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Otter LM, Eder K, Kilburn MR, Yang L, O'Reilly P, Nowak DB, Cairney JM, Jacob DE. Growth dynamics and amorphous-to-crystalline phase transformation in natural nacre. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2254. [PMID: 37080977 PMCID: PMC10119311 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37814-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Biominerals, such as nacreous bivalve shells, are important archives of environmental information. Most marine calcifiers form their shells from amorphous calcium carbonate, hypothesised to occur via particle attachment and stepwise crystallisation of metastable precursor phases. However, the mechanism of this transformation, including the incorporation of trace elements used for environmental reconstructions, are poorly constrained. Here, using shells of the Mediterranean mussel, we explore the formation of nacre from the meso- to the atomic scale. We use a combination of strontium pulse-chase labelling experiments in aquaculture and correlated micro- to sub-nanoscale analysis to show that nacre grows in a dynamic two-step process with extensional and space-filling growth components. Furthermore, we show that nacre crystallizes via localised dissolution and reprecipitation within nanogranules. Our findings elucidate how stepwise crystallization pathways affect trace element incorporation in natural biominerals, while preserving their intricate hierarchical ultrastructure.
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Affiliation(s)
- L M Otter
- Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
| | - K Eder
- Australian Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - M R Kilburn
- Centre for Microscopy Characterisation and Analysis, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - L Yang
- Australian Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
- School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - P O'Reilly
- Molecular Vista Inc., 6840 Via Del Oro, Suite 110, San Jose, CA, 95119, USA
| | - D B Nowak
- Molecular Vista Inc., 6840 Via Del Oro, Suite 110, San Jose, CA, 95119, USA
| | - J M Cairney
- Australian Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - D E Jacob
- Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
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2
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Perricone V, Grun TB, Rendina F, Marmo F, Candia Carnevali MD, Kowalewski M, Facchini A, De Stefano M, Santella L, Langella C, Micheletti A. Hexagonal Voronoi pattern detected in the microstructural design of the echinoid skeleton. J R Soc Interface 2022; 19:20220226. [PMID: 35946165 PMCID: PMC9363984 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2022.0226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Repeated polygonal patterns are pervasive in natural forms and structures. These patterns provide inherent structural stability while optimizing strength-per-weight and minimizing construction costs. In echinoids (sea urchins), a visible regularity can be found in the endoskeleton, consisting of a lightweight and resistant micro-trabecular meshwork (stereom). This foam-like structure follows an intrinsic geometrical pattern that has never been investigated. This study aims to analyse and describe it by focusing on the boss of tubercles-spine attachment sites subject to strong mechanical stresses-in the common sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. The boss microstructure was identified as a Voronoi construction characterized by 82% concordance to the computed Voronoi models, a prevalence of hexagonal polygons, and a regularly organized seed distribution. This pattern is interpreted as an evolutionary solution for the construction of the echinoid skeleton using a lightweight microstructural design that optimizes the trabecular arrangement, maximizes the structural strength and minimizes the metabolic costs of secreting calcitic stereom. Hence, this identification is particularly valuable to improve the understanding of the mechanical function of the stereom as well as to effectively model and reconstruct similar structures in view of future applications in biomimetic technologies and designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Perricone
- Department of Engineering, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Via Roma 29, Aversa 81031, Italy
| | - Tobias B. Grun
- Division of Invertebrate Paleontology, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32618, USA
| | - Francesco Rendina
- Department of Science and Technology, University of Naples ‘Parthenope’, URL CoNISMa, Centro Direzionale Is.4, Naples 80143, Italy
| | - Francesco Marmo
- Department of Structures for Engineering and Architecture, University of Naples Federico II, Via Claudio 21, Naples 80125, Italy
| | | | - Michal Kowalewski
- Division of Invertebrate Paleontology, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32618, USA
| | - Angelo Facchini
- IMT school for advanced studies Lucca, Piazza S. Ponziano 6, 55100, Lucca, Italy
| | - Mario De Stefano
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Science and Technology University of Campania ‘L. Vanvitelli’, Via Vivaldi 43, Caserta 80127, Italy
| | - Luigia Santella
- Department of Research Infrastructures for Marine Biological Resources, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, Naples 80121, Italy
| | - Carla Langella
