1
|
Bourn JJ, Dorrity MW. Degrees of freedom: temperature's influence on developmental rate. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2024; 85:102155. [PMID: 38335718 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2024.102155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Temperature exerts a fundamental influence across scales of biology, from the biophysical nature of molecules, to the sensitivity of cells, and the coordinated progression of development in embryos. Species-specific developmental rates and temperature-induced acceleration of development indicate that these sensing mechanisms are harnessed to influence developmental dynamics. Tracing how temperature sensitivity propagates through biological scales to influence the pace of development can therefore reveal how embryogenesis remains robust to environmental influences. Cellular protein homeostasis (proteostasis), and cellular metabolic rate are linked to both temperature-induced and species-specific developmental tempos in specific cell types, hinting toward generalized mechanisms of timing control. New methods to extract timing information from single-cell profiling experiments are driving further progress in understanding how mechanisms of temperature sensitivity can direct cell-autonomous responses, coordination across cell types, and evolutionary modifications of developmental timing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jess J Bourn
- Structural and Computational Biology, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany. https://twitter.com/@bournsupremacy
| | - Michael W Dorrity
- Structural and Computational Biology, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Lye CM, Blanchard GB, Evans J, Nestor-Bergmann A, Sanson B. Polarised cell intercalation during Drosophila axis extension is robust to an orthogonal pull by the invaginating mesoderm. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002611. [PMID: 38683880 PMCID: PMC11081494 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
As tissues grow and change shape during animal development, they physically pull and push on each other, and these mechanical interactions can be important for morphogenesis. During Drosophila gastrulation, mesoderm invagination temporally overlaps with the convergence and extension of the ectodermal germband; the latter is caused primarily by Myosin II-driven polarised cell intercalation. Here, we investigate the impact of mesoderm invagination on ectoderm extension, examining possible mechanical and mechanotransductive effects on Myosin II recruitment and polarised cell intercalation. We find that the germband ectoderm is deformed by the mesoderm pulling in the orthogonal direction to germband extension (GBE), showing mechanical coupling between these tissues. However, we do not find a significant change in Myosin II planar polarisation in response to mesoderm invagination, nor in the rate of junction shrinkage leading to neighbour exchange events. We conclude that the main cellular mechanism of axis extension, polarised cell intercalation, is robust to the mesoderm invagination pull. We find, however, that mesoderm invagination slows down the rate of anterior-posterior cell elongation that contributes to axis extension, counteracting the tension from the endoderm invagination, which pulls along the direction of GBE.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claire M. Lye
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Guy B. Blanchard
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jenny Evans
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander Nestor-Bergmann
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Bénédicte Sanson
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Haroush N, Levo M, Wieschaus EF, Gregor T. Functional analysis of the Drosophila eve locus in response to non-canonical combinations of gap gene expression levels. Dev Cell 2023; 58:2789-2801.e5. [PMID: 37890488 PMCID: PMC10872916 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.10.001] [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: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Transcription factor combinations play a key role in shaping cellular identity. However, the precise relationship between specific combinations and downstream effects remains elusive. Here, we investigate this relationship within the context of the Drosophila eve locus, which is controlled by gap genes. We measure spatiotemporal levels of four gap genes in heterozygous and homozygous gap mutant embryos and correlate them with the striped eve activity pattern. Although changes in gap gene expression extend beyond the manipulated gene, the spatial patterns of Eve expression closely mirror canonical activation levels in wild type. Interestingly, some combinations deviate from the wild-type repertoire but still drive eve activation. Although in homozygous mutants some Eve stripes exhibit partial penetrance, stripes consistently emerge at reproducible positions, even with varying gap gene levels. Our findings suggest a robust molecular canalization of cell fates in gap mutants and provide insights into the regulatory constraints governing multi-enhancer gene loci.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Netta Haroush
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Michal Levo
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Eric F Wieschaus
