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Jakovlić I, Ye T, Zou H, Zhu F, Shi Y, Ma Y, Wang GT, Li WX, Zhang D. Drivers of interlineage variability in mitogenomic evolutionary rates in Platyhelminthes. Heredity (Edinb) 2024:10.1038/s41437-024-00712-2. [PMID: 39095653 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-024-00712-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Revised: 07/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Studies of forces driving interlineage variability in the evolutionary rates (both sequence and architecture) of mitochondrial genomes often produce contradictory results. Flatworms (Platyhelminthes) exhibit the fastest-evolving mitogenomic sequences among all bilaterian phyla. To test the effects of multiple factors previously associated with different aspects of mitogenomic evolution, we used mitogenomes of 223 flatworm species, phylogenetic multilevel regression models, and causal inference. Thermic host environment (endothermic vs. ectothermic) had nonsignificant impacts on both sequence evolution and mitogenomic size. Mitogenomic gene order rearrangements (GORR) were mostly positively correlated with mitogenomic size (R2 ≈ 20-30%). Longevity was not (negatively) correlated with sequence evolution in flatworms. The predominantly free-living "turbellaria" exhibited much shorter branches and faster-evolving mitogenomic architecture than parasitic Neodermata. As a result, "parasitism" had a strong explanatory power on the branch length variability (>90%), and there was a negative correlation between GORR and branch length. However, the stem branch of Neodermata comprised 63.6% of the total average branch length. This evolutionary period was also marked by a high rate of gene order rearrangements in the ancestral Neodermata. We discuss how this period of rapid evolution deep in the evolutionary history may have decoupled sequence evolution rates from longevity and GORR, and overestimated the explanatory power of "parasitism". This study shows that impacts of variables often vary across lineages, and stresses the importance accounting for the episodic nature of evolutionary patterns in studies of mitogenomic evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Jakovlić
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, and College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Tong Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, and College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Hong Zou
- Key Laboratory of Aquaculture Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture, and State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Fengyue Zhu
- National Agricultural Science Observing and Experimental Station of Chongqing, Chongqing, 401329, China
- Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Science, Wuhan, 430073, China
| | - Yuying Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, and College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Yiwen Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, and College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Gui-Tang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Aquaculture Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture, and State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Wen-Xiang Li
- Key Laboratory of Aquaculture Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture, and State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Dong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, and College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
- Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Environment on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Ministry of Education, School of Ecology and Environment, Tibet University, Lhasa, 850011, China.
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2
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Sato S, Derkarabetian S, Lord A, Giribet G. An ultraconserved element probe set for velvet worms (Onychophora). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2024; 197:108115. [PMID: 38810901 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2024.108115] [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: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 05/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Onychophora are cryptic, soil-dwelling invertebrates known for their biogeographic affinities, diversity of reproductive modes, close phylogenetic relationship to arthropods, and peculiar prey capture mechanism. The 216 valid species of Onychophora are grouped into two families - Peripatopsidae and Peripatidae - and apart from a few relationships among major lineages within these two families, a stable phylogenetic backbone for the phylum has yet to be resolved. This has hindered our understanding of onychophoran biogeographic patterns, evolutionary history, and systematics. Neopatida, the Neotropical clade of peripatids, has proved particularly difficult, with recalcitrant nodes and low resolution, potentially due to rapid radiation of the group during the Cretaceous. Previous studies have had to compromise between number of loci and number of taxa due to limitations of Sanger sequencing and phylotranscriptomics, respectively. Additionally, aspects of their genome size and structure have made molecular phylogenetics difficult and data matrices have been affected by missing data. To address these issues, we leveraged recent, published transcriptomes and the first high quality genome for the phylum and designed a high affinity ultraconserved element (UCE) probe set for Onychophora. This new probe set, consisting of ∼ 20,000 probes that target 1,465 loci across both families, has high locus recovery and phylogenetic utility. Phylogenetic analyses recovered the monophyly of major clades of Onychophora and revealed a novel lineage from the Neotropics that challenges our current understanding of onychophoran biogeographic endemicity. This new resource could drastically increase the power of molecular datasets and potentially allow access to genomic scale data from archival museum specimens to further tackle the issues exasperating onychophoran systematics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoyo Sato
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA; Marine Biological Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 4, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark(1).
| | - Shahan Derkarabetian
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA; San Diego Natural History Museum, Department of Entomology, San Diego, CA, USA(1)
| | - Arianna Lord
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Gonzalo Giribet
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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Wang D, Qiang Y, Guo J, Vannier J, Song Z, Peng J, Zhang B, Sun J, Yu Y, Zhang Y, Zhang T, Yang X, Han J. Early evolution of the ecdysozoan body plan. eLife 2024; 13:RP94709. [PMID: 38976315 PMCID: PMC11231812 DOI: 10.7554/elife.94709] [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] [Indexed: 07/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Extant ecdysozoans (moulting animals) are represented by a great variety of soft-bodied or articulated organisms that may or may not have appendages. However, controversies remain about the vermiform nature (i.e. elongated and tubular) of their ancestral body plan. We describe here Beretella spinosa gen. et sp. nov. a tiny (maximal length 3 mm) ecdysozoan from the lowermost Cambrian, Yanjiahe Formation, South China, characterized by an unusual sack-like appearance, single opening, and spiny ornament. Beretella spinosa gen. et sp. nov has no equivalent among animals, except Saccorhytus coronarius, also from the basal Cambrian. Phylogenetic analyses resolve both fossil species as a sister group (Saccorhytida) to all known Ecdysozoa, thus suggesting that ancestral ecdysozoans may have been non-vermiform animals. Saccorhytids are likely to represent an early off-shot along the stem-line Ecdysozoa. Although it became extinct during the Cambrian, this animal lineage provides precious insight into the early evolution of Ecdysozoa and the nature of the earliest representatives of the group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life & Environments and Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yaqin Qiang
- School of Earth Science and Resources, Key Laboratory of Western China's Mineral Resources and Geological Engineering, Ministry of Education, Chang'an University, Xi'an, China
| | - Junfeng Guo
- School of Earth Science and Resources, Key Laboratory of Western China's Mineral Resources and Geological Engineering, Ministry of Education, Chang'an University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jean Vannier
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, ENS de Lyon, CNRS, Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon: Terre, Planètes, Environnement (CNRS-UMR 5276), Villeurbanne, France
| | - Zuchen Song
- School of Earth Science and Resources, Key Laboratory of Western China's Mineral Resources and Geological Engineering, Ministry of Education, Chang'an University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jiaxin Peng
- School of Earth Science and Resources, Key Laboratory of Western China's Mineral Resources and Geological Engineering, Ministry of Education, Chang'an University, Xi'an, China
| | - Boyao Zhang
- School of Earth Science and Resources, Key Laboratory of Western China's Mineral Resources and Geological Engineering, Ministry of Education, Chang'an University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jie Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life & Environments and Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
- School of Earth Science and Resources, Key Laboratory of Western China's Mineral Resources and Geological Engineering, Ministry of Education, Chang'an University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yilun Yu
- Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yiheng Zhang
- School of Information Science and Technology, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- School of Information Science and Technology, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xiaoguang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life & Environments and Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jian Han
- State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life & Environments and Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
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Liang Y, Carrillo-Baltodano AM, Martín-Durán JM. Emerging trends in the study of spiralian larvae. Evol Dev 2024; 26:e12459. [PMID: 37787615 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Many animals undergo indirect development, where their embryogenesis produces an intermediate life stage, or larva, that is often free-living and later metamorphoses into an adult. As their adult counterparts, larvae can have unique and diverse morphologies and occupy various ecological niches. Given their broad phylogenetic distribution, larvae have been central to hypotheses about animal evolution. However, the evolution of these intermediate forms and the developmental mechanisms diversifying animal life cycles are still debated. This review focuses on Spiralia, a large and diverse clade of bilaterally symmetrical animals with a fascinating array of larval forms, most notably the archetypical trochophore larva. We explore how classic research and modern advances have improved our understanding of spiralian larvae, their development, and evolution. Specifically, we examine three morphological features of spiralian larvae: the anterior neural system, the ciliary bands, and the posterior hyposphere. The combination of molecular and developmental evidence with modern high-throughput techniques, such as comparative genomics, single-cell transcriptomics, and epigenomics, is a promising strategy that will lead to new testable hypotheses about the mechanisms behind the evolution of larvae and life cycles in Spiralia and animals in general. We predict that the increasing number of available genomes for Spiralia and the optimization of genome-wide and single-cell approaches will unlock the study of many emerging spiralian taxa, transforming our views of the evolution of this animal group and their larvae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Liang
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | | | - José M Martín-Durán
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
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5
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Gąsiorowski L. Phoronida-A small clade with a big role in understanding the evolution of lophophorates. Evol Dev 2024; 26:e12437. [PMID: 37119003 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12437] [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: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Phoronids, together with brachiopods and bryozoans, form the animal clade Lophophorata. Modern lophophorates are quite diverse-some can biomineralize while others are soft-bodied, they could be either solitary or colonial, and they develop through various eccentric larval stages that undergo different types of metamorphoses. The diversity of this clade is further enriched by numerous extinct fossil lineages with their own distinct body plans and life histories. In this review, I discuss how data on phoronid development, genetics, and morphology can inform our understanding of lophophorate evolution. The actinotrocha larvae of phoronids is a well documented example of intercalation of the new larval body plan, which can be used to study how new life stages emerge in animals with biphasic life cycle. The genomic and embryonic data from phoronids, in concert with studies of the fossil lophophorates, allow the more precise reconstruction of the evolution of lophophorate biomineralization. Finally, the regenerative and asexual abilities of phoronids can shed new light on the evolution of coloniality in lophophorates. As evident from those examples, Phoronida occupies a central role in the discussion of the evolution of lophophorate body plans and life histories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludwik Gąsiorowski
- Department of Tissue Dynamics and Regeneration, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
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6