- Department of Architecture and Industrial Design, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Via San Lorenzo, 81031, Aversa, Italy
| | - Alessandra Micheletti
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milano, Via Celoria 26, Milan 20133, Italy
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3
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Wolff A, Hinman V. The Use of Larval Sea Stars and Sea Urchins in the Discovery of Shared Mechanisms of Metazoan Whole-Body Regeneration. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:1063. [PMID: 34356079 PMCID: PMC8303351 DOI: 10.3390/genes12071063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to regenerate is scattered among the metazoan tree of life. Further still, regenerative capacity varies widely within these specific organisms. Numerous organisms, all with different regenerative capabilities, have been studied at length and key similarities and disparities in how regeneration occurs have been identified. In order to get a better grasp on understanding regeneration as a whole, we must search for new models that are capable of extensive regeneration, as well as those that have been under sampled in the literature. As invertebrate deuterostomes, echinoderms fit both of these requirements. Multiple members regenerate various tissue types at all life stages, including examples of whole-body regeneration. Interrogations in two highly studied echinoderms, the sea urchin and the sea star, have provided knowledge of tissue and whole-body regeneration at various life stages. Work has begun to examine regeneration in echinoderm larvae, a potential new system for understanding regenerative mechanisms in a basal deuterostome. Here, we review the ways these two animals' larvae have been utilized as a model of regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Wolff
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA;
| | - Veronica Hinman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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4
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Piovani L, Czarkwiani A, Ferrario C, Sugni M, Oliveri P. Ultrastructural and molecular analysis of the origin and differentiation of cells mediating brittle star skeletal regeneration. BMC Biol 2021; 19:9. [PMID: 33461552 PMCID: PMC7814545 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-00937-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Regeneration is the ability to re-grow body parts or tissues after trauma, and it is widespread across metazoans. Cells involved in regeneration can arise from a pool of undifferentiated proliferative cells or be recruited from pre-existing differentiated tissues. Both mechanisms have been described in different phyla; however, the cellular and molecular mechanisms employed by different animals to restore lost tissues as well as the source of cells involved in regeneration remain largely unknown. Echinoderms are a clade of deuterostome invertebrates that show striking larval and adult regenerative abilities in all extant classes. Here, we use the brittle star Amphiura filiformis to investigate the origin and differentiation of cells involved in skeletal regeneration using a combination of microscopy techniques and molecular markers. RESULTS Our ultrastructural analyses at different regenerative stages identify a population of morphologically undifferentiated cells which appear in close contact with the proliferating epithelium of the regenerating aboral coelomic cavity. These cells express skeletogenic marker genes, such as the transcription factor alx1 and the differentiation genes c-lectin and msp130L, and display a gradient of morphological differentiation from the aboral coelomic cavity towards the epidermis. Cells closer to the epidermis, which are in contact with developing spicules, have the morphology of mature skeletal cells (sclerocytes), and express several skeletogenic transcription factors and differentiation genes. Moreover, as regeneration progresses, sclerocytes show a different combinatorial expression of genes in various skeletal elements. CONCLUSIONS We hypothesize that sclerocyte precursors originate from the epithelium of the proliferating aboral coelomic cavity. As these cells migrate towards the epidermis, they differentiate and start secreting spicules. Moreover, our study shows that molecular and cellular processes involved in skeletal regeneration resemble those used during skeletal development, hinting at a possible conservation of developmental programmes during adult regeneration. Finally, we highlight that many genes involved in echinoderm skeletogenesis also play a role in vertebrate skeleton formation, suggesting a possible common origin of the deuterostome endoskeleton pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Piovani
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria, 2, 20133, Milan, Italy
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
- Center for Life Origins and Evolution, University College London, London, UK
| | - Anna Czarkwiani
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
- Present Address: DFG-Center for Regenerative Therapies Technische Universität Dresden (CRTD), Dresden, Germany
| | - Cinzia Ferrario
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria, 2, 20133, Milan, Italy
- Center for Complexity and Biosystems, Department of Physics, University of Milan, Via Celoria, 16, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Michela Sugni
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria, 2, 20133, Milan, Italy.
