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Montoya-Ciriaco N, Hereira-Pacheco S, Estrada-Torres A, Dendooven L, Méndez de la Cruz FR, Gómez-Acata ES, Díaz de la Vega-Pérez AH, Navarro-Noya YE. Maternal transmission of bacterial microbiota during embryonic development in a viviparous lizard. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0178023. [PMID: 37847033 PMCID: PMC10714757 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01780-23] [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: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE We investigated the presence and diversity of bacteria in the embryos of the viviparous lizard Sceloporus grammicus and their amniotic environment. We compared this diversity to that found in the maternal intestine, mouth, and cloaca. We detected bacterial DNA in the embryos, albeit with a lower bacterial species diversity than found in maternal tissues. Most of the bacterial species detected in the embryos were also found in the mother, although not all of them. Interestingly, we detected a high similarity in the composition of bacterial species among embryos from different mothers. These findings suggest that there may be a mechanism controlling the transmission of bacteria from the mother to the embryo. Our results highlight the possibility that the interaction between maternal bacteria and the embryo may affect the development of the lizards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Montoya-Ciriaco
- Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas, Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Stephanie Hereira-Pacheco
- Estación Científica La Malinche, Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Arturo Estrada-Torres
- Estación Científica La Malinche, Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Luc Dendooven
- Laboratory of Soil Ecology, CINVESTAV, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Fausto R. Méndez de la Cruz
- Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Elizabeth Selene Gómez-Acata
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Bióticas, Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Aníbal H. Díaz de la Vega-Pérez
- Consejo Nacional de Ciencia, Humanidades y Tecnología-Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala., Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Yendi E. Navarro-Noya
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Bióticas, Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico
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2
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Parker J, Dubin A, Schneider R, Wagner KS, Jentoft S, Böhne A, Bayer T, Roth O. Immunological tolerance in the evolution of male pregnancy. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:819-840. [PMID: 34951070 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The unique male pregnancy in pipefishes and seahorses ranges from basic attachment (pouch-less species: Nerophinae) of maternal eggs to specialized internal gestation in pouched species (e.g. Syngnathus and Hippocampus) with many transitions in between. Due to this diversity, male pregnancy offers a unique platform for assessing physiological and molecular adaptations in pregnancy evolution. These insights will contribute to answering long-standing questions of why and how pregnancy evolved convergently in so many vertebrate systems. To understand the molecular congruencies and disparities in male pregnancy evolution, we compared transcriptome-wide differentially expressed genes in four syngnathid species, at four pregnancy stages (nonpregnant, early, late and parturition). Across all species and pregnancy forms, metabolic processes and immune dynamics defined pregnancy stages, especially pouched species shared expression features akin to female pregnancy. The observed downregulation of adaptive immune genes in early-stage pregnancy and its reversed upregulation during late/parturition in pouched species, most notably in Hippocampus, combined with directionless expression in the pouch-less species, suggests immune modulation to be restricted to pouched species that evolved placenta-like systems. We propose that increased foeto-paternal intimacy in pouched syngnathids commands immune suppression processes in early gestation, and that the elevated immune response during parturition coincides with pouch opening and reduced progeny reliance. Immune response regulation in pouched species supports the recently described functional MHC II pathway loss as critical in male pregnancy evolution. The independent co-option of similar genes and pathways both in male and female pregnancy highlights immune modulation as crucial for the evolutionary establishment of pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Parker
- Marine Evolutionary Ecology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Arseny Dubin
- Marine Evolutionary Ecology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Ralf Schneider
- Marine Evolutionary Ecology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Kim Sara Wagner
- Marine Evolutionary Ecology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Sissel Jentoft
- Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Astrid Böhne
- Center for Molecular Biodiversity Research, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn, Germany
| | - Till Bayer
- Marine Evolutionary Ecology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Olivia Roth
- Marine Evolutionary Ecology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
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3
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Wen J, Ishihara T, Renfree MB, Griffith OW. Comparing the potential for maternal-fetal signalling in oviparous and viviparous lizards. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210262. [PMID: 36252210 PMCID: PMC9574625 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolution of a placenta requires several steps including changing the timing of reproductive events, facilitating nutrient exchange, and the capacity for maternal-fetal communication. To understand the evolution of maternal-fetal communication, we used ligand-receptor gene expression as a proxy for the potential for cross-talk in a live-bearing lizard (Pseudemoia entrecasteauxii) and homologous tissues in a related egg-laying lizard (Lampropholis guichenoti). Approximately 70% of expressed ligand/receptor genes were shared by both species. Gene ontology (GO) analysis showed that there was no GO-enrichment in the fetal membranes of the egg-laying species, but live-bearing fetal tissues were significantly enriched for 50 GO-terms. Differences in enrichment suggest that the evolution of viviparity involved reinforcing specific signalling pathways, perhaps to support fetal control of placentation. One identified change was in transforming growth factor beta signalling. Using immunohistochemistry, we show the production of the signalling molecule inhibin beta B (INHBB) occurs in viviparous fetal membranes but was absent in closely related egg-laying tissues, suggesting that the evolution of viviparity may have involved changes to signalling via this pathway. We argue that maternal-fetal signalling evolved through co-opting expressed signalling molecules and recruiting new signalling molecules to support the complex developmental changes required to support a fetus in utero. This article is part of the theme issue 'Extraembryonic tissues: exploring concepts, definitions and functions across the animal kingdom'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinglin Wen
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Teruhito Ishihara
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Marilyn B. Renfree
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Oliver W. Griffith
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, New South Wales 2109, Australia
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4
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Whittington CM, Buddle AL, Griffith OW, Carter AM. Embryonic specializations for vertebrate placentation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210261. [PMID: 36252220 PMCID: PMC9574634 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The vertebrate placenta, a close association of fetal and parental tissue for physiological exchange, has evolved independently in sharks, teleost fishes, coelacanths, amphibians, squamate reptiles and mammals. This transient organ forms during pregnancy and is an important contributor to embryonic development in both viviparous and oviparous, brooding species. Placentae may be involved in transport of respiratory gases, wastes, immune molecules, hormones and nutrients. Depending on the taxon, the embryonic portion of the placenta is comprised of either extraembryonic membranes (yolk sac or chorioallantois) or temporary embryonic tissues derived via hypertrophy of pericardium, gill epithelium, gut, tails or fins. These membranes and tissues have been recruited convergently into placentae in several lineages. Here, we highlight the diversity and common features of embryonic tissues involved in vertebrate placentation and suggest future studies that will provide new knowledge about the evolution of pregnancy. This article is part of the theme issue 'Extraembryonic tissues: exploring concepts, definitions and functions across the animal kingdom'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla M. Whittington
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence A08, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Alice L. Buddle
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence A08, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Oliver W. Griffith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Anthony M. Carter
- Cardiovascular and Renal Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, J. B. Winsloews Vej 21, 5000 Odense, Denmark
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5
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Endocytosis-mediated vitellogenin absorption and lipid metabolism in the hindgut-derived placenta of the viviparous teleost Xenotoca eiseni. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2022; 1867:159183. [PMID: 35660667 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2022.159183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Certain viviparous animals possess mechanisms for mother-to-embryo nutrient transport during gestation. Xenotoca eiseni is one such viviparous teleost species in which the mother supplies proteins and other components to the offspring developing in the ovary. The embryo possesses trophotaenia, hindgut-derived placental structure, to receive the maternal supplement. However, research on the molecular mechanisms underlying viviparous species is scarce in non-mammalian vertebrates, including teleosts. Thus, we conducted this study to investigate the mechanism for nutrient absorption and degradation in trophotaeniae of X. eiseni. A tracer assay indicated that a lipid transfer protein, vitellogenin (Vtg), was absorbed into the epithelial layer cells of the trophotaeniae. Vtg uptake was significantly suppressed by Pitstop-2, an inhibitor of clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Gene expression analysis indicated that the genes involved in endocytosis-mediated lipolysis and lysosomal cholesterol transport were expressed in the trophotaeniae. In contrast, plasma membrane transporters expressed in the intestinal tract were not functional in the trophotaeniae. Our results suggested that endocytosis-mediated lysosomal lipolysis is one of the mechanisms underlying maternal component metabolism. Thus, our study demonstrated how viviparous teleost species have acquired a unique developmental system that is based on the hindgut-derived placenta.
