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Bedois AMH, Parker HJ, Price AJ, Morrison JA, Bronner ME, Krumlauf R. Sea lamprey enlightens the origin of the coupling of retinoic acid signaling to vertebrate hindbrain segmentation. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1538. [PMID: 38378737 PMCID: PMC10879103 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45911-x] [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: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Retinoic acid (RA) is involved in antero-posterior patterning of the chordate body axis and, in jawed vertebrates, has been shown to play a major role at multiple levels of the gene regulatory network (GRN) regulating hindbrain segmentation. Knowing when and how RA became coupled to the core hindbrain GRN is important for understanding how ancient signaling pathways and patterning genes can evolve and generate diversity. Hence, we investigated the link between RA signaling and hindbrain segmentation in the sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus, an important jawless vertebrate model providing clues to decipher ancestral vertebrate features. Combining genomics, gene expression, and functional analyses of major components involved in RA synthesis (Aldh1as) and degradation (Cyp26s), we demonstrate that RA signaling is coupled to hindbrain segmentation in lamprey. Thus, the link between RA signaling and hindbrain segmentation is a pan vertebrate feature of the hindbrain and likely evolved at the base of vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice M H Bedois
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - Hugo J Parker
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - Andrew J Price
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - Jason A Morrison
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - Marianne E Bronner
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Robb Krumlauf
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA.
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City, MO, 66160, USA.
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Crow KD, Sadakian A, Kaslly NA. The role of the 5' HoxA genes in the development of the hindgut, vent, and a novel sphincter in a derived teleost (bluebanded goby, Lythrypnus dalli). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART B, MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2023; 340:518-530. [PMID: 32779333 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Unique expression patterns of the 5' HoxA genes are associated with the evolution and development of novel features including claspers in cartilaginous fishes, modified pectoral fins in batoids, and the yolk sac extension in Cypriniformes. Here, we demonstrate a role for HoxA11a and HoxA13a in demarcating the hindgut in fishes of the family Gobiidae, including a novel sphincter called the intestinal rectal sphincter (IRS). Disruption of 5' HoxA expression, via manipulation of retinoic acid signaling, results in failure of the IRS and/or vent to develop. Furthermore, exposure to HoxA disruptors alters 5' HoxA expression, in association with developmental phenotypes, demonstrating a functional link between 5' HoxA expression and development of a novel feature in the bluebanded goby, Lythrypnus dalli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen D Crow
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California
| | - Ara Sadakian
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California
| | - Noelle A Kaslly
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California
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3
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Bedois AMH, Parker HJ, Bronner ME, Krumlauf R. Sea lamprey enlightens the origin of the coupling of retinoic acid signaling to vertebrate hindbrain segmentation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.07.548143. [PMID: 37461675 PMCID: PMC10350081 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.07.548143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Retinoic acid (RA) is involved in antero-posterior patterning of the chordate body axis and, in jawed vertebrates, has been shown to play a major role at multiple levels of the gene regulatory network (GRN) regulating hindbrain segmentation. Knowing when and how RA became coupled to the core hindbrain GRN is important for understanding how ancient signaling pathways and patterning genes can evolve and generate diversity. Hence, we investigated the link between RA signaling and hindbrain segmentation in the sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus, an important jawless vertebrate model providing clues to decipher ancestral vertebrate features. Combining genomics, gene expression, and functional analyses of major components involved in RA synthesis (Aldh1as) and degradation (Cyp26s), we demonstrate that RA signaling is coupled to hindbrain segmentation in lamprey. Thus, the link between RA signaling and hindbrain segmentation is a pan vertebrate feature of the hindbrain and likely evolved at the base of vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice M. H. Bedois
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA
| | - Hugo J. Parker
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA
| | - Marianne E. Bronner
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Robb Krumlauf
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 66160, USA
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4
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Kloc M. Seahorse Male Pregnancy as a Model System to Study Pregnancy, Immune Adaptations, and Environmental Effects. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:9712. [PMID: 37298663 PMCID: PMC10253279 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Seahorses, together with sea dragons and pipefishes, belong to the Syngnathidae family of teleost fishes. Seahorses and other Syngnathidae species have a very peculiar feature: male pregnancy. Among different species, there is a gradation of paternal involvement in carrying for the offspring, from a simple attachment of the eggs to the skin surface, through various degrees of egg coverage by skin flaps, to the internal pregnancy within a brood pouch, which resembles mammalian uterus with the placenta. Because of the gradation of parental involvement and similarities to mammalian pregnancy, seahorses are a great model to study the evolution of pregnancy and the immunologic, metabolic, cellular, and molecular processes of pregnancy and embryo development. Seahorses are also very useful for studying the effects of pollutants and environmental changes on pregnancy, embryo development, and offspring fitness. We describe here the characteristics of seahorse male pregnancy, its regulatory mechanisms, the development of immune tolerance of the parent toward the allogeneic embryos, and the effects of environmental pollutants on pregnancy and embryo development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malgorzata Kloc
- The Houston Methodist Research Institute, Transplant Immunology, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
- Department of Surgery, The Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- MD Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Genetics, The University of Texas, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Bozzo M, Bellitto D, Amaroli A, Ferrando S, Schubert M, Candiani S. Retinoic Acid and POU Genes in Developing Amphioxus: A Focus on Neural Development. Cells 2023; 12:cells12040614. [PMID: 36831281 PMCID: PMC9953854 DOI: 10.3390/cells12040614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
POU genes are a family of evolutionarily conserved transcription factors with key functions in cell type specification and neurogenesis. In vitro experiments have indicated that the expression of some POU genes is controlled by the intercellular signaling molecule retinoic acid (RA). In this work, we aimed to characterize the roles of RA signaling in the regulation of POU genes in vivo. To do so, we studied POU genes during the development of the cephalochordate amphioxus, an animal model crucial for understanding the evolutionary origins of vertebrates. The expression patterns of amphioxus POU genes were assessed at different developmental stages by chromogenic in situ hybridization and hybridization chain reaction. Expression was further assessed in embryos subjected to pharmacological manipulation of endogenous RA signaling activity. In addition to a detailed description of the effects of these treatments on amphioxus POU gene expression, our survey included the first description of Pou2 and Pou6 expression in amphioxus embryos. We found that Pit-1, Pou2, Pou3l, and Pou6 expression are not affected by alterations of endogenous RA signaling levels. In contrast, our experiments indicated that Brn1/2/4 and Pou4 expression are regulated by RA signaling in the endoderm and the nerve cord, respectively. The effects of the treatments on Pou4 expression in the nerve cord revealed that, in developing amphioxus, RA signaling plays a dual role by (1) providing anteroposterior patterning information to neural cells and (2) specifying neural cell types. This finding is coherent with a terminal selector function of Pou4 for GABAergic neurons in amphioxus and represents the first description of RA-induced changes in POU gene expression in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Bozzo
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra dell’Ambiente e della Vita (DISTAV), Università degli Studi di Genova, 16132 Genoa, Italy
- Correspondence: (M.B.); (S.C.); Tel.: +39-0103358043 (M.B.); +39-0103358051 (S.C.)
| | - Deianira Bellitto
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra dell’Ambiente e della Vita (DISTAV), Università degli Studi di Genova, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Andrea Amaroli
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra dell’Ambiente e della Vita (DISTAV), Università degli Studi di Genova, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Sara Ferrando
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra dell’Ambiente e della Vita (DISTAV), Università degli Studi di Genova, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Michael Schubert
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer (LBDV), Institut de la Mer de Villefranche, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
| | - Simona Candiani
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra dell’Ambiente e della Vita (DISTAV), Università degli Studi di Genova, 16132 Genoa, Italy
- Correspondence: (M.B.); (S.C.); Tel.: +39-0103358043 (M.B.); +39-0103358051 (S.C.)
