis signatures. In contrast, earlier-branching animals like sponges and ctenophores lacked this conserved expression. Our findings indicate that key neuronal developmental and effector gene modules evolved before the advent of cnidarian/bilaterian neurons in the context of paracrine cell signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastián R Najle
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier Grau-Bové
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anamaria Elek
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Navarrete
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Damiano Cianferoni
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Chiva
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Didac Cañas-Armenteros
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Arrate Mallabiabarrena
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Kai Kamm
- Institute of Animal Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover, Germany
| | - Eduard Sabidó
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Harald Gruber-Vodicka
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany; Zoological Institute, Christian Albrechts University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Bernd Schierwater
- Institute of Animal Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover, Germany; American Museum of Natural History, Richard Gilder Graduate School, NY, USA
| | - Luis Serrano
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; ICREA, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Arnau Sebé-Pedrós
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; ICREA, Barcelona, Spain.
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19
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Sheloukhova L, Watanabe H. Analysis of cnidarian Gcm suggests a neuronal origin of glial EAAT1 function. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14790. [PMID: 37684386 PMCID: PMC10491807 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42046-9] [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: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
In bilaterian central nervous systems, coordination of neurotransmission by glial cells enables highly sophisticated neural functions. The diversity of transcription factors (TFs) involved in gliogenesis suggests multiple evolutionary origins of various glial cell types of bilaterians. Many of these TFs including the glial cells missing (Gcm) are also present in genomes of Cnidaria, the closest outgroup to Bilateria, but their function remains to be elucidated. In this study, we analyzed the function of Gcm, a multifunctional TF involved in development of glial and non-glial cell types, in the sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis. siRNA-mediated knockdown of Nematostella Gcm altered expression of cell adhesion proteins, glutamate and GABA transporters, ion channels, metabolic enzymes, and zinc finger and Ets-related TFs. NvGcm and mRNAs of downstream genes are expressed in broad neural cell clusters. However, immunostaining of a NvGcm target protein, the glutamate transporter, NvEAAT1, visualized a novel class of cells with flat cell bodies and no clear processes. Together with the finding of unique morphological features of NvEAAT1-functioning cells, these data suggest that extracellular glutamate metabolism, one of major glial functions, is deployed downstream of Gcm in specific neural cell types in Cnidaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larisa Sheloukhova
- Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa, 904-0412, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Watanabe
- Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa, 904-0412, Japan.
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20
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Norekian TP, Moroz LL. Recording cilia activity in ctenophores: effects of nitric oxide and low molecular weight transmitters. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1125476. [PMID: 37332869 PMCID: PMC10272528 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1125476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Cilia are the major effectors in Ctenophores, but very little is known about their transmitter control and integration. Here, we present a simple protocol to monitor and quantify cilia activity and provide evidence for polysynaptic control of cilia coordination in ctenophores. We also screened the effects of several classical bilaterian neurotransmitters (acetylcholine, dopamine, L-DOPA, serotonin, octopamine, histamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), L-aspartate, L-glutamate, glycine), neuropeptide (FMRFamide), and nitric oxide (NO) on cilia beating in Pleurobrachia bachei and Bolinopsis infundibulum. NO and FMRFamide produced noticeable inhibitory effects on cilia activity, whereas other tested transmitters were ineffective. These findings further suggest that ctenophore-specific neuropeptides could be major candidates for signal molecules controlling cilia activity in representatives of this early-branching metazoan lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tigran P. Norekian
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL, United States
- Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA, United States
| | - Leonid L. Moroz
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL, United States
- Departments of Neuroscience and McKnight, Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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21
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Schultz DT, Haddock SHD, Bredeson JV, Green RE, Simakov O, Rokhsar DS. Ancient gene linkages support ctenophores as sister to other animals. Nature 2023; 618:110-117. [PMID: 37198475 PMCID: PMC10232365 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05936-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 75.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
A central question in evolutionary biology is whether sponges or ctenophores (comb jellies) are the sister group to all other animals. These alternative phylogenetic hypotheses imply different scenarios for the evolution of complex neural systems and other animal-specific traits1-6. Conventional phylogenetic approaches based on morphological characters and increasingly extensive gene sequence collections have not been able to definitively answer this question7-11. Here we develop chromosome-scale gene linkage, also known as synteny, as a phylogenetic character for resolving this question12. We report new chromosome-scale genomes for a ctenophore and two marine sponges, and for three unicellular relatives of animals (a choanoflagellate, a filasterean amoeba and an ichthyosporean) that serve as outgroups for phylogenetic analysis. We find ancient syntenies that are conserved between animals and their close unicellular relatives. Ctenophores and unicellular eukaryotes share ancestral metazoan patterns, whereas sponges, bilaterians, and cnidarians share derived chromosomal rearrangements. Conserved syntenic characters unite sponges with bilaterians, cnidarians, and placozoans in a monophyletic clade to the exclusion of ctenophores, placing ctenophores as the sister group to all other animals. The patterns of synteny shared by sponges, bilaterians, and cnidarians are the result of rare and irreversible chromosome fusion-and-mixing events that provide robust and unambiguous phylogenetic support for the ctenophore-sister hypothesis. These findings provide a new framework for resolving deep, recalcitrant phylogenetic problems and have implications for our understanding of animal evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darrin T Schultz
- Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA, USA.
