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Anselmi C, Fuller GK, Stolfi A, Groves AK, Manni L. Sensory cells in tunicates: insights into mechanoreceptor evolution. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1359207. [PMID: 38550380 PMCID: PMC10973136 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1359207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Tunicates, the sister group of vertebrates, offer a unique perspective for evolutionary developmental studies (Evo-Devo) due to their simple anatomical organization. Moreover, the separation of tunicates from vertebrates predated the vertebrate-specific genome duplications. As adults, they include both sessile and pelagic species, with very limited mobility requirements related mainly to water filtration. In sessile species, larvae exhibit simple swimming behaviors that are required for the selection of a suitable substrate on which to metamorphose. Despite their apparent simplicity, tunicates display a variety of mechanoreceptor structures involving both primary and secondary sensory cells (i.e., coronal sensory cells). This review encapsulates two decades of research on tunicate mechanoreception focusing on the coronal organ's sensory cells as prime candidates for understanding the evolution of vertebrate hair cells of the inner ear and the lateral line organ. The review spans anatomical, cellular and molecular levels emphasizing both similarity and differences between tunicate and vertebrate mechanoreception strategies. The evolutionary significance of mechanoreception is discussed within the broader context of Evo-Devo studies, shedding light on the intricate pathways that have shaped the sensory system in chordates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Anselmi
- Hopkins Marine Station, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, United States
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Gwynna K. Fuller
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Alberto Stolfi
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Andrew K. Groves
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Lucia Manni
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
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Manni L. The colonial tunicate Botryllus schlosseri: A key species for evolutionary developmental studies. Genesis 2023; 61:e23544. [PMID: 37641508 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Manni
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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Manni L, Anselmi C. Giovanna Zaniolo: An inspiring scientist, teacher, mentor, and colleague. Active: 1967-2012. Genesis 2023; 61:e23566. [PMID: 37920942 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Manni
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università Degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Chiara Anselmi
- Hopkins Marine Station, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, California, USA
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
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Voskoboynik A. Stem cell-mediated development, regeneration, chimerism, and aging in the colonial chordate Botryllus schlosseri. Genesis 2023; 61:e23542. [PMID: 37888861 PMCID: PMC11001480 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Stem cells are units of biological organization, responsible for tissue and organ development and regeneration. I study stem cell biology, aging, and the evolution of immunity using the colonial chordate Botryllus schlosseri as a model system. This organism is uniquely suited for this study because it is closely related to vertebrates, undergoes weekly cycles of stem cell mediated regeneration, is long lived and has a recognition system and robust immune system. I have led the Botryllus genome project and developed a novel method to obtain a synthetic long read sequence, identified Botryllus stem cells and stem cell niches, isolated the gene that controls self/non self-recognition and characterized its immune system on the cellular and molecular levels. Recently, I led the Botryllus atlas project to characterize the two developmental pathways, embryogenesis (sexual) and blastogenesis (asexual), revealing the unique molecular landscapes for each developmental mode and investigated the molecular clock and neurodegeneration pathways in young and old colonies and investigated the molecular clock and neurodegeneration pathways in young and old colonies. These results and the resources we developed are used by my lab and others to further study stem cell and immune cell properties during development, regeneration, transplantation, and aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayelet Voskoboynik
- Department of Biology, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, California, USA
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
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Ben-Hamo O, Izhaki I, Ben-Shlomo R, Rinkevich B. The novel Orshina Rhythm in a colonial urochordate signifies the display of recurrent aging/rejuvenation sequels. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9788. [PMID: 37328698 PMCID: PMC10276000 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36923-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023] Open
Abstract
When it comes to aging, some colonial invertebrates present disparate patterns from the customary aging phenomenon in unitary organisms, where a single senescence phenomenon along ontogeny culminates in their inevitable deaths. Here we studied aging processes in 81 colonies of the marine urochordate Botryllus schlosseri each followed from birth to death (over 720 days). The colonies were divided between three life history strategies, each distinct from the others based on the presence/absence of colonial fission: NF (no fission), FA (fission develops after the colony reaches maximal size), and FB (fission develops before the colony reaches maximal size). The study revealed recurring patterns in sexual reproductive statuses (hermaphroditism and male-only settings), colonial vigor, and size. These recurring patterns, collectively referred to as an Orshina, with one or more 'astogenic segments' on the genotype level. The combination of these segments forms the Orshina rhythm. Each Orshina segment lasts about three months (equivalent to 13 blastogenic cycles), and concludes with either the colonial death or rejuvenation, and is manipulated by absence/existing of fission events in NF/FA/FB strategies. These findings indicate that reproduction, life span, death, rejuvenation and fission events are important scheduled biological components in the constructed Orshina rhythm, a novel aging phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oshrat Ben-Hamo
- National Institute of Oceanography, Tel Shikmona, P.O. Box 9753, 3109701, Haifa, Israel.
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, 3498838, Haifa, Israel.
| | - Ido Izhaki
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, 3498838, Haifa, Israel
| | - Rachel Ben-Shlomo
- Department of Biology and Environment, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa - Oranim, 36006, Tivon, Israel.
| | - Baruch Rinkevich
- National Institute of Oceanography, Tel Shikmona, P.O. Box 9753, 3109701, Haifa, Israel.