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6
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Foster CSP, Van Dyke JU, Thompson MB, Smith NMA, Simpfendorfer CA, Murphy CR, Whittington CM. Different genes are recruited during convergent evolution of pregnancy and the placenta. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6564414. [PMID: 35388432 PMCID: PMC9048886 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The repeated evolution of the same traits in distantly related groups (convergent evolution) raises a key question in evolutionary biology: do the same genes underpin convergent phenotypes? Here we explore one such trait, viviparity (live birth), which qualitative studies suggest may indeed have evolved via genetic convergence. There are >150 independent origins of live birth in vertebrates, providing a uniquely powerful system to test the mechanisms underpinning convergence in morphology, physiology, and/or gene recruitment during pregnancy. We compared transcriptomic data from eight vertebrates (lizards, mammals, sharks) that gestate embryos within the uterus. Since many previous studies detected qualitative similarities in gene use during independent origins of pregnancy, we expected to find significant overlap in gene use in viviparous taxa. However, we found no more overlap in uterine gene expression associated with viviparity than we would expect by chance alone. Each viviparous lineage exhibits the same core set of uterine physiological functions, yet, contrary to prevailing assumptions about this trait, we find that none of the same genes are differentially expressed in all viviparous lineages, or even in all viviparous amniote lineages. Therefore, across distantly related vertebrates, different genes have been recruited to support the morphological and physiological changes required for successful pregnancy. We conclude that redundancies in gene function have enabled the repeated evolution of viviparity through recruitment of different genes from genomic 'toolboxes', which are uniquely constrained by the ancestries of each lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles S P Foster
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - James U Van Dyke
- School of Molecular Sciences, La Trobe University, Albury-Wodonga campus, VIC, Australia
| | - Michael B Thompson
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Nicholas M A Smith
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Colin A Simpfendorfer
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Christopher R Murphy
- School of Medical Sciences and The Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Camilla M Whittington
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Hilgers L, Roth O, Nolte AW, Schüller A, Spanke T, Flury JM, Utama IV, Altmüller J, Wowor D, Misof B, Herder F, Böhne A, Schwarzer J. Inflammation and convergent placenta gene co-option contributed to a novel reproductive tissue. Curr Biol 2021; 32:715-724.e4. [PMID: 34932936 PMCID: PMC8837275 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of pregnancy exposes parental tissues to new, potentially stressful conditions, which can trigger inflammation.1 Inflammation is costly2,3 and can induce embryo rejection, which constrains the evolution of pregnancy.1 In contrast, inflammation can also promote morphological innovation at the maternal-embryonic interface as exemplified by co-option of pro-inflammatory signaling for eutherian embryo implantation.1,4,5 Given its dual function, inflammation could be a key process explaining how innovations such as pregnancy and placentation evolved many times convergently. Pelvic brooding ricefishes evolved a novel “plug” tissue,6,7 which forms inside the female gonoduct after spawning, anchors egg-attaching filaments, and enables pelvic brooders to carry eggs externally until hatching.6,8 Compared to pregnancy, i.e., internal bearing of embryos, external bearing should alleviate constraints on inflammation in the reproductive tract. We thus hypothesized that an ancestral inflammation triggered by the retention of attaching filaments gave rise to pathways orchestrating plug formation. In line with our hypothesis, histological sections of the developing plug revealed signs of gonoduct injuries by egg-attaching filaments in the pelvic brooding ricefish Oryzias eversi. Tissue-specific transcriptomes showed that inflammatory signaling dominates the plug transcriptome and inflammation-induced genes controlling vital processes for plug development such as tissue growth and angiogenesis were overexpressed in the plug. Finally, mammalian placenta genes were enriched in the plug transcriptome, indicating convergent gene co-option for building, attaching, and sustaining a transient tissue in the female reproductive tract. This study highlights the role of gene co-option and suggests that recruiting inflammatory signaling into physiological processes provides a fast-track to evolutionary innovation. Pelvic brooding induces tissue-specific changes in gene expression Inflammatory signaling characterizes transcriptome of the egg-anchoring plug Similar to embryo implantation, the plug likely evolved from an inflammatory response Mammalian placenta genes were independently co-opted into the plug
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Affiliation(s)
- Leon Hilgers
- Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig (ZFMK), Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), Bonn, Germany; LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (TBG), Frankfurt, Germany.
| | - Olivia Roth
- Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR), Kiel, Germany; Marine Evolutionary Biology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Alina Schüller
- Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig (ZFMK), Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), Bonn, Germany
| | - Tobias Spanke
- Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig (ZFMK), Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), Bonn, Germany
| | - Jana M Flury
- Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig (ZFMK), Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), Bonn, Germany
| | - Ilham V Utama
- Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense, Research Centre for Biology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Cibinong, Indonesia
| | - Janine Altmüller
- Cologne Center for Genomics (CCG), Cologne University, Cologne, Germany
| | - Daisy Wowor
- Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense, Research Centre for Biology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Cibinong, Indonesia
| | - Bernhard Misof
- Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig (ZFMK), Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), Bonn, Germany
| | - Fabian Herder
- Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig (ZFMK), Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), Bonn, Germany
| | - Astrid Böhne
- Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig (ZFMK), Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), Bonn, Germany
| | - Julia Schwarzer
- Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig (ZFMK), Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), Bonn, Germany.
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8
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Recknagel H, Carruthers M, Yurchenko AA, Nokhbatolfoghahai M, Kamenos NA, Bain MM, Elmer KR. The functional genetic architecture of egg-laying and live-bearing reproduction in common lizards. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:1546-1556. [PMID: 34621056 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01555-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
All amniotes reproduce either by egg-laying (oviparity), which is ancestral to vertebrates or by live-bearing (viviparity), which has evolved many times independently. However, the genetic basis of these parity modes has never been resolved and, consequently, its convergence across evolutionary scales is currently unknown. Here, we leveraged natural hybridizations between oviparous and viviparous common lizards (Zootoca vivipara) to describe the functional genes and genetic architecture of parity mode and its key traits, eggshell and gestation length, and compared our findings across vertebrates. In these lizards, parity trait genes were associated with progesterone-binding functions and enriched for tissue remodelling and immune system pathways. Viviparity involved more genes and complex gene networks than did oviparity. Angiogenesis, vascular endothelial growth and adrenoreceptor pathways were enriched in the viviparous female reproductive tissue, while pathways for transforming growth factor were enriched in the oviparous. Natural selection on these parity mode genes was evident genome-wide. Our comparison to seven independent origins of viviparity in mammals, squamates and fish showed that genes active in pregnancy were related to immunity, tissue remodelling and blood vessel generation. Therefore, our results suggest that pre-established regulatory networks are repeatedly recruited for viviparity and that these are shared at deep evolutionary scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Recknagel
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.,Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Madeleine Carruthers
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Andrey A Yurchenko
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.,Inserm U981, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Université Paris Saclay, Villejuif, France
| | - Mohsen Nokhbatolfoghahai
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Nicholas A Kamenos
- School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Maureen M Bain
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Kathryn R Elmer
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
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9
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Dudley JS, Hannaford P, Dowland SN, Lindsay LA, Thompson MB, Murphy CR, Van Dyke JU, Whittington CM. Structural changes to the brood pouch of male pregnant seahorses (Hippocampus abdominalis) facilitate exchange between father and embryos. Placenta 2021; 114:115-123. [PMID: 34517263 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2021.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Embryonic growth and development require efficient respiratory gas exchange. Internal incubation of developing young thus presents a significant physiological challenge, because respiratory gas diffusion to embryos is impeded by the additional barrier of parental tissue between the embryo and the environment. Therefore, live-bearing species exhibit a variety of adaptations facilitating respiratory gas exchange between the parent (usually the mother) and embryos. Syngnathid fishes are the only vertebrates to exhibit male pregnancy, allowing comparative studies of the biology and evolution of internal incubation of embryos, independent of the female reproductive tract. Here, we examine the fleshy, sealed, seahorse brood pouch, and provide the first quantification of structural changes to this gestational organ across pregnancy. METHODS We used histological analysis and morphometrics to quantify the surface area for exchange across the brood pouch epithelium, and the structure of the vascular bed of the brood pouch. RESULTS We show dramatic remodelling of gestational tissues as pregnancy progresses, including an increase in tortuosity of the gestational epithelium, an increase in capillary density, and a decrease in diffusion distance between capillaries and the pouch lumen. DISCUSSION These changes produce an increased surface area and expansion of the vascular bed of the placenta that likely facilitates respiratory gas exchange. These changes mirror the remodelling of gestational tissue in viviparous amniotes and elasmobranchs, and provide further evidence of the convergence of adaptations to support pregnancy in live-bearing animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- J S Dudley
- The University of Sydney, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Macquarie University, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie Park, NSW, Australia
| | - P Hannaford
- The University of Sydney, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - S N Dowland
- The University of Sydney, School of Medical Sciences (Anatomy and Histology), Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - L A Lindsay
- The University of Sydney, School of Medical Sciences (Anatomy and Histology), Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - M B Thompson
- The University of Sydney, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - C R Murphy
- The University of Sydney, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Sydney, NSW, Australia; The University of Sydney, School of Medical Sciences (Anatomy and Histology), Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - J U Van Dyke
- La Trobe University, Department of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, School of Molecular Sciences, Wodonga, Victoria, Australia
| | - C M Whittington
- The University of Sydney, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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10
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Dudley JS, Murphy CR, Thompson MB, McAllan BM. Uterine cellular changes during mammalian pregnancy and the evolution of placentation. Biol Reprod 2021; 105:1381-1400. [PMID: 34514493 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioab170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
There are many different forms of nutrient provision in viviparous (live bearing) species. The formation of a placenta is one method where the placenta functions to transfer nutrients from mother to fetus (placentotrophy), transfer waste from the fetus to the mother and respiratory gas exchange. Despite having the same overarching function, there are different types of placentation within placentotrophic vertebrates, and many morphological changes occur in the uterus during pregnancy to facilitate formation of the placenta. These changes are regulated in complex ways but are controlled by similar hormonal mechanisms across species. This review describes current knowledge of the morphological and molecular changes to the uterine epithelium preceding implantation among mammals. Our aim is to identify the commonalities and constraints of these cellular changes to understand the evolution of placentation in mammals and propose directions for future research. We compare and discuss the complex modifications to the ultrastructure of uterine epithelial cells and show that there are similarities in the changes to the cytoskeleton and gross morphology of the uterine epithelial cells, especially of the apical and lateral plasma membrane of the cells during the formation of a placenta in all eutherians and marsupials studied to date. We conclude that further research is needed to understand the evolution of placentation among viviparous mammals, particularly concerning the level of placental invasiveness, hormonal control and genetic underpinnings of pregnancy in marsupial taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica S Dudley
- School of Life and Environmental Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.,Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Christopher R Murphy
- School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Michael B Thompson
- School of Life and Environmental Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Bronwyn M McAllan
- School of Life and Environmental Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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11
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Guernsey MW, van Kruistum H, Reznick DN, Pollux BJA, Baker JC. Molecular Signatures of Placentation and Secretion Uncovered in Poeciliopsis Maternal Follicles. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 37:2679-2690. [PMID: 32421768 PMCID: PMC7475030 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa121] [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: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Placentation evolved many times independently in vertebrates. Although the core functions of all placentas are similar, we know less about how this similarity extends to the molecular level. Here, we study Poeciliopsis, a unique genus of live-bearing fish that have independently evolved complex placental structures at least three times. The maternal follicle is a key component of these structures. It envelops yolk-rich eggs and is morphologically simple in lecithotrophic species but has elaborate villous structures in matrotrophic species. Through sequencing, the follicle transcriptome of a matrotrophic, Poeciliopsis retropinna, and lecithotrophic, P. turrubarensis, species we found genes known to be critical for placenta function expressed in both species despite their difference in complexity. Additionally, when we compare the transcriptome of different river populations of P. retropinna, known to vary in maternal provisioning, we find differential expression of secretory genes expressed specifically in the top layer of villi cells in the maternal follicle. This provides some of the first evidence that the placental structures of Poeciliopsis function using a secretory mechanism rather than direct contact with maternal circulation. Finally, when we look at the expression of placenta proteins at the maternal–fetal interface of a larger sampling of Poeciliopsis species, we find expression of key maternal and fetal placenta proteins in their cognate tissue types of all species, but follicle expression of prolactin is restricted to only matrotrophic species. Taken together, we suggest that all Poeciliopsis follicles are poised for placenta function but require expression of key genes to form secretory villi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W Guernsey
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Henri van Kruistum
- Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - David N Reznick
- Department of Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA
| | - Bart J A Pollux
- Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Julie C Baker
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
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12
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Genetic diversity of major histocompatibility complex class I genes in Zootoca vivipara. Biosci Rep 2021; 40:222642. [PMID: 32285916 PMCID: PMC7182658 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20193809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Revised: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC), as a family of highly polymorphic genes associated with immunity in the genome of the vertebrate, has become an important indicator for assessing the evolutionary potential of wildlife. In order to better protect Zootoca vivipara in the Greater Khingan Range and Lesser Khingan Range, to understand the genetic structure of Z. vivipara, and to explore the mechanism and phylogenetic relationship of the gene polymorphisms, the MHC molecular marker method was used to analyze Z. vivipara population. Forty-seven alleles were obtained from four populations. The four populations were highly polymorphic, rich in genetic information, and had significant genetic diversity. There were certain inbreeding phenomena. There was a high degree of genetic differentiation among populations, which was caused by genetic drift and natural selection. The sequence undergoes genetic duplication and recombination. The existence of trans-species polymorphism was found in the constructed phylogenetic tree. The present study provides a theoretical basis for species protection of Z. vivipara.