- Center for Complexity and Biosystems, Department of Physics, University of Milan, Via Celoria, 16, 20133, Milan, Italy.
- GAIA 2050 Center, Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria, 2, 20133, Milan, Italy.
| | - Paola Oliveri
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK.
- Center for Life Origins and Evolution, University College London, London, UK.
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5
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Chen H, Yang T, Wu Z, Deng Z, Zhu Y, Li L. Quantitative 3D structural analysis of the cellular microstructure of sea urchin spines (II): Large-volume structural analysis. Acta Biomater 2020; 107:218-231. [PMID: 32151699 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2020.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Revised: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Biological cellular materials have been a valuable source of inspiration for the design of lightweight engineering structures. In this process, a quantitative understanding of the biological cellular materials from the individual branch and node level to the global network level in 3D is required. Here we adopt a multiscale cellular network analysis workflow demonstrated in the first paper of this work series to analyze the biomineralized porous structure of sea urchin spines from the species Heterocentrotus mamillatus over a large volume (ca. 0.32mm3). A comprehensive set of structural descriptors is utilized to quantitatively delineate the long-range microstructural variation from the spine center to the edge region. Our analysis shows that the branches gradually elongate (~50% increase) and thicken (~100% increase) from the spine center to edge, which dictates the spatial variation of relative density (from ~12% to ~40%). The branch morphology and network organization patterns also vary gradually with their positions and orientations. Additionally, the analysis of the cellular network of individual septa provides the interconnection characteristics between adjacent septa, which are the primary structural motifs used for the construction of the cellular structure in the edge region. Lastly, combining the extracted long-range cellular network and finite element simulations allows us to efficiently examine the spatial and orientational dependence of local effective Young's modulus across the spine's radius. The structural-mechanical analysis here sheds light on the structural designs of H. mamillatus' porous spines, which could provide important insights for the design and modeling of lightweight yet strong and damage-tolerant cellular materials. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Previous investigations on the cellular structures of sea urchin spines have been mainly based on 2D measurements or 3D quantification of small volumes with limited structural parameters. This limits our understanding of the interplay between the 3D microstructural variations and the mechanical properties in sea urchin spines, which hence constrains the derivation of the underlying principles for bio-inspired designs. This work utilizes our multiscale 3D network analysis, for the first time, to quantify the 3D cellular network and its variation across large volumes in sea urchin spines from individual branch and node level to the cellular network level. The network analysis demonstrated here is expected to be of great interest to the fields of biomineralization, functional biological materials, and bio-inspired material design.
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Yang T, Wu Z, Chen H, Zhu Y, Li L. Quantitative 3D structural analysis of the cellular microstructure of sea urchin spines (I): Methodology. Acta Biomater 2020; 107:204-217. [PMID: 32109599 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2020.02.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The mineralized skeletons of echinoderms are characterized by their complex, open-cell porous microstructure (also known as stereom), which exhibits vast variations in pore sizes, branch morphology, and three-dimensional (3D) organization patterns among different species. Quantitative description and analysis of these cellular structures in 3D are needed in order to understand their mechanical properties and underlying design strategies. In this paper series, we present a framework for analyzing such structures based on high-resolution 3D tomography data and utilize this framework to investigate the structural designs of stereom by using the spines from the sea urchin Heterocentrotus mamillatus as a model system. The first paper here reports the proposed cellular network analysis framework, which consists of five major steps: synchrotron-based tomography and hierarchical convolutional neural network-based reconstruction, machine learning-based segmentation, cellular network registration, feature extraction, and data representation and analysis. This framework enables the characterization of the porous stereom structures at the individual node and branch level (~10 µm), the local cellular level (~100 µm), and the global network level (~1 mm). We define and quantify multiple structural descriptors at each level, such as node connectivity, branch length and orientation, branch profile, ring structure, etc., which allows us to investigate the cellular network construction of H. mamillatus spines quantitatively. The methodology reported here could be tailored to analyze other natural or engineering open-cell porous materials for a comprehensive multiscale network representation and mechanical analysis. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The mechanical robustness of the biomineralized porous structures in sea urchin spines has long been recognized. However, quantitative cellular network representation and analysis of this class of natural cellular solids are still limited in the literature. This constrains our capability to fully understand the mechanical properties and design strategies in sea urchin spines and other similar echinoderms' porous skeletal structures. Combining high-resolution tomography and computer vision-based analysis, this work presents a multiscale 3D network analysis framework, which allows for extraction, registration, and quantification of sea urchin spines' complex porous structure from the individual branch and node level to the global network level. This 3D structural analysis is relevant to a diversity of research fields, such as biomineralization, skeletal biology, biomimetics, material science, etc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Yang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
| | - Ziling Wu
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
| | - Hongshun Chen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
| | - Yunhui Zhu
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA.