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Wang J, Weatheritt R, Voineagu I. Alu-minating the Mechanisms Underlying Primate Cortex Evolution. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 92:760-771. [PMID: 35981906 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.04.021] [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: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The higher-order cognitive functions observed in primates correlate with the evolutionary enhancement of cortical volume and folding, which in turn are driven by the primate-specific expansion of cellular diversity in the developing cortex. Underlying these changes is the diversification of molecular features including the creation of human and/or primate-specific genes, the activation of specific molecular pathways, and the interplay of diverse layers of gene regulation. We review and discuss evidence for connections between Alu elements and primate brain evolution, the evolutionary milestones of which are known to coincide along primate lineages. Alus are repetitive elements that contribute extensively to the acquisition of novel genes and the expansion of diverse gene regulatory layers, including enhancers, alternative splicing, RNA editing, and microRNA pathways. By reviewing the impact of Alus on molecular features linked to cortical expansions or gyrification or implications in cognitive deficits, we suggest that future research focusing on the role of Alu-derived molecular events in the context of brain development may greatly advance our understanding of higher-order cognitive functions and neurologic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juli Wang
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Robert Weatheritt
- St Vincent Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Garvan Institute of Medical Research, EMBL Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Irina Voineagu
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Cellular Genomics Futures Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
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Schmidt P, Leman E, Lagadec R, Schubert M, Mazan S, Reshef R. Evolutionary Transition in the Regulation of Vertebrate Pronephros Development: A New Role for Retinoic Acid. Cells 2022; 11:cells11081304. [PMID: 35455988 PMCID: PMC9026449 DOI: 10.3390/cells11081304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The anterior-posterior (AP) axis in chordates is regulated by a conserved set of genes and signaling pathways, including Hox genes and retinoic acid (RA), which play well-characterized roles in the organization of the chordate body plan. The intermediate mesoderm (IM), which gives rise to all vertebrate kidneys, is an example of a tissue that differentiates sequentially along this axis. Yet, the conservation of the spatiotemporal regulation of the IM across vertebrates remains poorly understood. In this study, we used a comparative developmental approach focusing on non-conventional model organisms, a chondrichthyan (catshark), a cyclostome (lamprey), and a cephalochordate (amphioxus), to assess the involvement of RA in the regulation of chordate and vertebrate pronephros formation. We report that the anterior expression boundary of early pronephric markers (Pax2 and Lim1), positioned at the level of somite 6 in amniotes, is conserved in the catshark and the lamprey. Furthermore, RA, driving the expression of Hox4 genes like in amniotes, regulates the anterior pronephros boundary in the catshark. We find no evidence for the involvement of this regulatory hierarchy in the AP positioning of the lamprey pronephros and the amphioxus pronephros homolog, Hatschek’s nephridium. This suggests that despite the conservation of Pax2 and Lim1 expressions in chordate pronephros homologs, the responsiveness of the IM, and hence of pronephric genes, to RA- and Hox-dependent regulation is a gnathostome novelty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal Schmidt
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel; (P.S.); (E.L.)
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer, Institut de la Mer de Villefranche, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, 06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer, France;
| | - Eva Leman
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel; (P.S.); (E.L.)
| | - Ronan Lagadec
- CNRS, Sorbonne Université, UMR7232-Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins (BIOM), Observatoire Océanologique, 66650 Banyuls-sur-Mer, France; (R.L.); (S.M.)
| | - Michael Schubert
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer, Institut de la Mer de Villefranche, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, 06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer, France;
| | - Sylvie Mazan
- CNRS, Sorbonne Université, UMR7232-Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins (BIOM), Observatoire Océanologique, 66650 Banyuls-sur-Mer, France; (R.L.); (S.M.)
| | - Ram Reshef
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel; (P.S.); (E.L.)
- Correspondence:
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Caccavale F, Annona G, Subirana L, Escriva H, Bertrand S, D'Aniello S. Crosstalk between nitric oxide and retinoic acid pathways is essential for amphioxus pharynx development. eLife 2021; 10:e58295. [PMID: 34431784 PMCID: PMC8387019 DOI: 10.7554/elife.58295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
During animal ontogenesis, body axis patterning is finely regulated by complex interactions among several signaling pathways. Nitric oxide (NO) and retinoic acid (RA) are potent morphogens that play a pivotal role in vertebrate development. Their involvement in axial patterning of the head and pharynx shows conserved features in the chordate phylum. Indeed, in the cephalochordate amphioxus, NO and RA are crucial for the correct development of pharyngeal structures. Here, we demonstrate the functional cooperation between NO and RA that occurs during amphioxus embryogenesis. During neurulation, NO modulates RA production through the transcriptional regulation of Aldh1a.2 that irreversibly converts retinaldehyde into RA. On the other hand, RA directly or indirectly regulates the transcription of Nos genes. This reciprocal regulation of NO and RA pathways is essential for the normal pharyngeal development in amphioxus and it could be conserved in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filomena Caccavale
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms (BEOM), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn NapoliNapoliItaly
| | - Giovanni Annona
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms (BEOM), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn NapoliNapoliItaly
| | - Lucie Subirana
- Sorbonne Université CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins (BIOM), Observatoire OcéanologiqueBanyuls-sur-MerFrance
| | - Hector Escriva
- Sorbonne Université CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins (BIOM), Observatoire OcéanologiqueBanyuls-sur-MerFrance
| | - Stephanie Bertrand
- Sorbonne Université CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins (BIOM), Observatoire OcéanologiqueBanyuls-sur-MerFrance
| | - Salvatore D'Aniello
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms (BEOM), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn NapoliNapoliItaly
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Bozzo M, Candiani S, Schubert M. Whole mount in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry for studying retinoic acid signaling in developing amphioxus. Methods Enzymol 2020; 637:419-452. [PMID: 32359654 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2020.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
Retinoic acid (RA) is a vitamin A-derived signaling molecule acting during development and in the adult. This chapter provides protocols to characterize the role of RA signaling during development of the invertebrate chordate amphioxus. As sister group to all other chordates and characterized by the most vertebrate-like RA signaling system of all invertebrates, amphioxus is an important model for studying the evolution of RA signaling. Focusing on the development of GABAergic neurons in the amphioxus central nervous system, we provide detailed protocols for maintaining and breeding adult animals, for performing pharmacological treatments of embryos and for analyzing the effects of these treatments by whole mount in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry coupled to confocal microscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Bozzo
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Simona Candiani
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Michael Schubert
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France.
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Abstract
Vitamin A and derivatives, the natural retinoids, underpin signaling pathways of cellular differentiation, and are key chromophores in vision. These functions depend on transfer across membranes, and carrier proteins to shuttle retinoids to specific cell compartments. Natural retinoids, ultimately derived from plant carotenoids by metabolism to all-trans retinol, are lipophilic and consist of a cyclohexenyl (β-ionone) moiety linked to a polyene chain. This structure constrains the orientation of retinoids within lipid membranes. Cis-trans isomerization at double bonds of the polyene chain and s-cis/s-trans rotational isomerization at single bonds define the functional dichotomy of retinoids (signaling/vision) and specificities of interactions with specific carrier proteins and receptors. Metabolism of all-trans retinol to 11-cis retinal, transfer to photoreceptors, and removal and recycling of all-trans retinal generated by photoreceptor irradiation, is the key process underlying vision. All-trans retinol transferred into cells is metabolized to all-trans retinoic acid and shuttled to the cell nucleus to regulate gene expression controlling organ, tissue and cell differentiation, and cellular homeostasis. Research methods need to address the potential of photoisomerization in vitro to confound research results, and data should be interpreted in the context of membrane-association properties of retinoids and physiological concentrations in vivo. Despite a century of research, there are many fundamental questions of retinoid cellular biochemistry and molecular biology still to be answered. Computational modeling techniques will have an important role for understanding the nuances of vitamin A signaling and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris P F Redfern
- School of Natural & Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
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Durston AJ. What are the roles of retinoids, other morphogens, and Hox genes in setting up the vertebrate body axis? Genesis 2019; 57:e23296. [PMID: 31021058 PMCID: PMC6767176 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2018] [Revised: 03/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
This article is concerned with the roles of retinoids and other known anterior-posterior morphogens in setting up the embryonic vertebrate anterior-posterior axis. The discussion is restricted to the very earliest events in setting up the anterior-posterior axis (from blastula to tailbud stages in Xenopus embryos). In these earliest developmental stages, morphogen concentration gradients are not relevant for setting up this axis. It emerges that at these stages, the core patterning mechanism is timing: BMP-anti BMP mediated time space translation that regulates Hox temporal and spatial collinearities and Hox-Hox auto- and cross- regulation. The known anterior-posterior morphogens and signaling pathways--retinoids, FGF's, Cdx, Wnts, Gdf11 and others--interact with this core mechanism at and after space-time defined "decision points," leading to the separation of distinct axial domains. There are also other roles for signaling pathways. Besides the Hox regulated hindbrain/trunk part of the axis, there is a rostral part (including the anterior part of the head and the extreme anterior domain [EAD]) that appears to be regulated by additional mechanisms. Key aspects of anterior-posterior axial patterning, including: the nature of different phases in early patterning and in the whole process; the specificities of Hox action and of intercellular signaling; and the mechanisms of Hox temporal and spatial collinearities, are discussed in relation to the facts and hypotheses proposed above.