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering and Bioinformatics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
| | - Steven H D Haddock
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Jessen V Bredeson
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Richard E Green
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering and Bioinformatics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Oleg Simakov
- Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Daniel S Rokhsar
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Molecular Genetics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Japan.
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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22
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Norekian TP, Moroz LL. Nitric oxide suppresses cilia activity in ctenophores. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.27.538508. [PMID: 37163038 PMCID: PMC10168380 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.27.538508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Cilia are the major effectors in Ctenophores, but very little is known about their transmitter control and integration. Here, we present a simple protocol to monitor and quantify cilia activity in semi-intact preparations and provide evidence for polysynaptic control of cilia coordination in ctenophores. Next, we screen the effects of several classical bilaterian neurotransmitters (acetylcholine, dopamine, L-DOPA, serotonin, octopamine, histamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), L-aspartate, L-glutamate, glycine), neuropeptides (FMRFamide), and nitric oxide (NO) on cilia beating in Pleurobrachia bachei and Bolinopsis infundibulum . Only NO inhibited cilia beating, whereas other tested transmitters were ineffective. These findings further suggest that ctenophore-specific neuropeptides could be major candidate signaling molecules controlling cilia activity in representatives of this early-branching metazoan lineage.
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23
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Burkhardt P, Colgren J, Medhus A, Digel L, Naumann B, Soto-Angel JJ, Nordmann EL, Sachkova MY, Kittelmann M. Syncytial nerve net in a ctenophore adds insights on the evolution of nervous systems. Science 2023; 380:293-297. [PMID: 37079688 DOI: 10.1126/science.ade5645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
A fundamental breakthrough in neurobiology has been the formulation of the neuron doctrine by Santiago Ramón y Cajal, which stated that the nervous system is composed of discrete cells. Electron microscopy later confirmed the doctrine and allowed the identification of synaptic connections. In this work, we used volume electron microscopy and three-dimensional reconstructions to characterize the nerve net of a ctenophore, a marine invertebrate that belongs to one of the earliest-branching animal lineages. We found that neurons in the subepithelial nerve net have a continuous plasma membrane that forms a syncytium. Our findings suggest fundamental differences of nerve net architectures between ctenophores and cnidarians or bilaterians and offer an alternative perspective on neural network organization and neurotransmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pawel Burkhardt
- Michael Sars Centre, University of Bergen, 5008 Bergen, Norway
| | - Jeffrey Colgren
- Michael Sars Centre, University of Bergen, 5008 Bergen, Norway
| | - Astrid Medhus
- Michael Sars Centre, University of Bergen, 5008 Bergen, Norway
| | - Leonid Digel
- Michael Sars Centre, University of Bergen, 5008 Bergen, Norway
| | - Benjamin Naumann
- Institut für Biowissenschaften, Allgemeine und Spezielle Zoologie, Universität Rostock, 18055 Rostock, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Maike Kittelmann
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
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24
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Thoma V, Sakai S, Nagata K, Ishii Y, Maruyama S, Abe A, Kondo S, Kawata M, Hamada S, Deguchi R, Tanimoto H. On the origin of appetite: GLWamide in jellyfish represents an ancestral satiety neuropeptide. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2221493120. [PMID: 37011192 PMCID: PMC10104569 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2221493120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Food intake is regulated by internal state. This function is mediated by hormones and neuropeptides, which are best characterized in popular model species. However, the evolutionary origins of such feeding-regulating neuropeptides are poorly understood. We used the jellyfish Cladonema to address this question. Our combined transcriptomic, behavioral, and anatomical approaches identified GLWamide as a feeding-suppressing peptide that selectively inhibits tentacle contraction in this jellyfish. In the fruit fly Drosophila, myoinhibitory peptide (MIP) is a related satiety peptide. Surprisingly, we found that GLWamide and MIP were fully interchangeable in these evolutionarily distant species for feeding suppression. Our results suggest that the satiety signaling systems of diverse animals share an ancient origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimiros Thoma
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai980-8577, Japan
- Department of Biology, Miyagi University of Education, Aoba-ku, Sendai980-0845, Japan