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Molecular Biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Thomas Gregor
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Joseph Henry Laboratories of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Stem Cell and Developmental Biology, CNRS UMR3738 Paris Cité, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Toulany N, Morales-Navarrete H, Čapek D, Grathwohl J, Ünalan M, Müller P. Uncovering developmental time and tempo using deep learning. Nat Methods 2023; 20:2000-2010. [PMID: 37996754 PMCID: PMC10703695 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-023-02083-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
During animal development, embryos undergo complex morphological changes over time. Differences in developmental tempo between species are emerging as principal drivers of evolutionary novelty, but accurate description of these processes is very challenging. To address this challenge, we present here an automated and unbiased deep learning approach to analyze the similarity between embryos of different timepoints. Calculation of similarities across stages resulted in complex phenotypic fingerprints, which carry characteristic information about developmental time and tempo. Using this approach, we were able to accurately stage embryos, quantitatively determine temperature-dependent developmental tempo, detect naturally occurring and induced changes in the developmental progression of individual embryos, and derive staging atlases for several species de novo in an unsupervised manner. Our approach allows us to quantify developmental time and tempo objectively and provides a standardized way to analyze early embryogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nikan Toulany
- Systems Biology of Development, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck Society, Tübingen, Germany
- University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Hernán Morales-Navarrete
- Systems Biology of Development, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Daniel Čapek
- Systems Biology of Development, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Jannis Grathwohl
- Systems Biology of Development, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Murat Ünalan
- Systems Biology of Development, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
- Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck Society, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Patrick Müller
- Systems Biology of Development, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
- Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck Society, Tübingen, Germany.
- University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, Konstanz, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Developmental timing of Drosophila pachea pupae is robust to temperature changes. J Therm Biol 2022; 106:103232. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2022.103232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
|
6
|
Abstract
An enduring mystery of development is how its timing is controlled, particularly for development after birth, where timing is highly flexible and depends on environmental conditions, such as food availability and diet. We followed timing of cell- and organism-level events in individual Caenorhabditis elegans larvae developing from hatching to adulthood, uncovering widespread variations in event timing, both between isogenic individuals in the same environment and when changing conditions and genotypes. However, in almost all cases, we found that events occurred at the same time, when time was rescaled by the duration of development measured in each individual. This observation of “temporal scaling” poses strong constraints on models to explain timing of larval development. It is essential that correct temporal order of cellular events is maintained during animal development. During postembryonic development, the rate of development depends on external conditions, such as food availability, diet, and temperature. How timing of cellular events is impacted when the rate of development is changed at the organism level is not known. We used a unique time-lapse microscopy approach to simultaneously measure timing of oscillatory gene expression, hypodermal stem cell divisions, and cuticle shedding in individual Caenorhabditis elegans larvae, as they developed from hatching to adulthood. This revealed strong variability in timing between isogenic individuals under the same conditions. However, this variability obeyed “temporal scaling,” meaning that events occurred at the same time when measured relative to the total duration of development in each individual. We also observed pervasive changes in timing when temperature, diet, or genotype were varied, but with larval development divided in “epochs” that differed in how event timing was impacted. Yet, these variations in timing were still explained by temporal scaling when time was rescaled by the duration of the respective epochs in each individual. Surprisingly, timing obeyed temporal scaling even in mutants lacking lin-42/Period, presumed a core regulator of timing of larval development, that exhibited strongly delayed, heterogeneous timing. However, shifting conditions middevelopment perturbed temporal scaling and changed event order in a highly condition-specific manner, indicating that a complex machinery is responsible for temporal scaling under constant conditions.
