1
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Ermakova GV, Meyntser IV, Zaraisky AG, Bayramov AV. Loss of noggin1, a classic embryonic inducer gene, in elasmobranchs. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3805. [PMID: 38360907 PMCID: PMC10869764 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54435-9] [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: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Secreted proteins of the Noggin family serve as pivotal regulators of early development and cell differentiation in all multicellular animals, including vertebrates. Noggin1 was identified first among all Noggins. Moreover, it was described as the first known embryonic inducer specifically secreted by the Spemann organizer and capable of inducing a secondary body axis when expressed ectopically. In the classical default model of neural induction, Noggin1 is presented as an antagonist of BMP signalling, playing a role as a neural inducer. Additionally, Noggin1 is involved in the dorsalization of embryonic mesoderm and later controls the differentiation of various tissues, including muscles, bones, and neural crest derivatives. Hitherto, noggin1 was found in all studied vertebrates. Here, we report the loss of noggin1 in elasmobranchs (sharks, rays and skates), which is a unique case among vertebrates. noggin2 and noggin4 retained in this group and studied in the embryos of the grey bamboo shark Chiloscyllium griseum revealed similarities in expression patterns and functional properties with their orthologues described in other vertebrates. The loss of noggin1 in elasmobranchs may be associated with histological features of the formation of their unique internal cartilaginous skeleton, although additional research is required to establish functional connections between these events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galina V Ermakova
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia
| | - Irina V Meyntser
- Moskvarium Center for Oceanography and Marine Biology, Moscow, 129223, Russia
| | - Andrey G Zaraisky
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia.
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, 117997, Russia.
| | - Andrey V Bayramov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia.
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2
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Schnetz L, Butler RJ, Coates MI, Sansom IJ. The skeletal completeness of the Palaeozoic chondrichthyan fossil record. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231451. [PMID: 38298400 PMCID: PMC10827434 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Chondrichthyes (sharks, rays, ratfish and their extinct relatives) originated and diversified in the Palaeozoic but are rarely preserved as articulated or partly articulated remains because of their predominantly cartilaginous endoskeletons. Consequently, their evolutionary history is perceived to be documented predominantly by isolated teeth, scales and fin spines. Here, we aim to capture and analyse the quality of the Palaeozoic chondrichthyan fossil record by using a variation of the skeletal completeness metric, which calculates how complete the skeletons of individuals are compared to estimates of their original entirety. Notably, chondrichthyan completeness is significantly lower than any published vertebrate group: low throughout the Silurian and Permian but peaking in the Devonian and Carboniferous. Scores increase to a range similar to pelycosaurs and parareptiles only when taxa identified solely from isolated teeth, scales and spines are excluded. We argue that environmental influences probably played an important role in chondrichthyan completeness. Sea level significantly negatively correlates with chondrichthyan completeness records and resembles patterns already evident in records of ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs and sauropodomorphs. Such observed variations in completeness highlight the impact of different sampling biases on the chondrichthyan fossil record and the need to acknowledge these when inferring patterns of chondrichthyan macroevolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Schnetz
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Richard J. Butler
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Michael I. Coates
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637-1508, USA
| | - Ivan J. Sansom
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
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3
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Pazzaglia UE, Reguzzoni M, Milanese C, Manconi R, Lanteri L, Cubeddu T, Zarattini G, Zecca PA, Raspanti M. Skeletal calcification patterns of batoid, teleost, and mammalian models: Calcified cartilage versus bone matrix. Microsc Res Tech 2023; 86:1568-1582. [PMID: 37493098 DOI: 10.1002/jemt.24388] [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: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
This study compares the skeletal calcification pattern of batoid Raja asterias with the endochondral ossification model of mammalians Homo sapiens and teleost Xiphias gladius. Skeletal mineralization serves to stiffen the mobile elements for locomotion. Histology, histochemistry, heat deproteination, scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/EDAX analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) have been applied in the study. H. sapiens and X. gladius bone specimens showed similar profiles, R. asterias calcified cartilage diverges for higher water release and more amorphous bioapatite. In endochondral ossification, fetal calcified cartilage is progressively replaced by bone matrix, while R. asterias calcified cartilage remains un-remodeled throughout the life span. Ca2+ and PO4 3- concentration in extracellular matrix is suggested to reach the critical salts precipitation point through H2 O recall from extracellular matrix into both chondroblasts or osteoblasts. Cartilage organic phase layout and incomplete mineralization allow interstitial fluids diffusion, chondrocytes survival, and growth in a calcified tissue lacking of a vascular and canalicular system. HIGHLIGHTS: Comparative physico-chemical characterization (TGA, DTG and DSC) testifies the mass loss due to water release, collagen and carbonate decomposition of the three tested matrices. R. asterias calcified cartilage water content is higher than that of H. sapiens and X. gladius, as shown by the respectively highest dehydration enthalpy values. Lower crystallinity degree of R. asterias calcified cartilage can be related to the higher amount of collagen in amorphous form than in bone matrix. These data can be discussed in terms of the mechanostat theory (Frost, 1966) or by organic/inorganic phase transformation in the course evolution from fin to limbs. Mineral analysis documented different charactersof R. asterias vs H. sapiens and X. gladius calcified matrix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ugo E Pazzaglia
- DSMC, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- DMC, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | | | - Chiara Milanese
- CSGI, Physical Chemistry Division, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
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4
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Buss DJ, Rechav K, Reznikov N, McKee MD. Mineral tessellation in mouse enthesis fibrocartilage, Achilles tendon, and Hyp calcifying enthesopathy: A shared 3D mineralization pattern. Bone 2023:116818. [PMID: 37295663 DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2023.116818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The hallmark of enthesis architecture is the 3D compositional and structural gradient encompassing four tissue zones - tendon/ligament, uncalcified fibrocartilage, calcified fibrocartilage and bone. This functional gradient accommodates the large stiffness differential between calcified bone and uncalcified tendon/ligament. Here we analyze in 3D the organization of the mouse Achilles enthesis and mineralizing Achilles tendon in comparison to lamellar bone. We use correlative, multiscale high-resolution volume imaging methods including μCT with submicrometer resolution and FIB-SEM tomography (both with deep learning-based image segmentation), and TEM and SEM imaging, to describe ultrastructural features of physiologic, age-related and aberrant mineral patterning. We applied these approaches to murine wildtype (WT) Achilles enthesis tissues to describe in normal calcifying fibrocartilage a crossfibrillar mineral tessellation pattern similar to that observed in lamellar bone, but with greater variance in mineral tesselle morphology and size. We also examined Achilles enthesis structure in Hyp mice, a murine model for the inherited osteomalacic disease X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) with calcifying enthesopathy. In Achilles enthesis fibrocartilage of Hyp mice, we show defective crossfibrillar mineral tessellation similar to that which occurs in Hyp lamellar bone. At the cellular level in fibrocartilage, unlike in bone where enlarged osteocyte mineral lacunae are found as peri-osteocytic lesions, mineral lacunar volumes for fibrochondrocytes did not differ between WT and Hyp mice. While both WT and Hyp aged mice demonstrate Achilles tendon midsubstance ectopic mineralization, a consistently defective mineralization pattern was observed in Hyp mice. Strong immunostaining for osteopontin was observed at all mineralization sites examined in both WT and Hyp mice. Taken together, this new 3D ultrastructural information describes details of common mineralization trajectories for enthesis, tendon and bone, which in Hyp/XLH are defective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Buss
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Katya Rechav
- Electron Microscopy Unit, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Natalie Reznikov
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Marc D McKee
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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5
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Pazzaglia UE, Reguzzoni M, Manconi R, Zecca PA, Zarattini G, Campagnolo M, Raspanti M. The combined cartilage growth - calcification patterns in the wing-fins of Rajidae (Chondrichthyes): A divergent model from endochondral ossification of tetrapods. Microsc Res Tech 2022; 85:3642-3652. [PMID: 36250446 DOI: 10.1002/jemt.24217] [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: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The relationship between cartilage growth - mineralization patterns were studied in adult Rajidae with X-ray morphology/morphometry, undecalcified resin-embedded, heat-deproteinated histology and scanning electron microscopy. Morphometry of the wing-fins, nine central rays of the youngest and oldest specimens documented a significant decrement of radials mean length between inner, middle and outer zones, but without a regular progression along the ray. This suggests that single radial length growth is regulated in such a way to align inter-radial joints parallel to the wing metapterygia curvature. Trans-illumination and heat-deproteination techniques showed polygonal and cylindrical morphotypes of tesserae, whose aligned pattern ranged from mono-columnar, bi-columnar, and multi-columnar up to the crustal-like layout. Histology of tessellated cartilage allowed to identify of zones of the incoming mineral deposition characterized by enhanced duplication rate of chondrocytes with the formation of isogenic groups, whose morphology and topography suggested a relationship with the impending formation of the radials calcified column. The morphotype and layout of radial tesserae were related to mechanical demands (stiffening) and the size/mass of the radial cartilage body. The cartilage calcification pattern of the batoids model shares several morphological features with tetrapods' endochondral ossification, that is, (chondrocytes' high duplication rate, alignment in rows, increased volume of chondrocyte lacunae), but without the typical geometry of the metaphyseal growth plates. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: 1. The wing-fins system consists of stiff radials, mobile inter-radial joints and a flat inter-radial membrane adapted to the mechanical demand of wing wave movement. 2. Growth occurs by forming a mixed calcified-uncalcified cartilage texture, developing intrinsic tensional stresses documented by morphoanatomical data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ugo E Pazzaglia
- DSMC, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.,DMC, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | | | - Renata Manconi
- DVM (Zoology Lab), University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
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Clark B, Chaumel J, Johanson Z, Underwood C, Smith MM, Dean MN. Bricks, trusses and superstructures: Strategies for skeletal reinforcement in batoid fishes (rays and skates). Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:932341. [PMID: 36313571 PMCID: PMC9604235 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.932341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Crushing and eating hard prey (durophagy) is mechanically demanding. The cartilage jaws of durophagous stingrays are known to be reinforced relative to non-durophagous relatives, with a thickened external cortex of mineralized blocks (tesserae), reinforcing struts inside the jaw (trabeculae), and pavement-like dentition. These strategies for skeletal strengthening against durophagy, however, are largely understood only from myliobatiform stingrays, although a hard prey diet has evolved multiple times in batoid fishes (rays, skates, guitarfishes). We perform a quantitative analysis of micro-CT data, describing jaw strengthening mechanisms in Rhina ancylostoma (Bowmouth Guitarfish) and Rhynchobatus australiae (White-spotted Wedgefish), durophagous members of the Rhinopristiformes, the sister taxon to Myliobatiformes. Both species possess trabeculae, more numerous and densely packed in Rhina, albeit simpler structurally than those in stingrays like Aetobatus and Rhinoptera. Rhina and Rhynchobatus exhibit impressively thickened jaw cortices, often involving >10 tesseral layers, most pronounced in regions where dentition is thickest, particularly in Rhynchobatus. Age series of both species illustrate that tesserae increase in size during growth, with enlarged and irregular tesserae associated with the jaws’ oral surface in larger (older) individuals of both species, perhaps a feature of ageing. Unlike the flattened teeth of durophagous myliobatiform stingrays, both rhinopristiform species have oddly undulating dentitions, comprised of pebble-like teeth interlocked to form compound “meta-teeth” (large spheroidal structures involving multiple teeth). This is particularly striking in Rhina, where the upper/lower occlusal surfaces are mirrored undulations, fitting together like rounded woodworking finger-joints. Trabeculae were previously thought to have arisen twice independently in Batoidea; our results show they are more widespread among batoid groups than previously appreciated, albeit apparently absent in the phylogenetically basal Rajiformes. Comparisons with several other durophagous and non-durophagous species illustrate that batoid skeletal reinforcement architectures are modular: trabeculae can be variously oriented and are dominant in some species (e.g. Rhina, Aetobatus), whereas cortical thickening is more significant in others (e.g. Rhynchobatus), or both reinforcing features can be lacking (e.g. Raja, Urobatis). We discuss interactions and implications of character states, framing a classification scheme for exploring cartilage structure evolution in the cartilaginous fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett Clark