| | - Shuhei Sakai
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai980-8577, Japan
| | - Koki Nagata
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai980-8577, Japan
| | - Yuu Ishii
- Department of Biology, Miyagi University of Education, Aoba-ku, Sendai980-0845, Japan
- Department of Ecological Developmental Adaptability Life Sciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Aobaku, Sendai980-8578, Japan
| | - Shinichiro Maruyama
- Department of Ecological Developmental Adaptability Life Sciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Aobaku, Sendai980-8578, Japan
- Department of Life Science, Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo112-8610, Japan
| | - Ayako Abe
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai980-8577, Japan
| | - Shu Kondo
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, Faculty of Advanced Engineering, Tokyo University of Science, Katsushika-ku, Tokyo125-8585, Japan
- Invertebrate Genetics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka411-8540, Japan
| | - Masakado Kawata
- Department of Ecological Developmental Adaptability Life Sciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Aobaku, Sendai980-8578, Japan
| | - Shun Hamada
- Department of Food and Health Sciences, International College of Arts and Sciences, Fukuoka Women’s University, Fukuoka813-8529, Japan
| | - Ryusaku Deguchi
- Department of Biology, Miyagi University of Education, Aoba-ku, Sendai980-0845, Japan
| | - Hiromu Tanimoto
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai980-8577, Japan
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25
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Primack AS, Cazet JF, Little HM, Mühlbauer S, Cox BD, David CN, Farrell JA, Juliano CE. Differentiation trajectories of the Hydra nervous system reveal transcriptional regulators of neuronal fate. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.15.531610. [PMID: 36993575 PMCID: PMC10055148 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.15.531610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/27/2023]
Abstract
The small freshwater cnidarian polyp Hydra vulgaris uses adult stem cells (interstitial stem cells) to continually replace neurons throughout its life. This feature, combined with the ability to image the entire nervous system (Badhiwala et al., 2021; Dupre & Yuste, 2017) and availability of gene knockdown techniques (Juliano, Reich, et al., 2014; Lohmann et al., 1999; Vogg et al., 2022), makes Hydra a tractable model for studying nervous system development and regeneration at the whole-organism level. In this study, we use single-cell RNA sequencing and trajectory inference to provide a comprehensive molecular description of the adult nervous system. This includes the most detailed transcriptional characterization of the adult Hydra nervous system to date. We identified eleven unique neuron subtypes together with the transcriptional changes that occur as the interstitial stem cells differentiate into each subtype. Towards the goal of building gene regulatory networks to describe Hydra neuron differentiation, we identified 48 transcription factors expressed specifically in the Hydra nervous system, including many that are conserved regulators of neurogenesis in bilaterians. We also performed ATAC-seq on sorted neurons to uncover previously unidentified putative regulatory regions near neuron-specific genes. Finally, we provide evidence to support the existence of transdifferentiation between mature neuron subtypes and we identify previously unknown transition states in these pathways. All together, we provide a comprehensive transcriptional description of an entire adult nervous system, including differentiation and transdifferentiation pathways, which provides a significant advance towards understanding mechanisms that underlie nervous system regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abby S Primack
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Jack F Cazet
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Hannah Morris Little
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Susanne Mühlbauer
- Department of Plant Biochemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Ben D Cox
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Charles N David
- Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Jeffrey A Farrell
- Division of Developmental Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Celina E Juliano
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
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26
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Cortés E, Pak JS, Özkan E. Structure and evolution of neuronal wiring receptors and ligands. Dev Dyn 2023; 252:27-60. [PMID: 35727136 PMCID: PMC10084454 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the fundamental properties of a neuronal circuit is the map of its connections. The cellular and developmental processes that allow for the growth of axons and dendrites, selection of synaptic targets, and formation of functional synapses use neuronal surface receptors and their interactions with other surface receptors, secreted ligands, and matrix molecules. Spatiotemporal regulation of the expression of these receptors and cues allows for specificity in the developmental pathways that wire stereotyped circuits. The families of molecules controlling axon guidance and synapse formation are generally conserved across animals, with some important exceptions, which have consequences for neuronal connectivity. Here, we summarize the distribution of such molecules across multiple taxa, with a focus on model organisms, evolutionary processes that led to the multitude of such molecules, and functional consequences for the diversification or loss of these receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Cortés