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13
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Guo K, Zhong J, Zhu L, Xie F, Du Y, Ji X. The thermal dependence and molecular basis of physiological color change in Takydromus septentrionalis (Lacertidae). Biol Open 2021; 10:bio.058503. [PMID: 33593793 PMCID: PMC8015239 DOI: 10.1242/bio.058503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the main functions of physiological color change is thermoregulation. This change occurs much more rapidly than morphological color change, but the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. Here, we studied the thermal dependence and molecular basis of physiological color change in lizards using Takydromus septentrionalis (Lacertidae) as the model system. Body color was thermally sensitive, becoming increasingly light as body temperatures deviated from the level (∼30°C) preferred by this species. We identified 3389 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between lizards at 24°C and 30°C, and 1,097 DEGs between lizards at 36°C and 30°C. Temperature affected the cAMP signal pathway, motor proteins, cytoskeleton, and the expression of genes related to melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) and melanocyte-concentrating hormone (MCH). Our data suggest that the role of physiological color change in thermoregulation is achieved in T. septentrionalis by altering the arrangement of pigments and thus the amount of solar radiation absorbed and reflected. G protein-coupling system inhibits adenylate cyclase activity to transform ATP into cAMP and thereby causes rapid pigment aggregation. MCH deactivates the G proteins and thereby initiates pigment dispersion. This mechanism differs from that reported for teleost fish where MCH activates the G proteins and thereby causes pigment aggregation. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper. Summary: G protein-coupling system inhibits adenylate cyclase activity to transform ATP into cAMP and thereby causes rapid pigment aggregation. MCH deactivates the G proteins and thereby initiates pigment dispersion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Guo
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China.,Institute of Biodiversity Conservation and Utilization, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jun Zhong
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China.,Institute of Biodiversity Conservation and Utilization, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lin Zhu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Fan Xie
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yu Du
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China.,MOE Key Laboratory of Utilization and Conservation for Tropical Marine Bioresources, Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya 572022, Hainan, China
| | - Xiang Ji
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China .,Institute of Biodiversity Conservation and Utilization, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, Zhejiang, China.,MOE Key Laboratory of Utilization and Conservation for Tropical Marine Bioresources, Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya 572022, Hainan, China
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14
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Buddle AL, Van Dyke JU, Thompson MB, Simpfendorfer CA, Murphy CR, Dowland SN, Whittington CM. Structure of the paraplacenta and the yolk sac placenta of the viviparous Australian sharpnose shark, Rhizoprionodon taylori. Placenta 2021; 108:11-22. [PMID: 33780667 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2021.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Viviparity (live-birth) has evolved from oviparity (egg-laying) multiple times in sharks. While most transitions from oviparity to viviparity have resulted in non-placental forms of viviparity, some sharks develop a yolk sac placenta during pregnancy. The Australian sharpnose shark (Rhizoprionodon taylori) is a placental species that suspends embryonic development in a diapause for most of pregnancy. METHODS To identify structures involved in supporting rapid embryonic growth in late pregnancy, we examined uterine and placental morphology by light and electron microscopy. RESULTS Paraplacental uterine regions have morphological specialisations consistent with secretion and fluid transport between uterine tissues and the lumen. Uterine secretions in the lumen may be absorbed by the outgrowths on the embryonic umbilical cord ('appendiculae'), which are densely covered by microvilli. The placenta consists of uterine villi that interdigitate with the yolk sac and enhance the surface area available for fetomaternal exchange. The yolk sac does not invade the uterine epithelium, and the egg capsule remains intact at the placental interface, separating maternal and fetal tissues. Some placental uterine epithelial cells are secretory, and endocytic vesicles in the opposing yolk sac ectodermal cells suggest that nutrient transport is by histotrophic uterine secretion followed by fetal absorption. Respiratory gases, water and possibly small nutrients likely diffuse across the placenta, where maternal and fetal blood vessels are ~2 μm apart. DISCUSSION Placental structure in R. taylori is similar to most other sharks, but there are differences in cellular structures between species that may indicate species-specific placental transport mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice L Buddle
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building (A08), Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - James U Van Dyke
- Department of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science, School of Molecular Sciences, La Trobe University, Wodonga, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael B Thompson
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building (A08), Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Colin A Simpfendorfer
- College of Science of Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Christopher R Murphy
- School of Medical Sciences (Anatomy and Histology), The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Samson N Dowland
- School of Medical Sciences (Anatomy and Histology), The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Camilla M Whittington
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building (A08), Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
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15
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Hernández-Díaz N, Leal F, Ramírez-Pinilla MP. Parallel evolution of placental calcium transfer in the lizard Mabuya and eutherian mammals. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:jeb.237891. [PMID: 33568441 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.237891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
An exceptional case of parallel evolution between lizards and eutherian mammals occurs in the evolution of viviparity. In the lizard genus Mabuya, viviparity provided the environment for the evolution of yolk-reduced eggs and obligate placentotrophy. One major event that favored the evolution of placentation was the reduction of the eggshell. As with all oviparous reptiles, lizard embryos obtain calcium from both the eggshell and egg yolk. Therefore, the loss of the eggshell likely imposes a constraint for the conservation of the egg yolk, which can only be obviated by the evolution of alternative mechanisms for the transport of calcium directly from the mother. The molecular and cellular mechanisms employed to solve these constraints, in a lizard with only a rudimentary eggshell such as Mabuya, are poorly understood. Here, we used RT-qPCR on placental and uterine samples during different stages of gestation in Mabuya, and demonstrate that transcripts of the calcium transporters trpv6, cabp28k, cabp9k and pmca are expressed and gradually increase in abundance through pregnancy stages, reaching their maximum expression when bone mineralization occurs. Furthermore, CABP28K/9K proteins were studied by immunofluorescence, demonstrating expression in specific regions of the mature placenta. Our results indicate that the machinery for calcium transportation in the Mabuya placenta was co-opted from other tissues elsewhere in the vertebrate bodyplan. Thus, the calcium transportation machinery in the placenta of Mabuya evolved in parallel with the mammalian placenta by redeploying the expression of similar calcium transporter genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaly Hernández-Díaz
- Grupo de Estudios en Biodiversidad, Escuela de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia
| | - Francisca Leal
- Grupo de Estudios en Biodiversidad, Escuela de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia
| | - Martha Patricia Ramírez-Pinilla
- Grupo de Estudios en Biodiversidad, Escuela de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia
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16
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Barbosa-Moyano H, Rodríguez-Chaparro S, Santos RLSR, Ramírez-Pinilla MP. Plasma estradiol and progesterone concentrations during the female reproductive cycle in a highly placentotrophic viviparous lizard, Mabuya sp. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2020; 295:113530. [PMID: 32526330 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Revised: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The neotropical genus Mabuya are obligate placentotrophic viviparous lizards, which have a short vitellogenesis that produces microlecithal oocytes and a prolonged time of gestation (9 to 10 months). The hormonal control of female reproductive activity during follicular growth and pregnancy has not been studied, although it is known that the corpus luteum can produce progesterone, but regresses early in pregnancy, being replaced in this function by the placenta. Through enzyme immunoassay (EIA) we measured the plasma concentrations of estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) in females of a population of Mabuya sp at different stages of their reproductive cycle. Previously, we confirmed the presence of P4 in plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography methods with diode-array detector ultraviolet (HPLC-DAD-UV). The average concentration values of E2 and P4 were compared among reproductive stages and their dynamics were related to what is known in other oviparous and viviparous amniotes. The plasma E2 concentrations of Mabuya sp. are below the levels found in other viviparous reptiles, probably related to the substantial reduction of its follicular growth phase. Its highest concentration was detected during vitellogenesis, related to its function in the growth and maturation of the ovarian follicles and oviduct preparation for pregnancy; lower levels were observed during pregnancy, but they increase at the end when a new vitellogenesis event begins and massive placental maternal-fetal nutrient transfer occurs. High concentrations of P4 were found during pregnancy, related to its function in the maintenance of the developing embryos within the oviduct. The highest levels of P4 were found at early gestation, then they descend from mid-gestation to the end of gestation. Although some characteristics of hormonal control related to the high level of placentotrophy were observed in this species, the changes in plasma sex steroid concentrations during the reproductive cycle in females of Mabuya sp. follow patterns seen in other viviparous amniotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heriberto Barbosa-Moyano
- Laboratorio de Biología Reproductiva de Vertebrados, Escuela de Biología, Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS), Bucaramanga, Colombia
| | - Salomé Rodríguez-Chaparro
- Laboratorio de Biología Reproductiva de Vertebrados, Escuela de Biología, Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS), Bucaramanga, Colombia
| | | | - Martha Patricia Ramírez-Pinilla
- Laboratorio de Biología Reproductiva de Vertebrados, Escuela de Biología, Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS), Bucaramanga, Colombia.
