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Kobayashi G. Buried treasure in a public repository: Mining mitochondrial genes of 32 annelid species from sequence reads deposited in the Sequence Read Archive (SRA). PeerJ 2023; 11:e16446. [PMID: 38047014 PMCID: PMC10693233 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of metazoans generally include the same set of protein-coding genes, which ensures the homology of mitochondrial genes between species. The mitochondrial genes are often used as reference data for species identification based on genetic data (DNA barcoding). The need for such reference data has been increasing due to the application of environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis for environmental assessments. Recently, the number of publicly available sequence reads obtained with next-generation sequencing (NGS) has been increasing in the public database (the NCBI Sequence Read Archive, SRA). Such freely available NGS reads would be promising sources for assembling mitochondrial protein-coding genes (mPCGs) of organisms whose mitochondrial genes are not available in GenBank. The present study aimed to assemble annelid mPCGs from raw data deposited in the SRA. Methods The recent progress in the classification of Annelida was briefly introduced. In the present study, the mPCGs of 32 annelid species of 19 families in clitellates and allies in Sedentaria (echiurans and polychaetes) were newly assembled from the reads deposited in the SRA. Assembly was performed with a recently published pipeline mitoRNA, which includes cycles of Bowtie2 mapping and Trinity assembly. Assembled mPCGs were deposited in GenBank as Third Party Data (TPA) data. A phylogenetic tree was reconstructed with maximum likelihood (ML) analysis, together with other mPCGs deposited in GenBank. Results and Discussion mPCG assembly was largely successful except for Travisia forbesii; only four genes were detected from the assembled contigs of the species probably due to the reads targeting its parasite. Most genes were largely successfully obtained, whereas atp8, nad2, and nad4l were only successful in 22-24 species. The high nucleotide substitution rates of these genes might be relevant to the failure in the assembly although nad6, which showed a similarly high substitution rate, was successfully assembled. Although the phylogenetic positions of several lineages were not resolved in the present study, the phylogenetic relationships of some polychaetes and leeches that were not inferred by transcriptomes were well resolved probably due to a more dense taxon sampling than previous phylogenetic analyses based on transcriptomes. Although NGS data are generally better sources for resolving phylogenetic relationships of both higher and lower classifications, there are ensuring needs for specific loci of the mitochondrial genes for analyses that do not require high resolutions, such as DNA barcoding, eDNA, and phylogenetic analysis among lower taxa. Assembly from publicly available NGS reads would help design specific primers for the mitochondrial gene sequences of species, whose mitochondrial genes are hard to amplify by Sanger sequencing using universal primers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genki Kobayashi
- Research Center for Creative Partnerships, Ishinomaki Senshu University, Ishinomaki, Miyagi, Japan
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2
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Struck TH, Golombek A, Hoesel C, Dimitrov D, Elgetany AH. Mitochondrial Genome Evolution in Annelida-A Systematic Study on Conservative and Variable Gene Orders and the Factors Influencing its Evolution. Syst Biol 2023; 72:925-945. [PMID: 37083277 PMCID: PMC10405356 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syad023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The mitochondrial genomes of Bilateria are relatively conserved in their protein-coding, rRNA, and tRNA gene complement, but the order of these genes can range from very conserved to very variable depending on the taxon. The supposedly conserved gene order of Annelida has been used to support the placement of some taxa within Annelida. Recently, authors have cast doubts on the conserved nature of the annelid gene order. Various factors may influence gene order variability including, among others, increased substitution rates, base composition differences, structure of noncoding regions, parasitism, living in extreme habitats, short generation times, and biomineralization. However, these analyses were neither done systematically nor based on well-established reference trees. Several focused on only a few of these factors and biological factors were usually explored ad-hoc without rigorous testing or correlation analyses. Herein, we investigated the variability and evolution of the annelid gene order and the factors that potentially influenced its evolution, using a comprehensive and systematic approach. The analyses were based on 170 genomes, including 33 previously unrepresented species. Our analyses included 706 different molecular properties, 20 life-history and ecological traits, and a reference tree corresponding to recent improvements concerning the annelid tree. The results showed that the gene order with and without tRNAs is generally conserved. However, individual taxa exhibit higher degrees of variability. None of the analyzed life-history and ecological traits explained the observed variability across mitochondrial gene orders. In contrast, the combination and interaction of the best-predicting factors for substitution rate and base composition explained up to 30% of the observed variability. Accordingly, correlation analyses of different molecular properties of the mitochondrial genomes showed an intricate network of direct and indirect correlations between the different molecular factors. Hence, gene order evolution seems to be driven by molecular evolutionary aspects rather than by life history or ecology. On the other hand, variability of the gene order does not predict if a taxon is difficult to place in molecular phylogenetic reconstructions using sequence data or not. We also discuss the molecular properties of annelid mitochondrial genomes considering canonical views on gene evolution and potential reasons why the canonical views do not always fit to the observed patterns without making some adjustments. [Annelida; compositional biases; ecology; gene order; life history; macroevolution; mitochondrial genomes; substitution rates.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Torsten H Struck