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.,The Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Joseph S Pak
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.,The Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Engin Özkan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.,The Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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27
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Lagman D, Haines HJ, Abalo XM, Larhammar D. Ancient multiplicity in cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) cation channel repertoire was reduced in the ancestor of Olfactores before re-expansion by whole genome duplications in vertebrates. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0279548. [PMID: 36584110 PMCID: PMC9803222 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279548] [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: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) cation channels are important heterotetrameric proteins in the retina, with different subunit composition in cone and rod photoreceptor cells: three CNGA3 and one CNGB3 in cones and three CNGA1 and one CNGB1 in rods. CNGA and CNGB subunits form separate subfamilies. We have analyzed the evolution of the CNG gene family in metazoans, with special focus on vertebrates by using sequence-based phylogeny and conservation of chromosomal synteny to deduce paralogons resulting from the early vertebrate whole genome duplications (WGDs). Our analyses show, unexpectedly, that the CNGA subfamily had four sister subfamilies in the ancestor of bilaterians and cnidarians that we named CNGC, CNGD, CNGE and CNGF. Of these, CNGC, CNGE and CNGF were lost in the ancestor of Olfactores while CNGD was lost in the vertebrate ancestor. The remaining CNGA and CNGB genes were expanded by a local duplication of CNGA and the subsequent chromosome duplications in the basal vertebrate WGD events. Upon some losses, this resulted in the gnathostome ancestor having three members in the visual CNGA subfamily (CNGA1-3), a single CNGA4 gene, and two members in the CNGB subfamily (CNGB1 and CNGB3). The nature of chromosomal rearrangements in the vertebrate CNGA paralogon was resolved by including the genomes of a non-teleost actinopterygian and an elasmobranch. After the teleost-specific WGD, additional duplicates were generated and retained for CNGA1, CNGA2, CNGA3 and CNGB1. Furthermore, teleosts retain a local duplicate of CNGB3. The retention of duplicated CNG genes is explained by their subfunctionalisation and photoreceptor-specific expression. In conclusion, this study provides evidence for four previously unknown CNG subfamilies in metazoans and further evidence that the early vertebrate WGD events were instrumental in the evolution of the vertebrate visual and central nervous systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Lagman
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Cell Biology, Biomedical Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Helen J. Haines
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Cell Biology, Biomedical Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Xesús M. Abalo
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Cell Biology, Biomedical Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Dan Larhammar
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Cell Biology, Biomedical Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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28
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Moroz LL, Romanova DY. Alternative neural systems: What is a neuron? (Ctenophores, sponges and placozoans). Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:1071961. [PMID: 36619868 PMCID: PMC9816575 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.1071961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
How to make a neuron, a synapse, and a neural circuit? Is there only one 'design' for a neural architecture with a universally shared genomic blueprint across species? The brief answer is "No." Four early divergent lineages from the nerveless common ancestor of all animals independently evolved distinct neuroid-type integrative systems. One of these is a subset of neural nets in comb jellies with unique synapses; the second lineage is the well-known Cnidaria + Bilateria; the two others are non-synaptic neuroid systems in sponges and placozoans. By integrating scRNA-seq and microscopy data, we revise the definition of neurons as synaptically-coupled polarized and highly heterogenous secretory cells at the top of behavioral hierarchies with learning capabilities. This physiological (not phylogenetic) definition separates 'true' neurons from non-synaptically and gap junction-coupled integrative systems executing more stereotyped behaviors. Growing evidence supports the hypothesis of multiple origins of neurons and synapses. Thus, many non-bilaterian and bilaterian neuronal classes, circuits or systems are considered functional rather than genetic categories, composed of non-homologous cell types. In summary, little-explored examples of convergent neuronal evolution in representatives of early branching metazoans provide conceptually novel microanatomical and physiological architectures of behavioral controls in animals with prospects of neuro-engineering and synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonid L. Moroz
