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Li J, Zhan Z, Li Y, Sun Y, Zhou T, Xu K. Chromosome-level genome assembly of a deep-sea Venus flytrap sea anemone sheds light upon adaptations to an extremely oligotrophic environment. Mol Ecol 2024:e17504. [PMID: 39166453 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 06/29/2024] [Accepted: 08/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
The Venus flytrap sea anemone Actinoscyphia liui inhabits the nutrient-limited deep ocean in the tropical western Pacific. Compared with most other sea anemones, it has undergone a distinct modification of body shape similar to that of the botanic flytrap. However, the molecular mechanism by which such a peculiar sea anemone adapts to a deep-sea oligotrophic environment is unknown. Here, we report the chromosomal-level genome of A. liui constructed from PacBio and Hi-C data. The assembled genome is 522 Mb in size and exhibits a continuous scaffold N50 of 58.4 Mb. Different from most other sea anemones, which typically possess 14-18 chromosomes per haplotype, A. liui has only 11. The reduced number of chromosomes is associated with chromosome fusion, which likely represents an adaptive strategy to economize energy in oligotrophic deep-sea environments. Comparative analysis with other deep-sea sea anemones revealed adaptive evolution in genes related to cellular autophagy (TMBIM6, SESN1, SCOCB and RPTOR) and mitochondrial energy metabolism (MDH1B and KAD2), which may aid in A. liui coping with severe food scarcity. Meanwhile, the genome has undergone at least two rounds of expansion in gene families associated with fast synaptic transmission, facilitating rapid responses to water currents and prey. Positive selection was detected on putative phosphorylation sites of muscle contraction-related proteins, possibly further improving feeding efficiency. Overall, the present study provides insights into the molecular adaptation to deep-sea oligotrophic environments and sheds light upon potential effects of a novel morphology on the evolution of Cnidaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyuan Li
- Laboratory of Marine Organism Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Qingdao Key Laboratory of Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- College of Agriculture and Bioengineering, Taizhou Vocational College of Science and Technology, Taizhou, China
| | - Zifeng Zhan
- Laboratory of Marine Organism Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Qingdao Key Laboratory of Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Yang Li
- Laboratory of Marine Organism Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Qingdao Key Laboratory of Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Yanan Sun
- Laboratory of Marine Organism Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Qingdao Key Laboratory of Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Tong Zhou
- Laboratory of Marine Organism Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Qingdao Key Laboratory of Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Kuidong Xu
- Laboratory of Marine Organism Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Qingdao Key Laboratory of Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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2
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Mörsdorf D, Knabl P, Genikhovich G. Highly conserved and extremely evolvable: BMP signalling in secondary axis patterning of Cnidaria and Bilateria. Dev Genes Evol 2024; 234:1-19. [PMID: 38472535 PMCID: PMC11226491 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-024-00714-4] [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: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Bilateria encompass the vast majority of the animal phyla. As the name states, they are bilaterally symmetric, that is with a morphologically clear main body axis connecting their anterior and posterior ends, a second axis running between their dorsal and ventral surfaces, and with a left side being roughly a mirror image of their right side. Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signalling has widely conserved functions in the formation and patterning of the second, dorso-ventral (DV) body axis, albeit to different extents in different bilaterian species. Whilst initial findings in the fruit fly Drosophila and the frog Xenopus highlighted similarities amongst these evolutionarily very distant species, more recent analyses featuring other models revealed considerable diversity in the mechanisms underlying dorsoventral patterning. In fact, as phylogenetic sampling becomes broader, we find that this axis patterning system is so evolvable that even its core components can be deployed differently or lost in different model organisms. In this review, we will try to highlight the diversity of ways by which BMP signalling controls bilaterality in different animals, some of which do not belong to Bilateria. Future research combining functional analyses and modelling is bound to give us some understanding as to where the limits to the extent of the evolvability of BMP-dependent axial patterning may lie.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Mörsdorf
- Dept. Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, UBB, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Paul Knabl
- Dept. Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, UBB, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution (VDSEE), University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Grigory Genikhovich
- Dept. Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, UBB, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria.
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3
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Knabl P, Schauer A, Pomreinke AP, Zimmermann B, Rogers KW, Čapek D, Müller P, Genikhovich G. Analysis of SMAD1/5 target genes in a sea anemone reveals ZSWIM4-6 as a novel BMP signaling modulator. eLife 2024; 13:e80803. [PMID: 38323609 PMCID: PMC10849676 DOI: 10.7554/elife.80803] [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: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BMP signaling has a conserved function in patterning the dorsal-ventral body axis in Bilateria and the directive axis in anthozoan cnidarians. So far, cnidarian studies have focused on the role of different BMP signaling network components in regulating pSMAD1/5 gradient formation. Much less is known about the target genes downstream of BMP signaling. To address this, we generated a genome-wide list of direct pSMAD1/5 target genes in the anthozoan Nematostella vectensis, several of which were conserved in Drosophila and Xenopus. Our ChIP-seq analysis revealed that many of the regulatory molecules with documented bilaterally symmetric expression in Nematostella are directly controlled by BMP signaling. We identified several so far uncharacterized BMP-dependent transcription factors and signaling molecules, whose bilaterally symmetric expression may be indicative of their involvement in secondary axis patterning. One of these molecules is zswim4-6, which encodes a novel nuclear protein that can modulate the pSMAD1/5 gradient and potentially promote BMP-dependent gene repression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Knabl
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of ViennaViennaAustria
- Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution (VDSEE), University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Alexandra Schauer
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | | | - Bob Zimmermann
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | | | | | - Patrick Müller
- Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck SocietyTübingenGermany
- University of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - Grigory Genikhovich
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of ViennaViennaAustria
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4
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Clark EG, Petersen CP. BMP suppresses WNT to integrate patterning of orthogonal body axes in adult planarians. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010608. [PMID: 37729232 PMCID: PMC10545109 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Adult regeneration restores patterning of orthogonal body axes after damage in a post-embryonic context. Planarians regenerate using distinct body-wide signals primarily regulating each axis dimension: anteroposterior Wnts, dorsoventral BMP, and mediolateral Wnt5 and Slit determinants. How regeneration can coordinate perpendicular tissue axes without symmetry-breaking embryonic events is not fully understood. Here, we report that the planarian dorsoventral regulator bmp4 suppresses the posterior determinant wnt1 to provide patterning input to the anteroposterior axis. Double-FISH identified distinct anteroposterior domains within dorsal midline muscle that express either bmp4 or wnt1. Homeostatic inhibition bmp4 and smad1 expanded the wnt1 expression anteriorly, while elevation of BMP signaling through nog1;nog2 RNAi reduced the wnt1 expression domain and elevated bmp4 expression. Homeostatic BMP signal perturbation broadly affected anteroposterior identity as measured by expression of posterior Wnt pathway factors, and caused mislocalization of AP-regionalized pharynx progenitors, without strongly affecting expression domains of anterior regulators. Additionally, wnt1 inhibition elevated bmp4 expression in the tip of the tail. Therefore, dorsal BMP signals and posterior wnt1 mutually antagonize for patterning the tail. Furthermore, homeostatic bmp4 RNAi caused medial expansion of the lateral determinant wnt5 and reduced expression of the medial regulator slit. By contrast, nog1;nog2 RNAi restricted wnt5 expression. Double RNAi of bmp4 and wnt5 resulted in lateral ectopic eye phenotypes, suggesting bmp4 acts upstream of wnt5 to pattern the mediolateral axis. These results indicate bmp4 controls dorsoventral information and also, through suppression of Wnt signals, influences anteroposterior and mediolateral identity. Based on related functions across vertebrates and Cnidarians, Wnt and BMP cross-regulation could form an ancient mechanism for coordinating orthogonal axis patterning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor G. Clark
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University; Evanston Illinois, United States of America
| | - Christian P. Petersen
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University; Evanston Illinois, United States of America
- Robert Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University; Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
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5
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Clark EG, Petersen CP. BMP suppresses WNT to integrate patterning of orthogonal body axes in adult planarians. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.10.523528. [PMID: 36711474 PMCID: PMC9882038 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.10.523528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Adult regeneration restores patterning of orthogonal body axes after damage in a post-embryonic context. Planarians regenerate using distinct body-wide signals primarily regulating each axis dimension: anteroposterior Wnts, dorsoventral BMP, and mediolateral Wnt5 and Slit determinants. How regeneration can consistently form perpendicular tissue axes without symmetry-breaking embryonic events is unknown, and could either occur using fully independent, or alternatively, integrated signals defining each dimension. Here, we report that the planarian dorsoventral regulator bmp4 suppresses the posterior determinant wnt1 to pattern the anteroposterior axis. Double-FISH identified distinct anteroposterior domains within dorsal midline muscle that express either bmp4 or wnt1 . Homeostatic inhibition bmp4 and smad1 expanded the wnt1 expression anteriorly, while elevation of BMP signaling through nog1;nog2 RNAi reduced the wnt1 expression domain. BMP signal perturbation broadly affected anteroposterior identity as measured by expression of posterior Wnt pathway factors, without affecting head regionalization. Therefore, dorsal BMP signals broadly limit posterior identity. Furthermore, bmp4 RNAi caused medial expansion of the lateral determinant wnt5 and reduced expression of the medial regulator slit . Double RNAi of bmp4 and wnt5 resulted in lateral ectopic eye phenotypes, suggesting bmp4 acts upstream of wnt5 to pattern the mediolateral axis. Therefore, bmp4 acts at the top of a patterning hierarchy both to control dorsoventral information and also, through suppression of Wnt signals, to regulate anteroposterior and mediolateral identity. These results reveal that adult pattern formation involves integration of signals controlling individual orthogonal axes. Author Summary Systems that coordinate long-range communication across axes are likely critical for enabling tissue restoration in regenerative animals. While individual axis pathways have been identified, there is not yet an understanding of how signal integration allows repatterning across 3-dimensions. Here, we report an unanticipated linkage between anteroposterior, dorsoventral, and mediolateral systems in planarians through BMP signaling. We find that dorsally expressed BMP restricts posterior and lateral identity by suppressing distinct Wnt signals in adult planarians. These results demonstrate that orthogonal axis information is not fully independent and suggest a potentially ancient role of integrated axis patterning in generating stable 3-dimensional adult forms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor G. Clark
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University; Evanston IL 60208
| | - Christian P. Petersen
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University; Evanston IL 60208
- Robert Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University; Evanston IL 60208
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6