- Image and Analysis Centre, Core Research Labs, London, United Kingdom
| | - Júlia Chaumel
- Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany
| | | | - Charlie Underwood
- Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Moya M. Smith
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, Dental Institute, King’s College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mason N. Dean
- Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- *Correspondence: Mason N. Dean, ,
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7
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Spiny chondrichthyan from the lower Silurian of South China. Nature 2022; 609:969-974. [PMID: 36171377 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05233-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Modern representatives of chondrichthyans (cartilaginous fishes) and osteichthyans (bony fishes and tetrapods) have contrasting skeletal anatomies and developmental trajectories1-4 that underscore the distant evolutionary split5-7 of the two clades. Recent work on upper Silurian and Devonian jawed vertebrates7-10 has revealed similar skeletal conditions that blur the conventional distinctions between osteichthyans, chondrichthyans and their jawed gnathostome ancestors. Here we describe the remains (dermal plates, scales and fin spines) of a chondrichthyan, Fanjingshania renovata gen. et sp. nov., from the lower Silurian of China that pre-date the earliest articulated fossils of jawed vertebrates10-12. Fanjingshania possesses dermal shoulder girdle plates and a complement of fin spines that have a striking anatomical similarity to those recorded in a subset of stem chondrichthyans5,7,13 (climatiid 'acanthodians'14). Uniquely among chondrichthyans, however, it demonstrates osteichthyan-like resorptive shedding of scale odontodes (dermal teeth) and an absence of odontogenic tissues in its spines. Our results identify independent acquisition of these conditions in the chondrichthyan stem group, adding Fanjingshania to an increasing number of taxa7,15 nested within conventionally defined acanthodians16. The discovery of Fanjingshania provides the strongest support yet for a proposed7 early Silurian radiation of jawed vertebrates before their widespread appearance5 in the fossil record in the Lower Devonian series.
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8
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Pazzaglia UE, Reguzzoni M, Manconi R, Zecca PA, Zarattini G, Campagnolo M, Raspanti M. Morphology of joints and patterns of cartilage calcification in the endoskeleton of the batoid Raja cf. polystigma. J Anat 2022; 240:1127-1140. [PMID: 35037257 PMCID: PMC9119620 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The skeleton of the batoid fish consists of a mixture of calcified and uncalcified cartilage with a typical layout of mineral deposition toward the outer border, leaving an uncalcified central core in most of the skeleton segments. An exception is observed in the radials, where mineral deposition is central. Joints and endoskeleton segments were studied in two adult samples of Raja cf. polystigma. Histomorphology, mineral deposition pattern, and zonal chondrocyte duplication activity were compared among several endoskeleton segments, but with particular attention to the fin rays; in the first, the uncalcified cartilage is central with an outer layer ranging from mineralized tesserae to a continuous calcified coating, whereas in the second, the uncalcified cartilage surrounds one or more central calcified columns. The diarthroses have a joint cavity closed by a fibrous capsule and the sliding surfaces rest on the base of mineralized tesserae, whereas the interradial amphiarthroses show a layer of densely packed chondrocytes between the flat, calcified discs forming the base of neighboring radials. In the endoskeleton segments, three types of tesserae are distinguished, characterizing the phases of skeletal growth and mineralization which present differences in each endoskeleton segment. The chondrocyte density between central core, subtesseral layer, and radial external cartilage did not show significant differences, while there was a significant difference in chondrocyte density between the latter zones and the type c tesserae of the pelvic girdle. The histomorphology and morphometry observed in Raja cf. polystigma suggest a model of cartilage growth associated with structural stiffening without remodeling. A key point of this model is suggested to be the incomplete mineralization of the tesseral layer and the continuous growth of cartilage, both enabling fluid diffusion through the matrix fibril network of scattered, uncalcified cartilage zones inside and between the tesserae.
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9
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Eigen L, Baum D, Dean MN, Werner D, Wölfer J, Nyakatura JA. Ontogeny of a tessellated surface: Carapace growth of the longhorn cowfish Lactoria cornuta. J Anat 2022; 241:565-580. [PMID: 35638264 PMCID: PMC9358767 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological armors derive their mechanical integrity in part from their geometric architectures, often involving tessellations: individual structural elements tiled together to form surface shells. The carapace of boxfish, for example, is composed of mineralized polygonal plates, called scutes, arranged in a complex geometric pattern and nearly completely encasing the body. In contrast to artificial armors, the boxfish exoskeleton grows with the fish; the relationship between the tessellation and the gross structure of the armor is therefore critical to sustained protection throughout growth. To clarify whether or how the boxfish tessellation is maintained or altered with age, we quantify architectural aspects of the tessellated carapace of the longhorn cowfish Lactoria cornuta through ontogeny (across nearly an order of magnitude in standard length) and in a high‐throughput fashion, using high‐resolution microCT data and segmentation algorithms to characterize the hundreds of scutes that cover each individual. We show that carapace growth is canalized with little variability across individuals: rather than continually adding scutes to enlarge the carapace surface, the number of scutes is surprisingly constant, with scutes increasing in volume, thickness, and especially width with age. As cowfish and their scutes grow, scutes become comparatively thinner, with the scutes at the edges (weak points in a boxy architecture) being some of the thickest and most reinforced in younger animals and thinning most slowly across ontogeny. In contrast, smaller scutes with more variable curvature were found in the limited areas of more complex topology (e.g., around fin insertions, mouth, and anus). Measurements of Gaussian and mean curvature illustrate that cowfish are essentially tessellated boxes throughout life: predominantly zero curvature surfaces comprised of mostly flat scutes, and with scutes with sharp bends used sparingly to form box edges. Since growth of a curved, tiled surface with a fixed number of tiles would require tile restructuring to accommodate the surface's changing radius of curvature, our results therefore illustrate a previously unappreciated advantage of the odd boxfish morphology: by having predominantly flat surfaces, it is the box‐like body form that in fact permits a relatively straightforward growth system of this tessellated architecture (i.e., where material is added to scute edges). Our characterization of the ontogeny and maintenance of the carapace tessellation provides insights into the potentially conflicting mechanical, geometric, and developmental constraints of this species but also perspectives into natural strategies for constructing mutable tiled architectures. The carapace of boxfish is composed of mineralized polygonal plates, called scutes, arranged in a complex geometric pattern and nearly completely encasing the body. To clarify whether or how this armor is maintained or altered with age, we quantify architectural aspects of the carapace of the longhorn cowfish Lactoria cornuta through ontogeny, using high‐resolution microCT data and segmentation algorithms to characterize the hundreds of scutes that cover each individual.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Lennart Eigen
- Comparative Zoology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniel Baum
- Visual and Data-Centric Computing Department, Zuse Institute Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mason N Dean
- Comparative Zoology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Daniel Werner
- Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Jan Wölfer
- Comparative Zoology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - John A Nyakatura
- Comparative Zoology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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10
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Micheletti C, Hurley A, Gourrier A, Palmquist A, Tang T, Shah FA, Grandfield K. Bone mineral organization at the mesoscale: A review of mineral ellipsoids in bone and at bone interfaces. Acta Biomater 2022; 142:1-13. [PMID: 35202855 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.02.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Much debate still revolves around bone architecture, especially at the nano- and microscale. Bone is a remarkable material where high strength and toughness coexist thanks to an optimized composition of mineral and protein and their hierarchical organization across several distinct length scales. At the nanoscale, mineralized collagen fibrils act as building block units. Despite their key role in biological and mechanical functions, the mechanisms of collagen mineralization and the precise arrangement of the organic and inorganic constituents in the fibrils remains not fully elucidated. Advances in three-dimensional (3D) characterization of mineralized bone tissue by focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) revealed mineral-rich regions geometrically approximated as prolate ellipsoids, much larger than single collagen fibrils. These structures have yet to become prominently recognized, studied, or adopted into biomechanical models of bone. However, they closely resemble the circular to elliptical features previously identified by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) in two-dimensions (2D). Herein, we review the presence of mineral ellipsoids in bone as observed with electron-based imaging techniques in both 2D and 3D with particular focus on different species, anatomical locations, and in proximity to natural and synthetic biomaterial interfaces. This review reveals that mineral ellipsoids are a ubiquitous structure in all the bones and bone-implant interfaces analyzed. This largely overlooked hierarchical level is expected to bring different perspectives to our understanding of bone mineralization and mechanical properties, in turn shedding light on structure-function relationships in bone. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: In bone, the hierarchical organization of organic (mainly collagen type I) and inorganic (calcium-phosphate mineral) components across several length scales contributes to a unique combination of strength and toughness. However, aspects related to the collagen-mineral organization and to mineralization mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we review the presence of mineral prolate ellipsoids across a variety of species, anatomical locations, and interfaces, both natural and with synthetic biomaterials. These mineral ellipsoids represent a largely unstudied feature in the organization of bone at the mesoscale, i.e., at a level connecting nano- and microscale. Thorough understanding of their origin, development, and structure can provide valuable insights into bone architecture and mineralization, assisting the treatment of bone diseases and the design of bio-inspired materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Micheletti
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton L8S 4L7, ON, Canada; Department of Biomaterials, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg SE-413 46, Sweden
| | - Ariana Hurley
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton L8S 4L7, ON, Canada; Integrated Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton L8S 4L7, ON, Canada
| | | | - Anders Palmquist
- Department of Biomaterials, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg SE-413 46, Sweden
| | - Tengteng Tang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton L8S 4L7, ON, Canada
| | - Furqan A Shah
- Department of Biomaterials, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg SE-413 46, Sweden
| | - Kathryn Grandfield
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton L8S 4L7, ON, Canada; School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton L8S 4L7, ON, Canada.