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17
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Fingerhut L, Dolz G, de Buhr N. What Is the Evolutionary Fingerprint in Neutrophil Granulocytes? Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E4523. [PMID: 32630520 PMCID: PMC7350212 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21124523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the years of evolution, thousands of different animal species have evolved. All these species require an immune system to defend themselves against invading pathogens. Nevertheless, the immune systems of different species are obviously counteracting against the same pathogen with different efficiency. Therefore, the question arises if the process that was leading to the clades of vertebrates in the animal kingdom-namely mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fish-was also leading to different functions of immune cells. One cell type of the innate immune system that is transmigrating as first line of defense in infected tissue and counteracts against pathogens is the neutrophil granulocyte. During the host-pathogen interaction they can undergo phagocytosis, apoptosis, degranulation, and form neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). In this review, we summarize a wide spectrum of information about neutrophils in humans and animals, with a focus on vertebrates. Special attention is kept on the development, morphology, composition, and functions of these cells, but also on dysfunctions and options for cell culture or storage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonie Fingerhut
- Department of Physiological Chemistry, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, 30559 Hannover, Germany;
- Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses (RIZ), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, 30559 Hannover, Germany
- Clinic for Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, 30559 Hannover, Germany
| | - Gaby Dolz
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia 40104, Costa Rica;
| | - Nicole de Buhr
- Department of Physiological Chemistry, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, 30559 Hannover, Germany;
- Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses (RIZ), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, 30559 Hannover, Germany
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18
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Lind CM, Agugliaro J, Farrell TM. The metabolic response to an immune challenge in a viviparous snake, Sistrurus miliarius. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb225185. [PMID: 32321747 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.225185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Mounting an immune response may be energetically costly and require the diversion of resources away from other physiological processes. Yet, both the metabolic cost of immune responses and the factors that impact investment priorities remain poorly described in many vertebrate groups. For example, although viviparity has evolved many times in vertebrates, the relationship between immune function and pregnancy has been disproportionately studied in placental mammals. To examine the energetic costs of immune activation and the modulation of immune function during pregnancy in a non-mammalian vertebrate, we elicited an immune response in pregnant and non-pregnant pygmy rattlesnakes, Sistrurus miliarius, using lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Resting metabolic rate (RMR) was measured using flow-through respirometry. Immune function was examined using bactericidal assays and leukocyte counts. The RMR of pygmy rattlesnakes increased significantly in response to LPS injection. There was no statistically significant difference in the metabolic response of non-reproductive and pregnant snakes to LPS. Mean metabolic increments for pregnant females, non-reproductive females, and males were 13%, 18% and 26%, respectively. The ratio of heterophils to lymphocytes was elevated in response to LPS across reproductive categories; however, LPS did not impact plasma bactericidal ability in non-reproductive snakes. Although pregnant females had significantly higher plasma bactericidal ability compared with non-reproductive snakes prior to manipulation, their bactericidal ability declined in response to LPS. LPS administration also significantly reduced several litter characteristics, particularly when administrated relatively early in pregnancy. Our results indicate that immune performance is energetically costly and is altered during pregnancy, and that immune activation during pregnancy may result in tradeoffs that affect offspring in a viviparous reptile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig M Lind
- School of Natural Science and Mathematics, Stockton University, Galloway, NJ 08205, USA
| | - Joseph Agugliaro
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, NJ 07940, USA
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19
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Whittington CM, Friesen CR. The evolution and physiology of male pregnancy in syngnathid fishes. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:1252-1272. [PMID: 32372478 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The seahorses, pipefishes and seadragons (Syngnathidae) are among the few vertebrates in which pregnant males incubate developing embryos. Syngnathids are popular in studies of sexual selection, sex-role reversal, and reproductive trade-offs, and are now emerging as valuable comparative models for the study of the biology and evolution of reproductive complexity. These fish offer the opportunity to examine the physiology, behavioural implications, and evolutionary origins of embryo incubation, independent of the female reproductive tract and female hormonal milieu. Such studies allow us to examine flexibility in regulatory systems, by determining whether the pathways underpinning female pregnancy are also co-opted in incubating males, or whether novel pathways have evolved in response to the common challenges imposed by incubating developing embryos and releasing live young. The Syngnathidae are also ideal for studies of the evolution of reproductive complexity, because they exhibit multiple parallel origins of complex reproductive phenotypes. Here we assay the taxonomic distribution of syngnathid parity mode, examine the selective pressures that may have led to the emergence of male pregnancy, describe the biology of syngnathid reproduction, and highlight pressing areas for future research. Experimental tests of a range of hypotheses, including many generated with genomic tools, are required to inform overarching theories about the fitness implications of pregnancy and the evolution of male pregnancy. Such information will be widely applicable to our understanding of fundamental reproductive and evolutionary processes in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla M Whittington
- The University of Sydney, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia.,The University of Sydney, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Christopher R Friesen
- The University of Wollongong, School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, Wollongong, New South Wales, 2522, Australia.,Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, 2522, Australia
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20
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Evolution of male pregnancy associated with remodeling of canonical vertebrate immunity in seahorses and pipefishes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:9431-9439. [PMID: 32284407 PMCID: PMC7196912 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1916251117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Among vertebrates, pregnancy has evolved more than 150 times independently. A fundamental problem for pregnancy to evolve is inadvertent rejection of the embryo when being recognized as foreign tissue by the vertebrate’s adaptive immune system. We show that the unique evolution of male pregnancy in pipefishes and seahorses coincided with a genomic modification of one arm of the adaptive immune system. Our findings indicate a trade-off between immunological tolerance and embryo rejection to accompanying the emergence of male pregnancy. That syngnathids survive in an ocean of microbes despite their drastically modified immune defense suggests an unexpected immunological flexibility. Our results may improve the understanding of immune-deficiency diseases and call for a reassessment of vertebrate immunity. A fundamental problem for the evolution of pregnancy, the most specialized form of parental investment among vertebrates, is the rejection of the nonself-embryo. Mammals achieve immunological tolerance by down-regulating both major histocompatibility complex pathways (MHC I and II). Although pregnancy has evolved multiple times independently among vertebrates, knowledge of associated immune system adjustments is restricted to mammals. All of them (except monotremata) display full internal pregnancy, making evolutionary reconstructions within the class mammalia meaningless. Here, we study the seahorse and pipefish family (syngnathids) that have evolved male pregnancy across a gradient from external oviparity to internal gestation. We assess how immunological tolerance is achieved by reconstruction of the immune gene repertoire in a comprehensive sample of 12 seahorse and pipefish genomes along the “male pregnancy” gradient together with expression patterns of key immune and pregnancy genes in reproductive tissues. We found that the evolution of pregnancy coincided with a modification of the adaptive immune system. Divergent genomic rearrangements of the MHC II pathway among fully pregnant species were identified in both genera of the syngnathids: The pipefishes (Syngnathus) displayed loss of several genes of the MHC II pathway while seahorses (Hippocampus) featured a highly divergent invariant chain (CD74). Our findings suggest that a trade-off between immunological tolerance and embryo rejection accompanied the evolution of unique male pregnancy. That pipefishes survive in an ocean of microbes without one arm of the adaptive immune defense suggests a high degree of immunological flexibility among vertebrates, which may advance our understanding of immune-deficiency diseases.
