1
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Clarke RM, Meier M, Wilson MJ. Genome-wide analysis of early vascular tunic repair and regeneration for Botrylloides digenesis reveals striking similarities to human wound healing. Dev Biol 2024; 509:28-42. [PMID: 38342399 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2024.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2024]
Abstract
The early stages of regeneration after injury are similar to those of wound healing. The ascidian Botrylloides diegensis can regenerate an entire adult from a small fragment of vascular tunic following the removal of all zooids in an injury-induced regeneration model. We investigated the molecular and cellular changes following injury to determine the differences between the healing process and the initiation of whole-body regeneration (WBR). We conducted transcriptome analysis at specific time points during regeneration and wound healing to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and the unique biological processes associated with each state. Our findings revealed 296 DEGs at 10 h post-injury (hpi), with 71 highly expressed in healed tissue and 225 expressed during the WBR process. These DEGs were predicted to play roles in tissue reorganization, integrin signaling, extracellular matrix organization, and the innate immune system. Pathway analysis of the upregulated genes in the healed tunic indicated functional enrichment related to tissue repair, as has been observed in other species. Additionally, we examined the cell types in the tunic and ampullae in both tissue states using histology and in situ hybridization for six genes identified by transcriptome analysis. We observed strong mRNA expression in cells within the WBR tunic, and in small RNA-positive granules near the tunic edge. We hypothesized that many of these genes function in the compaction of the ampullae tunic, which is a pivotal process for WBR and dormancy in B. diegensis, and in an immune response. These findings establish surprising similarities between ascidian regeneration and human wound healing, emphasizing the potential for future investigations into human regenerative and repair mechanisms. This study provides valuable insights into the gene sets specifically activated during regeneration compared to wound healing, shedding light on the divergent activities of these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca M Clarke
- Developmental Genomics Laboratory, Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Michael Meier
- Developmental Genomics Laboratory, Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Megan J Wilson
- Developmental Genomics Laboratory, Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand.
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2
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Wilson MJ. The molecular basis of ascidian whole body regeneration. Genesis 2023; 61:e23537. [PMID: 37452396 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Megan J Wilson
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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3
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Sumner JT, Andrasz CL, Johnson CA, Wax S, Anderson P, Keeling EL, Davidson JM. De novo genome assembly and comparative genomics for the colonial ascidian Botrylloides violaceus. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2023; 13:jkad181. [PMID: 37555394 PMCID: PMC10542563 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkad181] [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: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Ascidians have the potential to reveal fundamental biological insights related to coloniality, regeneration, immune function, and the evolution of these traits. This study implements a hybrid assembly technique to produce a genome assembly and annotation for the botryllid ascidian, Botrylloides violaceus. A hybrid genome assembly was produced using Illumina, Inc. short and Oxford Nanopore Technologies long-read sequencing technologies. The resulting assembly is comprised of 831 contigs, has a total length of 121 Mbp, N50 of 1 Mbp, and a BUSCO score of 96.1%. Genome annotation identified 13 K protein-coding genes. Comparative genomic analysis with other tunicates reveals patterns of conservation and divergence within orthologous gene families even among closely related species. Characterization of the Wnt gene family, encoding signaling ligands involved in development and regeneration, reveals conserved patterns of subfamily presence and gene copy number among botryllids. This supports the use of genomic data from nonmodel organisms in the investigation of biological phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack T Sumner
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
| | - Cassidy L Andrasz
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
| | - Christine A Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
| | - Sarah Wax
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
| | - Paul Anderson
- Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
| | - Elena L Keeling
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
| | - Jean M Davidson
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
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4
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Hyams Y, Rubin-Blum M, Rosner A, Brodsky L, Rinkevich Y, Rinkevich B. Physiological changes during torpor favor association with Endozoicomonas endosymbionts in the urochordate Botrylloides leachii. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1072053. [PMID: 37323901 PMCID: PMC10264598 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1072053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental perturbations evoke down-regulation of metabolism in some multicellular organisms, leading to dormancy, or torpor. Colonies of the urochordate Botrylloides leachii enter torpor in response to changes in seawater temperature and may survive for months as small vasculature remnants that lack feeding and reproductive organs but possess torpor-specific microbiota. Upon returning to milder conditions, the colonies rapidly restore their original morphology, cytology and functionality while harboring re-occurring microbiota, a phenomenon that has not been described in detail to date. Here we investigated the stability of B. leachii microbiome and its functionality in active and dormant colonies, using microscopy, qPCR, in situ hybridization, genomics and transcriptomics. A novel lineage of Endozoicomonas, proposed here as Candidatus Endozoicomonas endoleachii, was dominant in torpor animals (53-79% read abundance), and potentially occupied specific hemocytes found only in torpid animals. Functional analysis of the metagenome-assembled genome and genome-targeted transcriptomics revealed that Endozoicomonas can use various cellular substrates, like amino acids and sugars, potentially producing biotin and thiamine, but also expressing various features involved in autocatalytic symbiosis. Our study suggests that the microbiome can be linked to the metabolic and physiological states of the host, B. leachii, introducing a model organism for the study of symbioses during drastic physiological changes, such as torpor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yosef Hyams
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, Haifa, Israel
- Department of Marine Biology, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Maxim Rubin-Blum
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, Haifa, Israel
| | - Amalia Rosner
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, Haifa, Israel
| | - Leonid Brodsky
- Tauber Bioinformatics Research Center, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Yuval Rinkevich
- Comprehensive Pneumology Center, Institute of Lung Biology and Disease, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
| | - Baruch Rinkevich
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, Haifa, Israel
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5
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Phylogeographic and Morphological Analysis of Botrylloides niger Herdman, 1886 from the Northeastern Mediterranean Sea. DIVERSITY 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/d15030367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Botrylloides niger (class Ascidiacea) is an invasive marine filter-feeding invertebrate that is believed to originate from the West Atlantic region. This species of colonial tunicate has been observed in several locations along the coasts of Israel and around the Suez Canal, but it has not yet been reported on the coasts of the Northeastern Mediterranean Sea (NEMS), suggesting an ongoing Lessepsian migration. However, the extent of this invasion might be concealed by reports of other potentially misidentified species of Botrylloides, given that the strong morphological similarities within this genus renders taxonomical identification particularly challenging. In this study, we performed a phylogeographic and morphological analysis of B. niger in the NEMS. We collected 238 samples from 8 sampling stations covering 824 km of the coastlines of NEMS. We reported 14 different morphotypes, of which the orange-brown, orange, and brown-striped morphs were the most abundant. Using the mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase I (COI) as a DNA barcode marker, we identified 4 haplotypes. The COI haplotypes clustered with the reference B. niger sequences from GenBank and differed significantly from the sister Botrylloides species. We confirmed our identification using three additional barcoding markers (Histone 3, 18S rRNA, and 28S rRNA), which all matched with over 99% similarity to reference sequences. In addition, we monitored a station for a year and conducted a temporal analysis of the collected colonies. The colonies were absent during the winter and spring, while new colonies were established in the summer and expanded during autumn. We performed demographic population analysis on our spatial data that identified a possible population subdivision at a sampling site, which might have been caused by local freshwater input. Herein, we present the first report on the presence of Botrylloides niger in the NEMS. This study represents a key step toward understanding the diversity and the propagation of this highly invasive species of colonial ascidians, both within the Mediterranean basin as well as globally.