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1172, Blindern, 0318 Oslo, Norway
- Centre of Molecular Biodiversity Research, Zoological Research Museum Alexander KoenigBonn 53113, Germany
- FB05 Biology/Chemistry; University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück 49069, Germany
| | - Anja Golombek
- Centre of Molecular Biodiversity Research, Zoological Research Museum Alexander KoenigBonn 53113, Germany
- FB05 Biology/Chemistry; University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück 49069, Germany
| | - Christoph Hoesel
- FB05 Biology/Chemistry; University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück 49069, Germany
| | - Dimitar Dimitrov
- Department of Natural History, University Museum of Bergen, University of Bergen, P.O. Box 7800, 5020 Bergen, Norway
| | - Asmaa Haris Elgetany
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1172, Blindern, 0318 Oslo, Norway
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Damietta University, New Damietta, Central zone, 34517, Egypt
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3
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Kwak HJ, Medina-Jiménez BI, Park SC, Kim JH, Jeong GH, Jeon MJ, Kim S, Kim JW, Weisblat DA, Cho SJ. Slit-Robo expression in the leech nervous system: insights into eyespot evolution. Cell Biosci 2023; 13:70. [PMID: 37013648 PMCID: PMC10071614 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-023-01019-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Slit and Robo are evolutionarily conserved ligand and receptor proteins, respectively, but the number of slit and robo gene paralogs varies across recent bilaterian genomes. Previous studies indicate that this ligand-receptor complex is involved in axon guidance. Given the lack of data regarding Slit/Robo in the Lophotrochozoa compared to Ecdysozoa and Deuterostomia, the present study aims to identify and characterize the expression of Slit/Robo orthologs in leech development. RESULTS We identified one slit (Hau-slit), and two robo genes (Hau-robo1 and Hau-robo2), and characterized their expression spatiotemporally during the development of the glossiphoniid leech Helobdella austinensis. Throughout segmentation and organogenesis, Hau-slit and Hau-robo1 are broadly expressed in complex and roughly complementary patterns in the ventral and dorsal midline, nerve ganglia, foregut, visceral mesoderm and/or endoderm of the crop, rectum and reproductive organs. Before yolk exhaustion, Hau-robo1 is also expressed where the pigmented eye spots will later develop, and Hau-slit is expressed in the area between these future eye spots. In contrast, Hau-robo2 expression is extremely limited, appearing first in the developing pigmented eye spots, and later in the three additional pairs of cryptic eye spots in head region that never develop pigment. Comparing the expression of robo orthologs between H. austinensis and another glossiphoniid leech, Alboglossiphonia lata allows to that robo1 and robo2 operate combinatorially to differentially specify pigmented and cryptic eyespots within the glossiphoniid leeches. CONCLUSIONS Our results support a conserved role in neurogenesis, midline formation and eye spot development for Slit/Robo in the Lophotrochozoa, and provide relevant data for evo-devo studies related to nervous system evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hee-Jin Kwak
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk, 28644, Republic of Korea
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Faculty of Science, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9190401, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Brenda I Medina-Jiménez
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk, 28644, Republic of Korea
- Department of Earth Sciences, Paleobiology, Geocentrum, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Soon Cheol Park
- Department of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 06974, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Hyeuk Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk, 28644, Republic of Korea
- Wildlife Disease Response Team, National Institute of Wildlife Disease Control and Prevention, Incheon, 22689, Republic of Korea
| | - Geon-Hwi Jeong
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk, 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi-Jeong Jeon
- National Institute of Biological Resources, Environmental Research Complex, Incheon, 22689, Republic of Korea
| | - Sangil Kim
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Jung-Woong Kim
- Department of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 06974, Republic of Korea
| | - David A Weisblat
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, 385 Weill Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720-3200, USA.
| | - Sung-Jin Cho
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk, 28644, Republic of Korea.