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21
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Foster CSP, Thompson MB, Van Dyke JU, Brandley MC, Whittington CM. Emergence of an evolutionary innovation: Gene expression differences associated with the transition between oviparity and viviparity. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:1315-1327. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.15409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Revised: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Charles S. P. Foster
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Michael B. Thompson
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
| | - James U. Van Dyke
- School of Molecular Sciences La Trobe University Wodonga VIC Australia
| | - Matthew C. Brandley
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
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22
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A comparison of uterine contractile responsiveness to arginine vasopressin in oviparous and viviparous lizards. J Comp Physiol B 2019; 190:49-62. [DOI: 10.1007/s00360-019-01254-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Revised: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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23
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Genomic and transcriptomic investigations of the evolutionary transition from oviparity to viviparity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:3646-3655. [PMID: 30808754 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1816086116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Viviparous (live-bearing) vertebrates have evolved repeatedly within otherwise oviparous (egg-laying) clades. Over two-thirds of these changes in vertebrate reproductive parity mode happened in squamate reptiles, where the transition has happened between 98 and 129 times. The transition from oviparity to viviparity requires numerous physiological, morphological, and immunological changes to the female reproductive tract, including eggshell reduction, delayed oviposition, placental development for supply of water and nutrition to the embryo by the mother, enhanced gas exchange, and suppression of maternal immune rejection of the embryo. We performed genomic and transcriptomic analyses of a closely related oviparous-viviparous pair of lizards (Phrynocephalus przewalskii and Phrynocephalus vlangalii) to examine these transitions. Expression patterns of maternal oviduct through reproductive development of the egg and embryo differ markedly between the two species. We found changes in expression patterns of appropriate genes that account for each of the major aspects of the oviparity to viviparity transition. In addition, we compared the gene sequences in transcriptomes of four oviparous-viviparous pairs of lizards in different genera (Phrynocephalus, Eremias, Scincella, and Sphenomorphus) to look for possible gene convergence at the sequence level. We discovered low levels of convergence in both amino acid replacement and evolutionary rate shift. This suggests that most of the changes that produce the oviparity-viviparity transition are changes in gene expression, so occasional reversals to oviparity from viviparity may not be as difficult to achieve as has been previously suggested.
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24
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Hansen VL, Faber LS, Salehpoor AA, Miller RD. A pronounced uterine pro-inflammatory response at parturition is an ancient feature in mammals. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.1694. [PMID: 29070722 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 09/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulating maternal immunity is necessary for successful human pregnancy. Whether this is needed in mammals with less invasive placentation is subject to debate. Indeed, the short gestation times in marsupials have been hypothesized to be due to a lack of immune regulation during pregnancy. Alternatively, the maternal marsupial immune system may be unstimulated in the absence of a highly invasive placenta. Transcripts encoding pro-inflammatory cytokines were found to be overrepresented in the whole uterine transcriptome at terminal pregnancy in the opossum, Monodelphis domestica To investigate this further, immune gene transcripts were quantified throughout opossum gestation. Transcripts encoding pro-inflammatory cytokines remained relatively low during pre- and peri-attachment pregnancy stages. Levels dramatically increased late in gestation, peaking within 12 h prior to parturition. These results mirror the spike of inflammation seen at eutherian parturition but not at attachment or implantation. Our results are consistent with the role of pro-inflammatory cytokines at parturition being an ancient and conserved birth mechanism in therian mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria L Hansen
- Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Lauren S Faber
- Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Ali A Salehpoor
- Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Robert D Miller
- Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.,National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22230, USA
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25
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Duarte-Méndez M, Quintero-Silva J, Ramírez-Pinilla MP. Immunohistochemical localization of 3β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and progesterone receptors in the ovary and placenta during gestation of the placentotrophic lizard Mabuya sp (Squamata: Scincidae). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2018; 261:136-147. [PMID: 29477457 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2017] [Revised: 02/17/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
In squamates, progesterone (P) plays a key role in the inhibition of uterine mobility during egg retention in oviparous species, and during gestation in viviparous species. The corpus luteum (CL) is the main organ responsible for the production of P; however, in some species, the CL degenerates early and the P needed for gestation maintenance should be produced in other tissues. Mabuya sp (Scincidae) is a viviparous lizard with a prolonged gestation, it produces microlecithal eggs and, consequently, has an obligate placentotrophy related with a highly complex placenta. Its CL degenerates at early stages of gestation and therefore, other sources of P should exist. The aim of this study was to determine and localize by immunohistochemistry the production of P by detection of the enzyme 3β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) and P receptors (PR) during gestation in the ovary and placenta of Mabuya sp. Positive and negative control sections were used. The ovary of this species localizes 3β-HSD and PR in the same tissues. The CL of the ovaries of females at early stages of gestation were positive for both molecules, whereas they did not localize from mid gestation to the end of pregnancy. Previtellogenic and vitellogenic follicles labelled for both molecules in the follicular epithelium and thecae. The placenta of Mabuya sp. demonstrated the potential for P production from mid gestation to the end of gestation in the uterine and chorionic tissues. PR were located in the uterine tissues throughout gestation, with a decrease towards its completion. Western blot analysis confirmed the presence of 3β-HSD mainly in the ovary of early pregnant females and in the placental tissues at mid gestation stages. Therefore, the chorioallantoic placenta of Mabuya sp. has an endocrine function producing the P needed for gestation and replacing the CL from mid gestation to the end of pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Duarte-Méndez
- Laboratorio de Biología Reproductiva de Vertebrados, Escuela de Biología, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga Santander, Colombia
| | - Jennifer Quintero-Silva
- Laboratorio de Biología Reproductiva de Vertebrados, Escuela de Biología, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga Santander, Colombia
| | - Martha Patricia Ramírez-Pinilla
- Laboratorio de Biología Reproductiva de Vertebrados, Escuela de Biología, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga Santander, Colombia; Grupo de Estudios en Biodiversidad, Escuela de Biología, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga Santander, Colombia.
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Braz HB, Almeida-Santos SM, Murphy CR, Thompson MB. Uterine and eggshell modifications associated with the evolution of viviparity in South American water snakes (Helicopsspp.). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2018; 330:165-180. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2017] [Revised: 03/08/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Henrique B. Braz
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences; University of Sydney; Sydney Australia
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução; Instituto Butantan; São Paulo Brazil
- Departamento de Anatomia; Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia; Universidade de São Paulo; São Paulo Brazil
| | - Selma M. Almeida-Santos
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução; Instituto Butantan; São Paulo Brazil
- Departamento de Anatomia; Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia; Universidade de São Paulo; São Paulo Brazil
| | - Christopher R. Murphy
- Discipline of Anatomy and Histology; School of Medical Science and Bosch Institute; University of Sydney; Sydney Australia
| | - Michael B. Thompson
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences; University of Sydney; Sydney Australia
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Transcriptomic changes in the pre-implantation uterus highlight histotrophic nutrition of the developing marsupial embryo. Sci Rep 2018; 8:2412. [PMID: 29402916 PMCID: PMC5799185 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-20744-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Early pregnancy is a critical time for successful reproduction; up to half of human pregnancies fail before the development of the definitive chorioallantoic placenta. Unlike the situation in eutherian mammals, marsupial pregnancy is characterised by a long pre-implantation period prior to the development of the short-lived placenta, making them ideal models for study of the uterine environment promoting embryonic survival pre-implantation. Here we present a transcriptomic study of pre-implantation marsupial pregnancy, and identify differentially expressed genes in the Sminthopsis crassicaudata uterus involved in metabolism and biosynthesis, transport, immunity, tissue remodelling, and uterine receptivity. Interestingly, almost one quarter of the top 50 genes that are differentially upregulated in early pregnancy are putatively involved in histotrophy, highlighting the importance of nutrient transport to the conceptus prior to the development of the placenta. This work furthers our understanding of the mechanisms underlying survival of pre-implantation embryos in the earliest live bearing ancestors of mammals.
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History of reptile placentology, part III: Giacomini’s 1891 histological monograph on lizard placentation. Placenta 2017; 60:93-99. [DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2017.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2017] [Revised: 10/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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An endogenous retroviral envelope syncytin and its cognate receptor identified in the viviparous placental Mabuya lizard. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E10991-E11000. [PMID: 29162694 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1714590114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Syncytins are envelope genes from endogenous retroviruses that have been captured during evolution for a function in placentation. They have been found in all placental mammals in which they have been searched, including marsupials. Placental structures are not restricted to mammals but also emerged in some other vertebrates, most frequently in lizards, such as the viviparous Mabuya Scincidae. Here, we performed high-throughput RNA sequencing of a Mabuya placenta transcriptome and screened for the presence of retroviral env genes with a full-length ORF. We identified one such gene, which we named "syncytin-Mab1," that has all the characteristics expected for a syncytin gene. It encodes a membrane-bound envelope protein with fusogenic activity ex vivo, is expressed at the placental level as revealed by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, and is conserved in all Mabuya species tested, spanning over 25 My of evolution. Its cognate receptor, required for its fusogenic activity, was searched for by a screening assay using the GeneBridge4 human/Chinese hamster radiation hybrid panel and found to be the MPZL1 gene, previously identified in mammals as a signal-transducing transmembrane protein involved in cell migration. Together, these results show that syncytin capture is not restricted to placental mammals, but can also take place in the rare nonmammalian vertebrates in which a viviparous placentotrophic mode of reproduction emerged. It suggests that similar molecular tools have been used for the convergent evolution of placentation in independently evolved and highly distant vertebrates.