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Huan P, Liu B. The gastropod Lottia peitaihoensis as a model to study the body patterning of trochophore larvae. Evol Dev 2024; 26:e12456. [PMID: 37667429 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12456] [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: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
The body patterning of trochophore larvae is important for understanding spiralian evolution and the origin of the bilateral body plan. However, considerable variations are observed among spiralian lineages, which have adopted varied strategies to develop trochophore larvae or even omit a trochophore stage. Some spiralians, such as patellogastropod mollusks, are suggested to exhibit ancestral traits by producing equal-cleaving fertilized eggs and possessing "typical" trochophore larvae. In recent years, we developed a potential model system using the patellogastropod Lottia peitaihoensis (= Lottia goshimai). Here, we introduce how the species were selected and establish sources and techniques, including gene knockdown, ectopic gene expression, and genome editing. Investigations on this species reveal essential aspects of trochophore body patterning, including organizer signaling, molecular and cellular processes connecting the various developmental functions of the organizer, the specification and behaviors of the endomesoderm and ectomesoderm, and the characteristic dorsoventral decoupling of Hox expression. These findings enrich the knowledge of trochophore body patterning and have important implications regarding the evolution of spiralians as well as bilateral body plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pin Huan
- CAS and Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Baozhong Liu
- CAS and Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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7
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Sachkova MY. Evolutionary origin of the nervous system from Ctenophora prospective. Evol Dev 2024; 26:e12472. [PMID: 38390763 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12472] [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: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Nervous system is one of the key adaptations underlying the evolutionary success of the majority of animal groups. Ctenophores (or comb jellies) are gelatinous marine invertebrates that were probably the first lineage to diverge from the rest of animals. Due to the key phylogenetic position and multiple unique adaptations, the noncentralized nervous system of comb jellies has been in the center of the debate around the origin of the nervous system in the animal kingdom and whether it happened only once or twice. Here, we discuss the latest findings in ctenophore neuroscience and multiple challenges on the way to build a clear evolutionary picture of the origin of the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Y Sachkova
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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8
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Deng X, Seguinot BO, Bradshaw G, Lee JS, Coy S, Kalocsay M, Santagata S, Mitchison T. STMND1 is a phylogenetically ancient stathmin which localizes to motile cilia and exhibits nuclear translocation that is inhibited when soluble tubulin concentration increases. Mol Biol Cell 2024; 35:ar82. [PMID: 38630521 PMCID: PMC11238091 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e23-12-0514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Stathmins are small, unstructured proteins that bind tubulin dimers and are implicated in several human diseases, but whose function remains unknown. We characterized a new stathmin, STMND1 (Stathmin Domain Containing 1) as the human representative of an ancient subfamily. STMND1 features a N-terminal myristoylated and palmitoylated motif which directs it to membranes and a tubulin-binding stathmin-like domain (SLD) that contains an internal nuclear localization signal. Biochemistry and proximity labeling showed that STMND1 binds tubulin, and live imaging showed that tubulin binding inhibits translocation from cellular membranes to the nucleus. STMND1 is highly expressed in multiciliated epithelial cells, where it localizes to motile cilia. Overexpression in a model system increased the length of primary cilia. Our study suggests that the most ancient stathmins have cilium-related functions that involve sensing soluble tubulin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Deng
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Bryan O. Seguinot
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Gary Bradshaw
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Jong Suk Lee
- Ludwig Center at Harvard, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Shannon Coy
- Ludwig Center at Harvard, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Marian Kalocsay
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Sandro Santagata
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Ludwig Center at Harvard, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Timothy Mitchison
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
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Alfonso P, Butković A, Fernández R, Riesgo A, Elena SF. Unveiling the hidden viromes across the animal tree of life: insights from a taxonomic classification pipeline applied to invertebrates of 31 metazoan phyla. mSystems 2024; 9:e0012424. [PMID: 38651902 PMCID: PMC11097642 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00124-24] [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: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Invertebrates constitute the majority of animal species on Earth, including most disease-causing agents or vectors, with more diverse viromes when compared to vertebrates. Recent advancements in high-throughput sequencing have significantly expanded our understanding of invertebrate viruses, yet this knowledge remains biased toward a few well-studied animal lineages. In this study, we analyze invertebrate DNA and RNA viromes for 31 phyla using 417 publicly available RNA-Seq data sets from diverse environments in the marine-terrestrial and marine-freshwater gradients. This study aims to (i) estimate virome compositions at the family level for the first time across the animal tree of life, including the first exploration of the virome in several phyla, (ii) quantify the diversity of invertebrate viromes and characterize the structure of invertebrate-virus infection networks, and (iii) investigate host phylum and habitat influence on virome differences. Results showed that a set of few viral families of eukaryotes, comprising Retroviridae, Flaviviridae, and several families of giant DNA viruses, were ubiquitous and highly abundant. Nevertheless, some differences emerged between phyla, revealing for instance a less diverse virome in Ctenophora compared to the other animal phyla. Compositional analysis of the viromes showed that the host phylum explained over five times more variance in composition than its habitat. Moreover, significant similarities were observed between the viromes of some phylogenetically related phyla, which could highlight the influence of co-evolution in shaping invertebrate viromes.IMPORTANCEThis study significantly enhances our understanding of the global animal virome by characterizing the viromes of previously unexamined invertebrate lineages from a large number of animal phyla. It showcases the great diversity of viromes within each phylum and investigates the role of habitat shaping animal viral communities. Furthermore, our research identifies dominant virus families in invertebrates and distinguishes phyla with analogous viromes. This study sets the road toward a deeper understanding of the virome across the animal tree of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pau Alfonso
- Instituto de Biología Integrativa de Sistemas (CSIC-Universitat de València), Paterna, València, Spain
| | - Anamarija Butković
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR6047 Archaeal Virology Unit, Paris, France
| | - Rosa Fernández
- Instituto de Biología Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana Riesgo
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Santiago F. Elena
- Instituto de Biología Integrativa de Sistemas (CSIC-Universitat de València), Paterna, València, Spain
- The Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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Hookabe N, Ueshima R, Miura T. Postembryonic development and lifestyle shift in the commensal ribbon worm. Front Zool 2024; 21:13. [PMID: 38711088 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-024-00533-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Various morphological adaptations are associated with symbiotic relationships between organisms. One such adaptation is seen in the nemertean genus Malacobdella. All species in the genus are commensals of molluscan hosts, attaching to the surface of host mantles with a terminal sucker. Malacobdella possesses several unique characteristics within the order Monostilifera, exhibiting the terminal sucker and the absence of eyes and apical/cerebral organs, which are related to their adaptation to a commensal lifestyle. Nevertheless, the developmental processes that give rise to these morphological characteristics during their transition from free-living larvae to commensal adults remain uncertain. RESULTS In the present study, therefore, we visualized the developmental processes of the internal morphologies during postembryonic larval stages using fluorescent molecular markers. We demonstrated the developmental processes, including the formation of the sucker primordium and the functional sucker. Furthermore, our data revealed that sensory organs, including apical/cerebral organs, formed in embryonic and early postembryonic stages but degenerated in the late postembryonic stage prior to settlement within their host using a terminal sucker. CONCLUSIONS This study reveals the formation of the terminal sucker through tissue invagination, shedding light on its adhesion mechanism. Sucker muscle development likely originates from body wall muscles. Notably, M. japonica exhibits negative phototaxis despite lacking larval ocelli. This observation suggests a potential role for other sensory mechanisms, such as the apical and cerebral organs identified in the larvae, in facilitating settlement and adhesive behaviors. The loss of sensory organs during larval development might reflect a transition from planktonic feeding to a stable, host-associated lifestyle. This study also emphasizes the need for further studies to explore the phylogenetic relationships within the infraorder Amphiporiina and investigate the postembryonic development of neuromuscular systems in closely related taxa to gain a more comprehensive understanding of ecological adaptations in Nemertea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natsumi Hookabe
- Research Institute for Global Change (RIGC), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Kanagawa, 237-0061, Japan.
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
| | - Rei Ueshima
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Toru Miura
- Misaki Marine Biological Station, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Miura, Kanagawa, 238-0225, Japan
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11
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Formaggioni A, Cavalli G, Hamada M, Sakamoto T, Plazzi F, Passamonti M. The Evolution and Characterization of the RNA Interference Pathways in Lophotrochozoa. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evae098. [PMID: 38713108 PMCID: PMC11114477 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae098] [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: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
In animals, three main RNA interference mechanisms have been described so far, which respectively maturate three types of small noncoding RNAs (sncRNAs): miRNAs, piRNAs, and endo-siRNAs. The diversification of these mechanisms is deeply linked with the evolution of the Argonaute gene superfamily since each type of sncRNA is typically loaded by a specific Argonaute homolog. Moreover, other protein families play pivotal roles in the maturation of sncRNAs, like the DICER ribonuclease family, whose DICER1 and DICER2 paralogs maturate respectively miRNAs and endo-siRNAs. Within Metazoa, the distribution of these families has been only studied in major groups, and there are very few data for clades like Lophotrochozoa. Thus, we here inferred the evolutionary history of the animal Argonaute and DICER families including 43 lophotrochozoan species. Phylogenetic analyses along with newly sequenced sncRNA libraries suggested that in all Trochozoa, the proteins related to the endo-siRNA pathway have been lost, a part of them in some phyla (i.e. Nemertea, Bryozoa, Entoprocta), while all of them in all the others. On the contrary, early diverging phyla, Platyhelminthes and Syndermata, showed a complete endo-siRNA pathway. On the other hand, miRNAs were revealed the most conserved and ubiquitous mechanism of the metazoan RNA interference machinery, confirming their pivotal role in animal cell regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Formaggioni
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Gianmarco Cavalli
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Mayuko Hamada
- Ushimado Marine Institute, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | | | - Federico Plazzi
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Marco Passamonti