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11
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Berio F, Bayle Y, Riley C, Larouche O, Cloutier R. Phenotypic regionalization of the vertebral column in the thorny skate Amblyraja radiata: Stability and variation. J Anat 2022; 240:253-267. [PMID: 34542171 PMCID: PMC8742970 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Regionalization of the vertebral column occurred early during vertebrate evolution and has been extensively investigated in mammals. However, less data are available on vertebral regions of crown gnathostomes. This is particularly true for batoids (skates, sawfishes, guitarfishes, and rays) whose vertebral column has long been considered to be composed of the same two regions as in teleost fishes despite the presence of a synarcual. However, the numerous vertebral units in chondrichthyans may display a more complex regionalization pattern than previously assumed and the intraspecific variation of such pattern deserves a thorough investigation. In this study, we use micro-computed tomography (µCT) scans of vertebral columns of a growth series of thorny skates Amblyraja radiata to provide the first fine-scale morphological description of vertebral units in a batoids species. We further investigate axial regionalization using a replicable clustering analysis on presence/absence of vertebral elements to decipher the regionalization of the vertebral column of A. radiata. We identify four vertebral regions in this species. The two anteriormost regions, named synarcual and thoracic, may undergo strong developmental or functional constraints because they display stable patterns of shapes and numbers of vertebral units across all growth stages. The third region, named hemal transitional, is characterized by high inter-individual morphological variation and displays a transition between the monospondylous (one centrum per somite) to diplospondylous (two centra per somite) conditions. The posteriormost region, named caudal, is subdivided into three sub-regions with shapes changing gradually along the anteroposterior axis. These regionalized patterns are discussed in light of ecological habits of skates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fidji Berio
- Laboratoire de Paléontologie et Biologie ÉvolutiveUniversité du Québec à RimouskiRimouskiQuébecCanada
| | - Yann Bayle
- Université de BordeauxBordeaux INPCNRSLaBRIUMR5800TalenceFrance
| | - Cyrena Riley
- Laboratoire de Paléontologie et Biologie ÉvolutiveUniversité du Québec à RimouskiRimouskiQuébecCanada
| | - Olivier Larouche
- Laboratoire de Paléontologie et Biologie ÉvolutiveUniversité du Québec à RimouskiRimouskiQuébecCanada
- Department of BioSciencesRice UniversityHoustonTexasUSA
| | - Richard Cloutier
- Laboratoire de Paléontologie et Biologie ÉvolutiveUniversité du Québec à RimouskiRimouskiQuébecCanada
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12
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Atake OJ, Eames BF. Mineralized Cartilage and Bone-Like Tissues in Chondrichthyans Offer Potential Insights Into the Evolution and Development of Mineralized Tissues in the Vertebrate Endoskeleton. Front Genet 2021; 12:762042. [PMID: 35003210 PMCID: PMC8727550 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.762042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The impregnation of biominerals into the extracellular matrix of living organisms, a process termed biomineralization, gives rise to diverse mineralized (or calcified) tissues in vertebrates. Preservation of mineralized tissues in the fossil record has provided insights into the evolutionary history of vertebrates and their skeletons. However, current understanding of the vertebrate skeleton and of the processes underlying its formation is biased towards biomedical models such as the tetrapods mouse and chick. Chondrichthyans (sharks, skates, rays, and chimaeras) and osteichthyans are the only vertebrate groups with extant (living) representatives that have a mineralized skeleton, but the basal phylogenetic position of chondrichthyans could potentially offer unique insights into skeletal evolution. For example, bone is a vertebrate novelty, but the internal supporting skeleton (endoskeleton) of extant chondrichthyans is commonly described as lacking bone. The molecular and developmental basis for this assertion is yet to be tested. Subperichondral tissues in the endoskeleton of some chondrichthyans display mineralization patterns and histological and molecular features of bone, thereby challenging the notion that extant chondrichthyans lack endoskeletal bone. Additionally, the chondrichthyan endoskeleton demonstrates some unique features and others that are potentially homologous with other vertebrates, including a polygonal mineralization pattern, a trabecular mineralization pattern, and an unconstricted perichordal sheath. Because of the basal phylogenetic position of chondrichthyans among all other extant vertebrates with a mineralized skeleton, developmental and molecular studies of chondrichthyans are critical to flesh out the evolution of vertebrate skeletal tissues, but only a handful of such studies have been carried out to date. This review discusses morphological and molecular features of chondrichthyan endoskeletal tissues and cell types, ultimately emphasizing how comparative embryology and transcriptomics can reveal homology of mineralized skeletal tissues (and their cell types) between chondrichthyans and other vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - B. Frank Eames
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pharmacology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
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13
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Mineral tessellation in bone and the stenciling principle for extracellular matrix mineralization. J Struct Biol 2021; 214:107823. [PMID: 34915130 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2021.107823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
We review here the Stenciling Principle for extracellular matrix mineralization that describes a double-negative process (inhibition of inhibitors) that promotes mineralization in bone and other mineralized tissues, whereas the default condition of inhibition alone prevents mineralization elsewhere in soft connective tissues. The stenciling principle acts across multiple levels from the macroscale (skeleton/dentition vs soft connective tissues), to the microscale (for example, entheses, and the tooth attachment complex where the soft periodontal ligament is situated between mineralized tooth cementum and mineralized alveolar bone), and to the mesoscale (mineral tessellation). It relates to both small-molecule (e.g. pyrophosphate) and protein (e.g. osteopontin) inhibitors of mineralization, and promoters (enzymes, e.g. TNAP, PHEX) that degrade the inhibitors to permit and regulate mineralization. In this process, an organizational motif for bone mineral arises that we call crossfibrillar mineral tessellation where mineral formations - called tesselles - geometrically approximate prolate ellipsoids and traverse multiple collagen fibrils (laterally). Tesselle growth is directed by the structural anisotropy of collagen, being spatially restrained in the shorter transverse tesselle dimensions (averaging 1.6 × 0.8 × 0.8 μm, aspect ratio 2, length range 1.5-2.5 μm). Temporo-spatially, the tesselles abut in 3D (close ellipsoid packing) to fill the volume of lamellar bone extracellular matrix. Poorly mineralized interfacial gaps between adjacent tesselles remain discernable even in mature lamellar bone. Tessellation of a same, small basic unit to form larger structural assemblies results in numerous 3D interfaces, allows dissipation of critical stresses, and enables fail-safe cyclic deformations. Incomplete tessellation in osteomalacia/odontomalacia may explain why soft osteomalacic bones buckle and deform under loading.
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14
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Berio F, Broyon M, Enault S, Pirot N, López-Romero FA, Debiais-Thibaud M. Diversity and Evolution of Mineralized Skeletal Tissues in Chondrichthyans. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.660767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The diversity of skeletal tissues in extant vertebrates includes mineralized and unmineralized structures made of bone, cartilage, or tissues of intermediate nature. This variability, together with the diverse nature of skeletal tissues in fossil species question the origin of skeletonization in early vertebrates. In particular, the study of skeletal tissues in cartilaginous fishes is currently mostly restrained to tessellated cartilage, a derived form of mineralized cartilage that evolved at the origin of this group. In this work, we describe the architectural and histological diversity of neural arch mineralization in cartilaginous fishes. The observed variations in the architecture include tessellated cartilage, with or without more massive sites of mineralization, and continuously mineralized neural arches devoid of tesserae. The histology of these various architectures always includes globular mineralization that takes place in the cartilaginous matrix. In many instances, the mineralized structures also include a fibrous component that seems to emerge from the perichondrium and they may display intermediate features, ranging from partly cartilaginous to mostly fibrous matrix, similar to fibrocartilage. Among these perichondrial mineralized tissues is also found, in few species, a lamellar arrangement of the mineralized extracellular matrix. The evolution of the mineralized tissues in cartilaginous fishes is discussed in light of current knowledge of their phylogenetic relationships.