Collapse
|
7
|
Zeng X, Komanome Y, Kawasaki T, Inada K, Jonaitis J, Pulver SR, Kazama H, Nose A. An electrically coupled pioneer circuit enables motor development via proprioceptive feedback in Drosophila embryos. Curr Biol 2021; 31:5327-5340.e5. [PMID: 34666002 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Precocious movements are widely seen in embryos of various animal species. Whether such movements via proprioceptive feedback play instructive roles in motor development or are a mere reflection of activities in immature motor circuits is a long-standing question. Here we image the emerging motor activities in Drosophila embryos that lack proprioceptive feedback and show that proprioceptive experience is essential for the development of locomotor central pattern generators (CPGs). Downstream of proprioceptive inputs, we identify a pioneer premotor circuit composed of two pairs of segmental interneurons, whose gap-junctional transmission requires proprioceptive experience and plays a crucial role in CPG formation. The circuit autonomously generates rhythmic plateau potentials via IP3-mediated Ca2+ release from internal stores, which contribute to muscle contractions and hence produce proprioceptive feedback. Our findings demonstrate the importance of self-generated movements in instructing motor development and identify the cells, circuit, and physiology at the core of this proprioceptive feedback.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiangsunze Zeng
- Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8561, Japan
| | - Yuko Komanome
- Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8561, Japan
| | - Tappei Kawasaki
- Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8561, Japan
| | - Kengo Inada
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Julius Jonaitis
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Mary's Quad, South Street, St Andrews KY16 9JP, UK
| | - Stefan R Pulver
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Mary's Quad, South Street, St Andrews KY16 9JP, UK
| | - Hokto Kazama
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan.
| | - Akinao Nose
- Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8561, Japan; Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Crapse J, Pappireddi N, Gupta M, Shvartsman SY, Wieschaus E, Wühr M. Evaluating the Arrhenius equation for developmental processes. Mol Syst Biol 2021; 17:e9895. [PMID: 34414660 PMCID: PMC8377445 DOI: 10.15252/msb.20209895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The famous Arrhenius equation is well suited to describing the temperature dependence of chemical reactions but has also been used for complicated biological processes. Here, we evaluate how well the simple Arrhenius equation predicts complex multi-step biological processes, using frog and fruit fly embryogenesis as two canonical models. We find that the Arrhenius equation provides a good approximation for the temperature dependence of embryogenesis, even though individual developmental intervals scale differently with temperature. At low and high temperatures, however, we observed significant departures from idealized Arrhenius Law behavior. When we model multi-step reactions of idealized chemical networks, we are unable to generate comparable deviations from linearity. In contrast, we find the two enzymes GAPDH and β-galactosidase show non-linearity in the Arrhenius plot similar to our observations of embryonic development. Thus, we find that complex embryonic development can be well approximated by the simple Arrhenius equation regardless of non-uniform developmental scaling and propose that the observed departure from this law likely results more from non-idealized individual steps rather than from the complexity of the system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Crapse
- Undergraduate Integrated Science CurriculumPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNJUSA
- Department of Molecular BiologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNJUSA
- Lewis‐Sigler Institute for Integrative GenomicsPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNJUSA
| | - Nishant Pappireddi
- Department of Molecular BiologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNJUSA
- Lewis‐Sigler Institute for Integrative GenomicsPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNJUSA
| | - Meera Gupta
- Department of Molecular BiologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNJUSA
- Lewis‐Sigler Institute for Integrative GenomicsPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNJUSA
- Department of Chemical and Biological EngineeringPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNJUSA
| | - Stanislav Y Shvartsman
- Undergraduate Integrated Science CurriculumPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNJUSA
- Department of Molecular BiologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNJUSA
- Lewis‐Sigler Institute for Integrative GenomicsPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNJUSA
- Center for Computational BiologyFlatiron InstituteSimons FoundationNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Eric Wieschaus
- Undergraduate Integrated Science CurriculumPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNJUSA
- Department of Molecular BiologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNJUSA
- Lewis‐Sigler Institute for Integrative GenomicsPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNJUSA
| | - Martin Wühr
- Undergraduate Integrated Science CurriculumPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNJUSA
- Department of Molecular BiologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNJUSA
- Lewis‐Sigler Institute for Integrative GenomicsPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNJUSA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Craigie K, Gauger EM, Altmann Y, Bonato C. Resource-efficient adaptive Bayesian tracking of magnetic fields with a quantum sensor. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2021; 33:195801. [PMID: 33540392 DOI: 10.1088/1361-648x/abe34f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Single-spin quantum sensors, for example based on nitrogen-vacancy centres in diamond, provide nanoscale mapping of magnetic fields. In applications where the magnetic field may be changing rapidly, total sensing time is crucial and must be minimised. Bayesian estimation and adaptive experiment optimisation can speed up the sensing process by reducing the number of measurements required. These protocols consist of computing and updating the probability distribution of the magnetic field based on measurement outcomes and of determining optimized acquisition settings for the next measurement. However, the computational steps feeding into the measurement settings of the next iteration must be performed quickly enough to allow real-time updates. This article addresses the issue of computational speed by implementing an approximate Bayesian estimation technique, where probability distributions are approximated by a finite sum of Gaussian functions. Given that only three parameters are required to fully describe a Gaussian density, we find that in many cases, the magnetic field probability distribution can be described by fewer than ten parameters, achieving a reduction in computation time by factor 10 compared to existing approaches. ForT2*=1μs, only a small decrease in computation time is achieved. However, in these regimes, the proposed Gaussian protocol outperforms the existing one in tracking accuracy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K Craigie