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Morthorst JE, Holbech H, De Crozé N, Matthiessen P, LeBlanc GA. Thyroid-like hormone signaling in invertebrates and its potential role in initial screening of thyroid hormone system disrupting chemicals. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2023; 19:63-82. [PMID: 35581168 PMCID: PMC10083991 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
This review examines the presence and evolution of thyroid-like systems in selected aquatic invertebrates to determine the potential use of these organisms in screens for vertebrate thyroid hormone axis disrupting chemicals (THADCs). Such a screen might support the phasing out of some vertebrate testing. Although arthropods including crustaceans do not contain a functional thyroid signaling system, elements of such a system exist in the aquatic phyla mollusks, echinoderms, tunicates, and cephalochordates. These phyla can synthesize thyroid hormone, which has been demonstrated in some groups to induce the nuclear thyroid hormone receptor (THR). Thyroid hormone may act in these phyla through interaction with a membrane integrin receptor. Thyroid hormone regulates inter alia metamorphosis but, unlike in vertebrates, this does not occur via receptor activation by the ligands triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). Instead, the unliganded nuclear receptor itself controls metamorphosis in mollusks, echinoderms, and tunicates, whereas the T3 derivative tri-iodothyroacetic acid (TRIAC) acts as a THR ligand in cephalochordates. In view of this, it may be possible to develop an invertebrate-based screen that is sensitive to vertebrate THADCs that interfere with thyroid hormone synthesis or metabolism along with interaction with membrane receptors. The review makes some recommendations for the need to develop an appropriate test method. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:63-82. © 2022 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Henrik Holbech
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Southern DenmarkOdense MDenmark
| | - Noémie De Crozé
- Laboratoire Recherche Environnementale, L'ORÉAL Recherche & InnovationAulnay‐sous‐BoisFrance
| | | | - Gerald A. LeBlanc
- Department of Biological SciencesNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNorth CarolinaUSA
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Hyams Y, Panov J, Rosner A, Brodsky L, Rinkevich Y, Rinkevich B. Transcriptome landscapes that signify Botrylloides leachi (Ascidiacea) torpor states. Dev Biol 2022; 490:22-36. [PMID: 35809632 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Harsh environments enforce the expression of behavioural, morphological, physiological, and reproductive rejoinders, including torpor. Here we study the morphological, cellular, and molecular alterations in torpor architype in the colonial urochordate Botrylloides aff. leachii by employing whole organism Transmission electron (TEM) and light microscope observations, RNA sequencing, real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) quantification of selected genes, and immunolocalization of WNT, SMAD and SOX2 gene expressions. On the morphological level, torpor starts with gradual regression of all zooids and buds which leaves the colony surviving as condensed vasculature remnants that may be 'aroused' to regenerate fully functional colonies upon changes in the environment. Simultaneously, we observed altered distributions of hemolymph cell types. Phagocytes doubled in number, while the number of morula cells declined by half. In addition, two new circulating cell types were observed, multi-nucleated and bacteria-bearing cells. RNA sequencing technology revealed marked differences in gene expression between different organism compartments and states: active zooids and ampullae, and between mid-torpor and naive colonies, or naive and torpid colonies. Gene Ontology term enrichment analyses further showed disparate biological processes. In torpid colonies, we observed overall 233 up regulated genes. These genes included NR4A2, EGR1, MUC5AC, HMCN2 and. Also, 27 transcription factors were upregulated in torpid colonies including ELK1, HDAC3, RBMX, MAZ, STAT1, STAT4 and STAT6. Interestingly, genes involved in developmental processes such as SPIRE1, RHOA, SOX11, WNT5A and SNX18 were also upregulated in torpid colonies. We further validated the dysregulation of 22 genes during torpor by utilizing qPCR. Immunohistochemistry of representative genes from three signaling pathways revealed high expression of these genes in circulated cells along torpor. WNT agonist administration resulted in early arousal from torpor in 80% of the torpid colonies while in active colonies WNT agonist triggered the torpor state. Abovementioned results thus connote unique transcriptome landscapes associated with Botrylloides leachii torpor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yosef Hyams
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, P.O. Box 9753, Tel Shikmona, Haifa, 3109701, Israel; Marine Biology Department, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, 31905, Israel.
| | - Julia Panov
- Tauber Bioinformatics Research Center, University of Haifa, Haifa, 31905, Israel; Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Amalia Rosner
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, P.O. Box 9753, Tel Shikmona, Haifa, 3109701, Israel
| | - Leonid Brodsky
- Tauber Bioinformatics Research Center, University of Haifa, Haifa, 31905, Israel
| | - Yuval Rinkevich
- Comprehensive Pneumology Center, Institute of Lung Biology and Disease, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, Max-Lebsche-Platz 31, 81377, München, Germany
| | - Baruch Rinkevich
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, P.O. Box 9753, Tel Shikmona, Haifa, 3109701, Israel
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8
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Meier M, Wilson MJ. Using RNA-Seq for Transcriptome Profiling of Botrylloides sp. Regeneration. METHODS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (CLIFTON, N.J.) 2022; 2450:599-615. [PMID: 35359331 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2172-1_32] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The decrease in sequencing costs and technology improvements has led to the adoption of RNA-sequencing to profile transcriptomes from further non-traditional regeneration model organisms such as the colonial ascidian Botrylloides leachii. The relatively unbiased way in which transcripts are identified and quantified makes this technique suitable to detect large-scale changes in expression, and the identification of novel transcripts and isoforms. Of particular interest to many researchers is the discovery of differentially expressed transcripts across different treatment conditions or stages of regeneration. This protocol describes a workflow starting from processing raw sequencing reads, mapping reads, assembly of transcripts, and measuring their abundance, creating lists of differentially expressed genes and their biological interpretation using gene ontologies. All programs used in this protocol are open-source software tools and freely available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Meier
- Developmental Genomics Laboratory, Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Megan J Wilson
- Developmental Genomics Laboratory, Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
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Parra-Rincón E, Velandia-Huerto CA, Gittenberger A, Fallmann J, Gatter T, Brown FD, Stadler PF, Bermúdez-Santana CI. The Genome of the "Sea Vomit" Didemnum vexillum. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11121377. [PMID: 34947908 PMCID: PMC8704543 DOI: 10.3390/life11121377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Tunicates are the sister group of vertebrates and thus occupy a key position for investigations into vertebrate innovations as well as into the consequences of the vertebrate-specific genome duplications. Nevertheless, tunicate genomes have not been studied extensively in the past, and comparative studies of tunicate genomes have remained scarce. The carpet sea squirt Didemnum vexillum, commonly known as “sea vomit”, is a colonial tunicate considered an invasive species with substantial ecological and economical risk. We report the assembly of the D. vexillum genome using a hybrid approach that combines 28.5 Gb Illumina and 12.35 Gb of PacBio data. The new hybrid scaffolded assembly has a total size of 517.55 Mb that increases contig length about eightfold compared to previous, Illumina-only assembly. As a consequence of an unusually high genetic diversity of the colonies and the moderate length of the PacBio reads, presumably caused by the unusually acidic milieu of the tunic, the assembly is highly fragmented (L50 = 25,284, N50 = 6539). It is sufficient, however, for comprehensive annotations of both protein-coding genes and non-coding RNAs. Despite its shortcomings, the draft assembly of the “sea vomit” genome provides a valuable resource for comparative tunicate genomics and for the study of the specific properties of colonial ascidians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ernesto Parra-Rincón
- Biology Department, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Carrera 45 # 26-85, Edif. Uriel Gutiérrez, Bogotá D.C 111321, Colombia; (E.P.-R.); (P.F.S.)
| | - Cristian A. Velandia-Huerto
- Bioinformatics Group, Department of Computer Science, and Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Leipzig University, 04107 Leipzig, Germany; (J.F.); (T.G.)