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Defourneaux É, Herranz M, Armenteros M, Sørensen MV, Norenburg JL, Park T, Worsaae K. Circumtropical distribution and cryptic species of the meiofaunal enteropneust Meioglossus (Harrimaniidae, Hemichordata). Sci Rep 2024; 14:9296. [PMID: 38654022 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57591-0] [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: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Hemichordata has always played a central role in evolutionary studies of Chordata due to their close phylogenetic affinity and shared morphological characteristics. Hemichordates had no meiofaunal representatives until the surprising discovery of a microscopic, paedomorphic enteropneust Meioglossus psammophilus (Harrimaniidae, Hemichordata) from the Caribbean in 2012. No additional species have been described since, questioning the broader distribution and significance of this genus. However, being less than a millimeter long and superficially resembling an early juvenile acorn worm, Meioglossus may easily be overlooked in both macrofauna and meiofauna surveys. We here present the discovery of 11 additional populations of Meioglossus from shallow subtropical and tropical coralline sands of the Caribbean Sea, Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and East China Sea. These geographically separated populations show identical morphology but differ genetically. Our phylogenetic reconstructions include four gene markers and support the monophyly of Meioglossus. Species delineation analyses revealed eight new cryptic species, which we herein describe using DNA taxonomy. This study reveals a broad circumtropical distribution, supporting the validity and ecological importance of this enigmatic meiobenthic genus. The high cryptic diversity and apparent morphological stasis of Meioglossus may exemplify a potentially common evolutionary 'dead-end' scenario, where groups with highly miniaturized and simplified body plan lose their ability to diversify morphologically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Éloïse Defourneaux
- Marine Biological Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 4, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Maria Herranz
- Marine Biological Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 4, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Area of Biodiversity and Conservation, Superior School of Experimental Science and Technology (ESCET), Rey Juan Carlos University, C/ Tulipán S/N, 28933, Mostoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maickel Armenteros
- Unidad Académica Mazatlán, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Joel Montes Camarena S/N, 82040, Mazatlán, México
| | - Martin V Sørensen
- Natural History Museum Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jon L Norenburg
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Taeseo Park
- Species Diversity Research Division, National Institute of Biological Resources, Hwangyeong-Ro 42, Incheon, 22689, South Korea
| | - Katrine Worsaae
- Marine Biological Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 4, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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13
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Frydrychová RČ, Konopová B, Peska V, Brejcha M, Sábová M. Telomeres and telomerase: active but complex players in life-history decisions. Biogerontology 2024; 25:205-226. [PMID: 37610666 DOI: 10.1007/s10522-023-10060-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Studies on human telomeres have established that telomeres exert a significant influence on lifespan and health of organisms. However, recent research has indicated that the original idea that telomeres affect lifespan in a universal and central manner across all eukaryotic species is an oversimplification. Indeed, findings from a variety of animal species revealed that the role of telomere biology in aging is more subtle and intricate than previously recognized. Here, we show how telomere biology varies depending on the taxon. We also show how telomere biology corresponds to basic life history traits and affects the life table of a species and investments in growth, body size, reproduction, and lifespan; telomeres are hypothesized to shape evolutionary perspectives for species in an active but complex manner. Our evaluation is based on telomere biology data from many examples from throughout the animal kingdom that vary according to the degree of organismal complexity and life history strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radmila Čapková Frydrychová
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Barbora Konopová
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Vratislav Peska
- Department of Cell Biology and Radiobiology, Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, 612 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Miloslav Brejcha
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Michala Sábová
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
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14
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Dietz L, Mayer C, Stolle E, Eberle J, Misof B, Podsiadlowski L, Niehuis O, Ahrens D. Metazoa-level USCOs as markers in species delimitation and classification. Mol Ecol Resour 2024; 24:e13921. [PMID: 38146909 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13921] [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: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
Metazoa-level universal single-copy orthologs (mzl-USCOs) are universally applicable markers for DNA taxonomy in animals that can replace or supplement single-gene barcodes. Previously, mzl-USCOs from target enrichment data were shown to reliably distinguish species. Here, we tested whether USCOs are an evenly distributed, representative sample of a given metazoan genome and therefore able to cope with past hybridization events and incomplete lineage sorting. This is relevant for coalescent-based species delimitation approaches, which critically depend on the assumption that the investigated loci do not exhibit autocorrelation due to physical linkage. Based on 239 chromosome-level assembled genomes, we confirmed that mzl-USCOs are genetically unlinked for practical purposes and a representative sample of a genome in terms of reciprocal distances between USCOs on a chromosome and of distribution across chromosomes. We tested the suitability of mzl-USCOs extracted from genomes for species delimitation and phylogeny in four case studies: Anopheles mosquitos, Drosophila fruit flies, Heliconius butterflies and Darwin's finches. In almost all instances, USCOs allowed delineating species and yielded phylogenies that corresponded to those generated from whole genome data. Our phylogenetic analyses demonstrate that USCOs may complement single-gene DNA barcodes and provide more accurate taxonomic inferences. Combining USCOs from sources that used different versions of ortholog reference libraries to infer marker orthology may be challenging and, at times, impact taxonomic conclusions. However, we expect this problem to become less severe as the rapidly growing number of reference genomes provides a better representation of the number and diversity of organismal lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Dietz
- Museum A. Koenig, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Bonn, Germany
| | - Christoph Mayer
- Museum A. Koenig, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Bonn, Germany
| | - Eckart Stolle
- Museum A. Koenig, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jonas Eberle
- Museum A. Koenig, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Bonn, Germany
- Paris-Lodron-University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Bernhard Misof
- Museum A. Koenig, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Bonn, Germany
- Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Lars Podsiadlowski
- Museum A. Koenig, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Bonn, Germany
| | - Oliver Niehuis
- Abt. Evolutionsbiologie und Ökologie, Institut für Biologie I, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Dirk Ahrens
- Museum A. Koenig, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Bonn, Germany
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15
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Sierra NC, Gold DA. The evolution of cnidarian stinging cells supports a Precambrian radiation of animal predators. Evol Dev 2024; 26:e12469. [PMID: 38236185 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12469] [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: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Cnidarians-the phylum including sea anemones, corals, jellyfish, and hydroids-are one of the oldest groups of predatory animals. Nearly all cnidarians are carnivores that use stinging cells called cnidocytes to ensnare and/or envenom their prey. However, there is considerable diversity in cnidocyte form and function. Tracing the evolutionary history of cnidocytes may therefore provide a proxy for early animal feeding strategies. In this study, we generated a time-calibrated molecular clock of cnidarians and performed ancestral state reconstruction on 12 cnidocyte types to test the hypothesis that the original cnidocyte was involved in prey capture. We conclude that the first cnidarians had only the simplest and least specialized cnidocyte type (the isorhiza) which was just as likely to be used for adhesion and/or defense as the capture of prey. A rapid diversification of specialized cnidocytes occurred through the Ediacaran (~654-574 million years ago), with major subgroups developing unique sets of cnidocytes to match their distinct feeding styles. These results are robust to changes in the molecular clock model, and are consistent with growing evidence for an Ediacaran diversification of animals. Our work also provides insight into the evolution of this complex cell type, suggesting that convergence of forms is rare, with the mastigophore being an interesting counterexample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noémie C Sierra
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
- Integrative Genetics and Genomics, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - David A Gold
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
- Integrative Genetics and Genomics, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
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16
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Quiroga-Artigas G, Moriel-Carretero M. Storage cell proliferation during somatic growth establishes that tardigrades are not eutelic organisms. Biol Open 2024; 13:bio060299. [PMID: 38411464 PMCID: PMC10924213 DOI: 10.1242/bio.060299] [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: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Tardigrades, microscopic ecdysozoans known for extreme environment resilience, were traditionally believed to maintain a constant cell number after completing embryonic development, a phenomenon termed eutely. However, sporadic reports of dividing cells have raised questions about this assumption. In this study, we explored tardigrade post-embryonic cell proliferation using the model species Hypsibius exemplaris. Comparing hatchlings to adults, we observed an increase in the number of storage cells, responsible for nutrient storage. We monitored cell proliferation via 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation, revealing large numbers of EdU+ storage cells during growth, which starvation halted. EdU incorporation associated with molting, a vital post-embryonic development process involving cuticle renewal for further growth. Notably, DNA replication inhibition strongly reduced EdU+ cell numbers and caused molting-related fatalities. Our study is the first to demonstrate using molecular approaches that storage cells actively proliferate during tardigrade post-embryonic development, providing a comprehensive insight into replication events throughout their somatic growth. Additionally, our data underscore the significance of proper DNA replication in tardigrade molting and survival. This work definitely establishes that tardigrades are not eutelic, and offers insights into cell cycle regulation, replication stress, and DNA damage management in these remarkable creatures as genetic manipulation techniques emerge within the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Quiroga-Artigas
- Centre de Recherche en Biologie cellulaire de Montpellier (CRBM), Université de Montpellier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 34293 Montpellier CEDEX 05, France
| | - María Moriel-Carretero
- Centre de Recherche en Biologie cellulaire de Montpellier (CRBM), Université de Montpellier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 34293 Montpellier CEDEX 05, France
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17
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Goodheart JA, Rio RA, Taraporevala NF, Fiorenza RA, Barnes SR, Morrill K, Jacob MAC, Whitesel C, Masterson P, Batzel GO, Johnston HT, Ramirez MD, Katz PS, Lyons DC. A chromosome-level genome for the nudibranch gastropod Berghia stephanieae helps parse clade-specific gene expression in novel and conserved phenotypes. BMC Biol 2024; 22:9. [PMID: 38233809 PMCID: PMC10795318 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01814-3] [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: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND How novel phenotypes originate from conserved genes, processes, and tissues remains a major question in biology. Research that sets out to answer this question often focuses on the conserved genes and processes involved, an approach that explicitly excludes the impact of genetic elements that may be classified as clade-specific, even though many of these genes are known to be important for many novel, or clade-restricted, phenotypes. This is especially true for understudied phyla such as mollusks, where limited genomic and functional biology resources for members of this phylum have long hindered assessments of genetic homology and function. To address this gap, we constructed a chromosome-level genome for the gastropod Berghia stephanieae (Valdés, 2005) to investigate the expression of clade-specific genes across both novel and conserved tissue types in this species. RESULTS The final assembled and filtered Berghia genome is comparable to other high-quality mollusk genomes in terms of size (1.05 Gb) and number of predicted genes (24,960 genes) and is highly contiguous. The proportion of upregulated, clade-specific genes varied across tissues, but with no clear trend between the proportion of clade-specific genes and the novelty of the tissue. However, more complex tissue like the brain had the highest total number of upregulated, clade-specific genes, though the ratio of upregulated clade-specific genes to the total number of upregulated genes was low. CONCLUSIONS Our results, when combined with previous research on the impact of novel genes on phenotypic evolution, highlight the fact that the complexity of the novel tissue or behavior, the type of novelty, and the developmental timing of evolutionary modifications will all influence how novel and conserved genes interact to generate diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Goodheart
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA.