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Dupoué A, Le Galliard J, Josserand R, DeNardo DF, Decencière B, Agostini S, Haussy C, Meylan S. Water restriction causes an intergenerational trade‐off and delayed mother–offspring conflict in a viviparous lizard. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andréaz Dupoué
- CNRS UPMC, UMR 7618, iEES ParisUniversité Pierre et Marie Curie Paris France
| | - Jean‐François Le Galliard
- CNRS UPMC, UMR 7618, iEES ParisUniversité Pierre et Marie Curie Paris France
- Département de biologieEcole normale supérieureCNRSPSL Research University Saint‐Pierre‐lès‐Nemours France
| | - Rémy Josserand
- CNRS UPMC, UMR 7618, iEES ParisUniversité Pierre et Marie Curie Paris France
| | - Dale F. DeNardo
- School of Life SciencesArizona State University Tempe AZ USA
| | - Béatriz Decencière
- Département de biologieEcole normale supérieureCNRSPSL Research University Saint‐Pierre‐lès‐Nemours France
| | - Simon Agostini
- Département de biologieEcole normale supérieureCNRSPSL Research University Saint‐Pierre‐lès‐Nemours France
| | - Claudy Haussy
- CNRS UPMC, UMR 7618, iEES ParisUniversité Pierre et Marie Curie Paris France
| | - Sandrine Meylan
- CNRS UPMC, UMR 7618, iEES ParisUniversité Pierre et Marie Curie Paris France
- ESPE de ParisUniversité Sorbonne Paris IV Paris France
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31
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Candidate genes involved in the evolution of viviparity: a RAD sequencing experiment in the lizard Zootoca vivipara (Squamata: Lacertidae). Zool J Linn Soc 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlx069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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32
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Embryo implantation evolved from an ancestral inflammatory attachment reaction. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E6566-E6575. [PMID: 28747528 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1701129114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular changes that support implantation in eutherian mammals are necessary to establish pregnancy. In marsupials, pregnancy is relatively short, and although a placenta does form, it is present for only a few days before parturition. However, morphological changes in the uterus of marsupials at term mimic those that occur during implantation in humans and mice. We investigated the molecular similarity between term pregnancy in the marsupials and implantation in eutherian mammals using the gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica) as a model. Transcriptomic analysis shows that term pregnancy in the opossum is characterized by an inflammatory response consistent with implantation in humans and mice. This immune response is temporally correlated with the loss of the eggshell, and we used immunohistochemistry to report that this reaction occurs at the materno-fetal interface. We demonstrate that key markers of implantation, including Heparin binding EGF-like growth factor and Mucin 1, exhibit expression and localization profiles consistent with the pattern observed during implantation in eutherian mammals. Finally, we show that there are transcriptome-wide similarities between the opossum attachment reaction and implantation in rabbits and humans. Our data suggest that the implantation reaction that occurs in eutherians is derived from an attachment reaction in the ancestral therian mammal which, in the opossum, leads directly to parturition. Finally, we argue that the ability to shift from an inflammatory attachment reaction to a noninflammatory period of pregnancy was a key innovation in eutherian mammals that allowed an extended period of intimate placentation.
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Hernández-Díaz N, Torres R, Ramírez-Pinilla MP. Proteomic Profile of Mabuya sp. (Squamata: Scincidae) Ovary and Placenta During Gestation. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2017; 328:371-389. [PMID: 28397398 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2016] [Revised: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 03/02/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Reptiles are one of the most diverse groups of vertebrates, providing an integrated system for comparative studies on metabolic, animal physiology, and developmental biology. However, the molecular data available are limited and only recently have started to call attention in the "omics" sciences. Mabuya sp. is a viviparous placentrotrophic skink with particular reproductive features, including microlecithal eggs, early luteolysis, prolonged gestation, and development of a highly specialized placenta. This placenta is responsible for respiratory exchange and the transference of all nutrients necessary for embryonic development. Our aim was to identify differentially expressed proteins in the ovary and placenta of Mabuya sp. during early, mid, and late gestation; their possible metabolic pathways; and biological processes. We carried out a comparative proteomic analysis during gestation in both tissues by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization. Differential protein expression in both tissues (Student's t-test P < 0.05) was related to several processes such as cell structure, cell movement, and energy. Proteins found in ovary are mainly associated with follicular development and its regulation. In the placenta, particularly during mid and late gestation, protein expression is involved in nutrient metabolism, transport, protein synthesis, and embryonic development. This work provides new insights about the proteins expressed and their physiological mechanisms in Mabuya sp. placenta and ovary during gestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaly Hernández-Díaz
- Laboratorio de Biología Reproductiva de Vertebrados, Escuela de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia.,Grupo de Investigación en Bioquímica y Microbiología, GIBIM, Escuela de Química, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia
| | - Rodrigo Torres
- Grupo de Investigación en Bioquímica y Microbiología, GIBIM, Escuela de Química, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia.,Laboratorio de Biotecnología-CEO, Instituto Colombiano del Petróleo, ECOPETROL, Piedecuesta, Santander, Colombia
| | - Martha Patricia Ramírez-Pinilla
- Laboratorio de Biología Reproductiva de Vertebrados, Escuela de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia
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34
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Griffith OW, Brandley MC, Whittington CM, Belov K, Thompson MB. Comparative genomics of hormonal signaling in the chorioallantoic membrane of oviparous and viviparous amniotes. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2017; 244:19-29. [PMID: 27102939 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2016.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2015] [Revised: 01/17/2016] [Accepted: 04/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
In oviparous amniotes (reptiles, birds, and mammals) the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) lines the inside of the egg and acts as the living point of contact between the embryo and the outside world. In livebearing (viviparous) amniotes, communication during embryonic development occurs across placental tissues, which form between the uterine tissue of the mother and the CAM of the embryo. In both oviparous and viviparous taxa, the CAM is at the interface of the embryo and the external environment and can transfer signals from there to the embryo proper. To understand the evolution of placental hormone production in amniotes, we examined the expression of genes involved in hormone synthesis, metabolism, and hormone receptivity in the CAM of species across the amniote phylogeny. We collected transcriptome data for the chorioallantoic membranes of the chicken (oviparous), the lizards Lerista bougainvillii (both oviparous and viviparous populations) and Pseudemoia entrecasteauxii (viviparous), and the horse Equus caballus (viviparous). The viviparous taxa differ in their mechanisms of nutrient provisioning: L. bougainvillii is lecithotrophic (embryonic nourishment is provided via the yolk only), but P. entrecasteauxii and the horse are placentotrophic (embryos are nourished via placental transport). Of the 423 hormone-related genes that we examined, 91 genes are expressed in all studied species, suggesting that the chorioallantoic membrane ancestrally had an endocrine function. Therefore, the chorioallantoic membrane appears to be a highly hormonally active organ in all amniotes. No genes are expressed only in viviparous species, suggesting that the evolution of viviparity has not required the recruitment of any specific hormone-related genes. Our data suggest that the endocrine function of the CAM as a placental tissue evolved in part through co-option of ancestral gene expression patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver W Griffith
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Heydon-Laurence Building, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States.
| | - Matthew C Brandley
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Heydon-Laurence Building, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; New York University - Sydney, The Rocks, NSW 2000, Australia
| | - Camilla M Whittington
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Heydon-Laurence Building, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Katherine Belov
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Michael B Thompson
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Heydon-Laurence Building, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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35
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Griffith OW, Wagner GP. The placenta as a model for understanding the origin and evolution of vertebrate organs. Nat Ecol Evol 2017; 1:72. [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2016] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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36
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Hendrawan K, Whittington CM, Brandley MC, Belov K, Thompson MB. The Regulation of Uterine Proinflammatory Gene Expression during Pregnancy in the Live‐Bearing Lizard,
Pseudemoia entrecasteauxii. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2017; 328:334-346. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2016] [Revised: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Hendrawan
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney Australia
| | - Camilla M Whittington
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney Australia
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science The University of Sydney Sydney Australia
| | - Matthew C Brandley
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney Australia
- New York University – Sydney The Rocks Australia
| | - Katherine Belov
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney Australia
| | - Michael B Thompson
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney Australia
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37
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Laird MK, Turancova M, McAllan BM, Murphy CR, Thompson MB. Uterine focal adhesion dynamics during pregnancy in a marsupial (
Sminthopsis crassicaudata
; Dasyuridae). Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2017; 300:1150-1159. [DOI: 10.1002/ar.23535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2016] [Revised: 08/31/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Melanie K. Laird
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Sydney New South Wales2006 Australia
| | - Michaela Turancova
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Sydney New South Wales2006 Australia
| | - Bronwyn M. McAllan
- Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences and Bosch InstituteUniversity of Sydney New South Wales2006 Australia
| | - Christopher R. Murphy
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, School of Medical Sciences and Bosch InstituteUniversity of Sydney New South Wales2006 Australia
| | - Michael B. Thompson
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Sydney New South Wales2006 Australia
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38
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Griffith OW, Brandley MC, Belov K, Thompson MB. Reptile Pregnancy Is Underpinned by Complex Changes in Uterine Gene Expression: A Comparative Analysis of the Uterine Transcriptome in Viviparous and Oviparous Lizards. Genome Biol Evol 2016; 8:3226-3239. [PMID: 27635053 PMCID: PMC5174741 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evw229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolution of new organs is difficult to study because most vertebrate organs evolved only once, more than 500 million years ago. An ideal model for understanding complex organ evolution is the placenta, a structure that is present in live bearing reptiles and mammals (amniotes), which has evolved independently more than 115 times. Using transcriptomics, we characterized the uterine gene expression patterns through the reproductive cycle of a viviparous skink lizard, Pseudemoia entrecasteauxii. Then we compare these patterns with the patterns of gene expression from two oviparous skinks Lampropholis guichenoti and Lerista bougainvillii. While thousands of genes are differentially expressed between pregnant and non-pregnant uterine tissue in the viviparous skink, few differentially expressed genes were identified between gravid and non-gravid oviparous skinks. This finding suggests that in P. entrecasteauxii, a pregnant-specific gene expression profile has evolved, allowing for the evolution of pregnancy-specific innovations in the uterus. We find substantial gene expression differences between the uterus of the chorioallantoic and the yolk sac placenta in P. entrecasteauxii, suggesting these placental regions are specialized for different placental functions. In particular, the chorioallantoic placenta is likely a major site of nutrient transport by membrane-bound transport proteins, while the yolk sac placenta also likely transports nutrients but via apocrine secretions. We discuss how the evolution of transcription factor networks is likely to underpin the evolution of the new transcriptional states in the uterine tissue of viviparous reptiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver W Griffith