- School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, SUPA, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, United Kingdom
| | - E M Gauger
- School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, SUPA, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, United Kingdom
| | - Y Altmann
- School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, SUPA, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, United Kingdom
| | - C Bonato
- School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, SUPA, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Zhan L, Li MG, Hays T, Bischof J. Cryopreservation method for Drosophila melanogaster embryos. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2412. [PMID: 33893303 PMCID: PMC8065140 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22694-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of a widely adopted cryopreservation method remains a major challenge in Drosophila research. Here we report a robust and easily implemented cryopreservation protocol of Drosophila melanogaster embryos. We present innovations for embryo permeabilization, cryoprotectant agent loading, and rewarming. We show that the protocol is broadly applicable, successfully implemented in 25 distinct strains from different sources. We demonstrate that for most strains, >50% embryos hatch and >25% of the resulting larvae develop into adults after cryopreservation. We determine that survival can be significantly improved by outcrossing to mitigate the effect of genetic background for strains with low survival after cryopreservation. We show that flies retain normal sex ratio, fertility, and original mutation after successive cryopreservation of 5 generations and 6-month storage in liquid nitrogen. Lastly, we find that non-specialists are able to use this protocol to obtain consistent results, demonstrating potential for wide adoption.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Li Zhan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Advanced Technologies for the Preservation of Biological Systems (ATP-Bio), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Min-Gang Li
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Thomas Hays
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
| | - John Bischof
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
- Center for Advanced Technologies for the Preservation of Biological Systems (ATP-Bio), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Mirth CK, Saunders TE, Amourda C. Growing Up in a Changing World: Environmental Regulation of Development in Insects. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 66:81-99. [PMID: 32822557 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-041620-083838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
All organisms are exposed to changes in their environment throughout their life cycle. When confronted with these changes, they adjust their development and physiology to ensure that they can produce the functional structures necessary for survival and reproduction. While some traits are remarkably invariant, or robust, across environmental conditions, others show high degrees of variation, known as plasticity. Generally, developmental processes that establish cell identity are thought to be robust to environmental perturbation, while those relating to body and organ growth show greater degrees of plasticity. However, examples of plastic patterning and robust organ growth demonstrate that this is not a hard-and-fast rule.In this review, we explore how the developmental context and the gene regulatory mechanisms underlying trait formation determine the impacts of the environment on development in insects. Furthermore, we outline future issues that need to be resolved to understand how the structure of signaling networks defines whether a trait displays plasticity or robustness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christen K Mirth
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne 3800, Victoria, Australia;
| | - Timothy E Saunders
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117411, Republic of Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117588, Republic of Singapore
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*Star, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Republic of Singapore
| | - Christopher Amourda
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Hoover MM, Marks C. Short communication: Context matters: Adult size is contingent on embryonic temperature in Drosophila melanogaster. J Therm Biol 2020; 95:102820. [PMID: 33454028 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2020.102820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Temperature is a critical factor in shaping ectothermic development. Developmental temperature may constrain, alter, or redirect phenotypes expressed later in life. Recent studies have begun to analyze the consequences of mismatches between developmental and adult environments. Few studies analyze the consequences environmental mismatches during development yield on adult phenotypes. The aim of this study was to determine how mismatched temperatures during development affect adult size in Drosophila melanogaster. We employed a full factorial design in which eggs were incubated for 24 h in one of two temperature treatments (18 °C or 28 °C) with half of the flies subsequently being switched to the opposite temperature treatment for the remainder of development. We measured body size shortly after eclosure. We found that variation in size after eclosure was contingent upon the temperature during the embryo stage. Flies reared initially in 18 °C eclosed larger regardless of the subsequent temperature until eclsoure. Flies reared initially in 28 °C, however, eclosed smaller only if they remained in 28 °C until eclosure. The degree of plasticity in size was therefore contingent upon temperature during the embryo stage. We discuss the implications of employing full factorial approaches to consider the full context of phenotypic outcomes in light of changing developmental environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Megan M Hoover
- Department of Biology, University of Mount Union, Alliance, OH, USA.