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15
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Maisey JG, Denton JSS, Burrow C, Pradel A. Architectural and ultrastructural features of tessellated calcified cartilage in modern and extinct chondrichthyan fishes. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2021; 98:919-941. [PMID: 32388865 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Tessellated calcified cartilage (TCC) is a distinctive kind of biomineralized perichondral tissue found in many modern and extinct chondrichthyans (sharks, rays, chimaeroids and their extinct allies). Customarily, this feature has been treated somewhat superficially in phylogenetic analyses, often as a single "defining" character of a chondrichthyan clade. TCC is actually a complex hard tissue with numerous distinctive attributes, but its use as a character complex for phylogenetic analysis has not yet been optimized. This study attempts to improve this situation by presenting new terminology for certain aspects of tesseral architecture, including single-monolayered, multiple-monolayered, polylayered and voussoir tesserae; new histological data, including thin sections of TCC in several Palaeozoic taxa, and new proposals for ways in which various characters and states (many of which are defined here for the first time) could be applied in future phylogenetic analyses of chondrichthyan fishes. It can be concluded that many, but not all, of the unique attributes of modern TCC evolved by the Early Devonian (ca. 400 before present (bp)). The globular calcified cartilage reported in Silurian sinacanthids and the so-called subtessellated perichondral biomineralization (with irregular and ill-defined geometries of a layer or layers of calcified cartilage blocks) of certain extinct "acanthodians" (e.g., Climatius, Ischnacanthus, Cheiracanthus) could represent evolutionary precursors of TCC, which seems to characterize only part of the chondrichthyan total group. It is hypothesized that heavily biomineralized "layer-cake" TCC in certain Palaeozoic chondrichthyans perhaps served a dual physiological role, as a phosphate sink and in providing increased skeletal density in very large (>7 m) Devonian-Permian marine sharks such as ctenacanths and as an adaptation to calcium-deficient environments among Permo-Carboniferous non-marine sharks such as xenacanths. By contrast, the equivalent tissue in modern elasmobranchs probably serves only to reinforce regions of cartilage (mostly in the jaws) subjected to high loading. It is also noted that much of the variation observed in tesseral architecture (including localized remodelling), ultrastructure and histology in modern and extinct chondrichthyans is confined to the perichondrally facing cap zone (where Type-1 collagen matrix predominates in modern TCC), whereas the main body of the tessera (where Type-2 collagen matrix predominates) exhibits comparatively little evidence of remodelling and histological or structural variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- John G Maisey
- Department of Vertebrate Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York City, New York, USA
| | - John S S Denton
- Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Carole Burrow
- Geosciences, Queensland Museum, Hendra, Queensland, Australia
| | - Alan Pradel
- Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie - Paris, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
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16
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Seidel R, Jayasankar AK, Dean MN. The multiscale architecture of tessellated cartilage and its relation to function. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2021; 98:942-955. [PMID: 32584448 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
When describing the architecture and ultrastructure of animal skeletons, introductory biology, anatomy and histology textbooks typically focus on the few bone and cartilage types prevalent in humans. In reality, cartilage and bone are far more diverse in the animal kingdom, particularly within fishes (Chondrichthyes and Actinopterygii), where cartilage and bone types are characterized by features that are anomalous or even pathological in human skeletons. This review discusses the curious and complex architectures of shark and ray tessellated cartilage, highlighting similarities and differences with their mammalian skeletal tissue counterparts. By synthesizing older anatomical literature with recent high-resolution structural and materials characterization work, this review frames emerging pictures of form-function relationships in this tissue and of the evolution and true diversity of cartilage and bone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald Seidel
- Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interface, Potsdam, Germany
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB) - B CUBE, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Aravind K Jayasankar
- Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interface, Potsdam, Germany
- HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Mason N Dean
- Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interface, Potsdam, Germany
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17
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Pears JB, Johanson Z, Trinajstic K, Dean MN, Boisvert CA. Mineralization of the Callorhinchus Vertebral Column (Holocephali; Chondrichthyes). Front Genet 2020; 11:571694. [PMID: 33329708 PMCID: PMC7732695 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.571694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Members of the Chondrichthyes (Elasmobranchii and Holocephali) are distinguished by their largely cartilaginous endoskeletons, which comprise an uncalcified core overlain by a mineralized layer; in the Elasmobranchii (sharks, skates, rays) most of this mineralization takes the form of calcified polygonal tiles known as tesserae. In recent years, these skeletal tissues have been described in ever increasing detail in sharks and rays, but those of Holocephali (chimaeroids) have been less well-studied, with conflicting accounts as to whether or not tesserae are present. During embryonic ontogeny in holocephalans, cervical vertebrae fuse to form a structure called the synarcual. The synarcual mineralizes early and progressively, anteroposteriorly and dorsoventrally, and therefore presents a good skeletal structure in which to observe mineralized tissues in this group. Here, we describe the development and mineralization of the synarcual in an adult and stage 36 elephant shark embryo (Callorhinchus milii). Small, discrete, but irregular blocks of cortical mineralization are present in stage 36, similar to what has been described recently in embryos of other chimaeroid taxa such as Hydrolagus, while in Callorhinchus adults, the blocks of mineralization are more irregular, but remain small. This differs from fossil members of the holocephalan crown group (Edaphodon), as well as from stem group holocephalans (e.g., Symmorida, Helodus, Iniopterygiformes), where tesserae are notably larger than in Callorhinchus and show similarities to elasmobranch tesserae, for example with respect to polygonal shape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob B Pears
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Zerina Johanson
- Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kate Trinajstic
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Mason N Dean
- Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany
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18
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Buss DJ, Reznikov N, McKee MD. Crossfibrillar mineral tessellation in normal and Hyp mouse bone as revealed by 3D FIB-SEM microscopy. J Struct Biol 2020; 212:107603. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2020.107603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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19
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Seidel R, Blumer M, Chaumel J, Amini S, Dean MN. Endoskeletal mineralization in chimaera and a comparative guide to tessellated cartilage in chondrichthyan fishes (sharks, rays and chimaera). J R Soc Interface 2020; 17:20200474. [PMID: 33050779 PMCID: PMC7653374 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2020.0474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
An accepted uniting character of modern cartilaginous fishes (sharks, rays, chimaera) is the presence of a mineralized, skeletal crust, tiled by numerous minute plates called tesserae. Tesserae have, however, never been demonstrated in modern chimaera and it is debated whether the skeleton mineralizes at all. We show for the first time that tessellated cartilage was not lost in chimaera, as has been previously postulated, and is in many ways similar to that of sharks and rays. Tesserae in Chimaera monstrosa are less regular in shape and size in comparison to the general scheme of polygonal tesserae in sharks and rays, yet share several features with them. For example, Chimaera tesserae, like those of elasmobranchs, possess both intertesseral joints (unmineralized regions, where fibrous tissue links adjacent tesserae) and recurring patterns of local mineral density variation (e.g. Liesegang lines, hypermineralized ‘spokes’), reflecting periodic accretion of mineral at tesseral edges as tesserae grow. Chimaera monstrosa's tesserae, however, appear to lack the internal cell networks that characterize tesserae in elasmobranchs, indicating fundamental differences among chondrichthyan groups in how calcification is controlled. By compiling and comparing recent ultrastructure data on tesserae, we also provide a synthesized, up-to-date and comparative glossary on tessellated cartilage, as well as a perspective on the current state of research into the topic, offering benchmark context for future research into modern and extinct vertebrate skeletal tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald Seidel
- B CUBE-Center for Molecular Bioengineering, Technical University Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany.,Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Department of Biomaterials, 14424 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Michael Blumer
- Medical University Innsbruck, Division of Clinical and Functional Anatomy, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Júlia Chaumel
- Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Department of Biomaterials, 14424 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Shahrouz Amini
- Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Department of Biomaterials, 14424 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Mason N Dean
- Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Department of Biomaterials, 14424 Potsdam, Germany
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20
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Schotte M, Chaumel J, Dean MN, Baum D. Image analysis pipeline for segmentation of a biological porosity network, the lacuno-canalicular system in stingray tesserae. MethodsX 2020; 7:100905. [PMID: 32461920 PMCID: PMC7240223 DOI: 10.1016/j.mex.2020.100905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A prerequisite for many analysis tasks in modern comparative biology is the segmentation of 3-dimensional (3D) images of the specimens being investigated (e.g. from microCT data). Depending on the specific imaging technique that was used to acquire the images and on the image resolution, different segmentation tools are required. While some standard tools exist that can often be applied for specific subtasks, building whole processing pipelines solely from standard tools is often difficult. Some tasks may even necessitate the implementation of manual interaction tools to achieve a quality that is sufficient for subsequent analysis. In this work, we present a pipeline of segmentation tools that can be used for the semiautomatic segmentation and quantitative analysis of voids in tissue (i.e. internal structural porosity). We use this pipeline to analyze lacuno-canalicular networks in stingray tesserae from 3D images acquired with synchrotron microCT.The first step of this pipeline, the segmentation of the tesserae, was performed using standard marker-based watershed segmentation. The efficient processing of the next two steps, that is, the segmentation of all lacunae spaces belonging to a specific tessera and the separation of these spaces into individual lacunae required recently developed, novel tools. For error correction, we developed an interactive method that allowed us to quickly split lacunae that were accidentally merged, and to merge lacunae that were wrongly split. Finally, the tesserae and their corresponding lacunae were subdivided into structural wedges (i.e. specific anatomical regions) using a semi-manual approach.
With this processing pipeline, analysis of a variety of interconnected structural networks (e.g. vascular or lacuno-canalicular networks) can be achieved in a comparatively high-throughput fashion. In our study system, we were able to efficiently segment more than 12,000 lacunae in high-resolution scans of nine tesserae, providing a robust data set for statistical analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merlind Schotte
- Visual Data Analysis Department, Zuse Institute Berlin, Takustrasse 7, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Júlia Chaumel
- Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Mason N Dean
- Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Daniel Baum
- Visual Data Analysis Department, Zuse Institute Berlin, Takustrasse 7, 14195 Berlin, Germany
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21
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Marconi A, Hancock-Ronemus A, Gillis JA. Adult chondrogenesis and spontaneous cartilage repair in the skate, Leucoraja erinacea. eLife 2020; 9:e53414. [PMID: 32393435 PMCID: PMC7217701 DOI: 10.7554/elife.53414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian articular cartilage is an avascular tissue with poor capacity for spontaneous repair. Here, we show that embryonic development of cartilage in the skate (Leucoraja erinacea) mirrors that of mammals, with developing chondrocytes co-expressing genes encoding the transcription factors Sox5, Sox6 and Sox9. However, in skate, transcriptional features of developing cartilage persist into adulthood, both in peripheral chondrocytes and in cells of the fibrous perichondrium that ensheaths the skeleton. Using pulse-chase label retention experiments and multiplexed in situ hybridization, we identify a population of cycling Sox5/6/9+ perichondral progenitor cells that generate new cartilage during adult growth, and we show that persistence of chondrogenesis in adult skates correlates with ability to spontaneously repair cartilage injuries. Skates therefore offer a unique model for adult chondrogenesis and cartilage repair and may serve as inspiration for novel cell-based therapies for skeletal pathologies, such as osteoarthritis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amy Hancock-Ronemus
- Charles River LaboratoriesWilmington, MassachusettsUnited States
- Marine Biological LaboratoryWoods Hole, MassachusettsUnited States
| | - J Andrew Gillis
- Department of Zoology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Marine Biological LaboratoryWoods Hole, MassachusettsUnited States
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22
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Chaumel J, Schotte M, Bizzarro JJ, Zaslansky P, Fratzl P, Baum D, Dean MN. Co-aligned chondrocytes: Zonal morphological variation and structured arrangement of cell lacunae in tessellated cartilage. Bone 2020; 134:115264. [PMID: 32058019 DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2020.115264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Revised: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In most vertebrates the embryonic cartilaginous skeleton is replaced by bone during development. During this process, cartilage cells (chondrocytes) mineralize the extracellular matrix and undergo apoptosis, giving way to bone cells (osteocytes). In contrast, sharks and rays (elasmobranchs) have cartilaginous skeletons throughout life, where only the surface mineralizes, forming a layer of tiles (tesserae). Elasmobranch chondrocytes, unlike those of other vertebrates, survive cartilage mineralization and are maintained alive in spaces (lacunae) within tesserae. However, the functions of the chondrocytes in the mineralized tissue remain unknown. Applying a custom analysis workflow to high-resolution synchrotron microCT scans of tesserae, we characterize the morphologies and arrangements of stingray chondrocyte lacunae, using lacunar morphology as a proxy for chondrocyte morphology. We show that the cell density is comparable in unmineralized and mineralized tissue and that cells maintain similar volume even when they have been incorporated into tesserae. Our findings support previous hypotheses that elasmobranch chondrocytes, unlike those of other taxa, do not proliferate, hypertrophy or undergo apoptosis during mineralization. Tessera lacunae show zonal variation in their shapes, being flatter further from and more spherical closer to the unmineralized cartilage matrix, and larger in the center of tesserae. The lacunae show pronounced organization into parallel layers and strong orientation toward neighboring tesserae. Tesserae also exhibit local variation in lacunar density, with the density considerably higher near pores passing through the tesseral layer, suggesting pores and cells interact, and that pores may contain a nutrient source. We propose that the different lacunar types reflect the stages of the tesserae formation process, while also representing local variation in tissue architecture and cell function. Lacunae are linked by small passages (canaliculi) in the matrix to form elongated series at the tesseral periphery and tight clusters in the center of tesserae, creating a rich connectivity among cells. The network arrangement and the shape variation of chondrocytes in tesserae indicate that cells may interact within and between tesserae and manage mineralization differently from chondrocytes in other vertebrates, perhaps performing analogous roles to osteocytes in bone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Júlia Chaumel
- Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Merlind Schotte
- Visual Data Analysis Department, Zuse Institute Berlin, Takustrasse 7, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Joseph J Bizzarro
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
| | - Paul Zaslansky
- Department for Operative and Preventive Dentistry, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Aßmannshauser Str. 4-6 14197 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Peter Fratzl
- Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Daniel Baum
- Visual Data Analysis Department, Zuse Institute Berlin, Takustrasse 7, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Mason N Dean
- Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam, Germany.