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Anselmi C, Caicci F, Bocci T, Guidetti M, Priori A, Giusti V, Levy T, Raveh T, Voskoboynik A, Weissman IL, Manni L. Multiple Forms of Neural Cell Death in the Cyclical Brain Degeneration of A Colonial Chordate. Cells 2023; 12:1041. [PMID: 37048113 PMCID: PMC10093557 DOI: 10.3390/cells12071041] [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: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Human neuronal loss occurs through different cellular mechanisms, mainly studied in vitro. Here, we characterized neuronal death in B. schlosseri, a marine colonial tunicate that shares substantial genomic homology with mammals and has a life history in which controlled neurodegeneration happens simultaneously in the brains of adult zooids during a cyclical phase named takeover. Using an ultrastructural and transcriptomic approach, we described neuronal death forms in adult zooids before and during the takeover phase while comparing adult zooids in takeover with their buds where brains are refining their structure. At takeover, we found in neurons clear morphologic signs of apoptosis (i.e., chromatin condensation, lobed nuclei), necrosis (swollen cytoplasm) and autophagy (autophagosomes, autolysosomes and degradative multilamellar bodies). These results were confirmed by transcriptomic analyses that highlighted the specific genes involved in these cell death pathways. Moreover, the presence of tubulovesicular structures in the brain medulla alongside the over-expression of prion disease genes in late cycle suggested a cell-to-cell, prion-like propagation recalling the conformational disorders typical of some human neurodegenerative diseases. We suggest that improved understanding of how neuronal alterations are regulated in the repeated degeneration-regeneration program of B. schlosseri may yield mechanistic insights relevant to the study of human neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Anselmi
- Hopkins Marine Station, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Federico Caicci
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Tommaso Bocci
- “Aldo Ravelli” Center for Neurotechnology and Experimental Brain Therapeutics, Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, 20142 Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Guidetti
- “Aldo Ravelli” Center for Neurotechnology and Experimental Brain Therapeutics, Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, 20142 Milan, Italy
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Alberto Priori
- “Aldo Ravelli” Center for Neurotechnology and Experimental Brain Therapeutics, Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, 20142 Milan, Italy
| | | | - Tom Levy
- Hopkins Marine Station, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Tal Raveh
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Ayelet Voskoboynik
- Hopkins Marine Station, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Irving L. Weissman
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Lucia Manni
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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Thompson SH, Anselmi C, Ishizuka KJ, Palmeri KJ, Voskoboynik A. Contributions from both the brain and the vascular network guide behavior in the colonial tunicate Botryllus schlosseri. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:279340. [PMID: 36314197 PMCID: PMC9720745 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
We studied the function, development and aging of the adult nervous system in the colonial tunicate Botryllus schlosseri. Adults, termed zooids, are filter-feeding individuals. Sister zooids group together to form modules, and modules, in turn, are linked by a shared vascular network to form a well-integrated colony. Zooids undergo a weekly cycle of regression and renewal during which mature zooids are replaced by developing buds. The zooid brain matures and degenerates on this 7-day cycle. We used focal extracellular recording and video imaging to explore brain activity in the context of development and degeneration and to examine the contributions of the nervous system and vascular network to behavior. Recordings from the brain revealed complex firing patterns arising both spontaneously and in response to stimulation. Neural activity increases as the brain matures and declines thereafter. Motor behavior follows the identical time course. The behavior of each zooid is guided predominantly by its individual brain, but sister zooids can also exhibit synchronous motor behavior. The vascular network also generates action potentials that are largely independent of neural activity. In addition, the entire vascular network undergoes slow rhythmic contractions that appear to arise from processes endogenous to vascular epithelial cells. We found that neurons in the brain and cells of the vascular network both express multiple genes for voltage-gated Na+ and Ca2+ ion channels homologous (based on sequence) to mammalian ion channel genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart H. Thompson
- Department of Biology and Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 93950, USA,Author for correspondence ()
| | - Chiara Anselmi
- Department of Biology and Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 93950, USA,Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Katherine J. Ishizuka
- Department of Biology and Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 93950, USA,Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Karla J. Palmeri
- Department of Biology and Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 93950, USA,Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Ayelet Voskoboynik
- Department of Biology and Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 93950, USA,Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA,Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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Stemness Activity Underlying Whole Brain Regeneration in a Basal Chordate. Cells 2022; 11:cells11233727. [PMID: 36496987 PMCID: PMC9738451 DOI: 10.3390/cells11233727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how neurons regenerate following injury remains a central challenge in regenerative medicine. Adult mammals have a very limited ability to regenerate new neurons in the central nervous system (CNS). In contrast, the basal chordate Polycarpa mytiligera can regenerate its entire CNS within seven days of complete removal. Transcriptome sequencing, cellular labeling, and proliferation in vivo essays revealed that CNS regeneration is mediated by a newly formed neural progeny and the activation of neurodevelopmental pathways that are associated with enhanced stem-cell activity. Analyzing the expression of 239 activated pathways enabled a quantitative understanding of gene-set enrichment patterns at key regeneration stages. The molecular and cellular mechanisms controlling the regenerative ability that this study reveals can be used to develop innovative approaches to enhancing neurogenesis in closely-related chordate species, including humans.
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Neuroprotection and Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation: Facts or Fiction? Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232213775. [PMID: 36430251 PMCID: PMC9692544 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232213775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (NIBS) techniques, such as transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) and repetitive Magnetic Transcranial Stimulation (rTMS), are well-known non-pharmacological approaches to improve both motor and non-motor symptoms in patients with neurodegenerative disorders. Their use is of particular interest especially for the treatment of cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's Disease (AD), as well as axial disturbances in Parkinson's (PD), where conventional pharmacological therapies show very mild and short-lasting effects. However, their ability to interfere with disease progression over time is not well understood; recent evidence suggests that NIBS may have a neuroprotective effect, thus slowing disease progression and modulating the aggregation state of pathological proteins. In this narrative review, we gather current knowledge about neuroprotection and NIBS in neurodegenerative diseases (i.e., PD and AD), just mentioning the few results related to stroke. As further matter of debate, we discuss similarities and differences with Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)-induced neuroprotective effects, and highlight possible future directions for ongoing clinical studies.
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