| | - Christopher Marks
- Department of Biology, University of Mount Union, Alliance, OH, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Zhu H, Cui Y, Luo C, Liu F. Quantifying Temperature Compensation of Bicoid Gradients with a Fast T-Tunable Microfluidic Device. Biophys J 2020; 119:1193-1203. [PMID: 32853562 PMCID: PMC7499060 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
As a reaction-diffusion system strongly affected by temperature, early fly embryos surprisingly show highly reproducible and accurate developmental patterns during embryogenesis under temperature perturbations. To reveal the underlying temperature compensation mechanism, it is important to overcome the challenge in quantitative imaging on fly embryos under temperature perturbations. Inspired by microfluidics generating temperature steps on fly embryos, here we design a microfluidic device capable of ensuring the normal development of multiple fly embryos as well as achieving real-time temperature control and fast temperature switches for quantitative live imaging with a home-built two-photon microscope. We apply this system to quantify the temperature compensation of the morphogen Bicoid (Bcd) gradient in fly embryos. The length constant of the exponential Bcd gradient reaches the maximum at 25°C within the measured temperatures of 18-29°C and gradually adapts to the corresponding value at new temperatures upon a fast temperature switch. The relaxation time of such an adaptation becomes longer if the temperature is switched in a later developmental stage. This age-dependent temperature compensation could be explained if the traditional synthesis-diffusion-degradation model is extended to incorporate the dynamic change of the parameters controlling the formation of Bcd gradients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hongcun Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yeping Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Chunxiong Luo
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing, China; The State Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructures and Mesoscopic Physics, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Feng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, China; Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing, China.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Kutcherov D. Stagewise resolution of temperature-dependent embryonic and postembryonic development in the cowpea seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus (F.). BMC Ecol 2020; 20:50. [PMID: 32917176 PMCID: PMC7488527 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-020-00318-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The thermal plasticity of life-history traits receives wide attention in the recent biological literature. Of all the temperature-dependent traits studied, developmental rates of ectotherms are especially often addressed, and yet surprisingly little is known about embryonic responses to temperature, including changes in the thermal thresholds and thermal sensitivity during early development. Even postembryonic development of many cryptically living species is understood superficially at best. RESULTS This study is the first to estimate the exact durations of developmental stages in the cowpea seed beetle C. maculatus from oviposition to adult emergence at five permissive constant temperatures from 20 to 32 °C. Early embryonic development was tracked and documented by means of destructive sampling and subsequent confocal imaging of fluorescently stained specimens. Late embryonic and early larval development was studied with the use of destructive sampling and light microscopy. Well-resolved temporal series based on thousands of embryos allowed precise timing of the following developmental events: formation of the blastoderm; formation, elongation, and retraction of the germ band; dorsal closure; the onset and completion of sclerotization of the cuticle; hatching, and penetration of the first-instar larva into the cowpea seed. Pupation and adult eclosion were observed directly through an incision in the seed coat. The thermal phenotype of C. maculatus was found to vary in the course of ontogeny and different stages scaled disproportionately with temperature, but pitfalls and caveats associated with analyses of relative durations of individual stages are also briefly discussed. CONCLUSION Disproportionate changes in developmental durations with temperature may have important implications when study design requires a high degree of synchronization among experimental embryos or when the occurrence of particular stages in the field is of interest, as well as in any other cases when development times need to be estimated with precision. This work provides one of the first examples of integration of embryological techniques with ecophysiological concepts and will hopefully motivate similar projects in the future. While experiments with Drosophila continue to be the main source of information on animal development, knowledge on other model species is instrumental to building a broader picture of developmental phenomena.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dmitry Kutcherov