| | - Ling Li
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA.
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7
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Kołbuk D, Dubois P, Stolarski J, Gorzelak P. Effects of seawater chemistry (Mg 2+/Ca 2+ ratio) and diet on the skeletal Mg/Ca ratio in the common sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2019; 145:22-26. [PMID: 30777345 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2019.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Revised: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
It has been argued that concentration of major metallic ions such as Mg2+ and Ca2+ plays a role in determining the composition of the echinoderm skeleton. Consequently, in several studies Mg/Ca ratio from modern and fossil echinoderm ossicles was used as a proxy of secular Mg2+/Ca2+ changes of Phanerozoic seawater. However, although significant progress has been made in understanding biomineralization of echinoderms, it is still largely unknown what are the sources and physiological pathways of major ions that contribute to skeleton formation. Herein we tested the effects of modifications of ambient seawater Mg2+/Ca2+ ratio (which is typically ∼5) and Mg-enrichment of the diet on the Mg/Ca ratio in regenerating spines of sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus under experimental conditions. We found that sea urchins cultured in seawater with Mg2+/Ca2+ ratio decreased to ∼1.9 produced a skeleton with also decreased Mg/Ca ratio. However, the skeleton of specimens fed on a Mg-enriched diet showed significantly higher Mg/Ca ratio. This suggests that the seawater is an important but not the only source of ions that contributes to the Mg/Ca ratio of the skeleton. Consequently, the reliability of geochemical models that link directly seawater chemistry with the Mg/Ca ratio of the skeleton should be reevaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorota Kołbuk
- Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, PL-00-818, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Philippe Dubois
- Université Libre de Bruxelles, Faculté des Sciences, Laboratoire de Biologie Marine, CP 160/15, av. F.D. Roosevelt, 50 B-1050, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Jarosław Stolarski
- Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, PL-00-818, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Przemysław Gorzelak
- Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, PL-00-818, Warsaw, Poland.