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23
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Baum D, Weaver JC, Zlotnikov I, Knötel D, Tomholt L, Dean MN. High-Throughput Segmentation of Tiled Biological Structures using Random-Walk Distance Transforms. Integr Comp Biol 2020; 59:1700-1712. [PMID: 31282926 PMCID: PMC6907396 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icz117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Various 3D imaging techniques are routinely used to examine biological materials, the results of which are usually a stack of grayscale images. In order to quantify structural aspects of the biological materials, however, they must first be extracted from the dataset in a process called segmentation. If the individual structures to be extracted are in contact or very close to each other, distance-based segmentation methods utilizing the Euclidean distance transform are commonly employed. Major disadvantages of the Euclidean distance transform, however, are its susceptibility to noise (very common in biological data), which often leads to incorrect segmentations (i.e., poor separation of objects of interest), and its limitation of being only effective for roundish objects. In the present work, we propose an alternative distance transform method, the random-walk distance transform, and demonstrate its effectiveness in high-throughput segmentation of three microCT datasets of biological tilings (i.e., structures composed of a large number of similar repeating units). In contrast to the Euclidean distance transform, the random-walk approach represents the global, rather than the local, geometric character of the objects to be segmented and, thus, is less susceptible to noise. In addition, it is directly applicable to structures with anisotropic shape characteristics. Using three case studies—tessellated cartilage from a stingray, the dermal endoskeleton of a starfish, and the prismatic layer of a bivalve mollusc shell—we provide a typical workflow for the segmentation of tiled structures, describe core image processing concepts that are underused in biological research, and show that for each study system, large amounts of biologically-relevant data can be rapidly segmented, visualized, and analyzed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Baum
- Department of Visual Data Analysis, Zuse Institute Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - James C Weaver
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Igor Zlotnikov
- B CUBE-Center for Molecular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - David Knötel
- Department of Visual Data Analysis, Zuse Institute Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lara Tomholt
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Harvard Graduate School of Design, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mason N Dean
- Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Department of Biomaterials, Research Campus Golm, Potsdam, Germany
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Di Santo V. Ocean acidification and warming affect skeletal mineralization in a marine fish. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 286:20182187. [PMID: 30963862 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Ocean acidification and warming are known to alter, and in many cases decrease, calcification rates of shell and reef building marine invertebrates. However, to date, there are no datasets on the combined effect of ocean pH and temperature on skeletal mineralization of marine vertebrates, such as fishes. Here, the embryos of an oviparous marine fish, the little skate ( Leucoraja erinacea), were developmentally acclimatized to current and increased temperature and CO2 conditions as expected by the year 2100 (15 and 20°C, approx. 400 and 1100 µatm, respectively), in a fully crossed experimental design. Using micro-computed tomography, hydroxyapatite density was estimated in the mineralized portion of the cartilage in jaws, crura, vertebrae, denticles and pectoral fins of juvenile skates. Mineralization increased as a consequence of high CO2 in the cartilage of crura and jaws, while temperature decreased mineralization in the pectoral fins. Mineralization affects stiffness and strength of skeletal elements linearly, with implications for feeding and locomotion performance and efficiency. This study is, to my knowledge, the first to quantify a significant change in mineralization in the skeleton of a fish and shows that changes in temperature and pH of the oceans have complex effects on fish skeletal morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Di Santo
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University , 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA , USA
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Connors M, Yang T, Hosny A, Deng Z, Yazdandoost F, Massaadi H, Eernisse D, Mirzaeifar R, Dean MN, Weaver JC, Ortiz C, Li L. Bioinspired design of flexible armor based on chiton scales. Nat Commun 2019; 10:5413. [PMID: 31822663 PMCID: PMC6904579 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13215-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Man-made armors often rely on rigid structures for mechanical protection, which typically results in a trade-off with flexibility and maneuverability. Chitons, a group of marine mollusks, evolved scaled armors that address similar challenges. Many chiton species possess hundreds of small, mineralized scales arrayed on the soft girdle that surrounds their overlapping shell plates. Ensuring both flexibility for locomotion and protection of the underlying soft body, the scaled girdle is an excellent model for multifunctional armor design. Here we conduct a systematic study of the material composition, nanomechanical properties, three-dimensional geometry, and interspecific structural diversity of chiton girdle scales. Moreover, inspired by the tessellated organization of chiton scales, we fabricate a synthetic flexible scaled armor analogue using parametric computational modeling and multi-material 3D printing. This approach allows us to conduct a quantitative evaluation of our chiton-inspired armor to assess its orientation-dependent flexibility and protection capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Connors
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139-4307, USA
| | - Ting Yang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA
| | - Ahmed Hosny
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Zhifei Deng
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA
| | - Fatemeh Yazdandoost
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA
| | - Hajar Massaadi
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139-4307, USA
| | - Douglas Eernisse
- Department of Biological Science, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, CA, 92834, USA
| | - Reza Mirzaeifar
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA
| | - Mason N Dean
- Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Am Muehlenberg 1, 14424, Potsdam, Germany
| | - James C Weaver
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Christine Ortiz
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139-4307, USA
| | - Ling Li
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA.
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Mechanical properties of stingray tesserae: High-resolution correlative analysis of mineral density and indentation moduli in tessellated cartilage. Acta Biomater 2019; 96:421-435. [PMID: 31254686 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2019.06.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Revised: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Skeletal tissues are built and shaped through complex, interacting active and passive processes. These spatial and temporal variabilities make interpreting growth mechanisms from morphology difficult, particularly in bone, where the remodeling process erases and rewrites local structural records of growth throughout life. In contrast to the majority of bony vertebrates, the elasmobranch fishes (sharks, rays, and their relatives) have skeletons made of cartilage, reinforced by an outer layer of mineralized tiles (tesserae), which are believed to grow only by deposition, without remodeling. We exploit this structural permanence, performing the first fine-scale correlation of structure and material properties in an elasmobranch skeleton. Our characterization across an age series of stingray tesserae allows unique insight into the growth processes and mechanical influences shaping the skeleton. Correlated quantitative backscattered electron imaging (qBEI) and nanoindentation measurements show a positive relationship between mineral density and tissue stiffness/hardness. Although tessellated cartilage as a whole (tesserae plus unmineralized cartilage) is considerably less dense than bone, we demonstrate that tesserae have exceptional local material properties, exceeding those of (mammal) bone and calcified cartilage. We show that the finescale ultrastructures recently described in tesserae have characteristic material properties suggesting distinct mechanical roles and that regions of high mineral density/stiffness in tesserae are confined predominantly to regions expected to bear high loads. In particular, tesseral spokes (laminated structures flanking joints) exhibit particularly high mineral densities and tissue material properties, more akin to teeth than bone or calcified cartilage. We conclude that these spokes toughen tesserae and reinforce points of contact between them. These toughening and reinforcing functions are supported by finite element simulations incorporating our material data. The high stresses predicted for spokes, and evidence we provide that new spoke laminae are deposited according to their local mechanical environment, suggest tessellated cartilage is both mutable and responsive, despite lacking remodeling capability. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The study of vertebrate skeletal materials is heavily biased toward mammal bone, despite evidence that bone and cartilage are extremely diverse. We broaden the perspective on vertebrate skeleton materials and evolution in an investigation of stingray tessellated cartilage, a curious type of unmineralized cartilage with a shell of mineralized tiles (tesserae). Combining high-resolution imaging and material testing, we demonstrate that tesserae have impressive local material properties for a vertebrate skeletal tissue, arguing for unique tissue organization relative to mammalian calcified cartilage and bone. Incorporating our materials data into mechanical models, we show that finescale material arrangements allow this cartilage to act as a functional and responsive alternative to bone, despite lacking bone's ability to remodel. These results are relevant to a diversity of researchers, from skeletal, developmental, and evolutionary biologists, to materials scientists interested in high-performance, low-density composites.