- Correspondence: (C.A.V.-H.); (C.I.B.-S.)
| | - Adriaan Gittenberger
- GiMaRIS, Rijksstraatweg 75, 2171 AK Sassenheim, The Netherlands;
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9505, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jörg Fallmann
- Bioinformatics Group, Department of Computer Science, and Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Leipzig University, 04107 Leipzig, Germany; (J.F.); (T.G.)
| | - Thomas Gatter
- Bioinformatics Group, Department of Computer Science, and Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Leipzig University, 04107 Leipzig, Germany; (J.F.); (T.G.)
| | - Federico D. Brown
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão, Tr. 14 no. 101, São Paulo 05508-090, Brazil;
- Centro de Biologia Marinha, Universidade de São Paulo, Rod. Manuel Hypólito do Rego km. 131.5, São Sebastião 11612-109, Brazil
| | - Peter F. Stadler
- Biology Department, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Carrera 45 # 26-85, Edif. Uriel Gutiérrez, Bogotá D.C 111321, Colombia; (E.P.-R.); (P.F.S.)
- Bioinformatics Group, Department of Computer Science, and Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Leipzig University, 04107 Leipzig, Germany; (J.F.); (T.G.)
- Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Institute for Theoretical Chemistry, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87506, USA
| | - Clara I. Bermúdez-Santana
- Biology Department, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Carrera 45 # 26-85, Edif. Uriel Gutiérrez, Bogotá D.C 111321, Colombia; (E.P.-R.); (P.F.S.)
- Correspondence: (C.A.V.-H.); (C.I.B.-S.)
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10
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Fodor ACA, Powers MM, Andrykovich K, Liu J, Lowe EK, Brown CT, Di Gregorio A, Stolfi A, Swalla BJ. The Degenerate Tale of Ascidian Tails. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:358-369. [PMID: 33881514 PMCID: PMC10452958 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ascidians are invertebrate chordates, with swimming chordate tadpole larvae that have distinct heads and tails. The head contains the small brain, sensory organs, including the ocellus (light) and otolith (gravity) and the presumptive endoderm, while the tail has a notochord surrounded by muscle cells and a dorsal nerve cord. One of the chordate features is a post-anal tail. Ascidian tadpoles are nonfeeding, and their tails are critical for larval locomotion. After hatching the larvae swim up toward light and are carried by the tide and ocean currents. When competent to settle, ascidian tadpole larvae swim down, away from light, to settle and metamorphose into a sessile adult. Tunicates are classified as chordates because of their chordate tadpole larvae; in contrast, the sessile adult has a U-shaped gut and very derived body plan, looking nothing like a chordate. There is one group of ascidians, the Molgulidae, where many species are known to have tailless larvae. The Swalla Lab has been studying the evolution of tailless ascidian larvae in this clade for over 30 years and has shown that tailless larvae have evolved independently several times in this clade. Comparison of the genomes of two closely related species, the tailed Molgula oculata and tailless Molgula occulta reveals much synteny, but there have been multiple insertions and deletions that have disrupted larval genes in the tailless species. Genomics and transcriptomics have previously shown that there are pseudogenes expressed in the tailless embryos, suggesting that the partial rescue of tailed features in their hybrid larvae is due to the expression of intact genes from the tailed parent. Yet surprisingly, we find that the notochord gene regulatory network is mostly intact in the tailless M. occulta, although the notochord does not converge and extend and remains as an aggregate of cells we call the "notoball." We expect that eventually many of the larval gene networks will become evolutionarily lost in tailless ascidians and the larval body plan abandoned, with eggs developing directly into an adult. Here we review the current evolutionary and developmental evidence on how the molgulids lost their tails.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander C A Fodor
- Biology Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA
| | - Megan M Powers
- Biology Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Kristin Andrykovich
- Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA
| | - Jiatai Liu
- Biology Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA
| | - Elijah K Lowe
- Biology Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
- Station Biologique de Roscoff, 29680 Roscoff, France
| | - C Titus Brown
- Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA
- Station Biologique de Roscoff, 29680 Roscoff, France
- Population Health and Reproduction, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Anna Di Gregorio
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, NYU College of Dentistry, New York, NY 10010, USA
| | - Alberto Stolfi
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
- Station Biologique de Roscoff, 29680 Roscoff, France
| | - Billie J Swalla
- Biology Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA
- Station Biologique de Roscoff, 29680 Roscoff, France
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11
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Wawrzyniak MK, Matas Serrato LA, Blanchoud S. Artificial seawater based long-term culture of colonial ascidians. Dev Biol 2021; 480:91-104. [PMID: 34418426 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Tunicates are highly diverse marine invertebrate filter-feeders that are vertebrates' closest relatives. These organisms, despite a drastically different body plan during their adulthood, have a tissue complexity related to that of vertebrates. Ascidians, which compose most of the Tunicata, are benthic sessile hermaphrodites that reproduce sexually through a motile tadpole larval stage. Over half of the known ascidians species are able to reproduce asexually by budding, typically leading to the formation of colonies where animals, called zooids, are interconnected through an external vascular system. In addition, colonial ascidians are established models for important biological processes including allorecognition, immunobiology, aging, angiogenesis and whole-body regeneration. However, the current paucity in breeding infrastructures limits the study of these animals to coastal regions. To promote a wider scientific spreading and popularity of colonial ascidians, we have developed a flexible recirculating husbandry setup for their long-term in-lab culture. Our system is inspired both by the flow-through aquariums used by coastal ascidian labs, as well as by the recirculating in-lab systems used for zebrafish research. Our hybrid system thus combines colony breeding, water filtering and food culturing in a semi-automated system where specimens develop on hanging microscopy glass slides. Temperature, light/dark cycles, flow speed and feeding rates can be controlled independently in four different breeding environments to provide room for species-specific optimization as well as for running experiments. This setup is complemented with a quarantine for the acclimatization of wild isolates. Herein we present our success in breeding Botrylloides diegensis, a species of colonial ascidians, for more than 3 years in recirculating artificial seawater over 600 km away from their natural habitat. We show that colonies adapt well to in-lab culturing provided that a suitable marine microbiome is present, and that a specific strain can be isolated, propagated and efficiently used for research over prolonged periods of time. The flexible and modular structure of our system can be scaled and adapted to the needs of specific species, such as Botryllus schlosseri, as well as of particular laboratory spaces. Overall, we show that Botrylloides diegensis can be proficiently bred in-land and suggest that our results can be extended to other species of colonial ascidians to promote research on these fascinating animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta K Wawrzyniak
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Chemin Du Musée 10, 1700, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | | | - Simon Blanchoud
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Chemin Du Musée 10, 1700, Fribourg, Switzerland.