- Departments of Neuroscience and McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States,Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL, United States,*Correspondence: Leonid L. Moroz, ; Daria Y. Romanova,
| | - Daria Y. Romanova
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of RAS, 5A Butlerova, Moscow, Russia,*Correspondence: Leonid L. Moroz, ; Daria Y. Romanova,
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29
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The premetazoan ancestry of the synaptic toolkit and appearance of first neurons. Essays Biochem 2022; 66:781-795. [PMID: 36205407 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20220042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Neurons, especially when coupled with muscles, allow animals to interact with and navigate through their environment in ways unique to life on earth. Found in all major animal lineages except sponges and placozoans, nervous systems range widely in organization and complexity, with neurons possibly representing the most diverse cell-type. This diversity has led to much debate over the evolutionary origin of neurons as well as synapses, which allow for the directed transmission of information. The broad phylogenetic distribution of neurons and presence of many of the defining components outside of animals suggests an early origin of this cell type, potentially in the time between the first animal and the last common ancestor of extant animals. Here, we highlight the occurrence and function of key aspects of neurons outside of animals as well as recent findings from non-bilaterian animals in order to make predictions about when and how the first neuron(s) arose during animal evolution and their relationship to those found in extant lineages. With advancing technologies in single cell transcriptomics and proteomics as well as expanding functional techniques in non-bilaterian animals and the close relatives of animals, it is an exciting time to begin unraveling the complex evolutionary history of this fascinating animal cell type.
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30
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Burkhardt P. Ctenophores and the evolutionary origin(s) of neurons. Trends Neurosci 2022; 45:878-880. [PMID: 36207172 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2022.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Ctenophores (commonly known as comb jellies) are among the earliest branching extant lineages of the animal kingdom. Here, I present a brief overview of the ctenophore nervous system, discussing its cellular architecture and molecular composition, as well as insights it offers into the early evolution of neurons and chemical neurotransmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pawel Burkhardt
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
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31
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Hayakawa E, Guzman C, Horiguchi O, Kawano C, Shiraishi A, Mohri K, Lin MF, Nakamura R, Nakamura R, Kawai E, Komoto S, Jokura K, Shiba K, Shigenobu S, Satake H, Inaba K, Watanabe H. Mass spectrometry of short peptides reveals common features of metazoan peptidergic neurons. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:1438-1448. [PMID: 35941202 PMCID: PMC9525235 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01835-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The evolutionary origins of neurons remain unknown. Although recent genome data of extant early-branching animals have shown that neural genes existed in the common ancestor of animals, the physiological and genetic properties of neurons in the early evolutionary phase are still unclear. Here, we performed a mass spectrometry-based comprehensive survey of short peptides from early-branching lineages Cnidaria, Porifera and Ctenophora. We identified a number of mature ctenophore neuropeptides that are expressed in neurons associated with sensory, muscular and digestive systems. The ctenophore peptides are stored in vesicles in cell bodies and neurites, suggesting volume transmission similar to that of cnidarian and bilaterian peptidergic systems. A comparison of genetic characteristics revealed that the peptide-expressing cells of Cnidaria and Ctenophora express the vast majority of genes that have pivotal roles in maturation, secretion and degradation of neuropeptides in Bilateria. Functional analysis of neuropeptides and prediction of receptors with machine learning demonstrated peptide regulation of a wide range of target effector cells, including cells of muscular systems. The striking parallels between the peptidergic neuronal properties of Cnidaria and Bilateria and those of Ctenophora, the most basal neuron-bearing animals, suggest a common evolutionary origin of metazoan peptidergic nervous systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eisuke Hayakawa
- Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan.