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Robin A Rio
- Bioengineering Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Neville F Taraporevala
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | - Rose A Fiorenza
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Seth R Barnes
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kevin Morrill
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Mark Allan C Jacob
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Carl Whitesel
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Park Masterson
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Grant O Batzel
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Hereroa T Johnston
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - M Desmond Ramirez
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Paul S Katz
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Deirdre C Lyons
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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18
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Park TYS, Nielsen ML, Parry LA, Sørensen MV, Lee M, Kihm JH, Ahn I, Park C, de Vivo G, Smith MP, Harper DAT, Nielsen AT, Vinther J. A giant stem-group chaetognath. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadi6678. [PMID: 38170772 PMCID: PMC10796117 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi6678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Chaetognaths, with their characteristic grasping spines, are the oldest known pelagic predators, found in the lowest Cambrian (Terreneuvian). Here, we describe a large stem chaetognath, Timorebestia koprii gen. et sp. nov., from the lower Cambrian Sirius Passet Lagerstätte, which exhibits lateral and caudal fins, a distinct head region with long antennae and a jaw apparatus similar to Amiskwia sagittiformis. Amiskwia has previously been interpreted as a total-group chaetognathiferan, as either a stem-chaetognath or gnathostomulid. We show that T. koprii shares a ventral ganglion with chaetognaths to the exclusion of other animal groups, firmly placing these fossils on the chaetognath stem. The large size (up to 30 cm) and gut contents in T. koprii suggest that early chaetognaths occupied a higher trophic position in pelagic food chains than today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae-Yoon S. Park
- Division of Earth Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, 26 Songdomirae-ro Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21990, Republic of Korea
- University of Science and Technology, 217 Gajeong-ro, Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea
| | - Morten Lunde Nielsen
- Division of Earth Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, 26 Songdomirae-ro Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21990, Republic of Korea
- School of Earth Sciences, Palaeobiology Research Group, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
- British Geological Survey, Nicker Hill, Keyworth NG12 5GG, UK
| | - Luke A. Parry
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3AN, UK
| | | | - Mirinae Lee
- Division of Earth Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, 26 Songdomirae-ro Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21990, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-Hoon Kihm
- Division of Earth Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, 26 Songdomirae-ro Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21990, Republic of Korea
- University of Science and Technology, 217 Gajeong-ro, Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea
| | - Inhye Ahn
- Division of Earth Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, 26 Songdomirae-ro Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21990, Republic of Korea
- University of Science and Technology, 217 Gajeong-ro, Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea
| | - Changkun Park
- Division of Earth Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, 26 Songdomirae-ro Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21990, Republic of Korea
| | - Giacinto de Vivo
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy
| | - M. Paul Smith
- Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PW, UK
| | - David A. T. Harper
- Palaeoecosystems Group, Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Arne T. Nielsen
- Department of Geoscience and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, Copenhagen DK-1350, Denmark
| | - Jakob Vinther
- School of Earth Sciences, Palaeobiology Research Group, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
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Winn JC, Maduna SN, Bester-van der Merwe AE. A comprehensive phylogenomic study unveils evolutionary patterns and challenges in the mitochondrial genomes of Carcharhiniformes: A focus on Triakidae. Genomics 2024; 116:110771. [PMID: 38147941 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2023.110771] [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: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
The complex evolutionary patterns in the mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the most species-rich shark order, the Carcharhiniformes (ground sharks) has led to challenges in the phylogenomic reconstruction of the families and genera belonging to the order, particularly the family Triakidae (houndsharks). The current state of Triakidae phylogeny remains controversial, with arguments for both monophyly and paraphyly within the family. We hypothesize that this variability is triggered by the selection of different a priori partitioning schemes to account for site and gene heterogeneity within the mitogenome. Here we used an extensive statistical framework to select the a priori partitioning scheme for inference of the mitochondrial phylogenomic relationships within Carcharhiniformes, tested site heterogeneous CAT + GTR + G4 models and incorporated the multi-species coalescent model (MSCM) into our analyses to account for the influence of gene tree discordance on species tree inference. We included five newly assembled houndshark mitogenomes to increase resolution of Triakidae. During the assembly procedure, we uncovered a 714 bp-duplication in the mitogenome of Galeorhinus galeus. Phylogenetic reconstruction confirmed monophyly within Triakidae and the existence of two distinct clades of the expanded Mustelus genus. The latter alludes to potential evolutionary reversal of reproductive mode from placental to aplacental, suggesting that reproductive mode has played a role in the trajectory of adaptive divergence. These new sequences have the potential to contribute to population genomic investigations, species phylogeography delineation, environmental DNA metabarcoding databases and, ultimately, improved conservation strategies for these ecologically and economically important species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica C Winn
- Molecular Breeding and Biodiversity Group, Department of Genetics, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape 7602, South Africa
| | - Simo N Maduna
- Department of Ecosystems in the Barents Region, Svanhovd Research Station, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, 9925 Svanvik, Norway
| | - Aletta E Bester-van der Merwe
- Molecular Breeding and Biodiversity Group, Department of Genetics, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape 7602, South Africa.
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20
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Brubacher JL. Female Germline Cysts in Animals: Evolution and Function. Results Probl Cell Differ 2024; 71:23-46. [PMID: 37996671 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-37936-9_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Germline cysts are syncytia formed by incomplete cytokinesis of mitotic germline precursors (cystoblasts) in which the cystocytes are interconnected by cytoplasmic bridges, permitting the sharing of molecules and organelles. Among animals, such cysts are a nearly universal feature of spermatogenesis and are also often involved in oogenesis. Recent, elegant studies have demonstrated remarkable similarities in the oogenic cysts of mammals and insects, leading to proposals of widespread conservation of these features among animals. Unfortunately, such claims obscure the well-described diversity of female germline cysts in animals and ignore major taxa in which female germline cysts appear to be absent. In this review, I explore the phylogenetic patterns of oogenic cysts in the animal kingdom, with a focus on the hexapods as an informative example of a clade in which such cysts have been lost, regained, and modified in various ways. My aim is to build on the fascinating insights of recent comparative studies, by calling for a more nuanced view of evolutionary conservation. Female germline cysts in the Metazoa are an example of a phenomenon that-though essential for the continuance of many, diverse animal lineages-nevertheless exhibits intriguing patterns of evolutionary innovation, loss, and convergence.
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21
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Sumner-Rooney L. 'Distributed' vision and the architecture of animal visual systems. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb245392. [PMID: 38031956 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245392] [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] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
More than a century of research, of which JEB has published a substantial selection, has highlighted the rich diversity of animal eyes. From these studies have emerged numerous examples of visual systems that depart from our own familiar blueprint, a single pair of lateral cephalic eyes. It is now clear that such departures are common, widespread and highly diverse, reflecting a variety of different eye types, visual abilities and architectures. Many of these examples have been described as 'distributed' visual systems, but this includes several fundamentally different systems. Here, I re-examine this term, suggest a new framework within which to evaluate visual system distribution in both spatial and functional senses, and propose a roadmap for future work. The various architectures covered by this term reflect three broad strategies that offer different opportunities and require different approaches for study: the duplication of functionally identical eyes, the expression of multiple, functionally distinct eye types in parallel and the use of dispersed photoreceptors to mediate visual behaviour without eyes. Within this context, I explore some of the possible implications of visual system architecture for how visual information is collected and integrated, which has remained conceptually challenging in systems with a large degree of spatial and/or functional distribution. I highlight two areas that should be prioritised in future investigations: the whole-organism approach to behaviour and signal integration, and the evolution of visual system architecture across Metazoa. Recent advances have been made in both areas, through well-designed ethological experiments and the deployment of molecular tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Sumner-Rooney
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Biodiversity and Evolution, Invalidenstrasse 43, 10115 Berlin, Germany
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22
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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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23
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Saadi AJ, de Oliveira AL, Kocot KM, Schwaha T. Genomic and transcriptomic survey of bryozoan Hox and ParaHox genes with emphasis on phylactolaemate bryozoans. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:711. [PMID: 38001438 PMCID: PMC10675955 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09826-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bryozoans are mostly sessile aquatic colonial invertebrates belonging to the clade Lophotrochozoa, which unites many protostome bilaterian phyla such as molluscs, annelids and brachiopods. While Hox and ParaHox genes have been extensively studied in various lophotrochozoan lineages, investigations on Hox and ParaHox gene complements in bryozoans are scarce. RESULTS Herein, we present the most comprehensive survey of Hox and ParaHox gene complements in bryozoans using four genomes and 35 transcriptomes representing all bryozoan clades: Cheilostomata, Ctenostomata, Cyclostomata and Phylactolaemata. Using similarity searches, phylogenetic analyses and detailed manual curation, we have identified five Hox genes in bryozoans (pb, Dfd, Lox5, Lox4 and Post2) and one ParaHox gene (Cdx). Interestingly, we observed lineage-specific duplication of certain Hox and ParaHox genes (Dfd, Lox5 and Cdx) in some bryozoan lineages. CONCLUSIONS The bryozoan Hox cluster does not retain the ancestral lophotrochozoan condition but appears relatively simple (includes only five genes) and broken into two genomic regions, characterized by the loss and duplication of serval genes. Importantly, bryozoans share the lack of two Hox genes (Post1 and Scr) with their proposed sister-taxon, Phoronida, which suggests that those genes were missing in the most common ancestor of bryozoans and phoronids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed J Saadi
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Unit for Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Schlachthausgasse 43, Vienna, A-1030, Austria.
| | - André Luiz de Oliveira
- Department of Symbiosis, Max-Planck-Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiustraße,1, D-28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Kevin M Kocot
- Department of Biological Sciences and Alabama Museum of Natural History, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 35487, USA
| | - Thomas Schwaha
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Unit for Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Schlachthausgasse 43, Vienna, A-1030, Austria
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Goodheart JA, Rio RA, Taraporevala NF, Fiorenza RA, Barnes SR, Morrill K, Jacob MAC, Whitesel C, Masterson P, Batzel GO, Johnston HT, Ramirez MD, Katz PS, Lyons DC. A chromosome-level genome for the nudibranch gastropod Berghia stephanieae helps parse clade-specific gene expression in novel and conserved phenotypes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.04.552006. [PMID: 38014205 PMCID: PMC10680569 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.04.552006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
How novel phenotypes originate from conserved genes, processes, and tissues remains a major question in biology. Research that sets out to answer this question often focuses on the conserved genes and processes involved, an approach that explicitly excludes the impact of genetic elements that may be classified as clade-specific, even though many of these genes are known to be important for many novel, or clade-restricted, phenotypes. This is especially true for understudied phyla such as mollusks, where limited genomic and functional biology resources for members of this phylum has long hindered assessments of genetic homology and function. To address this gap, we constructed a chromosome-level genome for the gastropod Berghia stephanieae (Valdés, 2005) to investigate the expression of clade-specific genes across both novel and conserved tissue types in this species. The final assembled and filtered Berghia genome is comparable to other high quality mollusk genomes in terms of size (1.05 Gb) and number of predicted genes (24,960 genes), and is highly contiguous. The proportion of upregulated, clade-specific genes varied across tissues, but with no clear trend between the proportion of clade-specific genes and the novelty of the tissue. However, more complex tissue like the brain had the highest total number of upregulated, clade-specific genes, though the ratio of upregulated clade-specific genes to the total number of upregulated genes was low. Our results, when combined with previous research on the impact of novel genes on phenotypic evolution, highlight the fact that the complexity of the novel tissue or behavior, the type of novelty, and the developmental timing of evolutionary modifications will all influence how novel and conserved genes interact to generate diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A. Goodheart
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Robin A. Rio
- Bioengineering Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Neville F. Taraporevala
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | - Rose A. Fiorenza
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Seth R. Barnes
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kevin Morrill
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Mark Allan C. Jacob
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Carl Whitesel
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Park Masterson
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Grant O. Batzel
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Hereroa T. Johnston
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - M. Desmond Ramirez
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Paul S. Katz
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Deirdre C. Lyons
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Oliveira IDS. An updated world checklist of velvet worms (Onychophora) with notes on nomenclature and status of names. Zookeys 2023; 1184:133-260. [PMID: 38023768 PMCID: PMC10680090 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1184.107286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
More than a decade has passed since the publication of the only world checklist available for Onychophora. During this period, numerous nomenclatural acts and taxonomic changes have been suggested within the group and a wealth of novel data has been published on many taxa. Herein, the up-to-date taxonomic scenario within Onychophora is presented, with appraisal of name status. This checklist covers both extant (Peripatidae and Peripatopsidae) and fossil taxa, and each species is accompanied by information on synonyms, type designation, holotype location, type locality, and language of original description. Additional remarks include nomenclatural inconsistencies, synonymizations, name misspellings, conflicting collecting event data, availability of taxonomically informative molecular data, etc. According to the data, 237 species are currently assigned to Onychophora: 140 of Peripatopsidae, 92 of Peripatidae, and five fossil species with unclear relationship to extant taxa. Since the previous checklist, 37 species have been added to Onychophora, representing an increase of 18.5% in the diversity described for the group. Yet, taxonomic descriptions seem slow-paced, with an average of 3.6 onychophoran species being described annually. From the taxonomic standpoint, 216 species are valid, although many of them require morphological revision and molecular characterization; 21 species exhibit major taxonomic ambiguities and have been regarded as nomina dubia. Recurrent taxonomic issues identified in the literature include inaccurate collecting event data, doubtful taxonomic assignment of molecular sequences, and non-observance of nomenclatural rules. These and other taxonomic aspects are addressed herein in the light of the directives established by the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivo de Sena Oliveira
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology, University of Kassel, Heinrich-Plett-Straße 40, D-34132, Kassel, GermanyUniversity of KasselKasselGermany
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos 6627, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, BrazilUniversidade Federal de Minas GeraisBelo HorizonteBrazil
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26
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Sonoda GG, Tobaruela EDC, Norenburg J, Fabi JP, Andrade SCS. Venomous Noodles: The Evolution of Toxins in Nemertea through Positive Selection and Gene Duplication. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:650. [PMID: 37999513 PMCID: PMC10674772 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15110650] [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: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Some, probably most and perhaps all, members of the phylum Nemertea are poisonous, documented so far from marine and benthic specimens. Although the toxicity of these animals has been long known, systematic studies on the characterization of toxins, mechanisms of toxicity, and toxin evolution for this group are scarce. Here, we present the first investigation of the molecular evolution of toxins in Nemertea. Using a proteo-transcriptomic approach, we described toxins in the body and poisonous mucus of the pilidiophoran Lineus sanguineus and the hoplonemertean Nemertopsis pamelaroeae. Using these new and publicly available transcriptomes, we investigated the molecular evolution of six selected toxin gene families. In addition, we also characterized in silico the toxin genes found in the interstitial hoplonemertean, Ototyphlonemertes erneba, a meiofaunal taxa. We successfully identified over 200 toxin transcripts in each of these species. Evidence of positive selection and gene duplication was observed in all investigated toxin genes. We hypothesized that the increased rates of gene duplications observed for Pilidiophora could be involved with the expansion of toxin genes. Studies concerning the natural history of Nemertea are still needed to understand the evolution of their toxins. Nevertheless, our results show evolutionary mechanisms similar to other venomous groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Gonzalez Sonoda
- Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, IB-Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-090, Brazil;
- Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Eric de Castro Tobaruela
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Food Research Center (FoRC), Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-080, Brazil; (E.d.C.T.); (J.P.F.)