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Gomis-Rüth FX, Stöcker W. Structural and evolutionary insights into astacin metallopeptidases. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 9:1080836. [PMID: 36685277 PMCID: PMC9848320 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.1080836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The astacins are a family of metallopeptidases (MPs) that has been extensively described from animals. They are multidomain extracellular proteins, which have a conserved core architecture encompassing a signal peptide for secretion, a prodomain or prosegment and a zinc-dependent catalytic domain (CD). This constellation is found in the archetypal name-giving digestive enzyme astacin from the European crayfish Astacus astacus. Astacin catalytic domains span ∼200 residues and consist of two subdomains that flank an extended active-site cleft. They share several structural elements including a long zinc-binding consensus sequence (HEXXHXXGXXH) immediately followed by an EXXRXDRD motif, which features a family-specific glutamate. In addition, a downstream SIMHY-motif encompasses a "Met-turn" methionine and a zinc-binding tyrosine. The overall architecture and some structural features of astacin catalytic domains match those of other more distantly related MPs, which together constitute the metzincin clan of metallopeptidases. We further analysed the structures of PRO-, MAM, TRAF, CUB and EGF-like domains, and described their essential molecular determinants. In addition, we investigated the distribution of astacins across kingdoms and their phylogenetic origin. Through extensive sequence searches we found astacin CDs in > 25,000 sequences down the tree of life from humans beyond Metazoa, including Choanoflagellata, Filasterea and Ichtyosporea. We also found < 400 sequences scattered across non-holozoan eukaryotes including some fungi and one virus, as well as in selected taxa of archaea and bacteria that are pathogens or colonizers of animal hosts, but not in plants. Overall, we propose that astacins originate in the root of Holozoa consistent with Darwinian descent and that the latter genes might be the result of horizontal gene transfer from holozoan donors.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. Xavier Gomis-Rüth
- Proteolysis Laboratory, Department of Structural Biology, Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona (IBMB), Higher Scientific Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain,*Correspondence: F. Xavier Gomis-Rüth, ; Walter Stöcker,
| | - Walter Stöcker
- Institute of Molecular Physiology (IMP), Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz (JGU), Mainz, Germany,*Correspondence: F. Xavier Gomis-Rüth, ; Walter Stöcker,
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7
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Steinworth BM, Martindale MQ, Ryan JF. Gene Loss may have Shaped the Cnidarian and Bilaterian Hox and ParaHox Complement. Genome Biol Evol 2022; 15:6889381. [PMID: 36508343 PMCID: PMC9825252 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evac172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Hox and ParaHox transcription factors are important for specifying cell fates along the primary body axes during the development of most animals. Within Cnidaria, much of the research on Hox/ParaHox genes has focused on Anthozoa (anemones and corals) and Hydrozoa (hydroids) and has concentrated on the evolution and function of cnidarian Hox genes in relation to their bilaterian counterparts. Here we analyze together the full complement of Hox and ParaHox genes from species representing all four medusozoan classes (Staurozoa, Cubozoa, Hydrozoa, and Scyphozoa) and both anthozoan classes (Octocorallia and Hexacorallia). Our results show that Hox genes involved in patterning the directive axes of anthozoan polyps are absent in the stem leading to Medusozoa. For the first time, we show spatial and temporal expression patterns of Hox and ParaHox genes in the upside-down jellyfish Cassiopea xamachana (Scyphozoa), which are consistent with diversification of medusozoan Hox genes both from anthozoans and within medusozoa. Despite unprecedented taxon sampling, our phylogenetic analyses, like previous studies, are characterized by a lack of clear homology between most cnidarian and bilaterian Hox and Hox-related genes. Unlike previous studies, we propose the hypothesis that the cnidarian-bilaterian ancestor possessed a remarkably large Hox complement and that extensive loss of Hox genes was experienced by both cnidarian and bilaterian lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bailey M Steinworth
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St Augustine, Florida 32080,Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611
| | - Mark Q Martindale
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St Augustine, Florida 32080,Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611
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8
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Muscular hydraulics drive larva-polyp morphogenesis. Curr Biol 2022; 32:4707-4718.e8. [PMID: 36115340 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.08.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Development is a highly dynamic process in which organisms often experience changes in both form and behavior, which are typically coupled to each other. However, little is known about how organismal-scale behaviors such as body contractility and motility impact morphogenesis. Here, we use the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis as a developmental model to uncover a mechanistic link between organismal size, shape, and behavior. Using quantitative live imaging in a large population of developing animals, combined with molecular and biophysical experiments, we demonstrate that the muscular-hydraulic machinery that controls body movement also drives larva-polyp morphogenesis. We show that organismal size largely depends on cavity inflation through fluid uptake, whereas body shape is constrained by the organization of the muscular system. The generation of ethograms identifies different trajectories of size and shape development in sessile and motile animals, which display distinct patterns of body contractions. With a simple theoretical model, we conceptualize how pressures generated by muscular hydraulics can act as a global mechanical regulator that coordinates tissue remodeling. Altogether, our findings illustrate how organismal contractility and motility behaviors can influence morphogenesis.
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9
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Abstract
Neurons are the fundamental building blocks of nervous systems. It appears intuitive that the human brain is made up of hundreds, if not thousands different types of neurons. Conversely, the seemingly diffuse nerve net of Cnidaria is often assumed to be simple. However, evidence that the Cnidaria nervous system is indeed simple is sparse. Recent technical advances make it possible to assess the diversity and function of neurons with unprecedented resolution. Transgenic animals expressing genetically encoded Calcium sensors allow direct physiological assessments of neural responses within the nerve net and provide insight into the spatial organization of the nervous system. Moreover, response and activity patterns allow the characterization of cell types on a functional level. Molecular and genetic identities on the other hand can be assessed combining single-cell transcriptomic analysis with correlations of gene expression in defined neurons. Here I review recent advances on these two experimental strategies focusing on Hydra, Nematostella, and Clytia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon G Sprecher
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
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10
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Kremnev SV. Evolutionary and Ontogenetic Plasticity of Conserved Signaling Pathways in Animals’ Development. Russ J Dev Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062360422020114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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11
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Holstein TW. The role of cnidarian developmental biology in unraveling axis formation and Wnt signaling. Dev Biol 2022; 487:74-98. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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12
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Erofeeva TV, Grigorenko AP, Gusev FE, Kosevich IA, Rogaev EI. Studying of Molecular Regulation of Developmental Processes of Lower Metazoans Exemplified by Cnidaria Using High-Throughput Sequencing. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2022; 87:269-293. [PMID: 35526848 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297922030075] [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: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
A unique set of features and characteristics of species of the Cnidaria phylum is the one reason that makes them a model for a various studies. The plasticity of a life cycle and the processes of cell differentiation and development of an integral multicellular organism associated with it are of a specific scientific interest. A new stage of development of molecular genetic methods, including methods for high-throughput genome, transcriptome, and epigenome sequencing, both at the level of the whole organism and at the level of individual cells, makes it possible to obtain a detailed picture of the development of these animals. This review examines some modern approaches and advances in the reconstruction of the processes of ontogenesis of cnidarians by studying the regulatory signal transduction pathways and their interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taisia V Erofeeva
- Department Research Center for Genetics and Life Sciences, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Krasnodar Region, 354349, Russia
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Anastasia P Grigorenko
- Department Research Center for Genetics and Life Sciences, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Krasnodar Region, 354349, Russia.
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Fedor E Gusev
- Department Research Center for Genetics and Life Sciences, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Krasnodar Region, 354349, Russia
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Igor A Kosevich
- Department Research Center for Genetics and Life Sciences, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Krasnodar Region, 354349, Russia
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
| | - Evgeny I Rogaev
- Department Research Center for Genetics and Life Sciences, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Krasnodar Region, 354349, Russia
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
- Department of Psychiatry, UMass Chan Medical School, Shrewsbury, MA 01545, USA
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13
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Tan S, Huan P, Liu B. Molluscan dorsal-ventral patterning relying on BMP2/4 and Chordin provides insights into spiralian development and evolution. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 39:6424002. [PMID: 34751376 PMCID: PMC8789067 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Although a conserved mechanism relying on BMP2/4 and Chordin is suggested for animal dorsal–ventral (DV) patterning, this mechanism has not been reported in spiralians, one of the three major clades of bilaterians. Studies on limited spiralian representatives have suggested markedly diverse DV patterning mechanisms, a considerable number of which no longer deploy BMP signaling. Here, we showed that BMP2/4 and Chordin regulate DV patterning in the mollusk Lottia goshimai, which was predicted in spiralians but not previously reported. In the context of the diverse reports in spiralians, it conversely represents a relatively unusual case. We showed that BMP2/4 and Chordin coordinate to mediate signaling from the D-quadrant organizer to induce the DV axis, and Chordin relays the symmetry-breaking information from the organizer. Further investigations on L. goshimai embryos with impaired DV patterning suggested roles of BMP signaling in regulating the behavior of the blastopore and the organization of the nervous system. These findings provide insights into the evolution of animal DV patterning and the unique development mode of spiralians driven by the D-quadrant organizer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujian Tan
- CAS and Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China.,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266000, China.,Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China
| | - Pin Huan
- CAS and Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China.,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266000, China.,Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China
| | - Baozhong Liu
- CAS and Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China.,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266000, China.,Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China
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14
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Nematostella vectensis, an Emerging Model for Deciphering the Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms Underlying Whole-Body Regeneration. Cells 2021; 10:cells10102692. [PMID: 34685672 PMCID: PMC8534814 DOI: 10.3390/cells10102692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The capacity to regenerate lost or injured body parts is a widespread feature within metazoans and has intrigued scientists for centuries. One of the most extreme types of regeneration is the so-called whole body regenerative capacity, which enables regeneration of fully functional organisms from isolated body parts. While not exclusive to this habitat, whole body regeneration is widespread in aquatic/marine invertebrates. Over the past decade, new whole-body research models have emerged that complement the historical models Hydra and planarians. Among these, the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis has attracted increasing interest in regard to deciphering the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the whole-body regeneration process. This manuscript will present an overview of the biological features of this anthozoan cnidarian as well as the available tools and resources that have been developed by the scientific community studying Nematostella. I will further review our current understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying whole-body regeneration in this marine organism, with emphasis on how comparing embryonic development and regeneration in the same organism provides insight into regeneration specific elements.