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Nolte C, De Kumar B, Krumlauf R. Hox genes: Downstream "effectors" of retinoic acid signaling in vertebrate embryogenesis. Genesis 2019; 57:e23306. [PMID: 31111645 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Revised: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
One of the major regulatory challenges of animal development is to precisely coordinate in space and time the formation, specification, and patterning of cells that underlie elaboration of the basic body plan. How does the vertebrate plan for the nervous and hematopoietic systems, heart, limbs, digestive, and reproductive organs derive from seemingly similar population of cells? These systems are initially established and patterned along the anteroposterior axis (AP) by opposing signaling gradients that lead to the activation of gene regulatory networks involved in axial specification, including the Hox genes. The retinoid signaling pathway is one of the key signaling gradients coupled to the establishment of axial patterning. The nested domains of Hox gene expression, which provide a combinatorial code for axial patterning, arise in part through a differential response to retinoic acid (RA) diffusing from anabolic centers established within the embryo during development. Hence, Hox genes are important direct effectors of retinoid signaling in embryogenesis. This review focuses on describing current knowledge on the complex mechanisms and regulatory processes, which govern the response of Hox genes to RA in several tissue contexts including the nervous system during vertebrate development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christof Nolte
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri
| | - Bony De Kumar
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri
| | - Robb Krumlauf
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas
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13
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The putative tumour suppressor protein Latexin is secreted by prostate luminal cells and is downregulated in malignancy. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5120. [PMID: 30914656 PMCID: PMC6435711 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41379-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Loss of latexin (LXN) expression negatively correlates with the prognosis of several human cancers. Despite association with numerous processes including haematopoietic stem cell (HSC) fate, inflammation and tumour suppression, a clearly defined biological role for LXN is still lacking. Therefore, we sought to understand LXN expression and function in the normal and malignant prostate to assess its potential as a therapeutic target. Our data demonstrate that LXN is highly expressed in normal prostate luminal cells but downregulated in high Gleason grade cancers. LXN protein is both cytosolic and secreted by prostate cells and expression is directly and potently upregulated by all-trans retinoic acid (atRA). Whilst overexpression of LXN in prostate epithelial basal cells did not affect cell fate, LXN overexpression in the luminal cancer line LNCaP reduced plating efficiency. Transcriptome analysis revealed that LXN overexpression had no direct effects on gene expression but had significant indirect effects on important genes involved in both retinoid metabolism and IFN-associated inflammatory responses. These data highlight a potential role for LXN in retinoid signaling and inflammatory pathways. Investigating the effects of LXN on immune cell function in the tumour microenvironment (TME) may reveal how observed intratumoural loss of LXN affects the prognosis of many adenocarcinomas.
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14
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Fang C, Wang SY, Liou YL, Chen MH, Ouyang W, Duan KM. The promising role of PAX1 (aliases: HUP48, OFC2) gene methylation in cancer screening. Mol Genet Genomic Med 2019; 7:e506. [PMID: 30636379 PMCID: PMC6418350 DOI: 10.1002/mgg3.506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Revised: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Paired‐box gene 1 (PAX1), a member of the PAX family, plays a role in pattern formation during embryogenesis, and might be essential for development of the vertebral column. Methods PAX1 is silenced by methylation in several cancers and is considered a tumor suppressor gene. Our previous studies reported PAX1 as hypermethylated in cervical cancer tissues, thereby suggesting it as a potential screening marker. Recently, an increasing number of studies have confirmed PAX1 methylation as a promising biomarker in cervical cancer based on its excellent discriminatory ability between high‐grade cervical lesions and normal tissues, resulting in a reduced necessity for referral for colposcopy and biopsy. Additionally, PAX1 is also hypermethylated in other tumors, including those associated with epithelial ovarian cancer, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, and endometrial carcinoma, and shows relatively good sensitivity and specificity for the detection of these tumors. Results This review summarizes reports of PAX1 methylation and its promising role in cancer screening, especially that associated with cervical cancer. Conclusion According to current evidence, combined testing for human papillomavirus and PAX1 methylation analysis represents an efficacious cervical cancer‐screening protocol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Fang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.,Postdoctoral Research Workstation of Clinical Medicine, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Sai-Ying Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yu-Ligh Liou
- Xiangya Medical Laboratory, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Ming-Hua Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Wen Ouyang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Kai-Ming Duan
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
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15
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Andrews MG, Kong J, Novitch BG, Butler SJ. New perspectives on the mechanisms establishing the dorsal-ventral axis of the spinal cord. Curr Top Dev Biol 2018; 132:417-450. [PMID: 30797516 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2018.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Distinct classes of neurons arise at different positions along the dorsal-ventral axis of the spinal cord leading to spinal neurons being segregated along this axis according to their physiological properties and functions. Thus, the neurons associated with motor control are generally located in, or adjacent to, the ventral horn whereas the interneurons (INs) that mediate sensory activities are present within the dorsal horn. Here, we review classic and recent studies examining the developmental mechanisms that establish the dorsal-ventral axis in the embryonic spinal cord. Intriguingly, while the cellular organization of the dorsal and ventral halves of the spinal cord looks superficially similar during early development, the underlying molecular mechanisms that establish dorsal vs ventral patterning are markedly distinct. For example, the ventral spinal cord is patterned by the actions of a single growth factor, sonic hedgehog (Shh) acting as a morphogen, i.e., concentration-dependent signal. Recent studies have shed light on the mechanisms by which the spatial and temporal gradient of Shh is transduced by cells to elicit the generation of different classes of ventral INs, and motor neurons (MNs). In contrast, the dorsal spinal cord is patterned by the action of multiple factors, most notably by members of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and Wnt families. While less is known about dorsal patterning, recent studies have suggested that the BMPs do not act as morphogens to specify dorsal IN identities as previously proposed, rather each BMP has signal-specific activities. Finally, we consider the promise that elucidation of these mechanisms holds for neural repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline G Andrews
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Jennifer Kong
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Bennett G Novitch
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Samantha J Butler
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
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16
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Durston AJ. Two Tier Hox Collinearity Mediates Vertebrate Axial Patterning. Front Cell Dev Biol 2018; 6:102. [PMID: 30234110 PMCID: PMC6131192 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2018.00102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
A two tier mechanism mediates Hox collinearity. Besides the familiar collinear chromatin modification within each Hox cluster (nanocollinearity), there is also a macrocollinearity tier. Individual Hox clusters and individual cells are coordinated and synchronized to generate multiscale (macro and nano) collinearity in the early vertebrate embryo. Macro-collinearity is mediated by three non-cell autonomous Hox–Hox interactions. These mediate temporal collinearity in early NOM (non-organizer mesoderm), time space translation where temporal collinearity is translated to spatial collinearity along the early embryo’s main body axis and neural transformation, where Hox expression is copied monospecifically from NOM mesoderm to overlying neurectoderm in the late gastrula. Unlike nanocollinearity, which is Hox cluster restricted, axial macrocollinearity extends into the head and EAD domains, thus covering the whole embryonic anterior-posterior (A-P) axis. EAD: extreme anterior domain, the only A-P axial domain anterior to the head. The whole time space translation mechanism interacts with A-P signaling pathways via “decision points,” separating different domains on the axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antony J Durston
- Faculty of Science, Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
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17
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Ono H, Koop D, Holland LZ. Nodal and Hedgehog synergize in gill slit formation during development of the cephalochordate Branchiostoma floridae. Development 2018; 145:dev.162586. [PMID: 29980563 DOI: 10.1242/dev.162586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2017] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The larval pharynx of the cephalochordate Branchiostoma (amphioxus) is asymmetrical. The mouth is on the left, and endostyle and gill slits are on the right. At the neurula, Nodal and Hedgehog (Hh) expression becomes restricted to the left. To dissect their respective roles in gill slit formation, we inhibited each pathway separately for 20 min at intervals during the neurula stage, before gill slits penetrate, and monitored the effects on morphology and expression of pharyngeal markers. The results pinpoint the short interval spanning the gastrula/neurula transition as the critical period for specification and positioning of future gill slits. Thus, reduced Nodal signaling shifts the gill slits ventrally, skews the pharyngeal domains of Hh, Pax1/9, Pax2/5/8, Six1/2 and IrxC towards the left, and reduces Hh and Tbx1/10 expression in endoderm and mesoderm, respectively. Nodal auto-regulates. Decreased Hh signaling does not affect gill slit positions or Hh or Nodal expression, but it does reduce the domain of Gli, the Hh target, in the pharyngeal endoderm. Thus, during the neurula stage, Nodal and Hh cooperate in gill slit development - Hh mediates gill slit formation and Nodal establishes their left-right position.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Ono
- Marine Biology Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0202, USA
| | - Demian Koop
- Discipline of Anatomy and Histology, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Linda Z Holland
- Marine Biology Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0202, USA
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18
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Zieger E, Garbarino G, Robert NSM, Yu JK, Croce JC, Candiani S, Schubert M. Retinoic acid signaling and neurogenic niche regulation in the developing peripheral nervous system of the cephalochordate amphioxus. Cell Mol Life Sci 2018; 75:2407-2429. [PMID: 29387904 PMCID: PMC11105557 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-017-2734-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The retinoic acid (RA) signaling pathway regulates axial patterning and neurogenesis in the developing central nervous system (CNS) of chordates, but little is known about its roles during peripheral nervous system (PNS) formation and about how these roles might have evolved. This study assesses the requirement of RA signaling for establishing a functional PNS in the cephalochordate amphioxus, the best available stand-in for the ancestral chordate condition. Pharmacological manipulation of RA signaling levels during embryogenesis reduces the ability of amphioxus larvae to respond to sensory stimulation and alters the number and distribution of ectodermal sensory neurons (ESNs) in a stage- and context-dependent manner. Using gene expression assays combined with immunohistochemistry, we show that this is because RA signaling specifically acts on a small population of soxb1c-expressing ESN progenitors, which form a neurogenic niche in the trunk ectoderm, to modulate ESN production during elongation of the larval body. Our findings reveal an important role for RA signaling in regulating neurogenic niche activity in the larval amphioxus PNS. Although only few studies have addressed this issue so far, comparable RA signaling functions have been reported for neurogenic niches in the CNS and in certain neurogenic placode derivatives of vertebrates. Accordingly, the here-described mechanism is likely a conserved feature of chordate embryonic and adult neural development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Zieger
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer, Observatoire Océanologique de Villefranche-sur-Mer, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06, CNRS, 181 Chemin du Lazaret, 06230, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
| | - Greta Garbarino
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra dell'Ambiente e della Vita, DISTAV), University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 5, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Nicolas S M Robert
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer, Observatoire Océanologique de Villefranche-sur-Mer, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06, CNRS, 181 Chemin du Lazaret, 06230, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
| | - Jr-Kai Yu
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Jenifer C Croce
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer, Observatoire Océanologique de Villefranche-sur-Mer, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06, CNRS, 181 Chemin du Lazaret, 06230, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
| | - Simona Candiani
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra dell'Ambiente e della Vita, DISTAV), University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 5, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Michael Schubert
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer, Observatoire Océanologique de Villefranche-sur-Mer, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06, CNRS, 181 Chemin du Lazaret, 06230, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France.