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Albéric M, Stifler CA, Zou Z, Sun CY, Killian CE, Valencia S, Mawass MA, Bertinetti L, Gilbert PUPA, Politi Y. Growth and regrowth of adult sea urchin spines involve hydrated and anhydrous amorphous calcium carbonate precursors. JOURNAL OF STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY-X 2019; 1:100004. [PMID: 32647811 PMCID: PMC7337052 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjsbx.2019.100004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Revised: 01/27/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
In various mineralizing marine organisms, calcite or aragonite crystals form through the initial deposition of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) phases with different hydration levels. Using X-ray PhotoEmission Electron spectroMicroscopy (X-PEEM), ACCs with varied spectroscopic signatures were previously identified. In particular, ACC type I and II were recognized in embryonic sea urchin spicules. ACC type I was assigned to hydrated ACC based on spectral similarity with synthetic hydrated ACC. However, the identity of ACC type II has never been unequivocally determined experimentally. In the present study we show that synthetic anhydrous ACC and ACC type II identified here in sea urchin spines, have similar Ca L2,3-edge spectra. Moreover, using X-PEEM chemical mapping, we revealed the presence of ACC-H2O and anhydrous ACC in growing stereom and septa regions of sea urchin spines, supporting their role as precursor phases in both structures. However, the distribution and the abundance of the two ACC phases differ substantially between the two growing structures, suggesting a variation in the crystal growth mechanism; in particular, ACC dehydration, in the two-step reaction ACC-H2O → ACC → calcite, presents different kinetics, which are proposed to be controlled biologically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Albéric
- Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14424 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Cayla A Stifler
- Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Zhaoyong Zou
- Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14424 Potsdam, Germany.,State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, 430070 Wuhan, China
| | - Chang-Yu Sun
- Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.,Materials Science Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Christopher E Killian
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Sergio Valencia
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialen & Energie, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Luca Bertinetti
- Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14424 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Pupa U P A Gilbert
- Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.,Departments of Chemistry, Geoscience, Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Yael Politi
- Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14424 Potsdam, Germany
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9
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Gorzelak P, Dery A, Dubois P, Stolarski J. Sea urchin growth dynamics at microstructural length scale revealed by Mn-labeling and cathodoluminescence imaging. Front Zool 2017; 14:42. [PMID: 28855950 PMCID: PMC5574115 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-017-0227-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Fluorochrome staining is among the most widely used techniques to study growth dynamics of echinoderms. However, it fails to detect fine-scale increments because produced marks are commonly diffusely distributed within the skeleton. In this paper we investigated the potential of trace element (manganese) labeling and subsequent cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging in fine-scale growth studies of echinoderms. Results Three species of sea urchins (Paracentrotus lividus, Echinometra sp. and Prionocidaris baculosa) were incubated for different periods of time in seawater enriched in different Mn2+ concentrations (1 mg/L; 3 mg/L; 61.6 mg/L). Labeling with low Mn2+ concentrations (at 1 mg/L and 3 mg/L) had no effect on behavior, growth and survival of sea urchins in contrast to the high Mn2+ dosage (at 61.6 mg/L) that resulted in lack of skeleton growth. Under CL, manganese produced clearly visible luminescent growth fronts in these specimens (observed in sectioned skeletal parts), which allowed for a determination of the average extension rates and provided direct insights into the morphogenesis of different types of ossicles. The three species tend to follow the same patterns of growth. Spine growth starts with the formation of microspines which are simultaneously becoming reinforced by addition of thickening layers. Spine septa develop via deposition of porous stereom that is rapidly (within less than 2 days) filled by secondary calcite. Development of the inner cortex in cidaroids begins with the formation of microspines which grow at ~3.5 μm/day. Later on, deposition of the outer polycrystalline cortex with spinules and protuberances proceeds at ~12 μm/day. The growth of tooth can be rapid (up to ~1.8 mm/day) and starts with the formation of primary plates (pp) in plumula. Later on, during the further growth of pp in aboral and lateral directions, secondary extensions develop inside (in chronological order: lamellae, needles, secondary plate, prisms and carinar processes), which are increasingly being solidified towards the incisal end. Interradial growth in the ambital interambulacral test plates exceeds meridional growth and inner thickening. Conclusions Mn2+ labeling coupled with CL imaging is a promising, low-cost and easily applicable method to study growth dynamics of echinoderms at the micro-length scale. The method allowed us to evaluate and refine models of echinoid skeleton morphogenesis.