| | | | - João Paulo Fabi
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Food Research Center (FoRC), Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-080, Brazil; (E.d.C.T.); (J.P.F.)
| | - Sónia C. S. Andrade
- Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, IB-Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-090, Brazil;
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27
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Kapli P, Kotari I, Telford MJ, Goldman N, Yang Z. DNA Sequences Are as Useful as Protein Sequences for Inferring Deep Phylogenies. Syst Biol 2023; 72:1119-1135. [PMID: 37366056 PMCID: PMC10627555 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syad036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Inference of deep phylogenies has almost exclusively used protein rather than DNA sequences based on the perception that protein sequences are less prone to homoplasy and saturation or to issues of compositional heterogeneity than DNA sequences. Here, we analyze a model of codon evolution under an idealized genetic code and demonstrate that those perceptions may be misconceptions. We conduct a simulation study to assess the utility of protein versus DNA sequences for inferring deep phylogenies, with protein-coding data generated under models of heterogeneous substitution processes across sites in the sequence and among lineages on the tree, and then analyzed using nucleotide, amino acid, and codon models. Analysis of DNA sequences under nucleotide-substitution models (possibly with the third codon positions excluded) recovered the correct tree at least as often as analysis of the corresponding protein sequences under modern amino acid models. We also applied the different data-analysis strategies to an empirical dataset to infer the metazoan phylogeny. Our results from both simulated and real data suggest that DNA sequences may be as useful as proteins for inferring deep phylogenies and should not be excluded from such analyses. Analysis of DNA data under nucleotide models has a major computational advantage over protein-data analysis, potentially making it feasible to use advanced models that account for among-site and among-lineage heterogeneity in the nucleotide-substitution process in inference of deep phylogenies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paschalia Kapli
- Department of Genetics, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Ioanna Kotari
- Department of Genetics, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Institut für Populationsgenetik, Vetmeduni Vienna, Vienna, 1210, Austria
| | - Maximilian J Telford
- Department of Genetics, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Nick Goldman
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory - European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Ziheng Yang
- Department of Genetics, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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28
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Lobo-da-Cunha A, Casartelli M, Tettamanti G. Editorial: Molecular physiology of invertebrate digestive system. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1304915. [PMID: 37900949 PMCID: PMC10603240 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1304915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Lobo-da-Cunha
- Department of Microscopy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | | | - Gianluca Tettamanti
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
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29
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Jakovlić I, Zou H, Ye T, Zhang H, Liu X, Xiang CY, Wang GT, Zhang D. Mitogenomic evolutionary rates in bilateria are influenced by parasitic lifestyle and locomotory capacity. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6307. [PMID: 37813879 PMCID: PMC10562372 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42095-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The evidence that parasitic animals exhibit elevated mitogenomic evolutionary rates is inconsistent and limited to Arthropoda. Similarly, the evidence that mitogenomic evolution is faster in species with low locomotory capacity is limited to a handful of animal lineages. We hypothesised that these two variables are associated and that locomotory capacity is a major underlying factor driving the elevated rates in parasites. Here, we study the evolutionary rates of mitogenomes of 10,906 bilaterian species classified according to their locomotory capacity and parasitic/free-living life history. In Bilateria, evolutionary rates were by far the highest in endoparasites, much lower in ectoparasites with reduced locomotory capacity and free-living lineages with low locomotory capacity, followed by parasitoids, ectoparasites with high locomotory capacity, and finally micropredatory and free-living lineages. The life history categorisation (parasitism) explained ≈45%, locomotory capacity categorisation explained ≈39%, and together they explained ≈56% of the total variability in evolutionary rates of mitochondrial protein-coding genes in Bilateria. Our findings suggest that these two variables play major roles in calibrating the mitogenomic molecular clock in bilaterian animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Jakovlić
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, and College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Hong Zou
- Key Laboratory of Aquaculture Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture, and State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Tong Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, and College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, and College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Xiang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, and College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Chuan-Yu Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, and College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Gui-Tang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Aquaculture Disease Control, Ministry of Agriculture, and State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Dong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, and College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
- Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Environment on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Ministry of Education, School of Ecology and Environment, Tibet University, 850000, Lhasa, China.
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30
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Fyon F, Berbel-Filho WM, Schlupp I, Wild G, Úbeda F. Why do hybrids turn down sex? Evolution 2023; 77:2186-2199. [PMID: 37459230 DOI: 10.1093/evolut/qpad129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Asexual reproduction is ancestral in prokaryotes; the switch to sexuality in eukaryotes is one of the major transitions in the history of life. The study of the maintenance of sex in eukaryotes has raised considerable interest for decades and is still one of evolutionary biology's most prominent question. The observation that many asexual species are of hybrid origin has led some to propose that asexuality in hybrids results from sexual processes being disturbed because of incompatibilities between the two parental species' genomes. However, in some cases, failure to produce asexual F1s in the lab may indicate that this mechanism is not the only road to asexuality in hybrid species. Here, we present a mathematical model and propose an alternative, adaptive route for the evolution of asexuality from previously sexual hybrids. Under some reproductive alterations, we show that asexuality can evolve to rescue hybrids' reproduction. Importantly, we highlight that when incompatibilities only affect the fusion of sperm and egg's genomes, the two traits that characterize asexuality, namely unreduced meiosis and the initiation of embryogenesis without the incorporation of the sperm's pronucleus, can evolve separately, greatly facilitating the overall evolutionary route. Taken together, our results provide an alternative, potentially complementary explanation for the link between asexuality and hybridization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Fyon
- Department of Biology, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, United Kingdom
| | | | - Ingo Schlupp
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, United States
| | - Geoff Wild
- Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Francisco Úbeda
- Department of Biology, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, United Kingdom
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31
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Morino Y, Yoshikawa H. Role of maternal spiralian-specific homeobox gene SPILE-E in the specification of blastomeres along the animal-vegetal axis during the early cleavage stages of mollusks. Dev Growth Differ 2023; 65:384-394. [PMID: 37392142 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
Spiralians, one of the major clades of bilaterians, share a unique development known as spiralian development, characterized by the formation of tiers of cells called quartets, which exhibit different developmental potentials along the animal-vegetal axis. Recently, spiralian-specific TALE-type homeobox genes (SPILE) have been identified, some of which show zygotic and staggered expression patterns along the animal-vegetal axis and function in quartet specification in mollusks. However, it is unclear which maternal molecular components control the zygotic expression of these transcription factors. In this study, we focused on SPILE-E, a maternal transcription factor, and investigated its expression and function in mollusks. We found that the maternal and ubiquitous expression of SPILE-E in the cleavage stages is conserved in molluskan species, including limpets, mussels, and chitons. We knocked down SPILE-E in limpets and revealed that the expression of transcription factors specifically expressed in the first quartet (1q2 ; foxj1b) and second quartet (2q; SPILE-B) was abolished, whereas the macromere-quartet marker (SPILE-C) was ectopically expressed in 1q2 in SPILE-E morphants. Moreover, we showed that the expression of SPILE-A, which upregulates SPILE-B but represses SPILE-C expression, decreased in SPILE-E morphants. Consistent with changes in the expression pattern of the above transcription factors, SPILE-E-morphant larvae exhibited patchy or complete loss of expression of marker genes of ciliated cells and shell fields, possibly reflecting incomplete specification of 1q2 and 2q. Our results provide a molecular framework for quartet specification and highlight the importance of maternal lineage-specific transcription factors in the development and evolution of spiralians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiaki Morino
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Hiroki Yoshikawa
- Graduate School of Science and Life Technology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
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32
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Moon J, Caron JB, Moysiuk J. A macroscopic free-swimming medusa from the middle Cambrian Burgess Shale. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20222490. [PMID: 37528711 PMCID: PMC10394413 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2490] [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: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Cnidarians are regarded as one of the earliest-diverging animal phyla. One of the hallmarks of the cnidarian body plan is the evolution of a free-swimming medusa in some medusozoan classes, but the origin of this innovation remains poorly constrained by the fossil record and molecular data. Previously described macrofossils, putatively representing medusa stages of crown-group medusozoans from the Cambrian of Utah and South China, are here reinterpreted as ctenophore-grade organisms. Other putative Ediacaran to Cambrian medusozoan fossils consist mainly of microfossils and tubular forms. Here we describe Burgessomedusa phasmiformis gen. et sp. nov., the oldest unequivocal macroscopic free-swimming medusa in the fossil record. Our study is based on 182 exceptionally preserved body fossils from the middle Cambrian Burgess Shale (Raymond Quarry, British Columbia, Canada). Burgessomedusa possesses a cuboidal umbrella up to 20 cm high and over 90 short, finger-like tentacles. Phylogenetic analysis supports a medusozoan affinity, most likely as a stem group to Cubozoa or Acraspeda (a group including Staurozoa, Cubozoa and Scyphozoa). Burgessomedusa demonstrates an ancient origin for the free-swimming medusa life stage and supports a growing number of studies showing an early evolutionary diversification of Medusozoa, including of the crown group, during the late Precambrian-Cambrian transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Moon
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3B2
- Department of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 2C6
| | - Jean-Bernard Caron
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3B2
- Department of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 2C6
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3B1
| | - Joseph Moysiuk
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3B2
- Department of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 2C6