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19
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Dubey A, Rose RE, Jones DR, Saint-Jeannet JP. Generating retinoic acid gradients by local degradation during craniofacial development: One cell's cue is another cell's poison. Genesis 2018; 56:10.1002/dvg.23091. [PMID: 29330906 PMCID: PMC5818312 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Revised: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Retinoic acid (RA) is a vital morphogen for early patterning and organogenesis in the developing embryo. RA is a diffusible, lipophilic molecule that signals via nuclear RA receptor heterodimeric units that regulate gene expression by interacting with RA response elements in promoters of a significant number of genes. For precise RA signaling, a robust gradient of the morphogen is required. The developing embryo contains regions that produce RA, and specific intracellular concentrations of RA are created through local degradation mediated by Cyp26 enzymes. In order to elucidate the mechanisms by which RA executes precise developmental programs, the kinetics of RA metabolism must be clearly understood. Recent advances in techniques for endogenous RA detection and quantification have paved the way for mechanistic studies to shed light on downstream gene expression regulation coordinated by RA. It is increasingly coming to light that RA signaling operates not only at precise concentrations but also employs mechanisms of degradation and feedback inhibition to self-regulate its levels. A global gradient of RA throughout the embryo is often found concurrently with several local gradients, created by juxtaposed domains of RA synthesis and degradation. The existence of such local gradients has been found especially critical for the proper development of craniofacial structures that arise from the neural crest and the cranial placode populations. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of how local gradients of RA are established in the embryo and their impact on craniofacial development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditi Dubey
- Department of Basic Science and Craniofacial Biology, New York University College of Dentistry
| | - Rebecca E. Rose
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Drew R. Jones
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
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20
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Roles of Retinoic Acid Signaling in Shaping the Neuronal Architecture of the Developing Amphioxus Nervous System. Mol Neurobiol 2017; 55:5210-5229. [PMID: 28875454 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-017-0727-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The morphogen retinoic acid (RA) patterns vertebrate nervous systems and drives neurogenesis, but how these functions evolved remains elusive. Here, we show that RA signaling plays stage- and tissue-specific roles during the formation of neural cell populations with serotonin, dopamine, and GABA neurotransmitter phenotypes in amphioxus, a proxy for the ancestral chordate. Our data suggest that RA signaling restricts the specification of dopamine-containing cells in the ectoderm and of GABA neurons in the neural tube, probably by regulating Hox1 and Hox3 gene expression, respectively. The two Hox genes thus appear to serve distinct functions rather than to participate in a combinatorial Hox code. We were further able to correlate the RA signaling-dependent mispatterning of hindbrain GABA neurons with concomitant motor impairments. Taken together, these data provide new insights into how RA signaling and Hox genes contribute to nervous system as well as to motor control development in amphioxus and hence shed light on the evolution of these functions within vertebrates.
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21
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Parker HJ, Krumlauf R. Segmental arithmetic: summing up the Hox gene regulatory network for hindbrain development in chordates. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2017; 6. [PMID: 28771970 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2017] [Revised: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Organization and development of the early vertebrate hindbrain are controlled by a cascade of regulatory interactions that govern the process of segmentation and patterning along the anterior-posterior axis via Hox genes. These interactions can be assembled into a gene regulatory network that provides a framework to interpret experimental data, generate hypotheses, and identify gaps in our understanding of the progressive process of hindbrain segmentation. The network can be broadly separated into a series of interconnected programs that govern early signaling, segmental subdivision, secondary signaling, segmentation, and ultimately specification of segmental identity. Hox genes play crucial roles in multiple programs within this network. Furthermore, the network reveals properties and principles that are likely to be general to other complex developmental systems. Data from vertebrate and invertebrate chordate models are shedding light on the origin and diversification of the network. Comprehensive cis-regulatory analyses of vertebrate Hox gene regulation have enabled powerful cross-species gene regulatory comparisons. Such an approach in the sea lamprey has revealed that the network mediating segmental Hox expression was present in ancestral vertebrates and has been maintained across diverse vertebrate lineages. Invertebrate chordates lack hindbrain segmentation but exhibit conservation of some aspects of the network, such as a role for retinoic acid in establishing nested Hox expression domains. These comparisons lead to a model in which early vertebrates underwent an elaboration of the network between anterior-posterior patterning and Hox gene expression, leading to the gene-regulatory programs for segmental subdivision and rhombomeric segmentation. WIREs Dev Biol 2017, 6:e286. doi: 10.1002/wdev.286 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo J Parker
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Robb Krumlauf
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 66160, USA
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22
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Carvalho JE, Theodosiou M, Chen J, Chevret P, Alvarez S, De Lera AR, Laudet V, Croce JC, Schubert M. Lineage-specific duplication of amphioxus retinoic acid degrading enzymes (CYP26) resulted in sub-functionalization of patterning and homeostatic roles. BMC Evol Biol 2017; 17:24. [PMID: 28103795 PMCID: PMC5247814 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-016-0863-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND During embryogenesis, tight regulation of retinoic acid (RA) availability is fundamental for normal development. In parallel to RA synthesis, a negative feedback loop controlled by RA catabolizing enzymes of the cytochrome P450 subfamily 26 (CYP26) is crucial. In vertebrates, the functions of the three CYP26 enzymes (CYP26A1, CYP26B1, and CYP26C1) have been well characterized. By contrast, outside vertebrates, little is known about CYP26 complements and their biological roles. In an effort to characterize the evolutionary diversification of RA catabolism, we studied the CYP26 genes of the cephalochordate amphioxus (Branchiostoma lanceolatum), a basal chordate with a vertebrate-like genome that has not undergone the massive, large-scale duplications of vertebrates. RESULTS In the present study, we found that amphioxus also possess three CYP26 genes (CYP26-1, CYP26-2, and CYP26-3) that are clustered in the genome and originated by lineage-specific duplication. The amphioxus CYP26 cluster thus represents a useful model to assess adaptive evolutionary changes of the RA signaling system following gene duplication. The characterization of amphioxus CYP26 expression, function, and regulation by RA signaling demonstrated that, despite the independent origins of CYP26 duplicates in amphioxus and vertebrates, they convergently assume two main roles during development: RA-dependent patterning and protection against fluctuations of RA levels. Our analysis suggested that in amphioxus RA-dependent patterning is sustained by CYP26-2, while RA homeostasis is mediated by CYP26-1 and CYP26-3. Furthermore, comparisons of the regulatory regions of CYP26 genes of different bilaterian animals indicated that a CYP26-driven negative feedback system was present in the last common ancestor of deuterostomes, but not in that of bilaterians. CONCLUSIONS Altogether, this work reveals the evolutionary origins of the RA-dependent regulation of CYP26 genes and highlights convergent functions for CYP26 enzymes that originated by independent duplication events, hence establishing a novel selective mechanism for the genomic retention of gene duplicates.
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Affiliation(s)
- João E Carvalho
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer, Observatoire Océanologique de Villefranche-sur-Mer, 181 Chemin du Lazaret, 06230, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
| | - Maria Theodosiou
- Molecular Zoology Team, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, INRA, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69364, Lyon, Cedex 07, France
| | - Jie Chen
- Molecular Zoology Team, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, INRA, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69364, Lyon, Cedex 07, France.,Present Address: Key Laboratory of Freshwater Aquatic Genetic Resources, Shanghai Ocean University, Huchenghuan Road 999, Shanghai, 201306, China
| | - Pascale Chevret
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, 43 Boulevard du 11 novembre 1918, 69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Susana Alvarez
- Departamento de Química Organica, Facultad de Química, Universidade de Vigo, 36310, Vigo, Spain
| | - Angel R De Lera
- Departamento de Química Organica, Facultad de Química, Universidade de Vigo, 36310, Vigo, Spain
| | - Vincent Laudet
- Molecular Zoology Team, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, INRA, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69364, Lyon, Cedex 07, France.,Present Address: Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls-sur-Mer, UMR CNRS 7232, Université Pierre et Marie Curie Paris, 1 avenue du Fontaulé, 66650, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | - Jenifer C Croce
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer, Observatoire Océanologique de Villefranche-sur-Mer, 181 Chemin du Lazaret, 06230, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
| | - Michael Schubert
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer, Observatoire Océanologique de Villefranche-sur-Mer, 181 Chemin du Lazaret, 06230, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France.