- School of Life and Environmental Science, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia .,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University
| | - Matthew C Brandley
- School of Life and Environmental Science, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.,New York University-Sydney, The Rocks, NSW, Australia
| | - Katherine Belov
- School of Life and Environmental Science, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Michael B Thompson
- School of Life and Environmental Science, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
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39
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Hansen VL, Schilkey FD, Miller RD. Transcriptomic Changes Associated with Pregnancy in a Marsupial, the Gray Short-Tailed Opossum Monodelphis domestica. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0161608. [PMID: 27598793 PMCID: PMC5012577 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Accepted: 08/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Live birth has emerged as a reproductive strategy many times across vertebrate evolution; however, mammals account for the majority of viviparous vertebrates. Marsupials are a mammalian lineage that last shared a common ancestor with eutherians (placental mammals) over 148 million years ago. Marsupials are noted for giving birth to highly altricial young after a short gestation, and represent humans’ most distant viviparous mammalian relatives. Here we ask what insight can be gained into the evolution of viviparity in mammals specifically and vertebrates in general by analyzing the global uterine transcriptome in a marsupial. Transcriptome analyses were performed using NextGen sequencing of uterine RNA samples from the gray short-tailed opossum, Monodelphis domestica. Samples were collected from late stage pregnant, virgin, and non-pregnant experienced breeders. Three different algorithms were used to determine differential expression, and results were confirmed by quantitative PCR. Over 900 opossum gene transcripts were found to be significantly more abundant in the pregnant uterus than non-pregnant, and over 1400 less so. Most with increased abundance were genes related to metabolism, immune systems processes, and transport. This is the first study to characterize the transcriptomic differences between pregnant, non-pregnant breeders, and virgin marsupial uteruses and helps to establish a set of pregnancy-associated genes in the opossum. These observations allowed for comparative analyses of the differentially transcribed genes with other mammalian and non-mammalian viviparous species, revealing similarities in pregnancy related gene expression over 300 million years of amniote evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Leigh Hansen
- Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Faye Dorothy Schilkey
- National Center for Genome Resources/New Mexico IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence, Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Robert David Miller
- Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
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40
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Allelic expression of mammalian imprinted genes in a matrotrophic lizard, Pseudemoia entrecasteauxii. Dev Genes Evol 2016; 226:79-85. [DOI: 10.1007/s00427-016-0531-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2015] [Accepted: 02/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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41
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Rahman KM, Camp ME, Prasad N, McNeel AK, Levy SE, Bartol FF, Bagnell CA. Age and Nursing Affect the Neonatal Porcine Uterine Transcriptome. Biol Reprod 2015; 94:46. [PMID: 26632611 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.115.136150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2015] [Accepted: 11/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The lactocrine hypothesis for maternal programming of neonatal development was proposed to describe a mechanism through which milk-borne bioactive factors, delivered from mother to nursing offspring, could affect development of tissues, including the uterus. Porcine uterine development, initiated before birth, is completed postnatally. However, age- and lactocrine-sensitive elements of the neonatal porcine uterine developmental program are undefined. Here, effects of age and nursing on the uterine transcriptome for 48 h from birth (Postnatal Day [PND] = 0) were identified using RNA sequencing (RNAseq). Uterine tissues were obtained from neonatal gilts (n = 4 per group) within 1 h of birth and before feeding (PND 0), or 48 h after nursing ad libitum (PND 2N) or feeding a commercial milk replacer (PND 2R). RNAseq analysis revealed differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with both age (PND 2N vs. PND 0; 3283 DEGs) and nursing on PND 2 (PND 2N vs PND 2R; 896 DEGs). Expression of selected uterine genes was validated using quantitative real-time PCR. Bioinformatic analyses revealed multiple biological processes enriched in response to both age and nursing, including cell adhesion, morphogenesis, and cell-cell signaling. Age-sensitive pathways also included estrogen receptor-alpha and hedgehog signaling cascades. Lactocrine-sensitive processes in nursed gilts included those involved in response to wounding, the plasminogen activator network and coagulation. Overall, RNAseq analysis revealed comprehensive age- and nursing-related transcriptomic differences in the neonatal porcine uterus and identified novel pathways and biological processes regulating uterine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen M Rahman
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Clay Center, Nebraska Department of Animal Sciences, Endocrinology and Animal Biosciences Program, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
| | - Meredith E Camp
- Department of Animal Sciences, Endocrinology and Animal Biosciences Program, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
| | - Nripesh Prasad
- Genomic Services Laboratory, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, Alabama
| | - Anthony K McNeel
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Clay Center, Nebraska
| | - Shawn E Levy
- Genomic Services Laboratory, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, Alabama
| | - Frank F Bartol
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pharmacology, Cellular and Molecular Biosciences Program, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama
| | - Carol A Bagnell
- Department of Animal Sciences, Endocrinology and Animal Biosciences Program, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
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Blackburn DG, Avanzati AM, Paulesu L. Classics revisited. History of reptile placentology: Studiati's early account of placentation in a viviparous lizard. Placenta 2015; 36:1207-11. [DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2015.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2015] [Revised: 09/22/2015] [Accepted: 09/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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Whittington CM, Griffith OW, Qi W, Thompson MB, Wilson AB. Seahorse Brood Pouch Transcriptome Reveals Common Genes Associated with Vertebrate Pregnancy. Mol Biol Evol 2015; 32:3114-31. [PMID: 26330546 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msv177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Viviparity (live birth) has evolved more than 150 times in vertebrates, and represents an excellent model system for studying the evolution of complex traits. There are at least 23 independent origins of viviparity in fishes, with syngnathid fishes (seahorses and pipefish) unique in exhibiting male pregnancy. Male seahorses and pipefish have evolved specialized brooding pouches that provide protection, gas exchange, osmoregulation, and limited nutrient provisioning to developing embryos. Pouch structures differ widely across the Syngnathidae, offering an ideal opportunity to study the evolution of reproductive complexity. However, the physiological and genetic changes facilitating male pregnancy are largely unknown. We used transcriptome profiling to examine pouch gene expression at successive gestational stages in a syngnathid with the most complex brood pouch morphology, the seahorse Hippocampus abdominalis. Using a unique time-calibrated RNA-seq data set including brood pouch at key stages of embryonic development, we identified transcriptional changes associated with brood pouch remodeling, nutrient and waste transport, gas exchange, osmoregulation, and immunological protection of developing embryos at conception, development and parturition. Key seahorse transcripts share homology with genes of reproductive function in pregnant mammals, reptiles, and other live-bearing fish, suggesting a common toolkit of genes regulating pregnancy in divergent evolutionary lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla M Whittington
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Oliver W Griffith
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Weihong Qi
- Functional Genomics Centre, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael B Thompson
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anthony B Wilson
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia Department of Biology, Brooklyn College The Graduate Center, City University of New York
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44
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Pyron RA. Advancing perspectives on parity-mode evolution. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2015; 324:562-3. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2015] [Accepted: 07/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- R. Alexander Pyron
- Department of Biological Sciences; The George Washington University; Washington District of Columbia
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45
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Wright AM, Lyons KM, Brandley MC, Hillis DM. Which came first: The lizard or the egg? Robustness in phylogenetic reconstruction of ancestral states. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2015; 324:504-16. [PMID: 26227660 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2015] [Accepted: 07/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Changes in parity mode between egg-laying (oviparity) and live-bearing (viviparity) have occurred repeatedly throughout vertebrate evolution. Oviparity is the ancestral amniote state, and viviparity has evolved many times independently within amniotes (especially in lizards and snakes), with possibly a few reversions to oviparity. In amniotes, the shelled egg is considered a complex structure that is unlikely to re-evolve if lost (i.e., it is an example of Dollo's Principle). However, a recent ancestral state reconstruction analysis concluded that viviparity was the ancestral state of squamate reptiles (lizards and snakes), and that oviparity re-evolved from viviparity many times throughout the evolutionary history of squamates. Here, we re-evaluate support for this provocative conclusion by testing the sensitivity of the analysis to model assumptions and estimates of squamate phylogeny. We found that the models and methods used for parity mode reconstruction are highly sensitive to the specific estimate of phylogeny used, and that the point estimate of phylogeny used to suggest that viviparity is the root state of the squamate tree is far from an optimal phylogenetic solution. The ancestral state reconstructions are also highly sensitive to model choice and specific values of model parameters. A method that is designed to account for biases in taxon sampling actually accentuates, rather than lessens, those biases with respect to ancestral state reconstructions. In contrast to recent conclusions from the same data set, we find that ancestral state reconstruction analyses provide highly equivocal support for the number and direction of transitions between oviparity and viviparity in squamates. Moreover, the reconstructions of ancestral parity state are highly dependent on the assumptions of each model. We conclude that the common ancestor of squamates was oviparous, and subsequent evolutionary transitions to viviparity were common, but reversals to oviparity were rare. The three putative reversals to oviparity with the strongest phylogenetic support occurred in the snakes Eryx jayakari and Lachesis, and the lizard, Liolaemus calchaqui. Our results emphasize that because the conclusions of ancestral state reconstruction studies are often highly sensitive to the methods and assumptions of analysis, researchers should carefully consider this sensitivity when evaluating alternative hypotheses of character-state evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- April M Wright
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, Texas
| | - Kathleen M Lyons
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, Texas
| | - Matthew C Brandley
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, Australia.,New York University-Sydney, The Rocks, Australia
| | - David M Hillis
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, Texas
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46