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Genome-Based Taxa Delimitation (GBTD): A New Approach. DIVERSITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/d14110948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Proper taxonomic identification is essential for biological research. Unfortunately, there are no clear guidelines for taxonomic assignment above the species level. Here, we present a novel approach—GBTD—to the use of genetic divergence to evaluate the taxonomic position of certain samples with simultaneous estimation of the current systematics correctness. This approach includes measuring the raw and model-adjusted distances between DNA sequences and attributing them to the lowest taxonomic levels that are common in sample pairs to reveal distance distributions matching different taxonomic levels (species, genus, family etc.). GBTD facilitated the reassessment of the taxonomic position of the samples, whose genetic distances relative to other samples in the dataset did not match their taxonomic divergence. A data set of complete mitochondrial genome sequences of segmented worms was chosen to test this approach. As a result, numerous inconsistencies in the systematics of samples from GenBank were pointed out. These inconsistencies included both the oversplitting and overlumping of individuals into taxa of different levels and clear cases of misidentification. Our approach sparks re-evaluation of the current systematics where traditional methods fail to provide sufficient resolution.
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A strong backbone for an invertebrate group: anchored phylogenomics improves the resolution of genus-level relationships within the Lumbricidae (Annelida, Crassiclitellata). ORG DIVERS EVOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s13127-022-00570-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
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Kobayashi G, Itoh H, Kojima S. Mitogenome of a stink worm (Annelida: Travisiidae) includes degenerate group II intron that is also found in five congeneric species. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4449. [PMID: 35292662 PMCID: PMC8924214 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08103-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitogenomes are useful for inferring phylogenetic relationships between organisms. Although the mitogenomes of Annelida, one of the most morphologically and ecologically diverse metazoan groups have been well sequenced, those of several families remain unexamined. This study determined the first mitogenome from the family Travisiidae (Travisia sanrikuensis), analyzed its mitogenomic features, and reconstructed a phylogeny of Sedentaria. The monophyly of the Terebellida + Arenicolida + Travisiidae clade is supported by molecular phylogenetic analysis. The placement of Travisiidae is unclear because of the lack of mitogenomes from closely related lineages. An unexpected intron appeared within the cox1 gene of T. sanrikuensis and in the same positions of five undescribed Travisia spp. Although the introns are shorter (790–1386 bp) than other group II introns, they can be considered degenerate group II introns due to type II intron maturase open reading frames, found in two of the examined species, and motifs characteristic of group II introns. This is likely the first known case in metazoans where mitochondrial group II introns obtained by a common ancestor are conserved in several descendants. Insufficient evolutionary time for intron loss in Travisiidae, or undetermined mechanisms may have helped maintain the degenerate introns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genki Kobayashi
- Seto Marine Biological Laboratory, Field Science Education and Research Center, Kyoto University, 459 Shirahama, Nishimuro, Wakayama, 649-2211, Japan.
| | - Hajime Itoh
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8506, Japan
| | - Shigeaki Kojima
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8564, Japan
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OUP accepted manuscript. Zool J Linn Soc 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlac006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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8
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Cichocka JM, Bielecki A, Jabłońska‐Barna I, Krajewski Ł, Topolska K, Hildebrand J, Dmitryjuk M, Biedunkiewicz A, Abramchuk A. Sucking of human blood by Placobdella costata (O. F. Müller, 1846) (Hirudinida: Glossiphoniidae): Case study with notes on body form. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:17593-17603. [PMID: 35003625 PMCID: PMC8717304 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8261] [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: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Four events of Placobdella costata sucking human blood are described.Human blood was sucked by both adult and juvenile specimens of P. costata.The feeding strategies of juveniles under parental care are presented.New data on juvenile specimens' body form are presented.Information on the potential role of mammals in dispersion and habitat preferences of leeches P. costata is considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna M. Cichocka
- Department of ZoologyFaculty of Biology and BiotechnologyUniversity of Warmia and Mazury in OlsztynOlsztynPoland
- XI High School in OlsztynOlsztynPoland