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Johanson Z, Martin K, Fraser G, James K. The Synarcual of the Little Skate, Leucoraja erinacea: Novel Development Among the Vertebrates. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
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The Multiscale Architectures of Fish Bone and Tessellated Cartilage and Their Relation to Function. ARCHITECTURED MATERIALS IN NATURE AND ENGINEERING 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-11942-3_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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DeLaurier A. Evolution and development of the fish jaw skeleton. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2018; 8:e337. [PMID: 30378758 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Revised: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 09/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of the jaw represents a key innovation in driving the diversification of vertebrate body plans and behavior. The pharyngeal apparatus originated as gill bars separated by slits in chordate ancestors to vertebrates. Later, with the acquisition of neural crest, pharyngeal arches gave rise to branchial basket cartilages in jawless vertebrates (agnathans), and later bone and cartilage of the jaw, jaw support, and gills of jawed vertebrates (gnathostomes). Major events in the evolution of jaw structure from agnathans to gnathostomes include axial regionalization of pharyngeal elements and formation of a jaw joint. Hox genes specify the anterior-posterior identity of arches, and edn1, dlx, hand2, Jag1b-Notch2 signaling, and Nr2f factors specify dorsal-ventral identity. The formation of a jaw joint, an important step in the transition from an un-jointed pharynx in agnathans to a hinged jaw in gnathostomes involves interaction between nkx3.2, hand2, and barx1 factors. Major events in jaw patterning between fishes and reptiles include changes to elements of the second pharyngeal arch, including a loss of opercular and branchiostegal ray bones and transformation of the hyomandibula into the stapes. Further changes occurred between reptiles and mammals, including the transformation of the articular and quadrate elements of the jaw joint into the malleus and incus of the middle ear. Fossils of transitional jaw phenotypes can be analyzed from a developmental perspective, and there exists potential to use genetic manipulation techniques in extant taxa to test hypotheses about the evolution of jaw patterning in ancient vertebrates. This article is categorized under: Comparative Development and Evolution > Evolutionary Novelties Early Embryonic Development > Development to the Basic Body Plan Comparative Development and Evolution > Body Plan Evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- April DeLaurier
- Department of Biology and Geology, University of South Carolina Aiken, Aiken, South Carolina
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Knötel D, Seidel R, Prohaska S, Dean MN, Baum D. Automated segmentation of complex patterns in biological tissues: Lessons from stingray tessellated cartilage. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0188018. [PMID: 29236705 PMCID: PMC5728489 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2017] [Accepted: 10/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Many biological structures show recurring tiling patterns on one structural level or the other. Current image acquisition techniques are able to resolve those tiling patterns to allow quantitative analyses. The resulting image data, however, may contain an enormous number of elements. This renders manual image analysis infeasible, in particular when statistical analysis is to be conducted, requiring a larger number of image data to be analyzed. As a consequence, the analysis process needs to be automated to a large degree. In this paper, we describe a multi-step image segmentation pipeline for the automated segmentation of the calcified cartilage into individual tesserae from computed tomography images of skeletal elements of stingrays. Methods Besides applying state-of-the-art algorithms like anisotropic diffusion smoothing, local thresholding for foreground segmentation, distance map calculation, and hierarchical watershed, we exploit a graph-based representation for fast correction of the segmentation. In addition, we propose a new distance map that is computed only in the plane that locally best approximates the calcified cartilage. This distance map drastically improves the separation of individual tesserae. We apply our segmentation pipeline to hyomandibulae from three individuals of the round stingray (Urobatis halleri), varying both in age and size. Results Each of the hyomandibula datasets contains approximately 3000 tesserae. To evaluate the quality of the automated segmentation, four expert users manually generated ground truth segmentations of small parts of one hyomandibula. These ground truth segmentations allowed us to compare the segmentation quality w.r.t. individual tesserae. Additionally, to investigate the segmentation quality of whole skeletal elements, landmarks were manually placed on all tesserae and their positions were then compared to the segmented tesserae. With the proposed segmentation pipeline, we sped up the processing of a single skeletal element from days or weeks to a few hours.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Knötel
- Zuse Institute Berlin, Dept. of Visual Data Analysis, Berlin, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Ronald Seidel
- Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Dept. of Biomaterials, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Steffen Prohaska
- Zuse Institute Berlin, Dept. of Visual Data Analysis, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mason N. Dean
- Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Dept. of Biomaterials, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Daniel Baum
- Zuse Institute Berlin, Dept. of Visual Data Analysis, Berlin, Germany
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Seidel R, Blumer M, Pechriggl EJ, Lyons K, Hall BK, Fratzl P, Weaver JC, Dean MN. Calcified cartilage or bone? Collagens in the tessellated endoskeletons of cartilaginous fish (sharks and rays). J Struct Biol 2017; 200:54-71. [PMID: 28923317 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2017.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2017] [Revised: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The primary skeletal tissue in elasmobranchs -sharks, rays and relatives- is cartilage, forming both embryonic and adult endoskeletons. Only the skeletal surface calcifies, exhibiting mineralized tiles (tesserae) sandwiched between a cartilage core and overlying fibrous perichondrium. These two tissues are based on different collagens (Coll II and I, respectively), fueling a long-standing debate as to whether tesserae are more like calcified cartilage or bone (Coll 1-based) in their matrix composition. We demonstrate that stingray (Urobatis halleri) tesserae are bipartite, having an upper Coll I-based 'cap' that merges into a lower Coll II-based 'body' zone, although tesserae are surrounded by cartilage. We identify a 'supratesseral' unmineralized cartilage layer, between tesserae and perichondrium, distinguished from the cartilage core in containing Coll I and X (a common marker for mammalian mineralization), in addition to Coll II. Chondrocytes within tesserae appear intact and sit in lacunae filled with Coll II-based matrix, suggesting tesserae originate in cartilage, despite comprising a diversity of collagens. Intertesseral joints are also complex in their collagenous composition, being similar to supratesseral cartilage closer to the perichondrium, but containing unidentified fibrils nearer the cartilage core. Our results indicate a unique potential for tessellated cartilage in skeletal biology research, since it lacks features believed diagnostic for vertebrate cartilage mineralization (e.g. hypertrophic and apoptotic chondrocytes), while offering morphologies amenable for investigating the regulation of complex mineralized ultrastructure and tissues patterned on multiple collagens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald Seidel
- Department Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids & Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Michael Blumer
- Division of Clinical and Functional Anatomy, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | | | - Kady Lyons
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, CA, USA
| | - Brian K Hall
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax NS, Canada
| | - Peter Fratzl
- Department Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids & Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany
| | - James C Weaver
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mason N Dean
- Department Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids & Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany
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Jayasankar A, Seidel R, Naumann J, Guiducci L, Hosny A, Fratzl P, Weaver J, Dunlop J, Dean M. Mechanical behavior of idealized, stingray-skeleton-inspired tiled composites as a function of geometry and material properties. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2017; 73:86-101. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2017.02.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Revised: 02/10/2017] [Accepted: 02/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Dean MN, Bizzarro JJ, Clark B, Underwood CJ, Johanson Z. Large batoid fishes frequently consume stingrays despite skeletal damage. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:170674. [PMID: 28989770 PMCID: PMC5627110 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.170674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The shapes of vertebrate teeth are often used as hallmarks of diet. Here, however, we demonstrate evidence of frequent piscivory by cartilaginous fishes with pebble-like teeth that are typically associated with durophagy, the eating of hard-shelled prey. High-resolution micro-computed tomography observation of a jaw specimen from one batoid species and visual investigation of those of two additional species reveal large numbers of embedded stingray spines, arguing that stingray predation of a scale rivalling that of the largest carnivorous sharks may not be uncommon for large, predatory batoids with rounded, non-cutting dentition. Our observations demonstrate that tooth morphology is not always a reliable indicator of diet and that stingray spines are not as potent a deterrent to predation as normally believed. In addition, we show that several spines in close contact with the jaw skeleton of a wedgefish (Rhynchobatus) have become encased in a disorganized mineralized tissue with a distinctive ultrastructure, the first natural and unequivocal evidence of a callus-building response in the tessellated cartilage unique to elasmobranch skeletons. Our findings reveal sampling and analysis biases in vertebrate ecology, especially with regard to the role of large, predatory species, while also illustrating that large body size may provide an escape from anatomical constraints on diet (e.g. gape size, specialist dentition). Our observations inform our concepts of skeletal biology and evolution in showing that tessellated cartilage-an ancient alternative to bone-is incapable of foreign tissue resorption or of restoring damaged skeletal tissue to its original state, and attest to the value of museum and skeletal specimens as records of important aspects of animal life history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mason N. Dean
- Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14424 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Joseph J. Bizzarro
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
- Fisheries Ecology Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, 110 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Brett Clark
- Core Research Laboratories, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Charlie J. Underwood
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Birkbeck College, Malet Street, London, UK
| | - Zerina Johanson
- Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
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Johanson Z, Smith M, Sanchez S, Senden T, Trinajstic K, Pfaff C. Questioning hagfish affinities of the enigmatic Devonian vertebrate Palaeospondylus. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:170214. [PMID: 28791148 PMCID: PMC5541543 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.170214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Palaeospondylus gunni Traquair, 1890 is an enigmatic Devonian vertebrate whose taxonomic affinities have been debated since it was first described. Most recently, Palaeospondylus has been identified as a stem-group hagfish (Myxinoidea). However, one character questioning this assignment is the presence of three semicircular canals in the otic region of the cartilaginous skull, a feature of jawed vertebrates. Additionally, new tomographic data reveal that the following characters of crown-group gnathostomes (chondrichthyans + osteichthyans) are present in Palaeospondylus: a longer telencephalic region of the braincase, separation of otic and occipital regions by the otico-occipital fissure, and vertebral centra. As well, a precerebral fontanelle and postorbital articulation of the palatoquadrate are characteristic of certain chondrichthyans. Similarities in the structure of the postorbital process to taxa such as Pucapampella, and possible presence of the ventral cranial fissure, both support a resolution of Pa. gunni as a stem chondrichthyan. The internally mineralized cartilaginous skeleton in Palaeospondylus may represent a stage in the loss of bone characteristic of the Chondrichthyes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zerina Johanson
- Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Moya Smith
- Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
- Tissue Engineering and Biophotonics, Dental Institute, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Sophie Sanchez
- Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble, France
| | - Tim Senden
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Research School of Physics and Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Kate Trinajstic
- Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, Perth, Australia
| | - Cathrin Pfaff
- Department of Palaeontology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Scherrer R, Hurtado A, Garcia Machado E, Debiais-Thibaud M. MicroCT survey of larval skeletal mineralization in the Cuban gar Atractosteus tristoechus (Actinopterygii; Lepisosteiformes). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.18563/m3.3.3.e3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Seidel R, Blumer M, Zaslansky P, Knötel D, Huber DR, Weaver JC, Fratzl P, Omelon S, Bertinetti L, Dean MN. Ultrastructural, material and crystallographic description of endophytic masses – A possible damage response in shark and ray tessellated calcified cartilage. J Struct Biol 2017; 198:5-18. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2017.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2016] [Revised: 03/07/2017] [Accepted: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Structure and mechanical implications of the pectoral fin skeleton in the Longnose Skate (Chondrichthyes, Batoidea). Acta Biomater 2017; 51:393-407. [PMID: 28069513 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2017.01.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2016] [Revised: 12/16/2016] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Animal propulsion systems are believed to show high energy and mechanical efficiency in assisting movement compared to artificial designs. As an example, batoid fishes have very light cartilaginous skeletons that facilitate their elegant swimming via enlarged wing-like pectoral fins. The aim of this work is to illustrate the hierarchical structure of the pectoral fin of a representative batoid, the Longnose Skate (Raja rhina), and explain the mechanical implications of its structural design. At the macro level, the pectoral fins are comprised of radially oriented fin rays, formed by staggered mineralized skeletal elements stacked end-to-end. At the micro level, the midsection of each radial element is composed of three mineralized components, which consist of discrete segments (tesserae) that are mineralized cartilage and embedded in unmineralized cartilage. The radial elements are wrapped with aligned, unmineralized collagen fibers. This is the first report of the detailed structure of the ray elements, including the observation of a 3-chain mineralized tesserae. Structural analyses demonstrate that this configuration enhances stiffness in multiple directions. A two-dimensional numerical model based on the morphological analysis demonstrated that the tessera structure helps distributing shear, tensile and compressive stress more ideally, which can better support both lift and thrust forces when swimming without losing flexibility. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Batoid fishes have very light cartilaginous skeletons that facilitate their elegant swimming by applying their enlarged wing-like pectoral fins. Previous studies have shown structural features and mechanical properties of the mineralized cartilage skeleton in various batoid fishes. However, the details of the pectoral fin structure at different length scales, as well as the relationship between the mechanical properties and structural design remains unknown. The present work illustrates the hierarchical structure of the pectoral fin of the Longnose Skate (a representative batoid fish) and verifies the materials configuration and structural design increases the stiffness of fin skeleton without a loss in flexibility. These results have implications for the design of strong but flexible materials and bio-inspired autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs).