| | - Christine Guzman
- Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Osamu Horiguchi
- Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Chihiro Kawano
- Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Akira Shiraishi
- Bioorganic Research Institute, Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kurato Mohri
- Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Mei-Fang Lin
- Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
- College of Marine Sciences, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Ryotaro Nakamura
- Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Ryo Nakamura
- Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Erina Kawai
- Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
- Marine Climate Change Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Shinya Komoto
- Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
- Imaging Section, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Kei Jokura
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Shizuoka, Japan
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Kogiku Shiba
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Shuji Shigenobu
- Center for the Development of New Model Organisms, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Honoo Satake
- Bioorganic Research Institute, Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kazuo Inaba
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Watanabe
- Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan.
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32
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Sachkova MY. Neuropeptides at the origin of neurons. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:1410-1411. [PMID: 35941203 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01828-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Y Sachkova
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
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33
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Single-cell transcriptomics identifies conserved regulators of neuroglandular lineages. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111370. [PMID: 36130520 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Communication in bilaterian nervous systems is mediated by electrical and secreted signals; however, the evolutionary origin and relation of neurons to other secretory cell types has not been elucidated. Here, we use developmental single-cell RNA sequencing in the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis, representing an early evolutionary lineage with a simple nervous system. Validated by transgenics, we demonstrate that neurons, stinging cells, and gland cells arise from a common multipotent progenitor population. We identify the conserved transcription factor gene SoxC as a key upstream regulator of all neuroglandular lineages and demonstrate that SoxC knockdown eliminates both neuronal and secretory cell types. While in vertebrates and many other bilaterians neurogenesis is largely restricted to early developmental stages, we show that in the sea anemone, differentiation of neuroglandular cells is maintained throughout all life stages, and follows the same molecular trajectories from embryo to adulthood, ensuring lifelong homeostasis of neuroglandular cell lineages.
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34
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The evolution of synaptic and cognitive capacity: Insights from the nervous system transcriptome of Aplysia. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2122301119. [PMID: 35867761 PMCID: PMC9282427 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2122301119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The gastropod mollusk Aplysia is an important model for cellular and molecular neurobiological studies, particularly for investigations of molecular mechanisms of learning and memory. We developed an optimized assembly pipeline to generate an improved Aplysia nervous system transcriptome. This improved transcriptome enabled us to explore the evolution of cognitive capacity at the molecular level. Were there evolutionary expansions of neuronal genes between this relatively simple gastropod Aplysia (20,000 neurons) and Octopus (500 million neurons), the invertebrate with the most elaborate neuronal circuitry and greatest behavioral complexity? Are the tremendous advances in cognitive power in vertebrates explained by expansion of the synaptic proteome that resulted from multiple rounds of whole genome duplication in this clade? Overall, the complement of genes linked to neuronal function is similar between Octopus and Aplysia. As expected, a number of synaptic scaffold proteins have more isoforms in humans than in Aplysia or Octopus. However, several scaffold families present in mollusks and other protostomes are absent in vertebrates, including the Fifes, Lev10s, SOLs, and a NETO family. Thus, whereas vertebrates have more scaffold isoforms from select families, invertebrates have additional scaffold protein families not found in vertebrates. This analysis provides insights into the evolution of the synaptic proteome. Both synaptic proteins and synaptic plasticity evolved gradually, yet the last deuterostome-protostome common ancestor already possessed an elaborate suite of genes associated with synaptic function, and critical for synaptic plasticity.
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35
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Multigenerational laboratory culture of pelagic ctenophores and CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing in the lobate Mnemiopsis leidyi. Nat Protoc 2022; 17:1868-1900. [PMID: 35697825 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-022-00702-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Despite long-standing experimental interest in ctenophores due to their unique biology, ecological influence and evolutionary status, previous work has largely been constrained by the periodic seasonal availability of wild-caught animals and difficulty in reliably closing the life cycle. To address this problem, we have developed straightforward protocols that can be easily implemented to establish long-term multigenerational cultures for biological experimentation in the laboratory. In this protocol, we describe the continuous culture of the Atlantic lobate ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi. A rapid 3-week egg-to-egg generation time makes Mnemiopsis suitable for a wide range of experimental genetic, cellular, embryological, physiological, developmental, ecological and evolutionary studies. We provide recommendations for general husbandry to close the life cycle of Mnemiopsis in the laboratory, including feeding requirements, light-induced spawning, collection of embryos and rearing of juveniles to adults. These protocols have been successfully applied to maintain long-term multigenerational cultures of several species of pelagic ctenophores, and can be utilized by laboratories lacking easy access to the ocean. We also provide protocols for targeted genome editing via microinjection with CRISPR-Cas9 that can be completed within ~2 weeks, including single-guide RNA synthesis, early embryo microinjection, phenotype assessment and sequence validation of genome edits. These protocols provide a foundation for using Mnemiopsis as a model organism for functional genomic analyses in ctenophores.