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23
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Martí-Solans J, Belyaeva OV, Torres-Aguila NP, Kedishvili NY, Albalat R, Cañestro C. Coelimination and Survival in Gene Network Evolution: Dismantling the RA-Signaling in a Chordate. Mol Biol Evol 2016; 33:2401-16. [PMID: 27406791 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msw118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The bloom of genomics is revealing gene loss as a pervasive evolutionary force generating genetic diversity that shapes the evolution of species. Outside bacteria and yeast, however, the understanding of the process of gene loss remains elusive, especially in the evolution of animal species. Here, using the dismantling of the retinoic acid metabolic gene network (RA-MGN) in the chordate Oikopleura dioica as a case study, we combine approaches of comparative genomics, phylogenetics, biochemistry, and developmental biology to investigate the mutational robustness associated to biased patterns of gene loss. We demonstrate the absence of alternative pathways for RA-synthesis in O. dioica, which suggests that gene losses of RA-MGN were not compensated by mutational robustness, but occurred in a scenario of regressive evolution. In addition, the lack of drastic phenotypic changes associated to the loss of RA-signaling provides an example of the inverse paradox of Evo-Devo. This work illustrates how the identification of patterns of gene coelimination-in our case five losses (Rdh10, Rdh16, Bco1, Aldh1a, and Cyp26)-is a useful strategy to recognize gene network modules associated to distinct functions. Our work also illustrates how the identification of survival genes helps to recognize neofunctionalization events and ancestral functions. Thus, the survival and extensive duplication of Cco and RdhE2 in O. dioica correlated with the acquisition of complex compartmentalization of expression domains in the digestive system and a process of enzymatic neofunctionalization of the Cco, while the surviving Aldh8 could be related to its ancestral housekeeping role against toxic aldehydes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josep Martí-Solans
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Olga V Belyaeva
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama-Birmingham
| | - Nuria P Torres-Aguila
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Natalia Y Kedishvili
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama-Birmingham
| | - Ricard Albalat
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristian Cañestro
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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24
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Developmental Mechanism of Limb Field Specification along the Anterior-Posterior Axis during Vertebrate Evolution. J Dev Biol 2016; 4:jdb4020018. [PMID: 29615584 PMCID: PMC5831784 DOI: 10.3390/jdb4020018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Revised: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In gnathostomes, limb buds arise from the lateral plate mesoderm at discrete positions along the body axis. Specification of these limb-forming fields can be subdivided into several steps. The lateral plate mesoderm is regionalized into the anterior lateral plate mesoderm (ALPM; cardiac mesoderm) and the posterior lateral plate mesoderm (PLPM). Subsequently, Hox genes appear in a nested fashion in the PLPM and provide positional information along the body axis. The lateral plate mesoderm then splits into the somatic and splanchnic layers. In the somatic layer of the PLPM, the expression of limb initiation genes appears in the limb-forming region, leading to limb bud initiation. Furthermore, past and current work in limbless amphioxus and lampreys suggests that evolutionary changes in developmental programs occurred during the acquisition of paired fins during vertebrate evolution. This review presents these recent advances and discusses the mechanisms of limb field specification during development and evolution, with a focus on the role of Hox genes in this process.
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25
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Parker HJ, Bronner ME, Krumlauf R. The vertebrate Hox gene regulatory network for hindbrain segmentation: Evolution and diversification: Coupling of a Hox gene regulatory network to hindbrain segmentation is an ancient trait originating at the base of vertebrates. Bioessays 2016; 38:526-38. [PMID: 27027928 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201600010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Hindbrain development is orchestrated by a vertebrate gene regulatory network that generates segmental patterning along the anterior-posterior axis via Hox genes. Here, we review analyses of vertebrate and invertebrate chordate models that inform upon the evolutionary origin and diversification of this network. Evidence from the sea lamprey reveals that the hindbrain regulatory network generates rhombomeric compartments with segmental Hox expression and an underlying Hox code. We infer that this basal feature was present in ancestral vertebrates and, as an evolutionarily constrained developmental state, is fundamentally important for patterning of the vertebrate hindbrain across diverse lineages. Despite the common ground plan, vertebrates exhibit neuroanatomical diversity in lineage-specific patterns, with different vertebrates revealing variations of Hox expression in the hindbrain that could underlie this diversification. Invertebrate chordates lack hindbrain segmentation but exhibit some conserved aspects of this network, with retinoic acid signaling playing a role in establishing nested domains of Hox expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo J Parker
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Marianne E Bronner
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Robb Krumlauf
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
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26
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Yang KY, Chen Y, Zhang Z, Ng PKS, Zhou WJ, Zhang Y, Liu M, Chen J, Mao B, Tsui SKW. Transcriptome analysis of different developmental stages of amphioxus reveals dynamic changes of distinct classes of genes during development. Sci Rep 2016; 6:23195. [PMID: 26979494 PMCID: PMC4793263 DOI: 10.1038/srep23195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2015] [Accepted: 02/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Vertebrates diverged from other chordates approximately 500 million years ago and have adopted several modifications of developmental processes. Amphioxus is widely used in evolutionary developmental biology research, such as on the basic patterning mechanisms involved in the chordate body plan and the origin of vertebrates. The fast development of next-generation sequencing has advanced knowledge of the genomic organization of amphioxus; however, many aspects of gene regulation during amphioxus development have not been fully characterized. In this study, we applied high-throughput sequencing on the transcriptomes of 13 developmental stages of Chinese amphioxus to gain a comprehensive understanding of transcriptional processes occurring from the fertilized egg to the adult stage. The expression levels of 3,423 genes were significantly changed (FDR ≤ 0.01). All of these genes were included in a clustering analysis, and enrichment of biological functions associated with these clusters was determined. Significant changes were observed in several important processes, including the down-regulation of the cell cycle and the up-regulation of translation. These results should build a foundation for identifying developmentally important genes, especially those regulatory factors involved in amphioxus development, and advance understanding of the developmental dynamics in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Yi Yang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.,Hong Kong Bioinformatics Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yuan Chen
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Zuming Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Patrick Kwok-Shing Ng
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Wayne Junwei Zhou
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yinfeng Zhang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Minghua Liu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.,Hong Kong Bioinformatics Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Junyuan Chen
- Nanjing Institute of Paleontology and Geology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Bingyu Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Stephen Kwok-Wing Tsui
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.,Hong Kong Bioinformatics Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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27
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Holland ND, Holland LZ, Heimberg A. Hybrids between the Florida amphioxus (Branchiostoma floridae) and the Bahamas lancelet (Asymmetron lucayanum): developmental morphology and chromosome counts. THE BIOLOGICAL BULLETIN 2015; 228:13-24. [PMID: 25745097 DOI: 10.1086/bblv228n1p13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The cephalochordate genera Branchiostoma and Asymmetron diverged during the Mesozoic Era. In spite of the long separation of the parental clades, eggs of the Florida amphioxus, B. floridae, when fertilized with sperm of the Bahamas lancelet, A. lucayanum (and vice versa), develop through embryonic and larval stages. The larvae reach the chordate phylotypic stage (i.e., the pharyngula), characterized by a dorsal nerve cord, notochord, perforate pharynx, and segmented trunk musculature. After about 2 weeks of larval development, the hybrids die, as do the A. lucayanum purebreds, although all were eating the same algal diet that sustains B. floridae purebreds through adulthood in the laboratory; it is thus unclear whether death of the hybrids results from incompatible parental genomes or an inadequate diet. The diploid chromosome count in A. lucayanum and B. floridae purebreds is, respectively, 34 and 38, whereas it is 36 in hybrids in either direction. The hybrid larvae exhibit several morphological characters intermediate between those of the parents, including the size of the preoral ciliated pit and the angles of deflection of the gill slits and anus from the ventral midline. Based on the time since the two parent clades diverged (120 or 160 million years, respectively, by nuclear and mitochondrial gene analysis), the cross between Branchiostoma and Asymmetron is the most extreme example of hybridization that has ever been unequivocally demonstrated among multicellular animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas D Holland
- Marine Biology Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0202; and
| | - Linda Z Holland
- Marine Biology Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0202; and
| | - Alysha Heimberg
- EMBL Australia, Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Clayton Campus, Monash University, Melbourne 3800, Australia
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Schlosser G. Vertebrate cranial placodes as evolutionary innovations--the ancestor's tale. Curr Top Dev Biol 2015; 111:235-300. [PMID: 25662263 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2014.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Evolutionary innovations often arise by tinkering with preexisting components building new regulatory networks by the rewiring of old parts. The cranial placodes of vertebrates, ectodermal thickenings that give rise to many of the cranial sense organs (ear, nose, lateral line) and ganglia, originated as such novel structures, when vertebrate ancestors elaborated their head in support of a more active and exploratory life style. This review addresses the question of how cranial placodes evolved by tinkering with ectodermal patterning mechanisms and sensory and neurosecretory cell types that have their own evolutionary history. With phylogenetic relationships among the major branches of metazoans now relatively well established, a comparative approach is used to infer, which structures evolved in which lineages and allows us to trace the origin of placodes and their components back from ancestor to ancestor. Some of the core networks of ectodermal patterning and sensory and neurosecretory differentiation were already established in the common ancestor of cnidarians and bilaterians and were greatly elaborated in the bilaterian ancestor (with BMP- and Wnt-dependent patterning of dorsoventral and anteroposterior ectoderm and multiple neurosecretory and sensory cell types). Rostral and caudal protoplacodal domains, giving rise to some neurosecretory and sensory cells, were then established in the ectoderm of the chordate and tunicate-vertebrate ancestor, respectively. However, proper cranial placodes as clusters of proliferating progenitors producing high-density arrays of neurosecretory and sensory cells only evolved and diversified in the ancestors of vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerhard Schlosser
- School of Natural Sciences & Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI), National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland.