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15
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Lebedeva T, Aman AJ, Graf T, Niedermoser I, Zimmermann B, Kraus Y, Schatka M, Demilly A, Technau U, Genikhovich G. Cnidarian-bilaterian comparison reveals the ancestral regulatory logic of the β-catenin dependent axial patterning. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4032. [PMID: 34188050 PMCID: PMC8241978 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24346-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In animals, body axis patterning is based on the concentration-dependent interpretation of graded morphogen signals, which enables correct positioning of the anatomical structures. The most ancient axis patterning system acting across animal phyla relies on β-catenin signaling, which directs gastrulation, and patterns the main body axis. However, within Bilateria, the patterning logic varies significantly between protostomes and deuterostomes. To deduce the ancestral principles of β-catenin-dependent axial patterning, we investigate the oral–aboral axis patterning in the sea anemone Nematostella—a member of the bilaterian sister group Cnidaria. Here we elucidate the regulatory logic by which more orally expressed β-catenin targets repress more aborally expressed β-catenin targets, and progressively restrict the initially global, maternally provided aboral identity. Similar regulatory logic of β-catenin-dependent patterning in Nematostella and deuterostomes suggests a common evolutionary origin of these processes and the equivalence of the cnidarian oral–aboral and the bilaterian posterior–anterior body axes. The authors show in Nematostella that the more orally expressed β-catenin targets repress the more aborally expressed β-catenin targets, thus patterning the oral-aboral axis. This likely represents the common mechanism of β-catenin-dependent axial patterning shared by Cnidaria and Bilateria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Lebedeva
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andrew J Aman
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Graf
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, Vienna, Austria
| | - Isabell Niedermoser
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bob Zimmermann
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, Vienna, Austria
| | - Yulia Kraus
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskiye gory 1/12, Moscow, Russia
| | - Magdalena Schatka
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, Vienna, Austria
| | - Adrien Demilly
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ulrich Technau
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, Vienna, Austria
| | - Grigory Genikhovich
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, Vienna, Austria.
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16
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Pechmann M, Kenny NJ, Pott L, Heger P, Chen YT, Buchta T, Özüak O, Lynch J, Roth S. Striking parallels between dorsoventral patterning in Drosophila and Gryllus reveal a complex evolutionary history behind a model gene regulatory network. eLife 2021; 10:e68287. [PMID: 33783353 PMCID: PMC8051952 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [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: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Dorsoventral pattering relies on Toll and BMP signalling in all insects studied so far, with variations in the relative contributions of both pathways. Drosophila and the beetle Tribolium share extensive dependence on Toll, while representatives of more distantly related lineages like the wasp Nasonia and bug Oncopeltus rely more strongly on BMP signalling. Here, we show that in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus, an evolutionarily distant outgroup, Toll has, like in Drosophila, a direct patterning role for the ventral half of the embryo. In addition, Toll polarises BMP signalling, although this does not involve the conserved BMP inhibitor Sog/Chordin. Finally, Toll activation relies on ovarian patterning mechanisms with striking similarity to Drosophila. Our data suggest two surprising hypotheses: (1) that Toll's patterning function in Gryllus and Drosophila is the result of convergent evolution or (2) a Drosophila-like system arose early in insect evolution and was extensively altered in multiple independent lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Pechmann
- Institute for Zoology/Developmental Biology, Biocenter, University of CologneKölnGermany
| | | | - Laura Pott
- Institute for Zoology/Developmental Biology, Biocenter, University of CologneKölnGermany
| | - Peter Heger
- Regional Computing Centre (RRZK), University of CologneKölnGermany
| | - Yen-Ta Chen
- Institute for Zoology/Developmental Biology, Biocenter, University of CologneKölnGermany
| | - Thomas Buchta
- Institute for Zoology/Developmental Biology, Biocenter, University of CologneKölnGermany
| | - Orhan Özüak
- Institute for Zoology/Developmental Biology, Biocenter, University of CologneKölnGermany
| | - Jeremy Lynch
- Institute for Zoology/Developmental Biology, Biocenter, University of CologneKölnGermany
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at ChicagoChicagoUnited States
| | - Siegfried Roth
- Institute for Zoology/Developmental Biology, Biocenter, University of CologneKölnGermany
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17
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Ferretti L, Krämer-Eis A, Schiffer PH. Conserved Patterns in Developmental Processes and Phases, Rather than Genes, Unite the Highly Divergent Bilateria. Life (Basel) 2020; 10:E182. [PMID: 32899936 PMCID: PMC7555945 DOI: 10.3390/life10090182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Bilateria are the predominant clade of animals on Earth. Despite having evolved a wide variety of body plans and developmental modes, they are characterized by common morphological traits. By default, researchers have tried to link clade-specific genes to these traits, thus distinguishing bilaterians from non-bilaterians, by their gene content. Here we argue that it is rather biological processes that unite Bilateria and set them apart from their non-bilaterian sisters, with a less complex body morphology. To test this hypothesis, we compared proteomes of bilaterian and non-bilaterian species in an elaborate computational pipeline, aiming to search for a set of bilaterian-specific genes. Despite the limited confidence in their bilaterian specificity, we nevertheless detected Bilateria-specific functional and developmental patterns in the sub-set of genes conserved in distantly related Bilateria. Using a novel multi-species GO-enrichment method, we determined the functional repertoire of genes that are widely conserved among Bilateria. Analyzing expression profiles in three very distantly related model species-D. melanogaster, D. rerio and C. elegans-we find characteristic peaks at comparable stages of development and a delayed onset of expression in embryos. In particular, the expression of the conserved genes appears to peak at the phylotypic stage of different bilaterian phyla. In summary, our study illustrate how development connects distantly related Bilateria after millions of years of divergence, pointing to processes potentially separating them from non-bilaterians. We argue that evolutionary biologists should return from a purely gene-centric view of evolution and place more focus on analyzing and defining conserved developmental processes and periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Ferretti
- The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, Surrey GU24 0NF, UK
- Big Data Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Andrea Krämer-Eis
- Institut für Genetik, Universität zu Köln, Zülpicher Straße 47a, 50674 Köln, Germany;
| | - Philipp H. Schiffer
- Institut für Zoologie, Universität zu Köln, Zülpicher Straße 47b, 50674 Köln, Germany
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18
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Zullo L, Bozzo M, Daya A, Di Clemente A, Mancini FP, Megighian A, Nesher N, Röttinger E, Shomrat T, Tiozzo S, Zullo A, Candiani S. The Diversity of Muscles and Their Regenerative Potential across Animals. Cells 2020; 9:cells9091925. [PMID: 32825163 PMCID: PMC7563492 DOI: 10.3390/cells9091925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cells with contractile functions are present in almost all metazoans, and so are the related processes of muscle homeostasis and regeneration. Regeneration itself is a complex process unevenly spread across metazoans that ranges from full-body regeneration to partial reconstruction of damaged organs or body tissues, including muscles. The cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in regenerative processes can be homologous, co-opted, and/or evolved independently. By comparing the mechanisms of muscle homeostasis and regeneration throughout the diversity of animal body-plans and life cycles, it is possible to identify conserved and divergent cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying muscle plasticity. In this review we aim at providing an overview of muscle regeneration studies in metazoans, highlighting the major regenerative strategies and molecular pathways involved. By gathering these findings, we wish to advocate a comparative and evolutionary approach to prompt a wider use of “non-canonical” animal models for molecular and even pharmacological studies in the field of muscle regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letizia Zullo
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Micro-BioRobotics & Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology (NSYN), 16132 Genova, Italy;
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy
- Correspondence: (L.Z.); (A.Z.)
| | - Matteo Bozzo
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV 5, 16132 Genova, Italy; (M.B.); (S.C.)
| | - Alon Daya
- Faculty of Marine Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center, Michmoret 40297, Israel; (A.D.); (N.N.); (T.S.)
| | - Alessio Di Clemente
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Micro-BioRobotics & Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology (NSYN), 16132 Genova, Italy;
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV, 3, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | | | - Aram Megighian
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy;
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Nir Nesher
- Faculty of Marine Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center, Michmoret 40297, Israel; (A.D.); (N.N.); (T.S.)
| | - Eric Röttinger
- Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging (IRCAN), Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, INSERM, 06107 Nice, France;
| | - Tal Shomrat
- Faculty of Marine Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center, Michmoret 40297, Israel; (A.D.); (N.N.); (T.S.)
| | - Stefano Tiozzo
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer (LBDV), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 06230 Paris, France;
| | - Alberto Zullo
- Department of Science and Technology, University of Sannio, 82100 Benevento, Italy;
- Correspondence: (L.Z.); (A.Z.)
| | - Simona Candiani
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV 5, 16132 Genova, Italy; (M.B.); (S.C.)