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12
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Ballarin L, Karahan A, Salvetti A, Rossi L, Manni L, Rinkevich B, Rosner A, Voskoboynik A, Rosental B, Canesi L, Anselmi C, Pinsino A, Tohumcu BE, Jemec Kokalj A, Dolar A, Novak S, Sugni M, Corsi I, Drobne D. Stem Cells and Innate Immunity in Aquatic Invertebrates: Bridging Two Seemingly Disparate Disciplines for New Discoveries in Biology. Front Immunol 2021; 12:688106. [PMID: 34276677 PMCID: PMC8278520 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.688106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The scopes related to the interplay between stem cells and the immune system are broad and range from the basic understanding of organism's physiology and ecology to translational studies, further contributing to (eco)toxicology, biotechnology, and medicine as well as regulatory and ethical aspects. Stem cells originate immune cells through hematopoiesis, and the interplay between the two cell types is required in processes like regeneration. In addition, stem and immune cell anomalies directly affect the organism's functions, its ability to cope with environmental changes and, indirectly, its role in ecosystem services. However, stem cells and immune cells continue to be considered parts of two branches of biological research with few interconnections between them. This review aims to bridge these two seemingly disparate disciplines towards much more integrative and transformative approaches with examples deriving mainly from aquatic invertebrates. We discuss the current understanding of cross-disciplinary collaborative and emerging issues, raising novel hypotheses and comments. We also discuss the problems and perspectives of the two disciplines and how to integrate their conceptual frameworks to address basic equations in biology in a new, innovative way.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Arzu Karahan
- Middle East Technical University, Institute of Marine Sciences, Erdemli, Mersin, Turkey
| | - Alessandra Salvetti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Experimental Biology and Genetics, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Leonardo Rossi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Experimental Biology and Genetics, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Lucia Manni
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Baruch Rinkevich
- Department of Biology, Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, Haifa, Israel
| | - Amalia Rosner
- Department of Biology, Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ayelet Voskoboynik
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Hopkins Marine Station, Pacific Grove, CA, United States
- Department of Biology, Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Benyamin Rosental
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cells, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Laura Canesi
- Department of Earth Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Chiara Anselmi
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Hopkins Marine Station, Pacific Grove, CA, United States
| | - Annalisa Pinsino
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council, Palermo, Italy
| | - Begüm Ece Tohumcu
- Middle East Technical University, Institute of Marine Sciences, Erdemli, Mersin, Turkey
| | - Anita Jemec Kokalj
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Andraž Dolar
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Sara Novak
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Michela Sugni
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Ilaria Corsi
- Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Damjana Drobne
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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13
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Zhang J, Wei J, Yu H, Dong B. Genome-Wide Identification, Comparison, and Expression Analysis of Transcription Factors in Ascidian Styela clava. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:4317. [PMID: 33919240 PMCID: PMC8122590 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094317] [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: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Tunicates include diverse species, as they are model animals for evolutionary developmental biology study. The embryonic development of tunicates is known to be extensively regulated by transcription factors (TFs). Styela clava, the globally distributed invasive tunicate, exhibits a strong capacity for environmental adaptation. However, the TFs were not systematically identified and analyzed. In this study, we reported 553 TFs categorized into 60 families from S. clava, based on the whole genome data. Comparison of TFs analysis among the tunicate species revealed that the gene number in the zinc finger superfamily displayed the most significant discrepancy, indicating this family was under the highly evolutionary selection and might be related to species differentiation and environmental adaptation. The greatest number of TFs was discovered in the Cys2His2-type zinc finger protein (zf-C2H2) family in S. clava. From the point of temporal view, more than half the TFs were expressed at the early embryonic stage. The expression correlation analysis revealed the existence of a transition for TFs expression from early embryogenesis to the later larval development in S. clava. Eight Hox genes were identified to be located on one chromosome, exhibiting different arrangement and expression patterns, compared to Ciona robusta (C. intestinalis type A). In addition, a total of 23 forkhead box (fox) genes were identified in S. clava, and their expression profiles referred to their potential roles in neurodevelopment and sensory organ development. Our data, thus, provides crucial clues to the potential functions of TFs in development and environmental adaptation in the leathery sea squirt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Zhang
- Sars-Fang Centre, MoE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (J.Z.); (J.W.)
| | - Jiankai Wei
- Sars-Fang Centre, MoE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (J.Z.); (J.W.)
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Haiyan Yu
- Sars-Fang Centre, MoE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (J.Z.); (J.W.)
| | - Bo Dong
- Sars-Fang Centre, MoE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (J.Z.); (J.W.)
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
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14
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Bliznina A, Masunaga A, Mansfield MJ, Tan Y, Liu AW, West C, Rustagi T, Chien HC, Kumar S, Pichon J, Plessy C, Luscombe NM. Telomere-to-telomere assembly of the genome of an individual Oikopleura dioica from Okinawa using Nanopore-based sequencing. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:222. [PMID: 33781200 PMCID: PMC8008620 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07512-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The larvacean Oikopleura dioica is an abundant tunicate plankton with the smallest (65–70 Mbp) non-parasitic, non-extremophile animal genome identified to date. Currently, there are two genomes available for the Bergen (OdB3) and Osaka (OSKA2016) O. dioica laboratory strains. Both assemblies have full genome coverage and high sequence accuracy. However, a chromosome-scale assembly has not yet been achieved. Results Here, we present a chromosome-scale genome assembly (OKI2018_I69) of the Okinawan O. dioica produced using long-read Nanopore and short-read Illumina sequencing data from a single male, combined with Hi-C chromosomal conformation capture data for scaffolding. The OKI2018_I69 assembly has a total length of 64.3 Mbp distributed among 19 scaffolds. 99% of the assembly is contained within five megabase-scale scaffolds. We found telomeres on both ends of the two largest scaffolds, which represent assemblies of two fully contiguous autosomal chromosomes. Each of the other three large scaffolds have telomeres at one end only and we propose that they correspond to sex chromosomes split into a pseudo-autosomal region and X-specific or Y-specific regions. Indeed, these five scaffolds mostly correspond to equivalent linkage groups in OdB3, suggesting overall agreement in chromosomal organization between the two populations. At a more detailed level, the OKI2018_I69 assembly possesses similar genomic features in gene content and repetitive elements reported for OdB3. The Hi-C map suggests few reciprocal interactions between chromosome arms. At the sequence level, multiple genomic features such as GC content and repetitive elements are distributed differently along the short and long arms of the same chromosome. Conclusions We show that a hybrid approach of integrating multiple sequencing technologies with chromosome conformation information results in an accurate de novo chromosome-scale assembly of O. dioica’s highly polymorphic genome. This genome assembly opens up the possibility of cross-genome comparison between O. dioica populations, as well as of studies of chromosomal evolution in this lineage. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-021-07512-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Bliznina
- Genomics and Regulatory Systems Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan.