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36
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Abstract
Neurons are the fundamental building blocks of nervous systems. It appears intuitive that the human brain is made up of hundreds, if not thousands different types of neurons. Conversely, the seemingly diffuse nerve net of Cnidaria is often assumed to be simple. However, evidence that the Cnidaria nervous system is indeed simple is sparse. Recent technical advances make it possible to assess the diversity and function of neurons with unprecedented resolution. Transgenic animals expressing genetically encoded Calcium sensors allow direct physiological assessments of neural responses within the nerve net and provide insight into the spatial organization of the nervous system. Moreover, response and activity patterns allow the characterization of cell types on a functional level. Molecular and genetic identities on the other hand can be assessed combining single-cell transcriptomic analysis with correlations of gene expression in defined neurons. Here I review recent advances on these two experimental strategies focusing on Hydra, Nematostella, and Clytia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon G Sprecher
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
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37
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Holstein TW. The role of cnidarian developmental biology in unraveling axis formation and Wnt signaling. Dev Biol 2022; 487:74-98. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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38
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Nässel DR, Wu SF. Cholecystokinin/sulfakinin peptide signaling: conserved roles at the intersection between feeding, mating and aggression. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:188. [PMID: 35286508 PMCID: PMC8921109 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04214-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Neuropeptides are the most diverse messenger molecules in metazoans and are involved in regulation of daily physiology and a wide array of behaviors. Some neuropeptides and their cognate receptors are structurally and functionally well conserved over evolution in bilaterian animals. Among these are peptides related to gastrin and cholecystokinin (CCK). In mammals, CCK is produced by intestinal endocrine cells and brain neurons, and regulates gall bladder contractions, pancreatic enzyme secretion, gut functions, satiety and food intake. Additionally, CCK plays important roles in neuromodulation in several brain circuits that regulate reward, anxiety, aggression and sexual behavior. In invertebrates, CCK-type peptides (sulfakinins, SKs) are, with a few exceptions, produced by brain neurons only. Common among invertebrates is that SKs mediate satiety and regulate food ingestion by a variety of mechanisms. Also regulation of secretion of digestive enzymes has been reported. Studies of the genetically tractable fly Drosophila have advanced our understanding of SK signaling mechanisms in regulation of satiety and feeding, but also in gustatory sensitivity, locomotor activity, aggression and reproductive behavior. A set of eight SK-expressing brain neurons plays important roles in regulation of these competing behaviors. In males, they integrate internal state and external stimuli to diminish sex drive and increase aggression. The same neurons also diminish sugar gustation, induce satiety and reduce feeding. Although several functional roles of CCK/SK signaling appear conserved between Drosophila and mammals, available data suggest that the underlying mechanisms differ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dick R Nässel
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Shun-Fan Wu
- College of Plant Protection/Laboratory of Bio-Interactions and Crop Health, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
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39
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Abstract
Neuropeptides are a diverse class of signaling molecules in metazoans. They occur in all animals with a nervous system and also in neuron-less placozoans. However, their origin has remained unclear because no neuropeptide shows deep homology across lineages, and none have been found in sponges. Here, we identify two neuropeptide precursors, phoenixin (PNX) and nesfatin, with broad evolutionary conservation. By database searches, sequence alignments, and gene-structure comparisons, we show that both precursors are present in bilaterians, cnidarians, ctenophores, and sponges. We also found PNX and a secreted nesfatin precursor homolog in the choanoflagellate Salpingoeca rosetta. PNX, in particular, is highly conserved, including its cleavage sites, suggesting that prohormone processing occurs also in choanoflagellates. In addition, based on phyletic patterns and negative pharmacological assays, we question the originally proposed GPR-173 (SREB3) as a PNX receptor. Our findings revealed that secreted neuropeptide homologs derived from longer precursors have premetazoan origins and thus evolved before neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel Thiel
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, UK
| | - Gáspár Jékely
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, UK
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40