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29
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Belyaeva OV, Chang C, Berlett MC, Kedishvili NY. Evolutionary origins of retinoid active short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases of SDR16C family. Chem Biol Interact 2014; 234:135-43. [PMID: 25451586 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2014.10.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2014] [Revised: 10/09/2014] [Accepted: 10/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Vertebrate enzymes that belong to the 16C family of short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases (SDR16C) were shown to play an essential role in the control of retinoic acid (RA) levels during development. To trace the evolution of enzymatic function of SDR16C family, and to examine the origins of the pathway for RA biosynthesis from vitamin A, we identified putative SDR16C enzymes through the extensive search of available genome sequencing data in a subset of species representing major metazoan phyla. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that enzymes from protostome, non-chordate deuterostome and invertebrate chordate species are found in three clades of SDR16C family containing retinoid active enzymes, which are retinol dehydrogenase 10 (RDH10), retinol dehydrogenases E2 (RDHE2) and RDHE2-similar, and dehydrogenase reductase (SDR family) member 3 (DHRS3). For the initial functional analysis, we cloned RDH10- and RDHE2-related enzymes from the early developmental stages of a non-chordate deuterostome, green sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus, and an invertebrate chordate, sea squirt Ciona intestinalis. In situ hybridization revealed that these proteins are expressed in a pattern relevant to development, while assays performed on proteins expressed in mammalian cell culture showed that they possess retinol-oxidizing activity as their vertebrate homologs. The existence of invertebrate homologs of DHRS3 was inferred from the analysis of phylogeny and cofactor-binding residues characteristic of preference for NADP(H). The presence of invertebrate homologs in the DHRS3 group of SDR16C is interesting in light of the complex mutually activating interaction, which we have recently described for human RDH10 and DHRS3 enzymes. Further functional analysis of these homologs will establish whether this interaction evolved to control retinoid homeostasis only in vertebrates, or is also conserved in pre-vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga V Belyaeva
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama - Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
| | - Chenbei Chang
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama - Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Michael C Berlett
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama - Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Natalia Y Kedishvili
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama - Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
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30
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Koop D, Chen J, Theodosiou M, Carvalho JE, Alvarez S, de Lera AR, Holland LZ, Schubert M. Roles of retinoic acid and Tbx1/10 in pharyngeal segmentation: amphioxus and the ancestral chordate condition. EvoDevo 2014; 5:36. [PMID: 25664163 PMCID: PMC4320481 DOI: 10.1186/2041-9139-5-36] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2014] [Accepted: 08/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Although chordates descend from a segmented ancestor, the evolution of head segmentation has been very controversial for over 150 years. Chordates generally possess a segmented pharynx, but even though anatomical evidence and gene expression analyses suggest homologies between the pharyngeal apparatus of invertebrate chordates, such as the cephalochordate amphioxus, and vertebrates, these homologies remain contested. We, therefore, decided to study the evolution of the chordate head by examining the molecular mechanisms underlying pharyngeal morphogenesis in amphioxus, an animal lacking definitive neural crest. Results Focusing on the role of retinoic acid (RA) in post-gastrulation pharyngeal morphogenesis, we found that during gastrulation, RA signaling in the endoderm is required for defining pharyngeal and non-pharyngeal domains and that this process involves active degradation of RA anteriorly in the embryo. Subsequent extension of the pharyngeal territory depends on the creation of a low RA environment and is coupled to body elongation. RA further functions in pharyngeal segmentation in a regulatory network involving the mutual inhibition of RA- and Tbx1/10-dependent signaling. Conclusions These results indicate that the involvement of RA signaling and its interactions with Tbx1/10 in head segmentation preceded the evolution of neural crest and were thus likely present in the ancestral chordate. Furthermore, developmental comparisons between different deuterostome models suggest that the genetic mechanisms for pharyngeal segmentation are evolutionary ancient and very likely predate the origin of chordates. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/2041-9139-5-36) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Demian Koop
- Marine Biology Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0202 USA
| | - Jie Chen
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon (CNRS UMR 5242, UCBL, ENS, INRA 1288), Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 69364 Lyon, Cedex 07, France
| | - Maria Theodosiou
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon (CNRS UMR 5242, UCBL, ENS, INRA 1288), Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 69364 Lyon, Cedex 07, France
| | - João E Carvalho
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06, CNRS, UMR 7009, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer, Observatoire Océanologique de Villefranche-sur-Mer, 06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer, France ; CNRS, UMR 7009, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer, Observatoire Océanologique de Villefranche-sur-Mer, 06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
| | - Susana Alvarez
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidade de Vigo, 33610 Vigo, Spain
| | - Angel R de Lera
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidade de Vigo, 33610 Vigo, Spain
| | - Linda Z Holland
- Marine Biology Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0202 USA
| | - Michael Schubert
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06, CNRS, UMR 7009, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer, Observatoire Océanologique de Villefranche-sur-Mer, 06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer, France ; CNRS, UMR 7009, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer, Observatoire Océanologique de Villefranche-sur-Mer, 06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
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31
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David B, Mooi R. How Hox genes can shed light on the place of echinoderms among the deuterostomes. EvoDevo 2014; 5:22. [PMID: 24959343 PMCID: PMC4066700 DOI: 10.1186/2041-9139-5-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2013] [Accepted: 05/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The Hox gene cluster ranks among the greatest of biological discoveries of the past 30 years. Morphogenetic patterning genes are remarkable for the systems they regulate during major ontogenetic events, and for their expressions of molecular, temporal, and spatial colinearity. Recent descriptions of exceptions to these colinearities are suggesting deep phylogenetic signal that can be used to explore origins of entire deuterostome phyla. Among the most enigmatic of these deuterostomes in terms of unique body patterning are the echinoderms. However, there remains no overall synthesis of the correlation between this signal and the variations observable in the presence/absence and expression patterns of Hox genes. Results Recent data from Hox cluster analyses shed light on how the bizarre shift from bilateral larvae to radial adults during echinoderm ontogeny can be accomplished by equally radical modifications within the Hox cluster. In order to explore this more fully, a compilation of observations on the genetic patterns among deuterostomes is integrated with the body patterning trajectories seen across the deuterostome clade. Conclusions Synthesis of available data helps to explain morphogenesis along the anterior/posterior axis of echinoderms, delineating the origins and fate of that axis during ontogeny. From this, it is easy to distinguish between ‘seriality’ along echinoderm rays and true A/P axis phenomena such as colinearity within the somatocoels, and the ontogenetic outcomes of the unique translocation and inversion of the anterior Hox class found within the Echinodermata. An up-to-date summary and integration of the disparate lines of research so far produced on the relationship between Hox genes and pattern formation for all deuterostomes allows for development of a phylogeny and scenario for the evolution of deuterostomes in general, and the Echinodermata in particular.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno David
- UMR CNRS 6282 Biogéosciences, Université de Bourgogne, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Rich Mooi
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Geology, California Academy of Sciences, 94103 San Francisco, California, USA
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32
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Guerrero-Preston R, Michailidi C, Marchionni L, Pickering CR, Frederick MJ, Myers JN, Yegnasubramanian S, Hadar T, Noordhuis MG, Zizkova V, Fertig E, Agrawal N, Westra W, Koch W, Califano J, Velculescu VE, Sidransky D. Key tumor suppressor genes inactivated by "greater promoter" methylation and somatic mutations in head and neck cancer. Epigenetics 2014; 9:1031-46. [PMID: 24786473 PMCID: PMC4143405 DOI: 10.4161/epi.29025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) are commonly inactivated by somatic mutation and/or promoter methylation; yet, recent high-throughput genomic studies have not identified key TSGs inactivated by both mechanisms. We pursued an integrated molecular analysis based on methylation binding domain sequencing (MBD-seq), 450K Methylation arrays, whole exome sequencing, and whole genome gene expression arrays in primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) tumors and matched uvulopalatopharyngoplasty tissue samples (UPPPs). We uncovered 186 downregulated genes harboring cancer specific promoter methylation including PAX1 and PAX5 and we identified 10 key tumor suppressor genes (GABRB3, HOXC12, PARP15, SLCO4C1, CDKN2A, PAX1, PIK3AP1, HOXC6, PLCB1, and ZIC4) inactivated by both promoter methylation and/or somatic mutation. Among the novel tumor suppressor genes discovered with dual mechanisms of inactivation, we found a high frequency of genomic and epigenomic alterations in the PAX gene family of transcription factors, which selectively impact canonical NOTCH and TP53 pathways to determine cell fate, cell survival, and genome maintenance. Our results highlight the importance of assessing TSGs at the genomic and epigenomic level to identify key pathways in HNSCC, deregulated by simultaneous promoter methylation and somatic mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Guerrero-Preston