| | - Aki Masunaga
- Genomics and Regulatory Systems Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Michael J Mansfield
- Genomics and Regulatory Systems Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Yongkai Tan
- Genomics and Regulatory Systems Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Andrew W Liu
- Genomics and Regulatory Systems Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Charlotte West
- Genomics and Regulatory Systems Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan.,Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Tanmay Rustagi
- Genomics and Regulatory Systems Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Hsiao-Chiao Chien
- Genomics and Regulatory Systems Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Saurabh Kumar
- Genomics and Regulatory Systems Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Julien Pichon
- Genomics and Regulatory Systems Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Charles Plessy
- Genomics and Regulatory Systems Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan.
| | - Nicholas M Luscombe
- Genomics and Regulatory Systems Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan.,Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.,Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London, UK
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15
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An elongated COI fragment to discriminate botryllid species and as an improved ascidian DNA barcode. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4078. [PMID: 33603059 PMCID: PMC7892571 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83127-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Botryllids are colonial ascidians widely studied for their potential invasiveness and as model organisms, however the morphological description and discrimination of these species is very problematic, leading to frequent specimen misidentifications. To facilitate species discrimination and detection of cryptic/new species, we developed new barcoding primers for the amplification of a COI fragment of about 860 bp (860-COI), which is an extension of the common Folmer's barcode region. Our 860-COI was successfully amplified in 177 worldwide-sampled botryllid colonies. Combined with morphological analyses, 860-COI allowed not only discriminating known species, but also identifying undescribed and cryptic species, resurrecting old species currently in synonymy, and proposing the assignment of clade D of the model organism Botryllus schlosseri to Botryllus renierii. Importantly, within clade A of B. schlosseri, 860-COI recognized at least two candidate species against only one recognized by the Folmer's fragment, underlining the need of further genetic investigations on this clade. This result also suggests that the 860-COI could have a greater ability to diagnose cryptic/new species than the Folmer's fragment at very short evolutionary distances, such as those observed within clade A. Finally, our new primers simplify the amplification of 860-COI even in non-botryllid ascidians, suggesting their wider usefulness in ascidians.
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16
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Wei J, Zhang J, Lu Q, Ren P, Guo X, Wang J, Li X, Chang Y, Duan S, Wang S, Yu H, Zhang X, Yang X, Gao H, Dong B. Genomic basis of environmental adaptation in the leathery sea squirt (Styela clava). Mol Ecol Resour 2020; 20:1414-1431. [PMID: 32531855 PMCID: PMC7540406 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Tunicates occupy the evolutionary position at the boundary of invertebrates and vertebrates. It exhibits adaptation to broad environmental conditions and is distributed globally. Despite hundreds of years of embryogenesis studies, the genetic basis of the invasive habits of ascidians remains largely unknown. The leathery sea squirt, Styela clava, is an important invasive species. We used the chromosomal-level genome and transcriptome of S. clava to explore its genomic- and molecular-network-based mechanisms of adaptation to environments. Compared with Ciona intestinalis type A (C. robusta), the size of the S. clava genome was expanded by 2-fold, although the gene number was comparable. An increase in transposon number and variation in dominant types were identified as potential expansion mechanisms. In the S. clava genome, the number of genes encoding the heat-shock protein 70 family and members of the complement system was expanded significantly, and cold-shock protein genes were transferred horizontally into the S. clava genome from bacteria. The expanded gene families potentially play roles in the adaptation of S. clava to its environments. The loss of key genes in the galactan synthesis pathway might explain the distinct tunic structure and hardness compared with the ascidian Ciona species. We demonstrated further that the integrated thyroid hormone pathway participated in the regulation of larval metamorphosis that provides S. clava with two opportunities for adapting to their environment. Thus, our report of the chromosomal-level leathery sea squirt genome provides a comprehensive genomic basis for the understanding of environmental adaptation in tunicates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiankai Wei
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and BreedingCollege of Marine Life SciencesOcean University of ChinaQingdaoChina
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and BiotechnologyQingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and TechnologyQingdaoChina
- Institute of Evolution and Marine BiodiversityOcean University of ChinaQingdaoChina
| | - Jin Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and BreedingCollege of Marine Life SciencesOcean University of ChinaQingdaoChina
| | - Qiongxuan Lu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and BreedingCollege of Marine Life SciencesOcean University of ChinaQingdaoChina
| | - Ping Ren
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and BreedingCollege of Marine Life SciencesOcean University of ChinaQingdaoChina
| | - Xin Guo
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and BreedingCollege of Marine Life SciencesOcean University of ChinaQingdaoChina
| | - Jing Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and BreedingCollege of Marine Life SciencesOcean University of ChinaQingdaoChina
| | - Xiang Li
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and BreedingCollege of Marine Life SciencesOcean University of ChinaQingdaoChina
| | - Yaoguang Chang
- College of Food Science and EngineeringOcean University of ChinaQingdaoChina
- Laboratory for Marine Drugs and BioproductsQingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and TechnologyQingdaoChina
| | - Shuai Duan
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and BreedingCollege of Marine Life SciencesOcean University of ChinaQingdaoChina
| | - Shi Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and BreedingCollege of Marine Life SciencesOcean University of ChinaQingdaoChina
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and BiotechnologyQingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and TechnologyQingdaoChina
| | - Haiyan Yu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and BreedingCollege of Marine Life SciencesOcean University of ChinaQingdaoChina
| | - Xiaoming Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and BreedingCollege of Marine Life SciencesOcean University of ChinaQingdaoChina
| | - Xiuxia Yang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and BreedingCollege of Marine Life SciencesOcean University of ChinaQingdaoChina
| | - Hongwei Gao
- Technical Center of Inspection and QuarantineShandong Entry‐Exit Inspection and Quarantine BureauQingdaoChina
| | - Bo Dong
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and BreedingCollege of Marine Life SciencesOcean University of ChinaQingdaoChina
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and BiotechnologyQingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and TechnologyQingdaoChina
- Institute of Evolution and Marine BiodiversityOcean University of ChinaQingdaoChina
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17
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Kassmer SH, Rodriguez D, De Tomaso AW. Evidence that ABC transporter-mediated autocrine export of an eicosanoid signaling molecule enhances germ cell chemotaxis in the colonial tunicate Botryllus schlosseri. Development 2020; 147:dev.184663. [PMID: 32665242 DOI: 10.1242/dev.184663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The colonial ascidian Botryllus schlosseri regenerates the germline during repeated cycles of asexual reproduction. Germline stem cells (GSCs) circulate in the blood and migrate to new germline niches as they develop and this homing process is directed by a Sphigosine-1-Phosphate (S1P) gradient. Here, we find that inhibition of ABC transporter activity reduces migration of GSCs towards low concentrations of S1P in vitro In addition, inhibiting phospholipase A2 (PLA2) or lipoxygenase (Lox) blocks chemotaxis towards low concentrations of S1P. These effects can be rescued by addition of the 12-Lox product 12-S-HETE. Blocking ABC transporter, PLA2 or 12-Lox activity also inhibits homing of germ cells in vivo Using a live-imaging chemotaxis assay in a 3D matrix, we show that a shallow gradient of 12-S-HETE enhances chemotaxis towards low concentrations of S1P and stimulates motility. A potential homolog of the human receptor for 12-S-HETE, gpr31, is expressed on GSCs and differentiating vasa+ germ cells. These results suggest that 12-S-HETE might be an autocrine signaling molecule exported by ABC transporters that enhances chemotaxis in GSCs migrating towards low concentrations of S1P.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susannah H Kassmer
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Delany Rodriguez