| | - Aleksander Bielecki
- Department of ZoologyFaculty of Biology and BiotechnologyUniversity of Warmia and Mazury in OlsztynOlsztynPoland
| | - Izabela Jabłońska‐Barna
- Department of Tourism, Recreation and EcologyFaculty of GeoengineeringUniversity of Warmia and Mazury in OlsztynOlsztynPoland
| | - Łukasz Krajewski
- Institute of Technology and Life Sciences—National Research InstituteRaszynPoland
| | | | - Joanna Hildebrand
- Department of ParasitologyInstitute of Genetics and MicrobiologyUniversity of WrocławWrocławPoland
| | - Małgorzata Dmitryjuk
- Department of BiochemistryFaculty of Biology and BiotechnologyUniversity of Warmia and MazuryOlsztynPoland
| | - Anna Biedunkiewicz
- Department of Microbiology and MycologyFaculty of Biology and BiotechnologyUniversity of Warmia and Mazury in OlsztynOlsztynPoland
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9
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Martinez Acosta VG, Arellano-Carbajal F, Gillen K, Tweeten KA, Zattara EE. It Cuts Both Ways: An Annelid Model System for the Study of Regeneration in the Laboratory and in the Classroom. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:780422. [PMID: 34912808 PMCID: PMC8667080 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.780422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms supporting regeneration and successful recovery of function have fascinated scientists and the general public for quite some time, with the earliest description of regeneration occurring in the 8th century BC through the Greek mythological story of Prometheus. While most animals demonstrate the capacity for wound-healing, the ability to initiate a developmental process that leads to a partial or complete replacement of a lost structure varies widely among animal taxa. Variation also occurs within single species based on the nature and location of the wound and the developmental stage or age of the individual. Comparative studies of cellular and molecular changes that occur both during, and following, wound healing may point to conserved genomic pathways among animals of different regenerative capacity. Such insights could revolutionize studies within the field of regenerative medicine. In this review, we focus on several closely related species of Lumbriculus (Clitellata: Lumbriculidae), as we present a case for revisiting the use of an annelid model system for the study of regeneration. We hope that this review will provide a primer to Lumbriculus biology not only for regeneration researchers but also for STEM teachers and their students.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kathy Gillen
- Department of Biology, Kenyon College, Gambier, OH, United States
| | - Kay A. Tweeten
- Department of Biology, St. Catherine University, St. Paul, MN, United States
| | - Eduardo E. Zattara
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medio Ambiente, CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, The Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, United States
- Department of Biology, Indiana Molecular Biology Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
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10
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Cichocka JM, Bielecki A, Świątek P, Jabłońska-Barna I, Kobak J, Hildebrand J, Dmitryjuk M, Strużyński W, Rost-Roszkowska M. The activity of hydrolytic enzymes in the digestive system of Acanthobdellida, Branchiobdellida and Hirudinida (Annelida, Clitellata) – considerations on similarity and phylogeny. THE EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2020.1851402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- J. M. Cichocka
- Department of Zoology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Olsztyn, Poland
- XI High School, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - A. Bielecki
- Department of Zoology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - P. Świątek
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, University of Silesia in Katowice, Katowice, Poland
| | - I. Jabłońska-Barna
- Department of Tourism, Recreation and Ecology, Faculty of Geoengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - J. Kobak
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń, Poland
| | - J. Hildebrand
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
| | - M. Dmitryjuk
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - W. Strużyński
- Department of Animal Environment Biology, Institute of Animal Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - M. Rost-Roszkowska
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, University of Silesia in Katowice, Katowice, Poland
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Cryptic Clitellata: Molecular Species Delimitation of Clitellate Worms (Annelida): An Overview. DIVERSITY-BASEL 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/d13020036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Methods for species delimitation using molecular data have developed greatly and have become a staple in systematic studies of clitellate worms. Here we give a historical overview of the data and methods used to delimit clitellates from the mid-1970s to today. We also discuss the taxonomical treatment of the cryptic species, including the recommendation that cryptic species, as far as possible, should be described and named. Finally, we discuss the prospects and further development of the field.