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Bernot JP, Owen CL, Wolfe JM, Meland K, Olesen J, Crandall KA. Major Revisions in Pancrustacean Phylogeny and Evidence of Sensitivity to Taxon Sampling. Mol Biol Evol 2023; 40:msad175. [PMID: 37552897 PMCID: PMC10414812 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad175] [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: 10/30/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The clade Pancrustacea, comprising crustaceans and hexapods, is the most diverse group of animals on earth, containing over 80% of animal species and half of animal biomass. It has been the subject of several recent phylogenomic analyses, yet relationships within Pancrustacea show a notable lack of stability. Here, the phylogeny is estimated with expanded taxon sampling, particularly of malacostracans. We show small changes in taxon sampling have large impacts on phylogenetic estimation. By analyzing identical orthologs between two slightly different taxon sets, we show that the differences in the resulting topologies are due primarily to the effects of taxon sampling on the phylogenetic reconstruction method. We compare trees resulting from our phylogenomic analyses with those from the literature to explore the large tree space of pancrustacean phylogenetic hypotheses and find that statistical topology tests reject the previously published trees in favor of the maximum likelihood trees produced here. Our results reject several clades including Caridoida, Eucarida, Multicrustacea, Vericrustacea, and Syncarida. Notably, we find Copepoda nested within Allotriocarida with high support and recover a novel relationship between decapods, euphausiids, and syncarids that we refer to as the Syneucarida. With denser taxon sampling, we find Stomatopoda sister to this latter clade, which we collectively name Stomatocarida, dividing Malacostraca into three clades: Leptostraca, Peracarida, and Stomatocarida. A new Bayesian divergence time estimation is conducted using 13 vetted fossils. We review our results in the context of other pancrustacean phylogenetic hypotheses and highlight 15 key taxa to sample in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P Bernot
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, US National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Christopher L Owen
- Systematic Entomology Laboratory, USDA-ARS, ℅ National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Joanna M Wolfe
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kenneth Meland
- Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Jørgen Olesen
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Keith A Crandall
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, US National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
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Schultz DT, Haddock SHD, Bredeson JV, Green RE, Simakov O, Rokhsar DS. Ancient gene linkages support ctenophores as sister to other animals. Nature 2023; 618:110-117. [PMID: 37198475 PMCID: PMC10232365 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05936-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 74.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
A central question in evolutionary biology is whether sponges or ctenophores (comb jellies) are the sister group to all other animals. These alternative phylogenetic hypotheses imply different scenarios for the evolution of complex neural systems and other animal-specific traits1-6. Conventional phylogenetic approaches based on morphological characters and increasingly extensive gene sequence collections have not been able to definitively answer this question7-11. Here we develop chromosome-scale gene linkage, also known as synteny, as a phylogenetic character for resolving this question12. We report new chromosome-scale genomes for a ctenophore and two marine sponges, and for three unicellular relatives of animals (a choanoflagellate, a filasterean amoeba and an ichthyosporean) that serve as outgroups for phylogenetic analysis. We find ancient syntenies that are conserved between animals and their close unicellular relatives. Ctenophores and unicellular eukaryotes share ancestral metazoan patterns, whereas sponges, bilaterians, and cnidarians share derived chromosomal rearrangements. Conserved syntenic characters unite sponges with bilaterians, cnidarians, and placozoans in a monophyletic clade to the exclusion of ctenophores, placing ctenophores as the sister group to all other animals. The patterns of synteny shared by sponges, bilaterians, and cnidarians are the result of rare and irreversible chromosome fusion-and-mixing events that provide robust and unambiguous phylogenetic support for the ctenophore-sister hypothesis. These findings provide a new framework for resolving deep, recalcitrant phylogenetic problems and have implications for our understanding of animal evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darrin T Schultz
- Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA, USA.
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering and Bioinformatics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
| | - Steven H D Haddock
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Jessen V Bredeson
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Richard E Green
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering and Bioinformatics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Oleg Simakov
- Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Daniel S Rokhsar
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Molecular Genetics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Japan.
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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Schuster HC, Hirth F. Phylogenetic tracing of midbrain-specific regulatory sequences suggests single origin of eubilaterian brains. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade8259. [PMID: 37224241 PMCID: PMC10208574 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade8259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Conserved cis-regulatory elements (CREs) control Engrailed-, Pax2-, and dachshund-related gene expression networks directing the formation and function of corresponding midbrain circuits in arthropods and vertebrates. Polarized outgroup analyses of 31 sequenced metazoan genomes representing all animal clades reveal the emergence of Pax2- and dachshund-related CRE-like sequences in anthozoan Cnidaria. The full complement, including Engrailed-related CRE-like sequences, is only detectable in spiralians, ecdysozoans, and chordates that have a brain; they exhibit comparable genomic locations and extensive nucleotide identities that reveal the presence of a conserved core domain, all of which are absent in non-neural genes and, together, distinguish them from randomly assembled sequences. Their presence concurs with a genetic boundary separating the rostral from caudal nervous systems, demonstrated for the metameric brains of annelids, arthropods, and chordates and the asegmental cycloneuralian and urochordate brain. These findings suggest that gene regulatory networks for midbrain circuit formation evolved within the lineage that led to the common ancestor of protostomes and deuterostomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen C. Schuster
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, and Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
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Temereva EN, Isaeva MA, Kosevich IA. Unusual lophophore innervation in ctenostome Flustrellidra hispida (Bryozoa). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART B, MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2023; 340:245-258. [PMID: 35662417 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.23164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Since ctenostomes are traditionally regarded as an ancestral clade to some other bryozoan groups, the study of additional species may help to clarify questions on bryozoan evolution and phylogeny. One of these questions is the bryozoan lophophore evolution: whether it occurred through simplification or complication. The morphology and innervation of the ctenostome Flustrellidra hispida (Fabricius, 1780) lophophore have been studied with electron microscopy and immunocytochemistry with confocal laser scanning microscopy. Lophophore nervous system of F. hispida consists of several main nerve elements: cerebral ganglion, circumoral nerve ring, and the outer nerve ring. Serotonin-like immunoreactive perikarya, which connect with the circumoral nerve ring, bear the cilium that directs to the abfrontal side of the lophophore and extends between tentacle bases. The circumoral nerve ring gives rise to the intertentacular and frontal tentacle nerves. The outer nerve ring gives rise to the abfrontal neurites, which connect to the outer groups of perikarya and contribute to the formation of the abfrontal tentacle nerve. The outer nerve ring has been described before in other bryozoans, but it never contributes to the innervation of tentacles. The presence of the outer nerve ring participating in the innervation of tentacles makes the F. hispida lophophore nervous system particularly similar to the lophophore nervous system of phoronids. This similarity allows to suggest that organization of the F. hispida lophophore nervous system may reflect the ancestral state for all bryozoans. The possible scenario of evolutionary transformation of the lophophore nervous system within bryozoans is suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena N Temereva
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Biological Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Maria A Isaeva
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Biological Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Igor A Kosevich
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Biological Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
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Stick R, Peter A. CaaX-less lamins: Lophotrochozoa provide a glance at the playground of evolution. PROTOPLASMA 2023; 260:741-756. [PMID: 36102949 PMCID: PMC10125929 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-022-01809-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Nuclear lamins are the main components of the nuclear lamina in many eukaryotes. They are members of the intermediate filament (IF) protein family. Lamins differ from cytoplasmic IF proteins by the presence of a nuclear localisation sequence (NLS) and a C-terminal tetrapeptide, the CaaX motif. The CaaX motif is target of post-translational modifications including isoprenylation, proteolytic processing, and carboxyl-methylation. These modifications, in conjunction with the NLS, direct lamins to the inner nuclear membrane where they assemble into filaments. Lamins lacking a CaaX motif are unable to associate independently with nuclear membranes and remain in the nucleoplasm. So far, three species have been reported to exclusively express CaaX-less lamins. All three belong to the lophotrochozoan lineage. To find out whether they represent rare exceptions, we analysed lamins of representatives of 17 lophotrochozoan phyla. Here we report that all four clades of Rotifera as well as individual taxa of Mollusca and Annelida lack CaaX-lamins, but express lamins with alternative C-termini. Of note, the respective mollusc and annelid groups occupy very different phylogenetic ranks. Most of these alternative C-termini are rich in aromatic residues. A possible function of these residues in membrane association is discussed. Alternative splicing of terebellid lamin transcripts gives rise to two lamin variants, one with a CaaX motif and one with an alternative C-terminus. A similar situation is found in Arenicolidae, Opheliidae, Capitellidae, and Echiura. This points a way, how the switch from lamins carrying a CaaX motif to lamins with alternative C-termini may have occurred.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reimer Stick
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Bremen, P.O. Box 330440, 28334, Bremen, Germany.
| | - Annette Peter
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Bremen, P.O. Box 330440, 28334, Bremen, Germany
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38
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Dreyer N, Palero F, Grygier MJ, K K Chan B, Olesen J. Single-specimen systematics resolves the phylogeny and diversity conundrum of enigmatic crustacean y-larvae. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2023; 184:107780. [PMID: 37031710 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107780] [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: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
Resolving the evolutionary history of organisms is a major goal in biology. Yet for some taxa the diversity, phylogeny, and even adult stages remain unknown. The enigmatic crustacean "y-larvae" (Facetotecta) is one particularly striking example. Here we use extensive video-imaging and single-specimen molecular sequencing of >200 y-larval specimens to comprehensively explore for the first time their evolutionary history and diversity. This integrative approach revealed five major clades of Facetotecta, four of which encompass a considerable larval diversity. Whereas morphological analyses recognized 35 y-naupliar "morphospecies", molecular species delimitation analyses suggested the existence of between 88 and 127 species. The phenotypic and genetic diversity between the morphospecies suggests that a more elaborate classification than the current one-genus approach is needed. Morphology and molecular data were highly congruent at shallower phylogenetic levels, but no morphological synapomorphies could be unambiguously identified for major clades, which mostly comprise both planktotrophic and lecithotrophic y-nauplii. We argue that lecithotrophy arose several times independently whereas planktotrophic y-nauplii, which are structurally more similar across clades, most likely display the ancestral feeding mode of Facetotecta. We document a remarkably complex and highly diverse phylogenetic backbone for a taxon of marine crustaceans, the full life cycle of which remains a mystery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niklas Dreyer
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan; Biodiversity Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ferran Palero
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia, Evolutiva (ICBIBE), Valencia, Spain.