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Tzika AC, Ullate-Agote A, Grbic D, Milinkovitch MC. Reptilian Transcriptomes v2.0: An Extensive Resource for Sauropsida Genomics and Transcriptomics. Genome Biol Evol 2015; 7:1827-41. [PMID: 26133641 PMCID: PMC4494049 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evv106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the availability of deep-sequencing techniques, genomic and transcriptomic data remain unevenly distributed across phylogenetic groups. For example, reptiles are poorly represented in sequence databases, hindering functional evolutionary and developmental studies in these lineages substantially more diverse than mammals. In addition, different studies use different assembly and annotation protocols, inhibiting meaningful comparisons. Here, we present the “Reptilian Transcriptomes Database 2.0,” which provides extensive annotation of transcriptomes and genomes from species covering the major reptilian lineages. To this end, we sequenced normalized complementary DNA libraries of multiple adult tissues and various embryonic stages of the leopard gecko and the corn snake and gathered published reptilian sequence data sets from representatives of the four extant orders of reptiles: Squamata (snakes and lizards), the tuatara, crocodiles, and turtles. The LANE runner 2.0 software was implemented to annotate all assemblies within a single integrated pipeline. We show that this approach increases the annotation completeness of the assembled transcriptomes/genomes. We then built large concatenated protein alignments of single-copy genes and inferred phylogenetic trees that support the positions of turtles and the tuatara as sister groups of Archosauria and Squamata, respectively. The Reptilian Transcriptomes Database 2.0 resource will be updated to include selected new data sets as they become available, thus making it a reference for differential expression studies, comparative genomics and transcriptomics, linkage mapping, molecular ecology, and phylogenomic analyses involving reptiles. The database is available at www.reptilian-transcriptomes.org and can be enquired using a wwwblast server installed at the University of Geneva.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athanasia C Tzika
- Laboratory of Artificial & Natural Evolution (LANE), Department of Genetics & Evolution, University of Geneva, Switzerland SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Switzerland Institute of Genetics and Genomics of Geneva (iGE3), University of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Asier Ullate-Agote
- Laboratory of Artificial & Natural Evolution (LANE), Department of Genetics & Evolution, University of Geneva, Switzerland SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Switzerland Institute of Genetics and Genomics of Geneva (iGE3), University of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Djordje Grbic
- Laboratory of Artificial & Natural Evolution (LANE), Department of Genetics & Evolution, University of Geneva, Switzerland SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Switzerland Institute of Genetics and Genomics of Geneva (iGE3), University of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Michel C Milinkovitch
- Laboratory of Artificial & Natural Evolution (LANE), Department of Genetics & Evolution, University of Geneva, Switzerland SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Switzerland Institute of Genetics and Genomics of Geneva (iGE3), University of Geneva, Switzerland
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47
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Choi JW, Chung WH, Lee KT, Cho ES, Lee SW, Choi BH, Lee SH, Lim W, Lim D, Lee YG, Hong JK, Kim DW, Jeon HJ, Kim J, Kim N, Kim TH. Whole-genome resequencing analyses of five pig breeds, including Korean wild and native, and three European origin breeds. DNA Res 2015; 22:259-67. [PMID: 26117497 PMCID: PMC4535618 DOI: 10.1093/dnares/dsv011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2014] [Accepted: 05/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Pigs have been one of the most important sources of meat for humans, and their productivity has been substantially improved by recent strong selection. Here, we present whole-genome resequencing analyses of 55 pigs of five breeds representing Korean native pigs, wild boar and three European origin breeds. 1,673.1 Gb of sequence reads were mapped to the Swine reference assembly, covering ∼99.2% of the reference genome, at an average of ∼11.7-fold coverage. We detected 20,123,573 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), of which 25.5% were novel. We extracted 35,458 of non-synonymous SNPs in 9,904 genes, which may contribute to traits of interest. The whole SNP sets were further used to access the population structures of the breeds, using multiple methodologies, including phylogenetic, similarity matrix, and population structure analysis. They showed clear population clusters with respect to each breed. Furthermore, we scanned the whole genomes to identify signatures of selection throughout the genome. The result revealed several promising loci that might underlie economically important traits in pigs, such as the CLDN1 and TWIST1 genes. These discoveries provide useful genomic information for further study of the discrete genetic mechanisms associated with economically important traits in pigs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung-Woo Choi
- Animal Genomics and Bioinformatics Division, National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration, Jeonju 565-851, Republic of Korea
| | - Won-Hyong Chung
- Animal Genomics and Bioinformatics Division, National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration, Jeonju 565-851, Republic of Korea Korean Bioinformation Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 305-806, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung-Tai Lee
- Animal Genomics and Bioinformatics Division, National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration, Jeonju 565-851, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun-Seok Cho
- Animal Genomics and Bioinformatics Division, National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration, Jeonju 565-851, Republic of Korea
| | - Si-Woo Lee
- Animal Genomics and Bioinformatics Division, National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration, Jeonju 565-851, Republic of Korea
| | - Bong-Hwan Choi
- Animal Genomics and Bioinformatics Division, National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration, Jeonju 565-851, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Heon Lee
- Korean Bioinformation Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 305-806, Republic of Korea Department of Bioinformatics, Korea University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 305-806, Republic of Korea
| | - Wonjun Lim
- Korean Bioinformation Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 305-806, Republic of Korea Department of Bioinformatics, Korea University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 305-806, Republic of Korea
| | - Dajeong Lim
- Animal Genomics and Bioinformatics Division, National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration, Jeonju 565-851, Republic of Korea
| | - Yun-Gyeong Lee
- Korean Bioinformation Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 305-806, Republic of Korea Department of Bioinformatics, Korea University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 305-806, Republic of Korea
| | - Joon-Ki Hong
- Swine Division, National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration, Suwon 441-706, Republic of Korea
| | - Doo-Wan Kim
- Swine Division, National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration, Suwon 441-706, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeon-Jeong Jeon
- Animal Genomics and Bioinformatics Division, National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration, Jeonju 565-851, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiwoong Kim
- Korean Bioinformation Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 305-806, Republic of Korea
| | - Namshin Kim
- Korean Bioinformation Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 305-806, Republic of Korea Department of Bioinformatics, Korea University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 305-806, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae-Hun Kim
- Animal Genomics and Bioinformatics Division, National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration, Jeonju 565-851, Republic of Korea
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48
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Blackburn DG. Viviparous placentotrophy in reptiles and the parent-offspring conflict. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2015; 324:532-48. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2015] [Accepted: 03/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel G. Blackburn
- Departmentof Biology; Electron Microscopy Center; Trinity College; Hartford Connecticut
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49
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Brandley MC, Bragg JG, Singhal S, Chapple DG, Jennings CK, Lemmon AR, Lemmon EM, Thompson MB, Moritz C. Evaluating the performance of anchored hybrid enrichment at the tips of the tree of life: a phylogenetic analysis of Australian Eugongylus group scincid lizards. BMC Evol Biol 2015; 15:62. [PMID: 25880916 PMCID: PMC4434831 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-015-0318-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Background High-throughput sequencing using targeted enrichment and transcriptomic methods enables rapid construction of phylogenomic data sets incorporating hundreds to thousands of loci. These advances have enabled access to an unprecedented amount of nucleotide sequence data, but they also pose new questions. Given that the loci targeted for enrichment are often highly conserved, how informative are they at different taxonomic scales, especially at the intraspecific/phylogeographic scale? We investigate this question using Australian scincid lizards in the Eugongylus group (Squamata: Scincidae). We sequenced 415 anchored hybrid enriched (AHE) loci for 43 individuals and mined 1650 exons (1648 loci) from transcriptomes (transcriptome mining) from 11 individuals, including multiple phylogeographic lineages within several species of Carlia, Lampropholis, and Saproscincus skinks. We assessed the phylogenetic information content of these loci at the intergeneric, interspecific, and phylogeographic scales. As a further test of the utility at the phylogeographic scale, we used the anchor hybrid enriched loci to infer lineage divergence parameters using coalescent models of isolation with migration. Results Phylogenetic analyses of both data sets inferred very strongly supported trees at all taxonomic levels. Further, AHE loci yielded estimates of divergence times between closely related lineages that were broadly consistent with previous population-level analyses. Conclusions Anchored-enriched loci are useful at the deep phylogeny and phylogeographic scales. Although overall phylogenetic support was high throughout the Australian Eugongylus group phylogeny, there were nonetheless some conflicting or unresolved relationships, especially regarding the placement of Pseudemoia, Cryptoblepharus, and the relationships amongst closely-related species of Tasmanian Niveoscincus skinks. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-015-0318-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C Brandley
- School of Biological Sciences, Heydon-Laurence Building A08, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia. .,New York University - Sydney, The Rocks, NSW, 2000, Australia.
| | - Jason G Bragg
- Research School of Biology and Centre for Biodiversity Analysis, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.
| | - Sonal Singhal
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, 3101 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA. .,Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, 3060 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
| | - David G Chapple
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia.
| | - Charlotte K Jennings
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, 3101 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA. .,Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, 3060 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
| | - Alan R Lemmon
- Department of Scientific Computing, Florida State University, Dirac Science Library, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.
| | - Emily Moriarty Lemmon
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, 319 Stadium Drive, PO Box 3064295, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.
| | - Michael B Thompson
- School of Biological Sciences, Heydon-Laurence Building A08, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
| | - Craig Moritz
- Research School of Biology and Centre for Biodiversity Analysis, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia. .,The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization Ecosystem Sciences Division, GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
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50
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Griffith OW, Blackburn DG, Brandley MC, Van Dyke JU, Whittington CM, Thompson MB. Ancestral state reconstructions require biological evidence to test evolutionary hypotheses: A case study examining the evolution of reproductive mode in squamate reptiles. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2015; 324:493-503. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2014] [Accepted: 01/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Oliver W. Griffith
- School of Biological Sciences; Heydon Laurence Building (A08); University of Sydney; Camperdown NSW Australia
| | | | - Matthew C. Brandley
- School of Biological Sciences; Heydon Laurence Building (A08); University of Sydney; Camperdown NSW Australia
| | - James U. Van Dyke
- School of Biological Sciences; Heydon Laurence Building (A08); University of Sydney; Camperdown NSW Australia
| | - Camilla M. Whittington
- School of Biological Sciences; Heydon Laurence Building (A08); University of Sydney; Camperdown NSW Australia
| | - Michael B. Thompson
- School of Biological Sciences; Heydon Laurence Building (A08); University of Sydney; Camperdown NSW Australia
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