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Anthony W De Tomaso
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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18
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DeBiasse MB, Colgan WN, Harris L, Davidson B, Ryan JF. Inferring Tunicate Relationships and the Evolution of the Tunicate Hox Cluster with the Genome of Corella inflata. Genome Biol Evol 2020; 12:948-964. [PMID: 32211845 PMCID: PMC7337526 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Tunicates, the closest living relatives of vertebrates, have served as a foundational model of early embryonic development for decades. Comparative studies of tunicate phylogeny and genome evolution provide a critical framework for analyzing chordate diversification and the emergence of vertebrates. Toward this goal, we sequenced the genome of Corella inflata (Ascidiacea, Phlebobranchia), so named for the capacity to brood self-fertilized embryos in a modified, "inflated" atrial chamber. Combining the new genome sequence for Co. inflata with publicly available tunicate data, we estimated a tunicate species phylogeny, reconstructed the ancestral Hox gene cluster at important nodes in the tunicate tree, and compared patterns of gene loss between Co. inflata and Ciona robusta, the prevailing tunicate model species. Our maximum-likelihood and Bayesian trees estimated from a concatenated 210-gene matrix were largely concordant and showed that Aplousobranchia was nested within a paraphyletic Phlebobranchia. We demonstrated that this relationship is not an artifact due to compositional heterogeneity, as had been suggested by previous studies. In addition, within Thaliacea, we recovered Doliolida as sister to the clade containing Salpida and Pyrosomatida. The Co. inflata genome provides increased resolution of the ancestral Hox clusters of key tunicate nodes, therefore expanding our understanding of the evolution of this cluster and its potential impact on tunicate morphological diversity. Our analyses of other gene families revealed that several cardiovascular associated genes (e.g., BMP10, SCL2A12, and PDE2a) absent from Ci. robusta, are present in Co. inflata. Taken together, our results help clarify tunicate relationships and the genomic content of key ancestral nodes within this phylogeny, providing critical insights into tunicate evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa B DeBiasse
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville
| | - William N Colgan
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
| | - Lincoln Harris
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
| | - Bradley Davidson
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
| | - Joseph F Ryan
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville
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19
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Priyam A, Woodcroft BJ, Rai V, Moghul I, Munagala A, Ter F, Chowdhary H, Pieniak I, Maynard LJ, Gibbins MA, Moon H, Davis-Richardson A, Uludag M, Watson-Haigh NS, Challis R, Nakamura H, Favreau E, Gómez EA, Pluskal T, Leonard G, Rumpf W, Wurm Y. Sequenceserver: A Modern Graphical User Interface for Custom BLAST Databases. Mol Biol Evol 2020; 36:2922-2924. [PMID: 31411700 PMCID: PMC6878946 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msz185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Comparing newly obtained and previously known nucleotide and amino-acid sequences underpins modern biological research. BLAST is a well-established tool for such comparisons but is challenging to use on new data sets. We combined a user-centric design philosophy with sustainable software development approaches to create Sequenceserver, a tool for running BLAST and visually inspecting BLAST results for biological interpretation. Sequenceserver uses simple algorithms to prevent potential analysis errors and provides flexible text-based and visual outputs to support researcher productivity. Our software can be rapidly installed for use by individuals or on shared servers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anurag Priyam
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ben J Woodcroft
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Vivek Rai
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India
| | - Ismail Moghul
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alekhya Munagala
- Department of Mathematics, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India
| | - Filip Ter
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Hiten Chowdhary
- Department of Mathematics, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India
| | - Iwo Pieniak
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lawrence J Maynard
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Anthony Gibbins
- Department of Computer Science, Royal Holloway University of London, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - HongKee Moon
- Scientific Computing Facility, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Mahmut Uludag
- Computational Bioscience Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Nathan S Watson-Haigh
- Bioinformatics Hub, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Richard Challis
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, CB10 1SA
| | | | - Emeline Favreau
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Esteban A Gómez
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tomás Pluskal
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA
| | - Guy Leonard
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Wolfgang Rumpf
- The Institute for Genomic Medicine, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH
| | - Yannick Wurm
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom.,5Bases Limited, London, United Kingdom
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20
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Dardaillon J, Dauga D, Simion P, Faure E, Onuma TA, DeBiasse MB, Louis A, Nitta KR, Naville M, Besnardeau L, Reeves W, Wang K, Fagotto M, Guéroult-Bellone M, Fujiwara S, Dumollard R, Veeman M, Volff JN, Roest Crollius H, Douzery E, Ryan JF, Davidson B, Nishida H, Dantec C, Lemaire P. ANISEED 2019: 4D exploration of genetic data for an extended range of tunicates. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:D668-D675. [PMID: 31680137 PMCID: PMC7145539 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
ANISEED (https://www.aniseed.cnrs.fr) is the main model organism database for the worldwide community of scientists working on tunicates, the vertebrate sister-group. Information provided for each species includes functionally-annotated gene and transcript models with orthology relationships within tunicates, and with echinoderms, cephalochordates and vertebrates. Beyond genes the system describes other genetic elements, including repeated elements and cis-regulatory modules. Gene expression profiles for several thousand genes are formalized in both wild-type and experimentally-manipulated conditions, using formal anatomical ontologies. These data can be explored through three complementary types of browsers, each offering a different view-point. A developmental browser summarizes the information in a gene- or territory-centric manner. Advanced genomic browsers integrate the genetic features surrounding genes or gene sets within a species. A Genomicus synteny browser explores the conservation of local gene order across deuterostome. This new release covers an extended taxonomic range of 14 species, including for the first time a non-ascidian species, the appendicularian Oikopleura dioica. Functional annotations, provided for each species, were enhanced through a combination of manual curation of gene models and the development of an improved orthology detection pipeline. Finally, gene expression profiles and anatomical territories can be explored in 4D online through the newly developed Morphonet morphogenetic browser.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Delphine Dauga
- Bioself Communication; 28 rue de la Bibliothèque, F-13001 Marseille, France
| | - Paul Simion
- ISEM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Emmanuel Faure
- Laboratoire d’Informatique de Robotique et de Microélectronique de Montpellier (LIRMM), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Takeshi A Onuma
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama-cho, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
| | - Melissa B DeBiasse
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, 9505 Ocean Shore Boulevard, St. Augustine, FL 32080, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, 220 Bartram Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Alexandra Louis
- DYOGEN, IBENS, Département de Biologie, Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, Inserm, PSL Research University, F-75005 Paris, France
| | | | - Magali Naville
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS; 46 allée d’Italie, F-69364 Lyon, France
| | - Lydia Besnardeau
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer (LBDV), Sorbonne Universités, Université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, CNRS; Quai de la Darse, F-06234 Villefranche-sur-Mer Cedex, France
| | - Wendy Reeves
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Kai Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | | | | | - Shigeki Fujiwara
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Kochi University, Kochi-shi, Kochi, Japan
| | - Rémi Dumollard
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer (LBDV), Sorbonne Universités, Université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, CNRS; Quai de la Darse, F-06234 Villefranche-sur-Mer Cedex, France
| | - Michael Veeman
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Jean-Nicolas Volff
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS; 46 allée d’Italie, F-69364 Lyon, France