| | - Mark J Grygier
- Center of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan; National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium, Checheng, Pingtung, Taiwan
| | - Benny K K Chan
- Biodiversity Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Jørgen Olesen
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Iwama RE, Moran Y. Origins and diversification of animal innate immune responses against viral infections. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:182-193. [PMID: 36635343 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01951-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Immune systems are of pivotal importance to any living organism on Earth, as they protect the organism against deleterious effects of viral infections. Though the current knowledge about these systems is still biased towards the immune response in vertebrates, some studies have focused on the identification and characterization of components of invertebrate antiviral immune systems. Two classic model organisms, the insect Drosophila melanogaster and the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, were instrumental in the discovery of several important components of the innate immune system, such as the Toll-like receptors and the RNA interference pathway. However, these two model organisms provide only a limited view of the evolutionary history of the immune system, as they both are ecdysozoan protostomes. Recent functional studies in non-classic models such as unicellular holozoans (for example, choanoflagellates), lophotrochozoans (for example, oysters) and cnidarians (for example, sea anemones) have added crucial information for understanding the evolution of antiviral systems, as they revealed unexpected ancestral complexity. This Review aims to summarize this information and present the ancestral nature of the antiviral immune response in animals. We also discuss lineage-specific adaptations and future perspectives for the comparative study of the innate immune system that are essential for understanding its evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael E Iwama
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
| | - Yehu Moran
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
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40
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Nielsen C. Hydrodynamics in early animal evolution. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:376-385. [PMID: 36216338 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Choanoflagellates and sponges feed by filtering microscopic particles from water currents created by the flagella of microvillar collar complexes situated on the cell bodies of the solitary or colonial choanoflagellates and on the choanocytes in sponges. The filtering mechanism has been known for more than a century, but only recently has the filtering process been studied in detail and also modelled, so that a detailed picture of the water currents has been obtained. In the solitary and most of the colonial choanoflagellates, the water flows freely around the cells, but in some forms, the cells are arranged in an open meshwork through which the water can be pumped. In the sponges, the choanocytes are located in choanocyte chambers (or choanocyte areas) with separate incurrent and excurrent canals/pores located in a larger body, which enables a fixed pattern of water currents through the collar complexes. Previous theories for the origin of sponges show evolutionary stages with choanocyte chambers without any opening or with only one opening, which makes separation of incurrent and excurrent impossible, and such stages must have been unable to feed. Therefore a new theory is proposed, which shows a continuous evolutionary lineage in which all stages are able to feed by means of the collar complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claus Nielsen
- Natural History Museum of Denmark (University of Copenhagen), Zoological Museum, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2990, Copenhagen, Denmark
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41
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Nanglu K, Cole SR, Wright DF, Souto C. Worms and gills, plates and spines: the evolutionary origins and incredible disparity of deuterostomes revealed by fossils, genes, and development. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:316-351. [PMID: 36257784 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12908] [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: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Deuterostomes are the major division of animal life which includes sea stars, acorn worms, and humans, among a wide variety of ecologically and morphologically disparate taxa. However, their early evolution is poorly understood, due in part to their disparity, which makes identifying commonalities difficult, as well as their relatively poor early fossil record. Here, we review the available morphological, palaeontological, developmental, and molecular data to establish a framework for exploring the origins of this important and enigmatic group. Recent fossil discoveries strongly support a vermiform ancestor to the group Hemichordata, and a fusiform active swimmer as ancestor to Chordata. The diverse and anatomically bewildering variety of forms among the early echinoderms show evidence of both bilateral and radial symmetry. We consider four characteristics most critical for understanding the form and function of the last common ancestor to Deuterostomia: Hox gene expression patterns, larval morphology, the capacity for biomineralization, and the morphology of the pharyngeal region. We posit a deuterostome last common ancestor with a similar antero-posterior gene regulatory system to that found in modern acorn worms and cephalochordates, a simple planktonic larval form, which was later elaborated in the ambulacrarian lineage, the ability to secrete calcium minerals in a limited fashion, and a pharyngeal respiratory region composed of simple pores. This animal was likely to be motile in adult form, as opposed to the sessile origins that have been historically suggested. Recent debates regarding deuterostome monophyly as well as the wide array of deuterostome-affiliated problematica further suggest the possibility that those features were not only present in the last common ancestor of Deuterostomia, but potentially in the ur-bilaterian. The morphology and development of the early deuterostomes, therefore, underpin some of the most significant questions in the study of metazoan evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karma Nanglu
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Selina R Cole
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th & Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20560, USA.,Sam Noble Museum, University of Oklahoma, 2401 Chautauqua Avenue, Norman, OK, 73072, USA.,School of Geosciences, University of Oklahoma, 100 E Boyd Street, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - David F Wright
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th & Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20560, USA.,Sam Noble Museum, University of Oklahoma, 2401 Chautauqua Avenue, Norman, OK, 73072, USA.,School of Geosciences, University of Oklahoma, 100 E Boyd Street, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Camilla Souto
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th & Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20560, USA.,School of Natural Sciences & Mathematics, Stockton University, 101 Vera King Farris Dr, Galloway, NJ, 08205, USA
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42
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Gomis-Rüth FX, Stöcker W. Structural and evolutionary insights into astacin metallopeptidases. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 9:1080836. [PMID: 36685277 PMCID: PMC9848320 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.1080836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The astacins are a family of metallopeptidases (MPs) that has been extensively described from animals. They are multidomain extracellular proteins, which have a conserved core architecture encompassing a signal peptide for secretion, a prodomain or prosegment and a zinc-dependent catalytic domain (CD). This constellation is found in the archetypal name-giving digestive enzyme astacin from the European crayfish Astacus astacus. Astacin catalytic domains span ∼200 residues and consist of two subdomains that flank an extended active-site cleft. They share several structural elements including a long zinc-binding consensus sequence (HEXXHXXGXXH) immediately followed by an EXXRXDRD motif, which features a family-specific glutamate. In addition, a downstream SIMHY-motif encompasses a "Met-turn" methionine and a zinc-binding tyrosine. The overall architecture and some structural features of astacin catalytic domains match those of other more distantly related MPs, which together constitute the metzincin clan of metallopeptidases. We further analysed the structures of PRO-, MAM, TRAF, CUB and EGF-like domains, and described their essential molecular determinants. In addition, we investigated the distribution of astacins across kingdoms and their phylogenetic origin. Through extensive sequence searches we found astacin CDs in > 25,000 sequences down the tree of life from humans beyond Metazoa, including Choanoflagellata, Filasterea and Ichtyosporea. We also found < 400 sequences scattered across non-holozoan eukaryotes including some fungi and one virus, as well as in selected taxa of archaea and bacteria that are pathogens or colonizers of animal hosts, but not in plants. Overall, we propose that astacins originate in the root of Holozoa consistent with Darwinian descent and that the latter genes might be the result of horizontal gene transfer from holozoan donors.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. Xavier Gomis-Rüth
- Proteolysis Laboratory, Department of Structural Biology, Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona (IBMB), Higher Scientific Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain,*Correspondence: F. Xavier Gomis-Rüth, ; Walter Stöcker,
| | - Walter Stöcker
- Institute of Molecular Physiology (IMP), Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz (JGU), Mainz, Germany,*Correspondence: F. Xavier Gomis-Rüth, ; Walter Stöcker,
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Aydemir MN, Aydemir HB, Budak M, Kızıltepe B, Çelebi MŞ, Korkmaz EM, Başıbüyük HH. A novel, conserved and possibly functional motif "WHWGHTW" in mitochondrial transcription across Bilateria. Mitochondrion 2023; 68:72-80. [PMID: 36400160 DOI: 10.1016/j.mito.2022.11.004] [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: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The animal mitogenomes which undergone a reductive evolution has an obvious loss of coding capacity compared to their known closest relatives, but it has not yet been fully investigated why and how the intergenic regions do not encode protein and have no known functions, are stably maintained, replicated, and transmitted by the genome. These relatively small intergenic regions may not be under neutral evolution and they may have functional and/or regulatory roles that have yet to be identified. Here, the distribution pattern, sequence content and location of a novel sequence motif of 'WWWGHTW' were bioinformatically investigated and characterised by constructing a sampling mitogenome dataset of 1889 species from 14 phyla representing the clade of Bilateria. This motif is reverse complementary of the previously described DmTTF binding sequence and found in the nd4L- (X) -trnT gene cluster. This cluster commonly exhibits a strand displacement region and an intergenic region among the bilaterian superphylums, particularly in Ecdysozoa. This motif may be accepted as a substrate providing binding sites for the specific interaction with transcription factors because of (i) its reverse complementarity of previously described DmTTF binding sequence, and (ii) the possession of G and T nucleotides in the fourth and sixth positions, (iii) the bias on T and G nucleotides instead of C and A in the degenerated positions. This suggestion is also supported by the presence of a strand displacement region in the nd4L- (X) -trnT gene cluster, particularly in Ecdysozoa consisting of the most rearranged mitogenomes among the bilaterian superphylums.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merve Nur Aydemir
- Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University, Faculty of Science and Letters, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, 60250 Tokat, Turkey.