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Burnsed OA, Schwartz Z, Marchand KO, Hyzy SL, Olivares-Navarrete R, Boyan BD. Hydrogels derived from cartilage matrices promote induction of human mesenchymal stem cell chondrogenic differentiation. Acta Biomater 2016; 43:139-149. [PMID: 27449339 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2016.07.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2016] [Revised: 07/17/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Limited supplies of healthy autologous or allogeneic cartilage sources have inspired a growing interest in xenogeneic cartilage matrices as biological scaffolds for cartilage tissue engineering. The objectives of this study were to determine if shark and pig cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrogels can stimulate chondrocytic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) without exogenous growth factors and to determine if the soluble factors retained by these ECM hydrogels are responsible. Human MSCs cultured on hydrogels from shark skull cartilage, pig articular cartilage, and pig auricular cartilage ECM had increased expression of chondrocyte markers and decreased secretion of angiogenic factors VEGF-A and FGF2 in comparison to MSCs cultured on tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) at one week. MSCs grown on shark ECM gels had decreased type-1 collagen mRNA as compared to all other groups. Degradation products of the cartilage ECM gels and soluble factors released by the matrices increased chondrogenic and decreased angiogenic mRNA levels, indicating that the processed ECM retains biochemically active proteins that can stimulate chondrogenic differentiation. In conclusion, this work supports the use of cartilage matrix-derived hydrogels for chondrogenic differentiation of MSCs and cartilage tissue engineering. Longer-term studies and positive controls will be needed to support these results to definitively demonstrate stimulation of chondrocyte differentiation, and particularly to verify that calcification without endochondral ossification does not occur as it does in shark cartilage. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The objectives of this study were to determine if shark and pig cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrogels can stimulate chondrocytic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) without exogenous growth factors and to determine if the soluble factors retained by these ECM hydrogels are responsible for this induction. Sharks are an especially interesting model for cartilage regeneration because their entire skeleton is composed of cartilage and they do not undergo endochondral ossification. Culturing human MSCs on porcine and shark cartilage ECM gels directly, with ECM gel conditioned media, or degradation products increased mRNA levels of chondrogenic factors while decreasing angiogenic factors. These studies indicate that xenogeneic cartilage ECMs have potential as biodegradable scaffolds capable of stimulating chondrogenesis while preventing angiogenesis for regenerative medicine applications and that ECM species selection can yield differential effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia A Burnsed
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Zvi Schwartz
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA; Department of Periodontics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Katherine O Marchand
- H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Sharon L Hyzy
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | | | - Barbara D Boyan
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
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Green DW, Watson GS, Watson JA, Lee DJ, Lee JM, Jung HS. Diversification and enrichment of clinical biomaterials inspired by Darwinian evolution. Acta Biomater 2016; 42:33-45. [PMID: 27381524 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2016.06.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2016] [Revised: 06/11/2016] [Accepted: 06/21/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Regenerative medicine and biomaterials design are driven by biomimicry. There is the essential requirement to emulate human cell, tissue, organ and physiological complexity to ensure long-lasting clinical success. Biomimicry projects for biomaterials innovation can be re-invigorated with evolutionary insights and perspectives, since Darwinian evolution is the original dynamic process for biological organisation and complexity. Many existing human inspired regenerative biomaterials (defined as a nature generated, nature derived and nature mimicking structure, produced within a biological system, which can deputise for, or replace human tissues for which it closely matches) are without important elements of biological complexity such as, hierarchy and autonomous actions. It is possible to engineer these essential elements into clinical biomaterials via bioinspired implementation of concepts, processes and mechanisms played out during Darwinian evolution; mechanisms such as, directed, computational, accelerated evolutions and artificial selection contrived in the laboratory. These dynamos for innovation can be used during biomaterials fabrication, but also to choose optimal designs in the regeneration process. Further evolutionary information can help at the design stage; gleaned from the historical evolution of material adaptations compared across phylogenies to changes in their environment and habitats. Taken together, harnessing evolutionary mechanisms and evolutionary pathways, leading to ideal adaptations, will eventually provide a new class of Darwinian and evolutionary biomaterials. This will provide bioengineers with a more diversified and more efficient innovation tool for biomaterial design, synthesis and function than currently achieved with synthetic materials chemistry programmes and rational based materials design approach, which require reasoned logic. It will also inject further creativity, diversity and richness into the biomedical technologies that we make. All of which are based on biological principles. Such evolution-inspired biomaterials have the potential to generate innovative solutions, which match with existing bioengineering problems, in vital areas of clinical materials translation that include tissue engineering, gene delivery, drug delivery, immunity modulation, and scar-less wound healing. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Evolution by natural selection is a powerful generator of innovations in molecular, materials and structures. Man has influenced evolution for thousands of years, to create new breeds of farm animals and crop plants, but now molecular and materials can be molded in the same way. Biological molecules and simple structures can be evolved, literally in the laboratory. Furthermore, they are re-designed via lessons learnt from evolutionary history. Through a 3-step process to (1) create variants in material building blocks, (2) screen the variants with beneficial traits/properties and (3) select and support their self-assembly into usable materials, improvements in design and performance can emerge. By introducing biological molecules and small organisms into this process, it is possible to make increasingly diversified, sophisticated and clinically relevant materials for multiple roles in biomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- D W Green
- Division in Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Department of Oral Biology, Oral Science Research Center, BK21 PLUS Project, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Oral Biosciences, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, 34, Hospital Road, Hong Kong SAR
| | - G S Watson
- School of Science & Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD 4556, Australia
| | - J A Watson
- School of Science & Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD 4556, Australia
| | - D-J Lee
- Division in Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Department of Oral Biology, Oral Science Research Center, BK21 PLUS Project, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - J-M Lee
- Division in Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Department of Oral Biology, Oral Science Research Center, BK21 PLUS Project, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - H-S Jung
- Division in Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Department of Oral Biology, Oral Science Research Center, BK21 PLUS Project, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Oral Biosciences, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, 34, Hospital Road, Hong Kong SAR.
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Seidel R, Lyons K, Blumer M, Zaslansky P, Fratzl P, Weaver JC, Dean MN. Ultrastructural and developmental features of the tessellated endoskeleton of elasmobranchs (sharks and rays). J Anat 2016; 229:681-702. [PMID: 27557870 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The endoskeleton of elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) is comprised largely of unmineralized cartilage, differing fundamentally from the bony skeletons of other vertebrates. Elasmobranch skeletons are further distinguished by a tessellated surface mineralization, a layer of minute, polygonal, mineralized tiles called tesserae. This 'tessellation' has defined the elasmobranch group for more than 400 million years, yet the limited data on development and ultrastructure of elasmobranch skeletons (e.g. how tesserae change in shape and mineral density with age) have restricted our abilities to develop hypotheses for tessellated cartilage growth. Using high-resolution, two-dimensional and three-dimensional materials and structural characterization techniques, we investigate an ontogenetic series of tessellated cartilage from round stingray Urobatis halleri, allowing us to define a series of distinct phases for skeletal mineralization and previously unrecognized features of tesseral anatomy. We show that the distinct tiled morphology of elasmobranch calcified cartilage is established early in U. halleri development, with tesserae forming first in histotroph embryos as isolated, globular islets of mineralized tissue. By the sub-adult stage, tesserae have increased in size and grown into contact with one another. The intertesseral contact results in the formation of more geometric (straight-edged) tesseral shapes and the development of two important features of tesseral anatomy, which we describe here for the first time. The first, the intertesseral joint, where neighboring tesserae abut without appreciable overlapping or interlocking, is far more complex than previously realized, comprised of a convoluted bearing surface surrounded by areas of fibrous attachment. The second, tesseral spokes, are lamellated, high-mineral density features radiating outward, like spokes on a wheel, from the center of each tessera to its joints with its neighbors, likely acting as structural reinforcements of the articulations between tesserae. As tesserae increase in size during ontogeny, spokes are lengthened via the addition of new lamellae, resulting in a visually striking mineralization pattern in the larger tesserae of older adult skeletons when viewed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in backscatter mode. Backscatter SEM also revealed that the cell lacunae in the center of larger tesserae are often filled with high mineral density material, suggesting that when intratesseral cells die, cell-regulated inhibition of mineralization is interrupted. Many of the defining ultrastructural details we describe relate to local variation in tissue mineral density and support previously proposed accretive growth mechanisms for tesserae. High-resolution micro-computed tomography data indicate that some tesseral anatomical features we describe for U. halleri are common among species of all major elasmobranch groups despite large variation in tesseral shape and size. We discuss hypotheses about how these features develop, and compare them with other vertebrate skeletal tissue types and their growth mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald Seidel
- Department Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Kady Lyons
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, CA, USA
| | - Michael Blumer
- Division of Clinical and Functional Anatomy, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Paul Zaslansky
- Julius Wolff Institute, Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter Fratzl
- Department Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany
| | - James C Weaver
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mason N Dean
- Department Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany
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Fratzl P, Kolednik O, Fischer FD, Dean MN. The mechanics of tessellations – bioinspired strategies for fracture resistance. Chem Soc Rev 2016; 45:252-67. [DOI: 10.1039/c5cs00598a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Two- or three-dimensional tiling improves the fracture resistance of natural and bioinspired materials and may even provide additional functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Fratzl
- Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces
- Department of Biomaterials
- Research Campus Golm
- 14424 Potsdam
- Germany
| | - Otmar Kolednik
- Erich Schmid Institute of Materials Science
- Austrian Academy of Sciences
- Leoben
- Austria
| | | | - Mason N. Dean
- Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces
- Department of Biomaterials
- Research Campus Golm
- 14424 Potsdam
- Germany