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19
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Malakhov VV, Bogomolova EV, Kuzmina TV, Temereva EN. Evolution of Metazoan Life Cycles and the Origin of Pelagic Larvae. Russ J Dev Biol 2020. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062360419060043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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20
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Lu TM, Kanda M, Furuya H, Satoh N. Dicyemid Mesozoans: A Unique Parasitic Lifestyle and a Reduced Genome. Genome Biol Evol 2020; 11:2232-2243. [PMID: 31347665 PMCID: PMC6736024 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evz157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Dicyemids, previously called “mesozoans” (intermediates between unicellular protozoans and multicellular metazoans), are an enigmatic animal group. They have a highly simplified adult body, comprising only ∼30 cells, and they have a unique parasitic lifestyle. Recently, dicyemids were shown to be spiralians, with affinities to the Platyhelminthes. In order to understand molecular mechanisms involved in evolution of this odd animal, we sequenced the genome of Dicyema japonicum and a reference transcriptome assembly using mixed-stage samples. The D. japonicum genome features a high proportion of repetitive sequences that account for 49% of the genome. The dicyemid genome is reduced to ∼67.5 Mb with 5,012 protein-coding genes. Only four Hox genes exist in the genome, with no clustering. Gene distribution in KEGG pathways shows that D. japonicum has fewer genes in most pathways. Instead of eliminating entire critical metabolic pathways, parasitic lineages likely simplify pathways by eliminating pathway-specific genes, while genes with fundamental functions may be retained in multiple pathways. In principle, parasites can stand to lose genes that are unnecessary, in order to conserve energy. However, whether retained genes in incomplete pathways serve intermediate functions and how parasites overcome the physiological needs served by lost genes, remain to be investigated in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsai-Ming Lu
- Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Japan.,Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Norway
| | - Miyuki Kanda
- DNA Sequencing Section, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Japan
| | - Hidetaka Furuya
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Japan
| | - Noriyuki Satoh
- Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Japan
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21
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Oda H, Iwasaki-Yokozawa S, Usui T, Akiyama-Oda Y. Experimental duplication of bilaterian body axes in spider embryos: Holm's organizer and self-regulation of embryonic fields. Dev Genes Evol 2020; 230:49-63. [PMID: 30972574 PMCID: PMC7128006 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-019-00631-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Bilaterally symmetric body plans of vertebrates and arthropods are defined by a single set of two orthogonal axes, the anterior-posterior (or head-tail) and dorsal-ventral axes. In vertebrates, and especially amphibians, complete or partial doubling of the bilaterian body axes can be induced by two different types of embryological manipulations: transplantation of an organizer region or bi-sectioning of an embryo. Such axis doubling relies on the ability of embryonic fields to flexibly respond to the situation and self-regulate toward forming a whole body. This phenomenon has facilitated experimental efforts to investigate the mechanisms of vertebrate body axes formation. However, few studies have addressed the self-regulatory capabilities of embryonic fields associated with body axes formation in non-vertebrate bilaterians. The pioneer spider embryologist Åke Holm reported twinning of spider embryos induced by both types of embryological manipulations in 1952; yet, his experiments have not been replicated by other investigators, and access to spider or non-vertebrate twins has been limited. In this review, we provide a historical background on twinning experiments in spiders, and an overview of current twinning approaches in familiar spider species and related molecular studies. Moreover, we discuss the benefits of the spider model system for a deeper understanding of the ancestral mechanisms of body axes formation in arthropods, as well as in bilaterians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Oda
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Cell and Developmental Biology, JT Biohistory Research Hall, 1-1 Murasaki-cho, Takatsuki, Osaka, 569-1125, Japan.
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan.
| | - Sawa Iwasaki-Yokozawa
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Cell and Developmental Biology, JT Biohistory Research Hall, 1-1 Murasaki-cho, Takatsuki, Osaka, 569-1125, Japan
| | | | - Yasuko Akiyama-Oda
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Cell and Developmental Biology, JT Biohistory Research Hall, 1-1 Murasaki-cho, Takatsuki, Osaka, 569-1125, Japan
- Microbiology and Infection Control, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan
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22
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Abstract
The BMP signaling pathway has been shown to be involved in different aspects of embryonic development across diverse metazoan phyla. Comparative studies on the roles of the BMP signaling pathway provide crucial insights into the evolution of the animal body plans. In this chapter, we present the general workflow on how to investigate the roles of BMP signaling pathway during amphioxus embryonic development. As amphioxus are basal invertebrate chordates, studies on the BMP signaling pathway in amphioxus could elucidate the functional evolution of BMP pathway in the chordate group. Here, we describe methods for animal husbandry, spawning induction, and manipulation of the BMP signaling pathway during embryonic development through drug inhibitors and recombinant proteins. We also introduce an efficient method of using mesh baskets to handle amphioxus embryos for fluorescence immunostaining and multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization and to assay the effects of manipulating BMP signaling pathway during amphioxus embryogenesis.
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23
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DuBuc TQ, Ryan JF, Martindale MQ. "Dorsal-Ventral" Genes Are Part of an Ancient Axial Patterning System: Evidence from Trichoplax adhaerens (Placozoa). Mol Biol Evol 2019; 36:966-973. [PMID: 30726986 PMCID: PMC6501881 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msz025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Placozoa are a morphologically simplistic group of marine animals found globally in tropical and subtropical environments. They consist of two named species, Trichoplax adhaerens and more recently Hoilungia hongkongensis, both with roughly six morphologically distinct cell types. With a sequenced genome, a limited number of cell types, and a simple flattened morphology, Trichoplax is an ideal model organism from which to explore the biology of an animal with a cellular complexity analagous to that of the earliest animals. Using a new approach for identification of gene expression patterns, this research looks at the relationship of Chordin/TgfΒ signaling and the axial patterning system of Placozoa. Our results suggest that placozoans have an oral-aboral axis similar to cnidarians and that the parahoxozoan ancestor (common ancestor of Placozoa and Cnidaria) was likely radially symmetric.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Q DuBuc
- Whitney Lab for Marine Bioscience and the Department of Biology, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL
- Kewalo Marine Laboratory and the Department of Biology, University of Hawaii, Manoa, Honolulu, HI
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, Bioscience Building, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Joseph F Ryan
- Whitney Lab for Marine Bioscience and the Department of Biology, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL
| | - Mark Q Martindale
- Whitney Lab for Marine Bioscience and the Department of Biology, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL
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24
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Guo DD, Sun YW, Cui WT, Guo HH, Du SK, Chen J, Zou SM. Insertional mutagenesis in ChordinA induced by endogenous ΔTgf2 transposon leads to bifurcation of axial skeletal systems in grass goldfish. Sci Rep 2019; 9:4098. [PMID: 30858477 PMCID: PMC6411756 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-40651-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The grass goldfish appeared early in the evolutionary history of goldfish, and shows heritable stability in the development of the caudal fin. The twin-tail phenotype is extremely rare, however, some twin-tail individuals were produced in the process of breeding for ornamental value. From mutations in the twin-tail goldfish genome, we identified two kinds of Tgf2 transposons. One type was completely sequenced Tgf2 and the other type was ΔTgf2, which had 858 bp missing. We speculate that the bifurcation of the axial skeletal system in goldfish may be caused by an endogenous ΔTgf2 insertion mutation in Chordin A, as ΔTgf2 has no transposition activity and blocks the expression of Chordin A. The twin-tail showed doubled caudal fin and accumulation of red blood cells in the tail. In addition, in situ hybridization revealed that ventral embryonic tissue markers (eve1, sizzled, and bmp4) were more widely and strongly expressed in the twin-tail than in the wild-type embryos during the gastrula stage, and bmp4 showed bifurcated expression patterns in the posterior region of the twin-tail embryos. These results provide new insights into the artificial breeding of genetically stable twin-tail grass goldfish families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan-Dan Guo
- Genetics and Breeding Center for Blunt Snout Bream, Ministry of Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, National Demonstration center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education (Shanghai Ocean University), Shanghai, 201306, China
| | - Yi-Wen Sun
- Genetics and Breeding Center for Blunt Snout Bream, Ministry of Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, National Demonstration center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education (Shanghai Ocean University), Shanghai, 201306, China
| | - Wen-Tao Cui
- Genetics and Breeding Center for Blunt Snout Bream, Ministry of Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, National Demonstration center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education (Shanghai Ocean University), Shanghai, 201306, China
| | - Hong-Hong Guo
- Genetics and Breeding Center for Blunt Snout Bream, Ministry of Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, National Demonstration center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education (Shanghai Ocean University), Shanghai, 201306, China
| | - Shang-Ke Du
- Genetics and Breeding Center for Blunt Snout Bream, Ministry of Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, National Demonstration center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education (Shanghai Ocean University), Shanghai, 201306, China
| | - Jie Chen
- Genetics and Breeding Center for Blunt Snout Bream, Ministry of Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, National Demonstration center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education (Shanghai Ocean University), Shanghai, 201306, China
| | - Shu-Ming Zou
- Genetics and Breeding Center for Blunt Snout Bream, Ministry of Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, National Demonstration center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education (Shanghai Ocean University), Shanghai, 201306, China.