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12
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Kuo DH, De-Miguel FF, Heath-Heckman EAC, Szczupak L, Todd K, Weisblat DA, Winchell CJ. A tale of two leeches: Toward the understanding of the evolution and development of behavioral neural circuits. Evol Dev 2020; 22:471-493. [PMID: 33226195 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2019] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In the animal kingdom, behavioral traits encompass a broad spectrum of biological phenotypes that have critical roles in adaptive evolution, but an EvoDevo approach has not been broadly used to study behavior evolution. Here, we propose that, by integrating two leech model systems, each of which has already attained some success in its respective field, it is possible to take on behavioral traits with an EvoDevo approach. We first identify the developmental changes that may theoretically lead to behavioral evolution and explain why an EvoDevo study of behavior is challenging. Next, we discuss the pros and cons of the two leech model species, Hirudo, a classic model for invertebrate neurobiology, and Helobdella, an emerging model for clitellate developmental biology, as models for behavioral EvoDevo research. Given the limitations of each leech system, neither is particularly strong for behavioral EvoDevo. However, the two leech systems are complementary in their technical accessibilities, and they do exhibit some behavioral similarities and differences. By studying them in parallel and together with additional leech species such as Haementeria, it is possible to explore the different levels of behavioral development and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dian-Han Kuo
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Francisco F De-Miguel
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular - Neurociencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City, México
| | | | - Lidia Szczupak
- Departamento de Fisiología Biología Molecular y Celular, Universidad de Buenos Aires, and IFIBYNE UBA-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Krista Todd
- Department of Neuroscience, Westminster College, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - David A Weisblat
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Christopher J Winchell
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
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Gorgoń S, Świątek P. The apical cell - An enigmatic somatic cell in leech ovaries - Structure and putative functions. Dev Biol 2020; 469:111-124. [PMID: 33141038 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2020.10.004] [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: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Although somatic cells play an integral role in animal gametogenesis, their organization and function are usually poorly characterized, especially in non-model systems. One such example is a peculiar cell found in leech ovaries - the apical cell (AC). A single AC can be found at the apical tip of each ovary cord, the functional unit of leech ovaries, where it is surrounded by other somatic and germline cells. The AC is easily distinguished due to its enormous size and its numerous long cytoplasmic projections that penetrate the space between neighboring cells. It is also characterized by a prominent accumulation of mitochondria, Golgi complexes and electron-dense vesicles. ACs are also enriched in cytoskeleton, mainly in form of intermediate filaments. Additionally, the AC is connected to neighboring cells via junctions that structurally resemble hemidesmosomes. In spite of numerous descriptive data about the AC, its functions remain poorly understood. Its suggested functions include a role in forming skeleton for the germline cells, and a role in defining a niche for germline stem cells. The latter is more speculative, since germline stem cells have not been identified in leech ovaries. Somatic cells with similar morphological properties to those of the AC have been found in gonads of nematodes - the distal tip cell - and in insects - Verson's cell, hub cells and cap cells. In the present article we summarize information about the AC structure and its putative functions. AC is compared with other well-described somatic cells with potentially similar roles in gametogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szymon Gorgoń
- University of Silesia in Katowice, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Bankowa 9, 40-032, Katowice, Poland; Umeå University, Department of Surgical and Perioperative Sciences, Surgery, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Piotr Świątek
- University of Silesia in Katowice, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Bankowa 9, 40-032, Katowice, Poland
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Phillips AJ, Govedich FR, Moser WE. Leeches in the extreme: Morphological, physiological, and behavioral adaptations to inhospitable habitats. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2020; 12:318-325. [PMID: 33101909 PMCID: PMC7569739 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2020.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
With more than 700 described species, leeches include morphological, physiological, and behavioral diversity and occur in terrestrial and aquatic habitats, including freshwater, estuarine, and marine ecosystems. Leeches inhabit a number of extreme environments, including extremes in temperature, moisture, salinity, pressure, light, and pollution. In some cases, leeches in extreme environments have specialized morphological, physiological, or behavioral adaptations to survive these conditions, yet unique adaptations are not apparent in some species. Leeches that inhabit inhospitable habitats occur in more than one branch or family of leech phylogeny suggesting that there have been independent invasions of environments with extreme conditions. Herein, we review examples of leeches that live in extreme conditions and the exceptional biology that has contributed to leeches being the most extreme annelids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna J. Phillips
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20560, USA
| | - Fredric R. Govedich
- Biology Department, Southern Utah University, 351 W. University Blvd., Cedar City, UT, 84720, USA
| | - William E. Moser
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Museum Support Center–MRC 534, 4210 Silver Hill Road, Suitland, MD, 20746, USA
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Erséus C, Williams BW, Horn KM, Halanych KM, Santos SR, James SW, Creuzé des Châtelliers M, Anderson FE. Phylogenomic analyses reveal a Palaeozoic radiation and support a freshwater origin for clitellate annelids. ZOOL SCR 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/zsc.12426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Christer Erséus
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Gothenburg Göteborg Sweden
| | - Bronwyn W. Williams
- School of Biological Sciences Southern Illinois University Carbondale IL USA
- Research Laboratory North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Raleigh NC USA
| | - Kevin M. Horn
- School of Biological Sciences Southern Illinois University Carbondale IL USA
- Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Kentucky Wesleyan College Owensboro Kentucky USA
| | - Kenneth M. Halanych
- Molette Biology Laboratory for Environmental and Climate Change Studies Department of Biological Sciences Auburn University Auburn AL USA
| | - Scott R. Santos
- Molette Biology Laboratory for Environmental and Climate Change Studies Department of Biological Sciences Auburn University Auburn AL USA
| | - Samuel W. James
- Sustainable Living Department Maharishi University of Management Fairfield IA USA
| | | | - Frank E. Anderson
- School of Biological Sciences Southern Illinois University Carbondale IL USA
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