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10
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Dery A, Collard M, Dubois P. Ocean Acidification Reduces Spine Mechanical Strength in Euechinoid but Not in Cidaroid Sea Urchins. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2017; 51:3640-3648. [PMID: 28267915 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b05138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Echinoderms are considered particularly sensitive to ocean acidification (OA) as their skeleton is made of high-magnesium calcite, one of the most soluble forms of calcium carbonate. Recent studies have investigated effects of OA on the skeleton of "classical" sea urchins (euechinoids), but the impact of etching on skeleton mechanical properties is almost unknown. Furthermore, the integrity of the skeleton of cidaroids has never been assessed, although their extracellular fluid is under-saturated with respect to their skeleton, and the skeleton of their primary spines is in direct contact with seawater. In this study, we compared the dissolution of test plates and spines as well as the spine mechanical properties (two-points bending tests) in a cidaroid (Eucidaris tribuloides) and a euechinoid (Tripneustes ventricosus) submitted to a 5 week acidification experiment (pHT of 8.1, 7.7, and 7.4). Test plates of both species were not affected by dissolution. The spines of E. tribuloides showed no mechanical effects at pHSW-T 7.4 despite having traces of corrosion on secondary spines. On the contrary, spines of the T. ventricosus were significantly etched at both pHSW-T 7.7 and 7.4 and their fracture force reduced by 16 to 35%, respectively. This increased brittleness is probably of little significance with regards to predation protection but has consequences in terms of energy allocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélie Dery
- Université Libre de Bruxelles , Laboratoire de Biologie Marine, avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50 CP 160/15 1050, Bruxelles, France
| | - Marie Collard
- Université Libre de Bruxelles , Laboratoire de Biologie Marine, avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50 CP 160/15 1050, Bruxelles, France
| | - Philippe Dubois
- Université Libre de Bruxelles , Laboratoire de Biologie Marine, avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50 CP 160/15 1050, Bruxelles, France
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11
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Brown LR, Caldwell GS. Tissue and spine regeneration in the temperate sea urchin Psammechinus miliaris. INVERTEBR REPROD DEV 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/07924259.2017.1287779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Leah R. Brown
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Gary S. Caldwell
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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12
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Czarkwiani A, Ferrario C, Dylus DV, Sugni M, Oliveri P. Skeletal regeneration in the brittle star Amphiura filiformis. Front Zool 2016; 13:18. [PMID: 27110269 PMCID: PMC4841056 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-016-0149-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2015] [Accepted: 04/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Brittle stars regenerate their whole arms post-amputation. Amphiura filiformis can now be used for molecular characterization of arm regeneration due to the availability of transcriptomic data. Previous work showed that specific developmental transcription factors known to take part in echinoderm skeletogenesis are expressed during adult arm regeneration in A. filiformis; however, the process of skeleton formation remained poorly understood. Here, we present the results of an in-depth microscopic analysis of skeletal morphogenesis during regeneration, using calcein staining, EdU labeling and in situ hybridization. Results To better compare different samples, we propose a staging system for the early A. filiformis arm regeneration stages based on morphological landmarks identifiable in living animals and supported by histological analysis. We show that the calcified spicules forming the endoskeleton first appear very early during regeneration in the dermal layer of regenerates. These spicules then mature into complex skeletal elements of the differentiated arm during late regeneration. The mesenchymal cells in the dermal area express the skeletal marker genes Afi-c-lectin, Afi-p58b and Afi-p19; however, EdU labeling shows that these dermal cells do not proliferate. Conclusions A. filiformis arms regenerate through a consistent set of developmental stages using a distalization-intercalation mode, despite variability in regeneration rate. Skeletal elements form in a mesenchymal cell layer that does not proliferate and thus must be supplied from a different source. Our work provides the basis for future cellular and molecular studies of skeleton regeneration in brittle stars. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12983-016-0149-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Czarkwiani
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Cinzia Ferrario
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - David Viktor Dylus
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK ; Centre for Mathematics, Physics and Engineering in the Life Sciences and Experimental Biology, University College London, London, UK ; Present address: Department of Ecology and Evolution & Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Michela Sugni
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Oliveri
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK ; Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Room 426, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT UK
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Zhang Y, Chai S, Ma Y, Qi L. Investigations on the microstructures of sea urchin spines via selective dissolution. CrystEngComm 2016. [DOI: 10.1039/c6ce02074g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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Ultrascale and microscale growth dynamics of the cidaroid spine ofPhyllacanthus imperialisrevealed by26Mg labeling and NanoSIMS isotopic imaging. J Morphol 2014; 275:788-96. [DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2013] [Revised: 01/21/2014] [Accepted: 02/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Czarkwiani A, Dylus DV, Oliveri P. Expression of skeletogenic genes during arm regeneration in the brittle star Amphiura filiformis. Gene Expr Patterns 2013; 13:464-72. [PMID: 24051028 PMCID: PMC3838619 DOI: 10.1016/j.gep.2013.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2013] [Revised: 09/05/2013] [Accepted: 09/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Analysis of brittle star regenerating arms using differentiation markers. Identification of the early segregation of skeletal and muscle progenitor cells. Expression of skeletal and non-skeletal genes at different stages of regeneration. Combinatorial role of TF genes in early specification of skeletal cells. Same TF genes identify different skeletal structures later in regeneration.