| | - Hugues Roest Crollius
- DYOGEN, IBENS, Département de Biologie, Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, Inserm, PSL Research University, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Emmanuel Douzery
- ISEM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Joseph F Ryan
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, 9505 Ocean Shore Boulevard, St. Augustine, FL 32080, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, 220 Bartram Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Bradley Davidson
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA 19081, USA
| | - Hiroki Nishida
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama-cho, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
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21
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Sordino P, D'Aniello S, Pelletier E, Wincker P, Nittoli V, Stemmann L, Mazzocchi MG, Lombard F, Iudicone D, Caputi L. Into the bloom: Molecular response of pelagic tunicates to fluctuating food availability. Mol Ecol 2019; 29:292-307. [PMID: 31793138 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The planktonic tunicates appendicularians and thaliaceans are highly efficient filter feeders on a wide range of prey size including bacteria and have shorter generation times than any other marine grazers. These traits allow some tunicate species to reach high population densities and ensure their success in a favourable environment. However, there are still few studies focusing on which genes and gene pathways are associated with responses of pelagic tunicates to environmental variability. Herein, we present the effect of food availability increase on tunicate community and gene expression at the Marquesas Islands (South-East Pacific Ocean). By using data from the Tara Oceans expedition, we show that changes in phytoplankton density and composition trigger the success of a dominant larvacean species (an undescribed appendicularian). Transcriptional signature to the autotroph bloom suggests key functions in specific physiological processes, i.e., energy metabolism, muscle contraction, membrane trafficking, and proteostasis. The relative abundance of reverse transcription-related Pfams was lower at bloom conditions, suggesting a link with adaptive genetic diversity in tunicates in natural ecosystems. Downstream of the bloom, pelagic tunicates were outcompeted by copepods. Our work represents the first metaomics study of the biological effects of phytoplankton bloom on a key zooplankton taxon.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Eric Pelletier
- CEA - Institut Francois Jacob, Genoscope, Evry, France.,CNRS, UMR, Evry, France.,Université d'Evry Val d'Essonne, Université Paris-Saclay, Evry, France.,Research Federation for the Study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, Paris, France
| | - Patrick Wincker
- CEA - Institut Francois Jacob, Genoscope, Evry, France.,CNRS, UMR, Evry, France.,Université d'Evry Val d'Essonne, Université Paris-Saclay, Evry, France.,Research Federation for the Study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, Paris, France
| | | | - Lars Stemmann
- Research Federation for the Study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, Paris, France.,CNRS, UMR 7093, Institut de la Mer de Villefranche sur mer, Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, Sorbonne Université, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
| | | | - Fabien Lombard
- Research Federation for the Study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, Paris, France.,CNRS, UMR 7093, Institut de la Mer de Villefranche sur mer, Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, Sorbonne Université, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
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22
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Zondag L, M Clarke R, Wilson MJ. Histone deacetylase activity is required for Botrylloides leachii whole-body regeneration. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:jeb.203620. [PMID: 31253711 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.203620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The colonial tunicate Botrylloides leachii is exceptional at regenerating from a piece of vascular tunic after loss of all adults from the colony. Previous transcriptome analyses indicate a brief period of healing before regeneration of a new adult (zooid) in as little as 8-10 days. However, there is little understanding of how the resulting changes to gene expression, required to drive regeneration, are initiated and how the overall process is regulated. Rapid changes to transcription often occur in response to chromatin changes, mediated by histone modifications such as histone acetylation. Here, we investigated a group of key epigenetic modifiers, histone deacetylases (HDAC), which are known to play an important role in many biological processes such as development, healing and regeneration. Through our transcriptome data, we identified and quantified the expression levels of HDAC and histone acetyltransferase enzymes during whole-body regeneration (WBR). To determine whether HDAC activity is required for WBR, we inhibited its action using valproic acid and trichostatin A. HDAC inhibition prevented the final morphological changes normally associated with WBR and resulted in aberrant gene expression. Botrylloides leachii genes including Slit2, TGF-β, Piwi and Fzd4 all showed altered mRNA levels upon HDAC inhibition in comparison with the control samples. Additionally, atypical expression of Bl_Piwi was found in immunocytes upon HDAC inhibition. Together, these results show that HDAC function, specifically HDAC I/IIa class enzymes, are vital for B. leachii to undergo WBR successfully.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Zondag
- Developmental Biology and Genomics Laboratory, Department of Anatomy, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Rebecca M Clarke
- Developmental Biology and Genomics Laboratory, Department of Anatomy, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Megan J Wilson
- Developmental Biology and Genomics Laboratory, Department of Anatomy, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
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23
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Kassmer SH, Nourizadeh S, De Tomaso AW. Cellular and molecular mechanisms of regeneration in colonial and solitary Ascidians. Dev Biol 2019; 448:271-278. [PMID: 30521811 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2018.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Regenerative ability is highly variable among the metazoans. While many invertebrate organisms are capable of complete regeneration of entire bodies and organs, whole-organ regeneration is limited to very few species in the vertebrate lineages. Tunicates, which are invertebrate chordates and the closest extant relatives of the vertebrates, show robust regenerative ability. Colonial ascidians of the family of the Styelidae, such as several species of Botrylloides, are able to regenerate entire new bodies from nothing but fragments of vasculature, and they are the only chordates that are capable of whole body regeneration. The cell types and signaling pathways involved in whole body regeneration are not well understood, but some evidence suggests that blood borne cells may play a role. Solitary ascidians such as Ciona can regenerate the oral siphon and their central nervous system, and stem cells located in the branchial sac are required for this regeneration. Here, we summarize the cellular and molecular mechanisms of tunicate regeneration that have been identified so far and discuss differences and similarities between these mechanisms in regenerating tunicate species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susannah H Kassmer
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
| | - Shane Nourizadeh
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Anthony W De Tomaso
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
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24
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Inoue J, Nakashima K, Satoh N. ORTHOSCOPE Analysis Reveals the Presence of the Cellulose Synthase Gene in All Tunicate Genomes but Not in Other Animal Genomes. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10040294. [PMID: 30974905 PMCID: PMC6523144 DOI: 10.3390/genes10040294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Revised: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Tunicates or urochordates—comprising ascidians, larvaceans, and salps—are the only metazoans that can synthesize cellulose, a biological function usually associated with bacteria and plants but not animals. Tunicate cellulose or tunicine is a major component of the outer acellular coverage (tunic) of the entire body of these organisms. Previous studies have suggested that the prokaryotic cellulose synthase gene (CesA) was horizontally transferred into the genome of a tunicate ancestor. However, no convenient tools have been devised to determine whether only tunicates harbor CesA. ORTHOSCOPE is a recently developed tool used to identify orthologous genes and to examine the phylogenic relationship of molecules within major metazoan taxa. The present analysis with this tool revealed the presence of CesA orthologs in all sequenced tunicate genomes but an absence in other metazoan genomes. This supports an evolutionary origin of animal cellulose and provides insights into the evolution of this animal taxon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Inoue
- Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan.
| | - Keisuke Nakashima
- Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan.
| | - Noriyuki Satoh
- Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan.