| | - Habeş Bilal Aydemir
- Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University, Faculty of Science and Letters, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, 60250 Tokat, Turkey
| | - Mahir Budak
- Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, 58140 Sivas, Turkey
| | - Birsel Kızıltepe
- Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Department of Bioinformatics, 58140 Sivas, Turkey
| | - Melissa Şafak Çelebi
- Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, 58140 Sivas, Turkey
| | - Ertan Mahir Korkmaz
- Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, 58140 Sivas, Turkey
| | - Hasan Hüseyin Başıbüyük
- Akdeniz University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Gerontology, 07070 Antalya, Turkey
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44
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Moroz LL, Mukherjee K, Romanova DY. Nitric oxide signaling in ctenophores. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1125433. [PMID: 37034176 PMCID: PMC10073611 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1125433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Nitric oxide (NO) is one of the most ancient and versatile signal molecules across all domains of life. NO signaling might also play an essential role in the origin of animal organization. Yet, practically nothing is known about the distribution and functions of NO-dependent signaling pathways in representatives of early branching metazoans such as Ctenophora. Here, we explore the presence and organization of NO signaling components using Mnemiopsis and kin as essential reference species. We show that NO synthase (NOS) is present in at least eight ctenophore species, including Euplokamis and Coeloplana, representing the most basal ctenophore lineages. However, NOS could be secondarily lost in many other ctenophores, including Pleurobrachia and Beroe. In Mnemiopsis leidyi, NOS is present both in adult tissues and differentially expressed in later embryonic stages suggesting the involvement of NO in developmental mechanisms. Ctenophores also possess soluble guanylyl cyclases as potential NO receptors with weak but differential expression across tissues. Combined, these data indicate that the canonical NO-cGMP signaling pathways existed in the common ancestor of animals and could be involved in the control of morphogenesis, cilia activities, feeding and different behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonid L. Moroz
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL, United States
- *Correspondence: Leonid L. Moroz, ; orcid.org/0000-0002-1333-3176
| | - Krishanu Mukherjee
- The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL, United States
| | - Daria Y. Romanova
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of RAS, Moscow, Russia
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Abstract
Panarthropoda, the clade comprising the phyla Onychophora, Tardigrada and Euarthropoda, encompasses the largest majority of animal biodiversity. The relationships among the phyla are contested and resolution is key to understanding the evolutionary assembly of panarthropod bodyplans. Molecular phylogenetic analyses generally support monophyly of Onychophora and Euarthropoda to the exclusion of Tardigrada (Lobopodia hypothesis), which is also supported by some analyses of morphological data. However, analyses of morphological data have also been interpreted to support monophyly of Tardigrada and Euarthropoda to the exclusion of Onychophora (Tactopoda hypothesis). Support has also been found for a clade of Onychophora and Tardigrada that excludes Euarthropoda (Protarthropoda hypothesis). Here we show, using a diversity of phylogenetic inference methods, that morphological datasets cannot discriminate statistically between the Lobopodia, Tactopoda and Protarthropoda hypotheses. Since the relationships among the living clades of panarthropod phyla cannot be discriminated based on morphological data, we call into question the accuracy of morphology-based phylogenies of Panarthropoda that include fossil species and the evolutionary hypotheses based upon them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruolin Wu
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK,School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Davide Pisani
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK,School of Biological Sciences, Life Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Philip C. J. Donoghue
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK,School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
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Martí-Solans J, Børve A, Bump P, Hejnol A, Lynagh T. Peripheral and central employment of acid-sensing ion channels during early bilaterian evolution. eLife 2023; 12:81613. [PMID: 36821351 PMCID: PMC9949801 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Nervous systems are endowed with rapid chemosensation and intercellular signaling by ligand-gated ion channels (LGICs). While a complex, bilaterally symmetrical nervous system is a major innovation of bilaterian animals, the employment of specific LGICs during early bilaterian evolution is poorly understood. We therefore questioned bilaterian animals' employment of acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs), LGICs that mediate fast excitatory responses to decreases in extracellular pH in vertebrate neurons. Our phylogenetic analysis identified an earlier emergence of ASICs from the overarching DEG/ENaC (degenerin/epithelial sodium channel) superfamily than previously thought and suggests that ASICs were a bilaterian innovation. Our broad examination of ASIC gene expression and biophysical function in each major bilaterian lineage of Xenacoelomorpha, Protostomia, and Deuterostomia suggests that the earliest bilaterian ASICs were probably expressed in the periphery, before being incorporated into the brain as it emerged independently in certain deuterostomes and xenacoelomorphs. The loss of certain peripheral cells from Ecdysozoa after they separated from other protostomes likely explains their loss of ASICs, and thus the absence of ASICs from model organisms Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans. Thus, our use of diverse bilaterians in the investigation of LGIC expression and function offers a unique hypothesis on the employment of LGICs in early bilaterian evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aina Børve
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of BergenBergenNorway
| | - Paul Bump
- Hopkins Marine Station, Department of Biology, Stanford UniversityPacific GroveUnited States
| | - Andreas Hejnol
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of BergenBergenNorway
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Moroz LL, Romanova DY. Alternative neural systems: What is a neuron? (Ctenophores, sponges and placozoans). Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:1071961. [PMID: 36619868 PMCID: PMC9816575 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.1071961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
How to make a neuron, a synapse, and a neural circuit? Is there only one 'design' for a neural architecture with a universally shared genomic blueprint across species? The brief answer is "No." Four early divergent lineages from the nerveless common ancestor of all animals independently evolved distinct neuroid-type integrative systems. One of these is a subset of neural nets in comb jellies with unique synapses; the second lineage is the well-known Cnidaria + Bilateria; the two others are non-synaptic neuroid systems in sponges and placozoans. By integrating scRNA-seq and microscopy data, we revise the definition of neurons as synaptically-coupled polarized and highly heterogenous secretory cells at the top of behavioral hierarchies with learning capabilities. This physiological (not phylogenetic) definition separates 'true' neurons from non-synaptically and gap junction-coupled integrative systems executing more stereotyped behaviors. Growing evidence supports the hypothesis of multiple origins of neurons and synapses. Thus, many non-bilaterian and bilaterian neuronal classes, circuits or systems are considered functional rather than genetic categories, composed of non-homologous cell types. In summary, little-explored examples of convergent neuronal evolution in representatives of early branching metazoans provide conceptually novel microanatomical and physiological architectures of behavioral controls in animals with prospects of neuro-engineering and synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonid L. Moroz
- Departments of Neuroscience and McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States,Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL, United States,*Correspondence: Leonid L. Moroz, ; Daria Y. Romanova,
| | - Daria Y. Romanova
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of RAS, 5A Butlerova, Moscow, Russia,*Correspondence: Leonid L. Moroz, ; Daria Y. Romanova,
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Tessler M, Neumann JS, Kamm K, Osigus HJ, Eshel G, Narechania A, Burns JA, DeSalle R, Schierwater B. Phylogenomics and the first higher taxonomy of Placozoa, an ancient and enigmatic animal phylum. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1016357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Placozoa is an ancient phylum of extraordinarily unusual animals: miniscule, ameboid creatures that lack most fundamental animal features. Despite high genetic diversity, only recently have the second and third species been named. While prior genomic studies suffer from incomplete placozoan taxon sampling, we more than double the count with protein sequences from seven key genomes and produce the first nuclear phylogenomic reconstruction of all major placozoan lineages. This leads us to the first complete Linnaean taxonomic classification of Placozoa, over a century after its discovery: This may be the only time in the 21st century when an entire higher taxonomy for a whole animal phylum is formalized. Our classification establishes 2 new classes, 4 new orders, 3 new families, 1 new genus, and 1 new species, namely classes Polyplacotomia and Uniplacotomia; orders Polyplacotomea, Trichoplacea, Cladhexea, and Hoilungea; families Polyplacotomidae, Cladtertiidae, and Hoilungidae; and genus Cladtertia with species Cladtertia collaboinventa, nov. Our likelihood and gene content tree topologies refine the relationships determined in previous studies. Adding morphological data into our phylogenomic matrices suggests sponges (Porifera) as the sister to other animals, indicating that modest data addition shifts this node away from comb jellies (Ctenophora). Furthermore, by adding the first genomic protein data of the exceptionally distinct and branching Polyplacotoma mediterranea, we solidify its position as sister to all other placozoans; a divergence we estimate to be over 400 million years old. Yet even this deep split sits on a long branch to other animals, suggesting a bottleneck event followed by diversification. Ancestral state reconstructions indicate large shifts in gene content within Placozoa, with Hoilungia hongkongensis and its closest relatives having the most unique genetics.
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Strausfeld NJ, Hou X, Sayre ME, Hirth F. The lower Cambrian lobopodian Cardiodictyon resolves the origin of euarthropod brains. Science 2022; 378:905-909. [PMID: 36423269 DOI: 10.1126/science.abn6264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
For more than a century, the origin and evolution of the arthropod head and brain have eluded a unifying rationale reconciling divergent morphologies and phylogenetic relationships. Here, clarification is provided by the fossilized nervous system of the lower Cambrian lobopodian Cardiodictyon catenulum, which reveals an unsegmented head and brain comprising three cephalic domains, distinct from the metameric ventral nervous system serving its appendicular trunk. Each domain aligns with one of three components of the foregut and with a pair of head appendages. Morphological correspondences with stem group arthropods and alignments of homologous gene expression patterns with those of extant panarthropods demonstrate that cephalic domains of C. catenulum predate the evolution of the euarthropod head yet correspond to neuromeres defining brains of living chelicerates and mandibulates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Xianguang Hou
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Institute of Palaeontology, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Marcel E Sayre
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Frank Hirth
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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50
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Saadi AJ, Bibermair J, Kocot KM, Roberts NG, Hirose M, Calcino A, Baranyi C, Chaichana R, Wood TS, Schwaha T. Phylogenomics reveals deep relationships and diversification within phylactolaemate bryozoans. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20221504. [PMID: 36350215 PMCID: PMC9653232 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1504] [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: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Bryozoans are mostly sessile colonial invertebrates that inhabit all kinds of aquatic ecosystems. Extant bryozoan species fall into two clades with one of them, Phylactolaemata, being the only exclusively freshwater clade. Phylogenetic relationships within the class Phylactolaemata have long been controversial owing to their limited distinguishable characteristics that reflect evolutionary relationships. Here, we present the first phylogenomic analysis of Phylactolaemata using transcriptomic data combined with dense taxon sampling of six families to better resolve the interrelationships and to estimate divergence time. Using maximum-likelihood and Bayesian inference approaches, we recovered a robust phylogeny for Phylactolaemata in which the interfamilial relationships are fully resolved. We show Stephanellidae is the sister taxon of all other phylactolaemates and confirm that Lophopodidae represents the second offshoot within the phylactolaemate tree. Plumatella fruticosa clearly falls outside Plumatellidae as previous investigations have suggested, and instead clusters with Pectinatellidae and Cristatellidae as the sister taxon of Fredericellidae. Our results demonstrate that cryptic speciation is very likely in F. sultana and in two species of Plumatella (P. repens and P. casmiana). Divergence time estimates show that Phylactolaemata appeared at the end of the Ediacaran and started to diverge in the Silurian, although confidence intervals were large for most nodes. The radiation of most extant phylactolaemate families occurred mainly in the Palaeogene and Neogene highlighting post-extinction diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed J. Saadi
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Unit for Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, A-1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Julian Bibermair
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Unit for Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, A-1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Kevin M. Kocot
- Department of Biological Sciences and Alabama Museum of Natural History, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
| | - Nickellaus G. Roberts
- Department of Biological Sciences and Alabama Museum of Natural History, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
| | - Masato Hirose
- School of Marine Biosciences, Kitasato University, Kitasato 1-15-1, Sagamihara-Minami, Kanagawa 252-0373, Japan
| | - Andrew Calcino
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Unit for Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, A-1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Baranyi
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Unit for Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, A-1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ratcha Chaichana
- Department of Environmental Technology and Management, Faculty of Environment, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Timothy S. Wood
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 45435, USA
| | - Thomas Schwaha
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Unit for Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, A-1030 Vienna, Austria
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