- Department of Entomology, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Testa ND, Kaul S, Le KN, Zhan M, Lu H, Paaby AB. A portable, low-cost device for precise control of specimen temperature under stereomicroscopes. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0230241. [PMID: 32160236 PMCID: PMC7065815 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
To facilitate precise and convenient control of biological sample temperature, we developed a low-cost device that can be used independently or with any stereomicroscope. The purpose of the device is to control the thermal environment during experimental intervals in which a specimen must be manipulated outside of an incubator, e.g. for dissection or slide-mounting in preparation for imaging. Sample temperatures can be both cooled to below and heated to above room temperatures, and stably maintained at a precision of +/- 0.1˚C. To demonstrate the utility of this device, we report improved characterization of the penetrance of a short-acting temperature-sensitive allele in C. elegans embryos, and identification of the upper temperature threshold for embryonic viability for six Caenorhabditis species. By controlling the temperature environment even as a specimen is manipulated, this device offers consistency and flexibility, reduces environmental noise, and enables precision timing in experiments requiring temperature shifts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas D. Testa
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Samiksha Kaul
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Kim N. Le
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Mei Zhan
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Hang Lu
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Annalise B. Paaby
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Irvine SQ. Embryonic canalization and its limits-A view from temperature. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2020; 334:128-144. [PMID: 32011096 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Many animals are able to produce similar offspring over a range of environmental conditions. This property of the developmental process has been termed canalization-the channeling of developmental pathways to generate a stable outcome despite varying conditions. Temperature is one environmental parameter that has fundamental effects on cell physiology and biochemistry, yet developmental programs generally result in a stable phenotype under a range of temperatures. On the other hand, there are typically upper and lower temperature limits beyond which the developmental program is unable to produce normal offspring. This review summarizes data on how development is affected by temperature, particularly high temperature, in various animal species. It also brings together information on potential cell biological and developmental genetic factors that may be responsible for developmental stability in varying temperatures, and likely critical mechanisms that break down at high temperature. Also reviewed are possible means for studying temperature effects on embryogenesis and how to determine which factors are most critical at the high-temperature limits for normal development. Increased knowledge of these critical factors will point to the targets of selection under climate change, and more generally, how developmental robustness in varying environments is maintained.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Steven Q Irvine
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Abstract
Spatially distributed signaling molecules, known as morphogens, provide spatial information during development. A host of different morphogens have now been identified, from subcellular gradients through to morphogens that act across a whole embryo. These gradients form over a wide-range of timescales, from seconds to hours, and their time windows for interpretation are also highly variable; the processes of morphogen gradient formation and interpretation are highly dynamic. The morphogen Bicoid (Bcd), present in the early Drosophila embryo, is essential for setting up the future Drosophila body segments. Due to its accessibility for both genetic perturbations and imaging, this system has provided key insights into how precise patterning can occur within a highly dynamic system. Here, we review the temporal scales of Bcd gradient formation and interpretation. In particular, we discuss the quantitative evidence for different models of Bcd gradient formation, outline the time windows for Bcd interpretation, and describe how Bcd temporally adapts its own ability to be interpreted. The utilization of temporal information in morphogen readout may provide crucial inputs to ensure precise spatial patterning, particularly in rapidly developing systems.
Collapse
|
18
|
Austin CJ, Moehring AJ. Local thermal adaptation detected during multiple life stages across populations of
Drosophila melanogaster. J Evol Biol 2019; 32:1342-1351. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Revised: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Amanda J. Moehring
- Department of Biology The University of Western Ontario London ON Canada
| |
Collapse
|