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25
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Leclère L, Horin C, Chevalier S, Lapébie P, Dru P, Peron S, Jager M, Condamine T, Pottin K, Romano S, Steger J, Sinigaglia C, Barreau C, Quiroga Artigas G, Ruggiero A, Fourrage C, Kraus JEM, Poulain J, Aury JM, Wincker P, Quéinnec E, Technau U, Manuel M, Momose T, Houliston E, Copley RR. The genome of the jellyfish Clytia hemisphaerica and the evolution of the cnidarian life-cycle. Nat Ecol Evol 2019; 3:801-810. [PMID: 30858591 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-019-0833-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Jellyfish (medusae) are a distinctive life-cycle stage of medusozoan cnidarians. They are major marine predators, with integrated neurosensory, muscular and organ systems. The genetic foundations of this complex form are largely unknown. We report the draft genome of the hydrozoan jellyfish Clytia hemisphaerica and use multiple transcriptomes to determine gene use across life-cycle stages. Medusa, planula larva and polyp are each characterized by distinct transcriptome signatures reflecting abrupt life-cycle transitions and all deploy a mixture of phylogenetically old and new genes. Medusa-specific transcription factors, including many with bilaterian orthologues, associate with diverse neurosensory structures. Compared to Clytia, the polyp-only hydrozoan Hydra has lost many of the medusa-expressed transcription factors, despite similar overall rates of gene content evolution and sequence evolution. Absence of expression and gene loss among Clytia orthologues of genes patterning the anthozoan aboral pole, secondary axis and endomesoderm support simplification of planulae and polyps in Hydrozoa, including loss of bilateral symmetry. Consequently, although the polyp and planula are generally considered the ancestral cnidarian forms, in Clytia the medusa maximally deploys the ancestral cnidarian-bilaterian transcription factor gene complement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Leclère
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Coralie Horin
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Sandra Chevalier
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Pascal Lapébie
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France.,Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Philippe Dru
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Sophie Peron
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Muriel Jager
- Evolution Paris-Seine, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris, France.,Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB UMR 7205), Sorbonne Université, MNHN, CNRS, EPHE, Paris, France
| | - Thomas Condamine
- Evolution Paris-Seine, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Karen Pottin
- Evolution Paris-Seine, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris, France.,Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement (IBPS-LBD, UMR7622), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Paris, France
| | - Séverine Romano
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Julia Steger
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France.,Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement (IBPS-LBD, UMR7622), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Paris, France
| | - Chiara Sinigaglia
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France.,Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5242-INRA USC 1370, Lyon cedex 07, France
| | - Carine Barreau
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Gonzalo Quiroga Artigas
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France.,The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL, USA
| | - Antonella Ruggiero
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France.,Centre de Recherche de Biologie cellulaire de Montpellier, CNRS UMR 5237, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Cécile Fourrage
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France.,Service de Génétique UMR 781, Hôpital Necker-APHP, Paris, France
| | - Johanna E M Kraus
- Department for Molecular Evolution and Development, Centre of Organismal Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Julie Poulain
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut François Jacob, CEA, CNRS, Univ Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, Evry, France
| | - Jean-Marc Aury
- Genoscope, Institut de Biologie François-Jacob, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, Université Paris-Saclay, Evry, France
| | - Patrick Wincker
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut François Jacob, CEA, CNRS, Univ Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, Evry, France
| | - Eric Quéinnec
- Evolution Paris-Seine, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris, France.,Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB UMR 7205), Sorbonne Université, MNHN, CNRS, EPHE, Paris, France
| | - Ulrich Technau
- Department for Molecular Evolution and Development, Centre of Organismal Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michaël Manuel
- Evolution Paris-Seine, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris, France.,Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB UMR 7205), Sorbonne Université, MNHN, CNRS, EPHE, Paris, France
| | - Tsuyoshi Momose
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Evelyn Houliston
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Richard R Copley
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France.
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26
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Karabulut A, He S, Chen CY, McKinney SA, Gibson MC. Electroporation of short hairpin RNAs for rapid and efficient gene knockdown in the starlet sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis. Dev Biol 2019; 448:7-15. [PMID: 30641041 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
A mechanistic understanding of evolutionary developmental biology requires the development of novel techniques for the manipulation of gene function in phylogenetically diverse organismal systems. Recently, gene-specific knockdown by microinjection of short hairpin RNA (shRNA) was applied in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis, demonstrating that the shRNA approach can be used for efficient and robust sequence-specific knockdown of a gene of interest. However, the time- and labor-intensive process of microinjection limits access to this technique and its application in large scale experiments. To address this issue, here we present an electroporation protocol for shRNA delivery into Nematostella eggs. This method leverages the speed and simplicity of electroporation, enabling users to manipulate gene expression in hundreds of eggs or embryos within minutes. We provide a detailed description of the experimental procedure, including reagents, electroporation conditions, preparation of Nematostella eggs, and follow-up care of experimental animals. Finally, we demonstrate the knockdown of several endogenous and exogenous genes with known phenotypes and discuss the potential applications of this method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmet Karabulut
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Shuonan He
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Cheng-Yi Chen
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Sean A McKinney
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Matthew C Gibson
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA; Dept. Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, KS 66160 USA.
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27
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Love AC, Yoshida Y. Reflections on Model Organisms in Evolutionary Developmental Biology. Results Probl Cell Differ 2019; 68:3-20. [PMID: 31598850 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-23459-1_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This chapter reflects on and makes explicit the distinctiveness of reasoning practices associated with model organisms in the context of evolutionary developmental research. Model organisms in evo-devo instantiate a unique synthesis of model systems strategies from developmental biology and comparative strategies from evolutionary biology that negotiate a tension between developmental conservation and evolutionary change to address scientific questions about the evolution of development and the developmental basis of evolutionary change. We review different categories of model systems that have been advanced to understand practices found in the life sciences in order to comprehend how evo-devo model organisms instantiate this synthesis in the context of three examples: the starlet sea anemone and the evolution of bilateral symmetry, leeches and the origins of segmentation in bilaterians, and the corn snake to understand major evolutionary change in axial and appendicular morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan C Love
- Department of Philosophy and Minnesota Center for Philosophy of Science, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
| | - Yoshinari Yoshida
- Department of Philosophy and Minnesota Center for Philosophy of Science, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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28
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Kirillova A, Genikhovich G, Pukhlyakova E, Demilly A, Kraus Y, Technau U. Germ-layer commitment and axis formation in sea anemone embryonic cell aggregates. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:1813-1818. [PMID: 29440382 PMCID: PMC5828576 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1711516115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Robust morphogenetic events are pivotal for animal embryogenesis. However, comparison of the modes of development of different members of a phylum suggests that the spectrum of developmental trajectories accessible for a species might be far broader than can be concluded from the observation of normal development. Here, by using a combination of microsurgery and transgenic reporter gene expression, we show that, facing a new developmental context, the aggregates of dissociated embryonic cells of the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis take an alternative developmental trajectory. The self-organizing aggregates rely on Wnt signals produced by the cells of the original blastopore lip organizer to form body axes but employ morphogenetic events typical for normal development of distantly related cnidarians to re-establish the germ layers. The reaggregated cells show enormous plasticity including the capacity of the ectodermal cells to convert into endoderm. Our results suggest that new developmental trajectories may evolve relatively easily when highly plastic embryonic cells face new constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Kirillova
- Department for Molecular Evolution and Development, Center of Organismal Systems Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Biological Faculty, Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Grigory Genikhovich
- Department for Molecular Evolution and Development, Center of Organismal Systems Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Ekaterina Pukhlyakova
- Department for Molecular Evolution and Development, Center of Organismal Systems Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Adrien Demilly
- Department for Molecular Evolution and Development, Center of Organismal Systems Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Yulia Kraus
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Biological Faculty, Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia;
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia
| | - Ulrich Technau
- Department for Molecular Evolution and Development, Center of Organismal Systems Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Austria;
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29
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Cnidarian Zic Genes. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2018. [PMID: 29442315 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-10-7311-3_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
To understand the ancestral and evolved roles of zic homologs, it is important to reconstruct the putative roles of ancient zic homologs in the animal phylogeny. Most studies of zic genes have been conducted in model systems that are members of the bilaterian phylum. However, two additional phyla have zic homologs encoded in their genomes. The three animal phyla that contain zic homologs all share a common ancestor and collectively are termed the parahoxozoans (cnidarians (corals, sea anemones, and jellyfish), placozoans (Trichoplax adhaerens), and bilaterians (chordates, insects, nematodes, annelids, echinoderms, etc.). In this chapter we briefly discuss our understanding of zic genes in the parahoxozoans with a particular focus on how expression of cnidarian zic homologs in the medusozoan Hydra vulgaris and the anthozoan Nematostella vectensis informs our understanding of the putative ancestral roles zic homologs played in the cnidarian-bilaterian common ancestor.