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Courtney A, Liegey J, Burke N, Hassett AR, Lowery M, Pickering M. Characterisation of geometric variance in the epithelial nerve net of the ctenophore Pleurobrachia pileus. J Comp Neurol 2021; 530:1438-1458. [PMID: 34933399 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Neuroscience lacks a diverse repertoire of model organisms, resulting in an incomplete understanding into the general principles of neural function. Ctenophores display many neurobiological and experimental features which make them a promising candidate to fill this gap. They possess a nerve net distributed across their body surface, in the epithelial layer. There is a long-held assumption that nerve nets are 'simple' and lack distinct organisational principles. We want to challenge this assumption and determine how stereotyped the structure of this network is. We estimated body surface area in Pleurobrachia pileus using custom Optical Projection Tomography and Light Sheet Morphometry imaging systems. Using an antibody against tyrosinated α-tubulin we visualised the nerve net in situ and quantified the geometric properties using an automated segmentation approach. We characterised organisational rules of the epithelial nerve net in animals of different sizes and at different regions of the body. We found that specific morphological features within the nerve net are largely unchanged during growth. These properties must be essential to the functionality of the nervous system and therefore are maintained during a change in body size. We have also established the principles of organisation of the network and showed that some of the geometric properties are variable across different parts of the body. This suggests that there may be different functions occurring in regions with different structural characteristics. This is the most comprehensive structural description of a ctenophore nerve net to date and demonstrates the amenability of P. pileus for whole organism network analysis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Courtney
- School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Ireland.,UCD Centre for Biomedical Engineering, University College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Jérémy Liegey
- UCD Centre for Biomedical Engineering, University College Dublin, Ireland.,School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, University College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Niamh Burke
- School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Ireland.,UCD Centre for Biomedical Engineering, University College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Amy R Hassett
- School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Ireland.,UCD Centre for Biomedical Engineering, University College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Madeleine Lowery
- UCD Centre for Biomedical Engineering, University College Dublin, Ireland.,School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, University College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Mark Pickering
- School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Ireland.,UCD Centre for Biomedical Engineering, University College Dublin, Ireland
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41
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Williams EA, Jékely G. Nervous systems: Neuropeptides define enigmatic comb-jelly neurons. Curr Biol 2021; 31:R1515-R1517. [PMID: 34875238 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.10.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The apparently simple nerve net of comb-jellies has long intrigued biologists. A new study identifies multiple unique neuropeptides in the comb-jelly nervous system and exploits these as indicators of neuronal identity and morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Williams
- College of Live and Environmental Sciences, Biosciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK.
| | - Gáspár Jékely
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK.
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42
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Burkhardt P, Jékely G. Evolution of synapses and neurotransmitter systems: The divide-and-conquer model for early neural cell-type evolution. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 71:127-138. [PMID: 34826676 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Nervous systems evolved around 560 million years ago to coordinate and empower animal bodies. Ctenophores - one of the earliest-branching lineages - are thought to share a few neuronal genes with bilaterians and may have evolved neurons convergently. Here we review our current understanding of the evolution of neuronal molecules in nonbilaterians. We also reanalyse single-cell sequencing data in light of new cell-cluster identities from a ctenophore and uncover evidence supporting the homology of one ctenophore neuron-type with neurons in Bilateria. The specific coexpression of the presynaptic proteins Unc13 and RIM with voltage-gated channels, neuropeptides and homeobox genes pinpoint a spiking sensory-peptidergic cell in the ctenophore mouth. Similar Unc13-RIM neurons may have been present in the first eumetazoans to rise to dominance only in stem Bilateria. We hypothesise that the Unc13-RIM lineage ancestrally innervated the mouth and conquered other parts of the body with the rise of macrophagy and predation during the Cambrian explosion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pawel Burkhardt
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Norway.
| | - Gáspár Jékely
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, UK.
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