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery; Johns Hopkins University; School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine; Río Piedras, Puerto Rico
| | - Christina Michailidi
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery; Johns Hopkins University; School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Luigi Marchionni
- Department of Oncology Biostatistics; Johns Hopkins University; School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Curtis R Pickering
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery; University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center; Houston, TX USA
| | - Mitchell J Frederick
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery; University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center; Houston, TX USA
| | - Jeffrey N Myers
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery; University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center; Houston, TX USA
| | | | - Tal Hadar
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery; Johns Hopkins University; School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Maartje G Noordhuis
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery; Johns Hopkins University; School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD USA; Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery; University of Groningen; University Medical Center; Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Veronika Zizkova
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery; Johns Hopkins University; School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD USA; Laboratory of Molecular Pathology and Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine; Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry; Palacky University; Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Elana Fertig
- Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics; Department of Oncology; Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center; Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Nishant Agrawal
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery; Johns Hopkins University; School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD USA; Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center; Johns Hopkins University; Baltimore, MD USA
| | - William Westra
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery; Johns Hopkins University; School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Wayne Koch
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery; Johns Hopkins University; School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Joseph Califano
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery; Johns Hopkins University; School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD USA; Milton J. Dance Head and Neck Center; Greater Baltimore Medical Center; Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Victor E Velculescu
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center; Johns Hopkins University; Baltimore, MD USA
| | - David Sidransky
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery; Johns Hopkins University; School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD USA
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Schlosser G, Patthey C, Shimeld SM. The evolutionary history of vertebrate cranial placodes II. Evolution of ectodermal patterning. Dev Biol 2014; 389:98-119. [PMID: 24491817 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2014.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2013] [Revised: 01/21/2014] [Accepted: 01/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Cranial placodes are evolutionary innovations of vertebrates. However, they most likely evolved by redeployment, rewiring and diversification of preexisting cell types and patterning mechanisms. In the second part of this review we compare vertebrates with other animal groups to elucidate the evolutionary history of ectodermal patterning. We show that several transcription factors have ancient bilaterian roles in dorsoventral and anteroposterior regionalisation of the ectoderm. Evidence from amphioxus suggests that ancestral chordates then concentrated neurosecretory cells in the anteriormost non-neural ectoderm. This anterior proto-placodal domain subsequently gave rise to the oral siphon primordia in tunicates (with neurosecretory cells being lost) and anterior (adenohypophyseal, olfactory, and lens) placodes of vertebrates. Likewise, tunicate atrial siphon primordia and posterior (otic, lateral line, and epibranchial) placodes of vertebrates probably evolved from a posterior proto-placodal region in the tunicate-vertebrate ancestor. Since both siphon primordia in tunicates give rise to sparse populations of sensory cells, both proto-placodal domains probably also gave rise to some sensory receptors in the tunicate-vertebrate ancestor. However, proper cranial placodes, which give rise to high density arrays of specialised sensory receptors and neurons, evolved from these domains only in the vertebrate lineage. We propose that this may have involved rewiring of the regulatory network upstream and downstream of Six1/2 and Six4/5 transcription factors and their Eya family cofactors. These proteins, which play ancient roles in neuronal differentiation were first recruited to the dorsal non-neural ectoderm in the tunicate-vertebrate ancestor but subsequently probably acquired new target genes in the vertebrate lineage, allowing them to adopt new functions in regulating proliferation and patterning of neuronal progenitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerhard Schlosser
- Department of Zoology, School of Natural Sciences & Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI), National University of Ireland, University Road, Galway, Ireland.
| | - Cedric Patthey
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Sebastian M Shimeld
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
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Koop D, Holland LZ, Setiamarga D, Schubert M, Holland ND. Tail regression induced by elevated retinoic acid signaling in amphioxus larvae occurs by tissue remodeling, not cell death. Evol Dev 2013; 13:427-35. [PMID: 23016904 DOI: 10.1111/j.1525-142x.2011.00501.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The vitamin A derived morphogen retinoic acid (RA) is known to function in the regulation of tissue proliferation and differentiation. Here, we show that exogenous RA applied to late larvae of the invertebrate chordate amphioxus can reverse some differentiated states. Although treatment with the RA antagonist BMS009 has no obvious effect on late larvae of amphioxus, administration of excess RA alters the morphology of the posterior end of the body. The anus closes over, and gut contents accumulate in the hindgut. In addition, the larval tail fin regresses, although little apoptosis takes place. This fin normally consists of columnar epidermal cells, each characterized by a ciliary rootlet running all the way from an apical centriole to the base of the cell and likely contributing substantial cytoskeletal support. After a few days of RA treatment, the rootlet becomes disrupted, and the cell shape changes from columnar to cuboidal. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) shows fragments of the rootlet in the basal cytoplasm of the cuboidal cell. A major component of the ciliary rootlet in amphioxus is the protein Rootletin, which is encoded by a single AmphiRootletin gene. This gene is highly expressed in the tail epithelial cells of control larvae, but becomes downregulated after about a day of RA treatment, and the breakup of the ciliary rootlet soon follows. The effect of excess RA on these epidermal cells of the larval tail in amphioxus is unlike posterior regression in developing zebrafish, where elevated RA signaling alters connective tissues of mesodermal origin. In contrast, however, the RA-induced closure of the amphioxus anus has parallels in the RA-induced caudal regression syndrome of mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Demian Koop
- Marine Biology Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
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35
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Pascual-Anaya J, Adachi N, Alvarez S, Kuratani S, D'Aniello S, Garcia-Fernàndez J. Broken colinearity of the amphioxus Hox cluster. EvoDevo 2012. [PMID: 23198682 PMCID: PMC3534614 DOI: 10.1186/2041-9139-3-28] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background In most eumetazoans studied so far, Hox genes determine the identity of structures along the main body axis. They are usually linked in genomic clusters and, in the case of the vertebrate embryo, are expressed with spatial and temporal colinearity. Outside vertebrates, temporal colinearity has been reported in the cephalochordate amphioxus (the least derived living relative of the chordate ancestor) but only for anterior and central genes, namely Hox1 to Hox4 and Hox6. However, most of the Hox gene expression patterns in amphioxus have not been reported. To gain global insights into the evolution of Hox clusters in chordates, we investigated a more extended expression profile of amphioxus Hox genes. Results Here we report an extended expression profile of the European amphioxus Branchiostoma lanceolatum Hox genes and describe that all Hox genes, except Hox13, are expressed during development. Interestingly, we report the breaking of both spatial and temporal colinearity for at least Hox6 and Hox14, which thus have escaped from the classical Hox code concept. We show a previously unidentified Hox6 expression pattern and a faint expression for posterior Hox genes in structures such as the posterior mesoderm, notochord, and hindgut. Unexpectedly, we found that amphioxus Hox14 had the most divergent expression pattern. This gene is expressed in the anterior cerebral vesicle and pharyngeal endoderm. Amphioxus Hox14 expression represents the first report of Hox gene expression in the most anterior part of the central nervous system. Nevertheless, despite these divergent expression patterns, amphioxus Hox6 and Hox14 seem to be still regulated by retinoic acid. Conclusions Escape from colinearity by Hox genes is not unusual in either vertebrates or amphioxus and we suggest that those genes escaping from it are probably associated with the patterning of lineage-specific morphological traits, requiring the loss of those developmental constraints that kept them colinear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Pascual-Anaya
- Departament de Genètica and Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB), University of Barcelona, Av, Diagonal, 643, Barcelona, 08028, Spain.