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30
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Wotton KR, Alcaine-Colet A, Jaeger J, Jiménez-Guri E. Non-canonical dorsoventral patterning in the moth midge Clogmia albipunctata. EvoDevo 2017; 8:20. [PMID: 29158889 PMCID: PMC5683363 DOI: 10.1186/s13227-017-0083-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are of central importance for dorsal–ventral (DV) axis specification. They are core components of a signalling cascade that includes the BMP ligand decapentaplegic (DPP) and its antagonist short gastrulation (SOG) in Drosophila melanogaster. These components are very ancient, with orthologs involved in DV patterning in both protostomes and deuterostomes. Despite such strong conservation, recent comparative work in insects has revealed interesting differences in the way the patterning function of the DV system is achieved in different species. Results In this paper, we characterise the expression patterns of the principal components of the BMP DV patterning system, as well as its signalling outputs and downstream targets, in the non-cyclorrhaphan moth midge Clogmia albipunctata (Diptera: Psychodidae). We previously reported ventral expression patterns of dpp in the pole regions of C. albipunctata blastoderm embryos. Strikingly, we also find ventral sog and posteriorly restricted tkv expression, as well as expanded polar activity of pMad. We use our results from gene knock-down by embryonic RNA interference to propose a mechanism of polar morphogen shuttling in C. albipunctata. We compare these results to available data from other species and discuss scenarios for the evolution of DV signalling in the holometabolan insects. Conclusions A comparison of gene expression patterns across hemipteran and holometabolan insects reveals that expression of upstream signalling factors in the DV system is very variable, while signalling output is highly conserved. This has two major implications: first, as long as ligand shuttling and other upstream regulatory mechanisms lead to an appropriately localised activation of BMP signalling at the dorsal midline, it is of less importance exactly where the upstream components of the DV system are expressed. This, in turn, explains why the early-acting components of the DV patterning system in insects exhibit extensive amounts of developmental systems drift constrained by highly conserved downstream signalling output.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl R Wotton
- EMBL/CRG Research Unit in Systems Biology, Centre de Regulació Genòmica (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain.,Present Address: Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ UK
| | - Anna Alcaine-Colet
- EMBL/CRG Research Unit in Systems Biology, Centre de Regulació Genòmica (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Johannes Jaeger
- EMBL/CRG Research Unit in Systems Biology, Centre de Regulació Genòmica (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain.,Present Address: Complexity Science Hub Vienna, Josefstädter Straße 39, 1080 Vienna, Austria
| | - Eva Jiménez-Guri
- EMBL/CRG Research Unit in Systems Biology, Centre de Regulació Genòmica (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain.,Present Address: Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ UK
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31
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Havrilak JA, Faltine-Gonzalez D, Wen Y, Fodera D, Simpson AC, Magie CR, Layden MJ. Characterization of NvLWamide-like neurons reveals stereotypy in Nematostella nerve net development. Dev Biol 2017; 431:336-346. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.08.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Revised: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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32
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Abstract
Bilaterality – the possession of two orthogonal body axes – is the name-giving trait of all bilaterian animals. These body axes are established during early embryogenesis and serve as a three-dimensional coordinate system that provides crucial spatial cues for developing cells, tissues, organs and appendages. The emergence of bilaterality was a major evolutionary transition, as it allowed animals to evolve more complex body plans. Therefore, how bilaterality evolved and whether it evolved once or several times independently is a fundamental issue in evolutionary developmental biology. Recent findings from non-bilaterian animals, in particular from Cnidaria, the sister group to Bilateria, have shed new light into the evolutionary origin of bilaterality. Here, we compare the molecular control of body axes in radially and bilaterally symmetric cnidarians and bilaterians, identify the minimal set of traits common for Bilateria, and evaluate whether bilaterality arose once or more than once during evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grigory Genikhovich
- Department for Molecular Evolution and Development, Centre of Organismal Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ulrich Technau
- Department for Molecular Evolution and Development, Centre of Organismal Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
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33
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Renfer E, Technau U. Meganuclease-assisted generation of stable transgenics in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. Nat Protoc 2017; 12:1844-1854. [DOI: 10.1038/nprot.2017.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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34
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Servetnick MD, Steinworth B, Babonis LS, Simmons D, Salinas-Saavedra M, Martindale MQ. Cas9-mediated excision of Nematostella brachyury disrupts endoderm development, pharynx formation and oral-aboral patterning. Development 2017; 144:2951-2960. [PMID: 28705897 PMCID: PMC5592810 DOI: 10.1242/dev.145839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2016] [Accepted: 07/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The mesoderm is a key novelty in animal evolution, although we understand little of how the mesoderm arose. brachyury, the founding member of the T-box gene family, is a key gene in chordate mesoderm development. However, the brachyury gene was present in the common ancestor of fungi and animals long before mesoderm appeared. To explore ancestral roles of brachyury prior to the evolution of definitive mesoderm, we excised the gene using CRISPR/Cas9 in the diploblastic cnidarian Nematostella vectensis Nvbrachyury is normally expressed in precursors of the pharynx, which separates endoderm from ectoderm. In knockout embryos, the pharynx does not form, embryos fail to elongate, and endoderm organization, ectodermal cell polarity and patterning along the oral-aboral axis are disrupted. Expression of many genes both inside and outside the Nvbrachyury expression domain is affected, including downregulation of Wnt genes at the oral pole. Our results point to an ancient role for brachyury in morphogenesis, cell polarity and the patterning of both ectodermal and endodermal derivatives along the primary body axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc D Servetnick
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Washington Bothell, Bothell, WA 98011, USA
| | - Bailey Steinworth
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St Augustine, FL 32080, USA
| | - Leslie S Babonis
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St Augustine, FL 32080, USA
| | - David Simmons
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St Augustine, FL 32080, USA
| | - Miguel Salinas-Saavedra
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St Augustine, FL 32080, USA
| | - Mark Q Martindale
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St Augustine, FL 32080, USA
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35
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Moiseeva E, Rabinowitz C, Paz G, Rinkevich B. Histological study on maturation, fertilization and the state of gonadal region following spawning in the model sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0182677. [PMID: 28796817 PMCID: PMC5552035 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0182677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2017] [Accepted: 07/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The starlet sea-anemone Nematostella vectensis has emerged as a model organism in developmental biology. Still, our understanding of various biological features, including reproductive biology of this model species are in its infancy. Consequently, through histological sections, we study here key stages of the oogenesis (oocyte maturation/fertilization), as the state of the gonad region immediately after natural spawning. Germ cells develop in a secluded mesenterial gastrodermal zone, where the developing oocytes are surrounded by mucoid glandular cells and trophocytes (accessory cells). During vitellogenesis, the germinal vesicle in oocytes migrates towards the animal pole and the large polarized oocytes begin to mature, characterized by karyosphere formation. Then, the karyosphere breaks down, the chromosomes form the metaphase plate I and the eggs are extruded from the animal enclosed in a sticky, jelly-like mucoid mass, along with numerous nematosomes. Fertilization occurs externally at metaphase II via swimming sperm extruded by males during natural spawning. The polar bodies are ejected from the eggs and are situated within a narrow space between the egg's vitelline membrane and the adjacent edge of the jelly coat. The cortical reaction occurs only at the polar bodies' ejection site. Several spermatozoa can penetrate the same egg. Fertilization is accompanied by a strong ooplasmatic segregation. Immediately after spawning, the gonad region holds many previtellogenic and vitellogenic oocytes, though no oocytes with karyosphere. Above are the first histological descriptions for egg maturation, meiotic chromosome's status at fertilization, fertilization and the gonadal region's state following spawning, also documenting for the first time the ejection of the polar body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Moiseeva
- Israel Oceanography and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, Tel-Shikmona, Haifa, Israel
| | - Claudette Rabinowitz
- Israel Oceanography and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, Tel-Shikmona, Haifa, Israel
| | - Guy Paz
- Israel Oceanography and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, Tel-Shikmona, Haifa, Israel
| | - Baruch Rinkevich
- Israel Oceanography and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, Tel-Shikmona, Haifa, Israel
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36
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Antagonistic BMP-cWNT signaling in the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis reveals insight into the evolution of mesoderm. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E5608-E5615. [PMID: 28652368 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1701607114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastrulation was arguably the key evolutionary innovation that enabled metazoan diversification, leading to the formation of distinct germ layers and specialized tissues. Differential gene expression specifying cell fate is governed by the inputs of intracellular and/or extracellular signals. Beta-catenin/Tcf and the TGF-beta bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) provide critical molecular signaling inputs during germ layer specification in bilaterian metazoans, but there has been no direct experimental evidence for a specific role for BMP signaling during endomesoderm specification in the early branching metazoan Nematostella vectensis (an anthozoan cnidarian). Using forward transcriptomics, we show that beta-catenin/Tcf signaling and BMP2/4 signaling provide differential inputs into the cnidarian endomesodermal gene regulatory network (GRN) at the onset of gastrulation (24 h postfertilization) in N. vectensis Surprisingly, beta-catenin/Tcf signaling and BMP2/4 signaling regulate a subset of common downstream target genes in the GRN in opposite ways, leading to the spatial and temporal differentiation of fields of cells in the developing embryo. Thus, we show that regulatory interactions between beta-catenin/Tcf signaling and BMP2/4 signaling are required for the specification and determination of different embryonic regions and the patterning of the oral-aboral axis in Nematostella We also show functionally that the conserved "kernel" of the bilaterian heart mesoderm GRN is operational in N. vectensis, which reinforces the hypothesis that the endoderm and mesoderm in triploblastic bilaterians evolved from the bifunctional endomesoderm (gastrodermis) of a diploblastic ancestor, and that slow rhythmic contractions might have been one of the earliest functions of mesodermal tissue.