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25
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Antero-posterior ectoderm patterning by canonical Wnt signaling during ascidian development. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1008054. [PMID: 30925162 PMCID: PMC6457572 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008054] [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: 10/23/2018] [Revised: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Wnt/β-catenin signaling is an ancient pathway in metazoans and controls various developmental processes, in particular the establishment and patterning of the embryonic primary axis. In vertebrates, a graded Wnt activity from posterior to anterior endows cells with positional information in the central nervous system. Recent studies in hemichordates support a conserved role for Wnt/β-catenin in ectoderm antero-posterior patterning at the base of the deuterostomes. Ascidians are marine invertebrates and the closest relatives of vertebrates. By combining gain- and loss-of-function approaches, we have determined the role of Wnt/β-catenin in patterning the three ectoderm derivatives of the ascidian Ciona intestinalis, central nervous system, peripheral nervous system and epidermis. Activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling from gastrulation led to a dramatic transformation of the ectoderm with a loss of anterior identities and a reciprocal anterior extension of posterior identities, consistent with studies in other metazoans. Surprisingly, inhibiting Wnt signaling did not produce a reciprocal anteriorization of the embryo with a loss of more posterior identities like in vertebrates and hemichordate. Epidermis patterning was overall unchanged. Only the identity of two discrete regions of the central nervous system, the anteriormost and the posteriormost regions, were under the control of Wnt. Finally, the caudal peripheral nervous system, while being initially Wnt dependent, formed normally. Our results show that the Ciona embryonic ectoderm responds to Wnt activation in a manner that is compatible with the proposed function for this pathway at the base of the deuterostomes. However, possibly because of its fast and divergent mode of development that includes extensive use of maternal determinants, the overall antero-posterior patterning of the Ciona ectoderm is Wnt independent, and Wnt/β-catenin signaling controls the formation of some sub-domains. Our results thus indicate that there has likely been a drift in the developmental systems controlling ectoderm patterning in the lineage leading to ascidians. The Wnt/β-catenin pathway is a system of cell-cell communication. It has an ancient origin in animals and plays multiple roles during embryogenesis and adult life. In particular, it is involved in determining, in the vertebrate embryo, the identity of the different parts of the body and their relative positions along the antero-posterior axis. We have investigated in an ascidian (or sea squirt) species, a marine invertebrate that is closely related to vertebrates, whether this pathway had a similar role. Like in vertebrates, activating Wnt/β-catenin led to a posteriorization of the embryo with a loss of anterior structures. By contrast, unlike vertebrates, ascidian embryos formed rather normally following Wnt/β-catenin inactivation. Since hemichordates (or acorn worms), earlier divergent invertebrates, use Wnt/β-catenin in a manner comparable to vertebrates, it is in the ascidian lineage that changes have occurred. Consequently, ascidians build an antero-posterior axis, very similarly organized to that of vertebrates, but in a different way.
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26
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Manni L, Anselmi C, Cima F, Gasparini F, Voskoboynik A, Martini M, Peronato A, Burighel P, Zaniolo G, Ballarin L. Sixty years of experimental studies on the blastogenesis of the colonial tunicate Botryllus schlosseri. Dev Biol 2018; 448:293-308. [PMID: 30217596 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2018.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Revised: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In the second half of the eighteenth century, Schlosser and Ellis described the colonial ascidian Botryllus schlosseri garnering the interest of scientists around the world. In the 1950's scientists began to study B. schlosseri and soon recognized it as an important model organism for the study of developmental biology and comparative immunology. In this review, we summarize the history of B. schlosseri studies and experiments performed to characterize the colony life cycle and bud development. We describe experiments performed to analyze variations in bud productivity, zooid growth and bilateral asymmetry (i.e., the situs viscerum), and discuss zooid and bud removal experiments that were used to study the cross-talk between consecutive blastogenetic generations and vascular budding. We also summarize experiments that demonstrated that the ability of two distinct colonies to fuse or reject is controlled by a single polymorphic gene locus (BHF) with multiple, codominantly expressed alleles. Finally, we describe how the ability to fuse and create chimeras was used to show that within a chimera somatic and germline stem cells compete to populate niches and regenerate tissue or germline organs. Starting from the results of these 60 years of study, we can now use new technological advances to expand the study of B. schlosseri traits and understand functional relationships between its genome and life history phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Manni
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Ayelet Voskoboynik
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, United States
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27
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Schenkelaars Q, Pratlong M, Kodjabachian L, Fierro-Constain L, Vacelet J, Le Bivic A, Renard E, Borchiellini C. Animal multicellularity and polarity without Wnt signaling. Sci Rep 2017; 7:15383. [PMID: 29133828 PMCID: PMC5684314 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-15557-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Acquisition of multicellularity is a central event in the evolution of Eukaryota. Strikingly, animal multicellularity coincides with the emergence of three intercellular communication pathways - Notch, TGF-β and Wnt - all considered as hallmarks of metazoan development. By investigating Oopsacas minuta and Aphrocallistes vastus, we show here that the emergence of a syncytium and plugged junctions in glass sponges coincides with the loss of essential components of the Wnt signaling (i.e. Wntless, Wnt ligands and Disheveled), whereas core components of the TGF-β and Notch modules appear unaffected. This suggests that Wnt signaling is not essential for cell differentiation, polarity and morphogenesis in glass sponges. Beyond providing a comparative study of key developmental toolkits, we define here the first case of a metazoan phylum that maintained a level of complexity similar to its relatives despite molecular degeneration of Wnt pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quentin Schenkelaars
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE UMR 7263, Avignon Université, Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie marine et continentale, Station Marine d'Endoume, Marseille, France.
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Sciences III, 30 Quai Ernest Ansermet, CH-1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland.
| | - Marine Pratlong
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE UMR 7263, Avignon Université, Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie marine et continentale, Station Marine d'Endoume, Marseille, France
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Centrale Marseille, I2M, Equipe Evolution Biologique et Modélisation, Marseille, France
| | - Laurent Kodjabachian
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Institute of Developmental Biology of Marseille (IBDM), case 907, 13288, Marseille cedex 09, France
| | - Laura Fierro-Constain
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE UMR 7263, Avignon Université, Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie marine et continentale, Station Marine d'Endoume, Marseille, France
| | - Jean Vacelet
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE UMR 7263, Avignon Université, Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie marine et continentale, Station Marine d'Endoume, Marseille, France
| | - André Le Bivic
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Institute of Developmental Biology of Marseille (IBDM), case 907, 13288, Marseille cedex 09, France.
| | - Emmanuelle Renard
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE UMR 7263, Avignon Université, Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie marine et continentale, Station Marine d'Endoume, Marseille, France
| | - Carole Borchiellini
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE UMR 7263, Avignon Université, Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie marine et continentale, Station Marine d'Endoume, Marseille, France.
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