The brittle star Amphiura filiformis, which regenerates its arms post autotomy, is emerging as a useful model for studying the molecular underpinnings of regeneration, aided by the recent availability of some molecular resources. During regeneration a blastema initially is formed distally to the amputation site, and then a rapid rebuild is obtained by adding metameric units, which will eventually differentiate and become fully functional. In this work we first characterize the developmental process of the regenerating arms using two differentiation markers for muscle and skeletal structures – Afi-trop-1 and Afi-αcoll. Both genes are not expressed in the blastema and newly added undifferentiated metameric units. Their expression at different regenerating stages shows an early segregation of muscle and skeletal cells during the regenerating process, long before the metameric units become functional. We then studied the expression of a set of genes orthologous of the sea urchin transcription factors involved in the development of skeletal and non-skeletal mesoderm: Afi-ets1/2, Afi-alx1, Afi-tbr, Afi-foxB and Afi-gataC. We found that Afi-ets1/2, Afi-alx1, Afi-foxB and Afi-gataC are all expressed at the blastemal stage. As regeneration progresses those genes are expressed in a similar small undifferentiated domain beneath the distal growth cap, while in more advanced metameric units they become restricted to different skeletal domains. Afi-foxB becomes expressed in non-skeletal structures. This suggests that they might play a combinatorial role only in the early cell specification process and that subsequently they function independently in the differentiation of different structures. Afi-tbr is not present in the adult arm tissue at any stage of regeneration. In situ hybridization results have been confirmed with a new strategy for quantitative PCR (QPCR), using a subdivision of the three stages of regeneration into proximal (differentiated) and distal (undifferentiated) arm segments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Czarkwiani
- Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, UCL, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - David V. Dylus
- Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, UCL, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- CoMPLEX/SysBio, UCL, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Paola Oliveri
- Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, UCL, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Corresponding author. Address: Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Room 426, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK. Tel.: +44 020 767 93719; fax: +44 020 7679 7193.
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Gorzelak P, Stolarski J, Mazur M, Meibom A. Micro- to nanostructure and geochemistry of extant crinoidal echinoderm skeletons. GEOBIOLOGY 2013; 11:29-43. [PMID: 23121244 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2012] [Accepted: 09/25/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
This paper reports the results of micro- to nanostructural and geochemical analyses of calcitic skeletons from extant deep-sea stalked crinoids. Fine-scale (SEM, FESEM, AFM) observations show that the crinoid skeleton is composed of carbonate nanograins, about 20-100 nm in diameter, which are partly separated by what appears to be a few nm thick organic layers. Sub-micrometre-scale geochemical mapping of crinoid ossicles using a NanoSIMS ion microprobe, combined with synchrotron high-spatial-resolution X-ray micro-fluorescence (μ-XRF) maps and X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy (XANES) show that high Mg concentration in the central region of the stereom bars correlates with the distribution of S-sulphate, which is often associated with sulphated polysaccharides in biocarbonates. These data are consistent with biomineralization models suggesting a close association between organic components (including sulphated polysaccharides) and Mg ions. Additionally, geochemical analyses (NanoSIMS, energy dispersive spectroscopy) reveal that significant variations in Mg occur at many levels: within a single stereom trabecula, within a single ossicle and within a skeleton of a single animal. Together, these data suggest that physiological factors play an important role in controlling Mg content in crinoid skeletons and that great care should be taken when using their skeletons to reconstruct, for example, palaeotemperatures and Mg/Ca palaeo-variations of the ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Gorzelak
- Department of Biogeology, Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
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