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37
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Abdol AM, Röttinger E, Jansson F, Kaandorp JA. A novel technique to combine and analyse spatial and temporal expression datasets: A case study with the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis to identify potential gene interactions. Dev Biol 2017; 428:204-214. [PMID: 28602952 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Revised: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Understanding genetic interactions during early development of a given organism, is the first step toward unveiling gene regulatory networks (GRNs) that govern a biological process of interest. Predicting such interactions from large expression datasets by performing targeted knock-down/knock-out approaches is a challenging task. We use the currently available expression datasets (in situ hybridization images & qPCR time series) for a basal anthozoan the sea anemone N. vectensis to construct continuous spatiotemporal gene expression patterns during its early development. Moreover, by combining cluster results from each dataset we develop a method that provides testable hypotheses about potential genetic interactions. We show that the analysis of spatial gene expression patterns reveals functional regions of the embryo during the gastrulation. The clustering results from qPCR time series unveils significant temporal events and highlights genes potentially involved in N. vectensis gastrulation. Furthermore, we introduce a method for merging the clustering results from spatial and temporal datasets by which we can group genes that are expressed in the same region and at the time. We demonstrate that the merged clusters can be used to identify GRN interactions involved in various processes and to predict possible activators or repressors of any gene in the dataset. Finally, we validate our methods and results by predicting the repressor effect of NvErg on NvBra in the central domain during the gastrulation that has recently been confirmed by functional analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir M Abdol
- Computational Science Lab, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Eric Röttinger
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, INSERM, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging (IRCAN), Nice, France.
| | - Fredrik Jansson
- Computational Science Lab, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jaap A Kaandorp
- Computational Science Lab, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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38
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Kraus YA, Markov AV. Gastrulation in Cnidaria: The key to an understanding of phylogeny or the chaos of secondary modifications? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1134/s2079086417010029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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39
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Babonis LS, Martindale MQ. Phylogenetic evidence for the modular evolution of metazoan signalling pathways. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:20150477. [PMID: 27994120 PMCID: PMC5182411 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Communication among cells was paramount to the evolutionary increase in cell type diversity and, ultimately, the origin of large body size. Across the diversity of Metazoa, there are only few conserved cell signalling pathways known to orchestrate the complex cell and tissue interactions regulating development; thus, modification to these few pathways has been responsible for generating diversity during the evolution of animals. Here, we summarize evidence for the origin and putative function of the intracellular, membrane-bound and secreted components of seven metazoan cell signalling pathways with a special focus on early branching metazoans (ctenophores, poriferans, placozoans and cnidarians) and basal unikonts (amoebozoans, fungi, filastereans and choanoflagellates). We highlight the modular incorporation of intra- and extracellular components in each signalling pathway and suggest that increases in the complexity of the extracellular matrix may have further promoted the modulation of cell signalling during metazoan evolution. Most importantly, this updated view of metazoan signalling pathways highlights the need for explicit study of canonical signalling pathway components in taxa that do not operate a complete signalling pathway. Studies like these are critical for developing a deeper understanding of the evolution of cell signalling.This article is part of the themed issue 'Evo-devo in the genomics era, and the origins of morphological diversity'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie S Babonis
- Whitney Lab for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL 32080, USA
| | - Mark Q Martindale
- Whitney Lab for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL 32080, USA
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40
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Tan S, Huan P, Liu B. Expression patterns indicate that BMP2/4 and Chordin, not BMP5-8 and Gremlin, mediate dorsal-ventral patterning in the mollusk Crassostrea gigas. Dev Genes Evol 2016; 227:75-84. [PMID: 27987051 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-016-0570-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 12/07/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Though several bilaterian animals use a conserved BMP2/4-Chordin antagonism to pattern the dorsal-ventral (DV) axis, the only lophotrochozoan species in which early DV patterning has been studied to date, the leech Helobdella robusta, appears to employ BMP5-8 and Gremlin. These findings call into question the conservation of a common DV patterning mechanism among bilaterian animals. To explore whether the unusual DV patterning mechanism in H. robusta is also used in other lophotrochozoan species, we investigated the expression of orthologous genes in the early embryo of a bivalve mollusk, Crassostrea gigas. Searching of the genome and phylogenetic analysis revealed that C. gigas possesses single orthologs of BMP2/4, Chordin, and BMP5-8 and no Gremlin homolog. Whole mount in situ hybridization revealed mRNA localization of BMP2/4 and Chordin on the opposite sides of embryos, suggesting the potential involvement of a BMP2/4-Chordin antagonism in DV patterning in this species. Furthermore, universal BMP5-8 expression and the absence of a Gremlin homolog in the C. gigas genome called into question any major contribution by BMP5-8 and Gremlin to early DV patterning in this species. Additionally, we identified seven genes showing asymmetric expression along the DV axis, providing further insight into DV patterning in C. gigas. We present the first report of a Chordin gene in a lophotrochozoan species and of the opposite expression of BMP2/4 (dorsal) and Chordin (ventral) along the D/V axis of a lophotrochozoan embryo. The findings of this study further the knowledge of axis formation in lophotrochozoan species and provide insight into the evolution of the animal DV patterning mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujian Tan
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao, 266071, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, China
| | - Pin Huan
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao, 266071, China
| | - Baozhong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao, 266071, China. .,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266000, China.
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Rentzsch F, Layden M, Manuel M. The cellular and molecular basis of cnidarian neurogenesis. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2016; 6. [PMID: 27882698 PMCID: PMC6680159 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Revised: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Neurogenesis initiates during early development and it continues through later developmental stages and in adult animals to enable expansion, remodeling, and homeostasis of the nervous system. The generation of nerve cells has been analyzed in detail in few bilaterian model organisms, leaving open many questions about the evolution of this process. As the sister group to bilaterians, cnidarians occupy an informative phylogenetic position to address the early evolution of cellular and molecular aspects of neurogenesis and to understand common principles of neural development. Here we review studies in several cnidarian model systems that have revealed significant similarities and interesting differences compared to neurogenesis in bilaterian species, and between different cnidarian taxa. Cnidarian neurogenesis is currently best understood in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis, where it includes epithelial neural progenitor cells that express transcription factors of the soxB and atonal families. Notch signaling regulates the number of these neural progenitor cells, achaete‐scute and dmrt genes are required for their further development and Wnt and BMP signaling appear to be involved in the patterning of the nervous system. In contrast to many vertebrates and Drosophila, cnidarians have a high capacity to generate neurons throughout their lifetime and during regeneration. Utilizing this feature of cnidarian biology will likely allow gaining new insights into the similarities and differences of embryonic and regenerative neurogenesis. The use of different cnidarian model systems and their expanding experimental toolkits will thus continue to provide a better understanding of evolutionary and developmental aspects of nervous system formation. WIREs Dev Biol 2017, 6:e257. doi: 10.1002/wdev.257 This article is categorized under:
Gene Expression and Transcriptional Hierarchies > Cellular Differentiation Signaling Pathways > Cell Fate Signaling Comparative Development and Evolution > Organ System Comparisons Between Species
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Rentzsch
- Sars Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | | | - Michaël Manuel
- Sorbonne Universités, UMPC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, Evolution Paris-Seine, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Paris, France
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Kelava I, Rentzsch F, Technau U. Evolution of eumetazoan nervous systems: insights from cnidarians. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 370:rstb.2015.0065. [PMID: 26554048 PMCID: PMC4650132 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cnidarians, the sister group to bilaterians, have a simple diffuse nervous system. This morphological simplicity and their phylogenetic position make them a crucial group in the study of the evolution of the nervous system. The development of their nervous systems is of particular interest, as by uncovering the genetic programme that underlies it, and comparing it with the bilaterian developmental programme, it is possible to make assumptions about the genes and processes involved in the development of ancestral nervous systems. Recent advances in sequencing methods, genetic interference techniques and transgenic technology have enabled us to get a first glimpse into the molecular network underlying the development of a cnidarian nervous system—in particular the nervous system of the anthozoan Nematostella vectensis. It appears that much of the genetic network of the nervous system development is partly conserved between cnidarians and bilaterians, with Wnt and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signalling, and Sox genes playing a crucial part in the differentiation of neurons. However, cnidarians possess some specific characteristics, and further studies are necessary to elucidate the full regulatory network. The work on cnidarian neurogenesis further accentuates the need to study non-model organisms in order to gain insights into processes that shaped present-day lineages during the course of evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iva Kelava
- Department of Molecular Evolution and Development, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Fabian Rentzsch
- Sars Centre, Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, Thormøhlensgt. 55, 5008 Bergen, Norway
| | - Ulrich Technau
- Department of Molecular Evolution and Development, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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43
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Dpp/BMP2-4 Mediates Signaling from the D-Quadrant Organizer in a Spiralian Embryo. Curr Biol 2016; 26:2003-2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.05.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2016] [Revised: 04/05/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Layden MJ, Johnston H, Amiel AR, Havrilak J, Steinworth B, Chock T, Röttinger E, Martindale MQ. MAPK signaling is necessary for neurogenesis in Nematostella vectensis. BMC Biol 2016; 14:61. [PMID: 27480076 PMCID: PMC4968017 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-016-0282-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2016] [Accepted: 07/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The nerve net of Nematostella is generated using a conserved cascade of neurogenic transcription factors. For example, NvashA, a homolog of the achaete-scute family of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors, is necessary and sufficient to specify a subset of embryonic neurons. However, positive regulators required for the expression of neurogenic transcription factors remain poorly understood. Results We show that treatment with the MEK/MAPK inhibitor U0126 severely reduces the expression of known neurogenic genes, Nvath-like, NvsoxB(2), and NvashA, and known markers of differentiated neurons, suggesting that MAPK signaling is necessary for neural development. Interestingly, ectopic NvashA fails to rescue the expression of neural markers in U0126-treated animals. Double fluorescence in situ hybridization and transgenic analysis confirmed that NvashA targets represent both unique and overlapping populations of neurons. Finally, we used a genome-wide microarray to identify additional patterning genes downstream of MAPK that might contribute to neurogenesis. We identified 18 likely neural transcription factors, and surprisingly identified ~40 signaling genes and transcription factors that are expressed in either the aboral domain or animal pole that gives rise to the endomesoderm at late blastula stages. Conclusions Together, our data suggest that MAPK is a key early regulator of neurogenesis, and that it is likely required at multiple steps. Initially, MAPK promotes neurogenesis by positively regulating expression of NvsoxB(2), Nvath-like, and NvashA. However, we also found that MAPK is necessary for the activity of the neurogenic transcription factor NvashA. Our forward molecular approach provided insight about the mechanisms of embryonic neurogenesis. For instance, NvashA suppression of Nvath-like suggests that inhibition of progenitor identity is an active process in newly born neurons, and we show that downstream targets of NvashA reflect multiple neural subtypes rather than a uniform neural fate. Lastly, analysis of the MAPK targets in the early embryo suggests that MAPK signaling is critical not only to neurogenesis, but also endomesoderm formation and aboral patterning. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12915-016-0282-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Layden
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA.