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Lecroisey C, Laudet V, Schubert M. The cephalochordate amphioxus: a key to reveal the secrets of nuclear receptor evolution. Brief Funct Genomics 2012; 11:156-66. [PMID: 22441553 DOI: 10.1093/bfgp/els008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The members of the nuclear receptor (NR) superfamily are transcription factors characterized by a particular mode of function, which is related to the conserved nature of their molecular structure. NR proteins usually contain a DNA-binding domain (DBD) and a ligand-binding domain (LBD) allowing them to directly bind to DNA and regulate target gene expression in a ligand-dependent manner. In this review, we are summarizing our current understanding of the NR diversity in the cephalochordate amphioxus, which represents the best available proxy for the last common chordate ancestor both in terms of morphology and genome organization. The amphioxus genome encodes 33 NRs, which is more than expected based on its phylogenetic position, with at least one representative of all major NR groups, excepting NR1E and NR1I/J. This elevated number of receptor genes shows that the amphioxus NR complement has experienced some secondary modifications that are most evident in the NR1H group, which is characterized by three members in humans and ten representatives in amphioxus. By highlighting specific examples of the NR repertoire, including the receptors for retinoic acid, thyroid hormone, estrogen and steroids as well as the bile acid and oxysterol receptors of the NR1H group, we are illustrating the functional diversity of these receptors in amphioxus. We conclude that the amphioxus NRs are valuable models for assessing the evolutionary interplay between receptors and their ligands and that more integrative and comparative approaches are required for assessment of the evolutionary plasticity of receptor-ligand interactions revealed by the studies of amphioxus NRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Lecroisey
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, UCBL, CNRS UMR, ENSL, INRA, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, France
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Wang YB, Chen SH, Lin CY, Yu JK. EST and transcriptome analysis of cephalochordate amphioxus--past, present and future. Brief Funct Genomics 2012; 11:96-106. [PMID: 22308056 DOI: 10.1093/bfgp/els002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The cephalochordates, commonly known as amphioxus or lancelets, are now considered the most basal chordate group, and the studies of these organisms therefore offer important insights into various levels of evolutionary biology. In the past two decades, the investigation of amphioxus developmental biology has provided key knowledge for understanding the basic patterning mechanisms of chordates. Comparative genome studies of vertebrates and amphioxus have uncovered clear evidence supporting the hypothesis of two-round whole-genome duplication thought to have occurred early in vertebrate evolution and have shed light on the evolution of morphological novelties in the complex vertebrate body plan. Complementary to the amphioxus genome-sequencing project, a large collection of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) has been generated for amphioxus in recent years; this valuable collection represents a rich resource for gene discovery, expression profiling and molecular developmental studies in the amphioxus model. Here, we review previous EST analyses and available cDNA resources in amphioxus and discuss their value for use in evolutionary and developmental studies. We also discuss the potential advantages of applying high-throughput, next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies to the field of amphioxus research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Bin Wang
- Institute of Information Science, Academia Sinica, College of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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Holland LZ, Onai T. Early development of cephalochordates (amphioxus). WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2011; 1:167-83. [PMID: 23801434 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The Phylum Chordata includes three groups--Vertebrata, Tunicata, and Cephalochordata. In cephalochordates, commonly called amphioxus or lancelets, which are basal in the Chordata, the eggs are small and relatively non-yolky. As in vertebrates, cleavage is indeterminate with cell fates determined gradually as development proceeds. The oocytes are attached to the ovarian follicle at the animal pole, where the oocyte nucleus is located. The cytoplasm at the opposite side of the egg, the vegetal pole, contains the future germ plasm or pole plasm, which includes determinants of the germline. After fertilization, additional asymmetries are established by movements of the egg and sperm nuclei, resulting in a concentration of mitochondria at one side of the animal hemisphere. This may be related to establishment of the dorsal/ventral axis. Patterning along the embryonic axes is mediated by secreted signaling proteins. Dorsal identity is specified by Nodal/Vg1 signaling, while during the gastrula stage, opposition between Nodal/Vg1 and BMP signaling establishes dorsal/anterior (i.e., head) and ventral/posterior (i.e., trunk/tail) identities, respectively. Wnt/β-catenin signaling specifies posterior identity while retinoic acid signaling specifies positions along the anterior/posterior axis. These signals are further modulated by a number of secreted antagonists. This fundamental patterning mechanism is conserved, with some modifications, in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Z Holland
- Marine Biology Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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Holland ND. Spawning periodicity of the lancelet,Asymmetron lucayanum(Cephalochordata), in Bimini, Bahamas. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1080/11250003.2011.594097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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Natale A, Sims C, Chiusano ML, Amoroso A, D'Aniello E, Fucci L, Krumlauf R, Branno M, Locascio A. Evolution of anterior Hox regulatory elements among chordates. BMC Evol Biol 2011; 11:330. [PMID: 22085760 PMCID: PMC3227721 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-11-330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2011] [Accepted: 11/15/2011] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The Hox family of transcription factors has a fundamental role in segmentation pathways and axial patterning of embryonic development and their clustered organization is linked with the regulatory mechanisms governing their coordinated expression along embryonic axes. Among chordates, of particular interest are the Hox paralogous genes in groups 1-4 since their expression is coupled to the control of regional identity in the anterior nervous system, where the highest structural diversity is observed. Results To investigate the degree of conservation in cis-regulatory components that form the basis of Hox expression in the anterior nervous system, we have used assays for transcriptional activity in ascidians and vertebrates to compare and contrast regulatory potential. We identified four regulatory sequences located near the CiHox1, CiHox2 and CiHox4 genes of the ascidian Ciona intestinalis which direct neural specific domains of expression. Using functional assays in Ciona and vertebrate embryos in combination with sequence analyses of enhancer fragments located in similar positions adjacent to Hox paralogy group genes, we compared the activity of these four Ciona cis-elements with a series of neural specific enhancers from the amphioxus Hox1-3 genes and from mouse Hox paralogous groups 1-4. Conclusions This analysis revealed that Kreisler and Krox20 dependent enhancers critical in segmental regulation of the hindbrain appear to be specific for the vertebrate lineage. In contrast, neural enhancers that function as Hox response elements through the action of Hox/Pbx binding motifs have been conserved during chordate evolution. The functional assays reveal that these Hox response cis-elements are recognized by the regulatory components of different and extant species. Together, our results indicate that during chordate evolution, cis-elements dependent upon Hox/Pbx regulatory complexes, are responsible for key aspects of segmental Hox expression in neural tissue and appeared with urochordates after cephalochordate divergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Natale
- Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Naples, Italy
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Albalat R, Brunet F, Laudet V, Schubert M. Evolution of retinoid and steroid signaling: vertebrate diversification from an amphioxus perspective. Genome Biol Evol 2011; 3:985-1005. [PMID: 21856648 PMCID: PMC3184775 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evr084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the physiological relevance of retinoids and steroids in vertebrates is very well established, the origin and evolution of the genetic machineries implicated in their metabolic pathways is still very poorly understood. We investigated the evolution of these genetic networks by conducting an exhaustive survey of components of the retinoid and steroid pathways in the genome of the invertebrate chordate amphioxus (Branchiostoma floridae). Due to its phylogenetic position at the base of chordates, amphioxus is a very useful model to identify and study chordate versus vertebrate innovations, both on a morphological and a genomic level. We have characterized more than 220 amphioxus genes evolutionarily related to vertebrate components of the retinoid and steroid pathways and found that, globally, amphioxus has orthologs of most of the vertebrate components of these two pathways, with some very important exceptions. For example, we failed to identify a vertebrate-like machinery for retinoid storage, transport, and delivery in amphioxus and were also unable to characterize components of the adrenal steroid pathway in this invertebrate chordate. The absence of these genes from the amphioxus genome suggests that both an elaboration and a refinement of the retinoid and steroid pathways took place at the base of the vertebrate lineage. In stark contrast, we also identified massive amplifications in some amphioxus gene families, most extensively in the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase superfamily, which, based on phylogenetic and genomic linkage analyses, were likely the result of duplications specific to the amphioxus lineage. In sum, this detailed characterization of genes implicated in retinoid and steroid signaling in amphioxus allows us not only to reconstruct an outline of these pathways in the ancestral chordate but also to discuss functional innovations in retinoid homeostasis and steroid-dependent regulation in both cephalochordate and vertebrate evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricard Albalat
- Departament de Genètica, Facultat de Biologia and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain.
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Vitamin A: a multifunctional tool for development. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2011; 22:603-10. [PMID: 21693195 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2011.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2011] [Accepted: 06/06/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Extensive research carried out over the last 100 years has established that the fat-soluble organic compound vitamin A plays crucial roles in early development, organogenesis, cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis as well as in tissue homeostasis. Given its importance during development, the delivery of vitamin A to the embryo is very tightly regulated with perturbations leading to severe malformations. This review discusses the roles of vitamin A during human development and the molecular mechanisms controlling its biological effects, hence bridging the gap between human development and molecular genetic work carried out in animal models. Vitamin A delivery during pregnancy and its developmental teratology in humans are thus discussed alongside work on model organisms, such as chicken or mice, revealing the molecular layout and functions of vitamin A metabolism and signaling. We conclude that, during development, vitamin A-derived signals are very tightly controlled in time and space and that this complex regulation is achieved by elaborate autoregulatory loops and by sophisticated interactions with other signaling cascades.
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Lee GS, Liao X, Shimizu H, Collins MD. Genetic and pathologic aspects of retinoic acid-induced limb malformations in the mouse. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010; 88:863-82. [DOI: 10.1002/bdra.20712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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