| | - Hereroa Johnston
- Université Nice Sophia Antipolis UMR 7284, CNRS UMR 7284, INSERM U1081, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging, Nice, France
| | - Aldine R Amiel
- Université Nice Sophia Antipolis UMR 7284, CNRS UMR 7284, INSERM U1081, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging, Nice, France
| | - Jamie Havrilak
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA
| | - Bailey Steinworth
- The Whitney Marine Laboratory for Marine Science, University of Florida, St. Augustine, Florida, USA
| | - Taylor Chock
- The Whitney Marine Laboratory for Marine Science, University of Florida, St. Augustine, Florida, USA
| | - Eric Röttinger
- Université Nice Sophia Antipolis UMR 7284, CNRS UMR 7284, INSERM U1081, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging, Nice, France
| | - Mark Q Martindale
- The Whitney Marine Laboratory for Marine Science, University of Florida, St. Augustine, Florida, USA.
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Rentzsch F, Technau U. Genomics and development of Nematostella vectensis and other anthozoans. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2016; 39:63-70. [PMID: 27318695 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2016.05.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2016] [Revised: 04/14/2016] [Accepted: 05/30/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Due to their rather simple body plan with only few organs and a low number of cell types, cnidarians have long been recognized as an important animal group for evolutionary comparisons of animal body plans. Recent studies have shown, however, that the genomes of cnidarians and their epigenetic and posttranscriptional regulation are more complex than their morphology might suggest. How these complex genomes are deployed during embryonic development is an open question. With a focus on the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis we describe new findings about the development of the nervous system from neural progenitor cells and how Wnt and BMP signalling control axial patterning. These studies show that beyond evolutionary comparisons, cnidarian model organisms can provide new insights into generic questions in developmental biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Rentzsch
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgt 55, 5008 Bergen, Norway.
| | - Ulrich Technau
- Department of Molecular Evolution and Development, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
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46
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Kraus Y, Aman A, Technau U, Genikhovich G. Pre-bilaterian origin of the blastoporal axial organizer. Nat Commun 2016; 7:11694. [PMID: 27229764 PMCID: PMC4895019 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2015] [Accepted: 04/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The startling capacity of the amphibian Spemann organizer to induce naïve cells to form a Siamese twin embryo with a second set of body axes is one of the hallmarks of developmental biology. However, the axis-inducing potential of the blastopore-associated tissue is commonly regarded as a chordate feature. Here we show that the blastopore lip of a non-bilaterian metazoan, the anthozoan cnidarian Nematostella vectensis, possesses the same capacity and uses the same molecular mechanism for inducing extra axes as chordates: Wnt/β-catenin signaling. We also demonstrate that the establishment of the secondary, directive axis in Nematostella by BMP signaling is sensitive to an initial Wnt signal, but once established the directive axis becomes Wnt-independent. By combining molecular analysis with experimental embryology, we provide evidence that the emergence of the Wnt/β-catenin driven blastopore-associated axial organizer predated the cnidarian-bilaterian split over 600 million years ago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulia Kraus
- Department for Molecular Evolution and Development, Centre of Organismal Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, Vienna A-1090, Austria
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Biological Faculty, Moscow State University, Leninskiye gory 1/12, Moscow 119234, Russia
| | - Andy Aman
- Department for Molecular Evolution and Development, Centre of Organismal Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, Vienna A-1090, Austria
| | - Ulrich Technau
- Department for Molecular Evolution and Development, Centre of Organismal Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, Vienna A-1090, Austria
| | - Grigory Genikhovich
- Department for Molecular Evolution and Development, Centre of Organismal Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, Vienna A-1090, Austria
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47
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Arendt D, Tosches MA, Marlow H. From nerve net to nerve ring, nerve cord and brain--evolution of the nervous system. Nat Rev Neurosci 2016; 17:61-72. [PMID: 26675821 DOI: 10.1038/nrn.2015.15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The puzzle of how complex nervous systems emerged remains unsolved. Comparative studies of neurodevelopment in cnidarians and bilaterians suggest that this process began with distinct integration centres that evolved on opposite ends of an initial nerve net. The 'apical nervous system' controlled general body physiology, and the 'blastoporal nervous system' coordinated feeding movements and locomotion. We propose that expansion, integration and fusion of these centres gave rise to the bilaterian nerve cord and brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Detlev Arendt
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 699117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Maria Antonietta Tosches
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 4, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Heather Marlow
- Pasteur Institute, 25-28 Rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
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48
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Okubo N, Hayward DC, Forêt S, Ball EE. A comparative view of early development in the corals Favia lizardensis, Ctenactis echinata, and Acropora millepora - morphology, transcriptome, and developmental gene expression. BMC Evol Biol 2016; 16:48. [PMID: 26924819 PMCID: PMC4770532 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-016-0615-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2015] [Accepted: 02/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Research into various aspects of coral biology has greatly increased in recent years due to anthropogenic threats to coral health including pollution, ocean warming and acidification. However, knowledge of coral early development has lagged. The present paper describes the embryonic development of two previously uncharacterized robust corals, Favia lizardensis (a massive brain coral) and Ctenactis echinata (a solitary coral) and compares it to that of the previously characterized complex coral, Acropora millepora, both morphologically and in terms of the expression of a set of key developmental genes. Results Illumina sequencing of mixed age embryos was carried out, resulting in embryonic transcriptomes consisting of 40605 contigs for C.echinata (N50 = 1080 bp) and 48536 contigs for F.lizardensis (N50 = 1496 bp). The transcriptomes have been annotated against Swiss-Prot and were sufficiently complete to enable the identification of orthologs of many key genes controlling development in bilaterians. Developmental series of images of whole mounts and sections reveal that the early stages of both species contain a blastocoel, consistent with their membership of the robust clade. In situ hybridization was used to examine the expression of the developmentally important genes brachyury, chordin and forkhead. The expression of brachyury and forkhead was consistent with that previously reported for Acropora and allowed us to confirm that the pseudo-blastopore sometimes seen in robust corals such as Favia spp. is not directly associated with gastrulation. C.echinata chordin expression, however, differed from that seen in the other two corals. Conclusions Embryonic transcriptomes were assembled for the brain coral Favia lizardensis and the solitary coral Ctenactis echinata. Both species have a blastocoel in their early developmental stages, consistent with their phylogenetic position as members of the robust clade. Expression of the key developmental genes brachyury, chordin and forkhead was investigated, allowing comparison to that of their orthologs in Acropora, Nematostella and bilaterians and demonstrating that even within the Anthozoa there are significant differences in expression patterns. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-016-0615-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nami Okubo
- Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Bldg 46, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia. .,Current Address: Department of Economics, Tokyo Keizai University, 1-7-34 Minamimachi, Kokubunji, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - David C Hayward
- Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Bldg 46, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia.
| | - Sylvain Forêt
- Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Bldg 46, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia. .,ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia.
| | - Eldon E Ball
- Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Bldg 46, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia. .,ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia.
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Layden MJ, Rentzsch F, Röttinger E. The rise of the starlet sea anemone Nematostella vectensis as a model system to investigate development and regeneration. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2016; 5:408-28. [PMID: 26894563 PMCID: PMC5067631 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2015] [Revised: 11/20/2015] [Accepted: 11/28/2015] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Reverse genetics and next‐generation sequencing unlocked a new era in biology. It is now possible to identify an animal(s) with the unique biology most relevant to a particular question and rapidly generate tools to functionally dissect that biology. This review highlights the rise of one such novel model system, the starlet sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. Nematostella is a cnidarian (corals, jellyfish, hydras, sea anemones, etc.) animal that was originally targeted by EvoDevo researchers looking to identify a cnidarian animal to which the development of bilaterians (insects, worms, echinoderms, vertebrates, mollusks, etc.) could be compared. Studies in Nematostella have accomplished this goal and informed our understanding of the evolution of key bilaterian features. However, Nematostella is now going beyond its intended utility with potential as a model to better understand other areas such as regenerative biology, EcoDevo, or stress response. This review intends to highlight key EvoDevo insights from Nematostella that guide our understanding about the evolution of axial patterning mechanisms, mesoderm, and nervous systems in bilaterians, as well as to discuss briefly the potential of Nematostella as a model to better understand the relationship between development and regeneration. Lastly, the sum of research to date in Nematostella has generated a variety of tools that aided the rise of Nematostella to a viable model system. We provide a catalogue of current resources and techniques available to facilitate investigators interested in incorporating Nematostella into their research. WIREs Dev Biol 2016, 5:408–428. doi: 10.1002/wdev.222 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Layden
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA
| | - Fabian Rentzsch
- Sars Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Eric Röttinger
- Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging (IRCAN), CNRS UMR 7284, INSERM U1081, Université de Nice-Sophia-Antipolis, Nice, France
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Chang YC, Pai CY, Chen YC, Ting HC, Martinez P, Telford MJ, Yu JK, Su YH. Regulatory circuit rewiring and functional divergence of the duplicate admp genes in dorsoventral axial patterning. Dev Biol 2016; 410:108-18. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2015.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Accepted: 12/18/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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