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Mineral homeostasis and regulation of mineralization processes in the skeletons of sharks, rays and relatives (Elasmobranchii). Semin Cell Dev Biol 2015; 46:51-67. [DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2015.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2015] [Accepted: 10/13/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Enault S, Muñoz DN, Silva WTAF, Borday-Birraux V, Bonade M, Oulion S, Ventéo S, Marcellini S, Debiais-Thibaud M. Molecular footprinting of skeletal tissues in the catshark Scyliorhinus canicula and the clawed frog Xenopus tropicalis identifies conserved and derived features of vertebrate calcification. Front Genet 2015; 6:283. [PMID: 26442101 PMCID: PMC4584932 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2015.00283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the evolutionary emergence and subsequent diversification of the vertebrate skeleton requires a comprehensive view of the diverse skeletal cell types found in distinct developmental contexts, tissues, and species. To date, our knowledge of the molecular nature of the shark calcified extracellular matrix, and its relationships with osteichthyan skeletal tissues, remain scarce. Here, based on specific combinations of expression patterns of the Col1a1, Col1a2, and Col2a1 fibrillar collagen genes, we compare the molecular footprint of endoskeletal elements from the chondrichthyan Scyliorhinus canicula and the tetrapod Xenopus tropicalis. We find that, depending on the anatomical location, Scyliorhinus skeletal calcification is associated to cell types expressing different subsets of fibrillar collagen genes, such as high levels of Col1a1 and Col1a2 in the neural arches, high levels of Col2a1 in the tesserae, or associated to a drastic Col2a1 downregulation in the centrum. We detect low Col2a1 levels in Xenopus osteoblasts, thereby revealing that the osteoblastic expression of this gene was significantly reduced in the tetrapod lineage. Finally, we uncover a striking parallel, from a molecular and histological perspective, between the vertebral cartilage calcification of both species and discuss the evolutionary origin of endochondral ossification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Enault
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, UMR5554, Université Montpellier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, IRD, EPHE Montpellier, France
| | - David N Muñoz
- Laboratory of Development and Evolution, Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción Concepción, Chile
| | - Willian T A F Silva
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, UMR5554, Université Montpellier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, IRD, EPHE Montpellier, France
| | - Véronique Borday-Birraux
- Laboratoire EGCE UMR Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 9191, IRD247, Université Paris Sud Gif-sur-Yvette, France ; Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité Paris, France
| | - Morgane Bonade
- Laboratoire EGCE UMR Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 9191, IRD247, Université Paris Sud Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Silvan Oulion
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, UMR5554, Université Montpellier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, IRD, EPHE Montpellier, France
| | - Stéphanie Ventéo
- Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1051 Montpellier, France
| | - Sylvain Marcellini
- Laboratory of Development and Evolution, Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción Concepción, Chile
| | - Mélanie Debiais-Thibaud
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, UMR5554, Université Montpellier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, IRD, EPHE Montpellier, France
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Kolmann MA, Huber DR, Motta PJ, Grubbs RD. Feeding biomechanics of the cownose ray, Rhinoptera bonasus, over ontogeny. J Anat 2015; 227:341-51. [PMID: 26183820 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Growth affects the performance of structure, so the pattern of growth must influence the role of a structure and an organism. Because animal performance is linked to morphological specialization, ontogenetic change in size may influence an organism's biological role. High bite force generation is presumably selected for in durophagous taxa. Therefore, these animals provide an excellent study system for investigating biomechanical consequences of growth on performance. An ontogenetic series of 27 cownose rays (Rhinoptera bonasus) were dissected in order to develop a biomechanical model of the feeding mechanism, which was then compared with bite forces measured from live rays. Mechanical advantage of the feeding apparatus was generally conserved throughout ontogeny, while an increase in the mass and cross-sectional area of the jaw adductors resulted in allometric gains in bite force generation. Of primary importance to forceful biting in this taxon is the use of a fibrocartilaginous tendon associated with the insertion of the primary jaw adductor division. This tendon may serve to redirect muscle forces anteriorly, transmitting them within the plane of biting. Measured bite forces obtained through electrostimulation of the jaw adductors in live rays were higher than predicted, possibly due to differences in specific tension of actual batoid muscle and that used in the model. Mass-specific bite forces in these rays are the highest recorded for elasmobranchs. Cownose rays exemplify a species that, through allometric growth of bite performance and morphological novelties, have expanded their ecological performance over ontogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Kolmann
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Daniel R Huber
- Department of Biology, University of Tampa, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Philip J Motta
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - R Dean Grubbs
- Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory, St Teresa, FL, USA
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Long JA, Burrow CJ, Ginter M, Maisey JG, Trinajstic KM, Coates MI, Young GC, Senden TJ. First shark from the Late Devonian (Frasnian) Gogo Formation, Western Australia sheds new light on the development of tessellated calcified cartilage. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0126066. [PMID: 26020788 PMCID: PMC4447464 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0126066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2014] [Accepted: 03/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Living gnathostomes (jawed vertebrates) comprise two divisions, Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fishes, including euchondrichthyans with prismatic calcified cartilage, and extinct stem chondrichthyans) and Osteichthyes (bony fishes including tetrapods). Most of the early chondrichthyan ('shark') record is based upon isolated teeth, spines, and scales, with the oldest articulated sharks that exhibit major diagnostic characters of the group--prismatic calcified cartilage and pelvic claspers in males--being from the latest Devonian, c. 360 Mya. This paucity of information about early chondrichthyan anatomy is mainly due to their lack of endoskeletal bone and consequent low preservation potential. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Here we present new data from the first well-preserved chondrichthyan fossil from the early Late Devonian (ca. 380-384 Mya) Gogo Formation Lägerstatte of Western Australia. The specimen is the first Devonian shark body fossil to be acid-prepared, revealing the endoskeletal elements as three-dimensional undistorted units: Meckel's cartilages, nasal, ceratohyal, basibranchial and possible epibranchial cartilages, plus left and right scapulocoracoids, as well as teeth and scales. This unique specimen is assigned to Gogoselachus lynnbeazleyae n. gen. n. sp. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE The Meckel's cartilages show a jaw articulation surface dominated by an expansive cotylus, and a small mandibular knob, an unusual condition for chondrichthyans. The scapulocoracoid of the new specimen shows evidence of two pectoral fin basal articulation facets, differing from the standard condition for early gnathostomes which have either one or three articulations. The tooth structure is intermediate between the 'primitive' ctenacanthiform and symmoriiform condition, and more derived forms with a euselachian-type base. Of special interest is the highly distinctive type of calcified cartilage forming the endoskeleton, comprising multiple layers of nonprismatic subpolygonal tesserae separated by a cellular matrix, interpreted as a transitional step toward the tessellated prismatic calcified cartilage that is recognized as the main diagnostic character of the chondrichthyans.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A. Long
- School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
- Department of Earth and Marine Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
- Geosciences, Museum Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Carole J. Burrow
- Ancient Environments, Queensland Museum, Hendra, Queensland, Australia
| | - Michal Ginter
- Palaeontology Section, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - John G. Maisey
- American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Kate M. Trinajstic
- Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Earth and Planetary Sciences, Western Australian Museum, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Michael I. Coates
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Gavin C. Young
- Department of Earth and Marine Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Tim J. Senden
- Department of Applied Mathematics, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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Colocation and role of polyphosphates and alkaline phosphatase in apatite biomineralization of elasmobranch tesserae. Acta Biomater 2014; 10:3899-910. [PMID: 24948547 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2014.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2013] [Revised: 06/06/2014] [Accepted: 06/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Elasmobranchs (e.g. sharks and rays), like all fishes, grow continuously throughout life. Unlike other vertebrates, their skeletons are primarily cartilaginous, comprising a hyaline cartilage-like core, stiffened by a thin outer array of mineralized, abutting and interconnected tiles called tesserae. Tesserae bear active mineralization fronts at all margins and the tesseral layer is thin enough to section without decalcifying, making this a tractable but largely unexamined system for investigating controlled apatite mineralization, while also offering a potential analog for endochondral ossification. The chemical mechanism for tesserae mineralization has not been described, but has been previously attributed to spherical precursors, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. Here, we use a variety of techniques to elucidate the involvement of phosphorus-containing precursors in the formation of tesserae at their mineralization fronts. Using Raman spectroscopy, fluorescence microscopy and histological methods, we demonstrate that ALP activity is located with inorganic phosphate polymers (polyP) at the tessera-uncalcified cartilage interface, suggesting a potential mechanism for regulated mineralization: inorganic phosphate (Pi) can be cleaved from polyP by ALP, thus making Pi locally available for apatite biomineralization. The application of exogenous ALP to tissue cross-sections resulted in the disappearance of polyP and the appearance of Pi in uncalcified cartilage adjacent to mineralization fronts. We propose that elasmobranch skeletal cells control apatite biomineralization by biochemically controlling polyP and ALP production, placement and activity. Previous identification of polyP and ALP shown previously in mammalian calcifying cartilage supports the hypothesis that this mechanism may be a general regulating feature in the mineralization of vertebrate skeletons.
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Stress relaxation behavior of tessellated cartilage from the jaws of blue sharks. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2014; 29:68-80. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2013.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2013] [Revised: 08/08/2013] [Accepted: 08/15/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Naveh GRS, Brumfeld V, Dean M, Shahar R, Weiner S. Direct microCT imaging of non-mineralized connective tissues at high resolution. Connect Tissue Res 2014; 55:52-60. [PMID: 24437605 DOI: 10.3109/03008207.2013.867333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The 3D imaging of soft tissues in their native state is challenging, especially when high resolution is required. An X-ray-based microCT is, to date, the best choice for high resolution 3D imaging of soft tissues. However, since X-ray attenuation of soft tissues is very low, contrasting enhancement using different staining materials is needed. The staining procedure, which also usually involves tissue fixation, causes unwanted and to some extent unknown tissue alterations. Here, we demonstrate that a method that enables 3D imaging of soft tissues without fixing and staining using an X-ray-based bench-top microCT can be applied to a variety of different tissues. With the sample mounted in a custom-made loading device inside a humidity chamber, we obtained soft tissue contrast and generated 3D images of fresh, soft tissues with a resolution of 1 micron voxel size. We identified three critical conditions which make it possible to image soft tissues: humidified environment, mechanical stabilization of the sample and phase enhancement. We demonstrate the capability of the technique using different specimens: an intervertebral disc, the non-mineralized growth plate, stingray tessellated radials (calcified cartilage) and the collagenous network of the periodontal ligament. Since the scanned specimen is fresh an interesting advantage of this technique is the ability to scan a specimen under load and track the changes of the different structures. This method offers a unique opportunity for obtaining valuable insights into 3D structure-function relationships of soft tissues.
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Smith WD, Miller JA, Heppell SS. Elemental markers in elasmobranchs: effects of environmental history and growth on vertebral chemistry. PLoS One 2013; 8:e62423. [PMID: 24098320 PMCID: PMC3787939 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0062423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2013] [Accepted: 03/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Differences in the chemical composition of calcified skeletal structures (e.g. shells, otoliths) have proven useful for reconstructing the environmental history of many marine species. However, the extent to which ambient environmental conditions can be inferred from the elemental signatures within the vertebrae of elasmobranchs (sharks, skates, rays) has not been evaluated. To assess the relationship between water and vertebral elemental composition, we conducted two laboratory studies using round stingrays, Urobatis halleri, as a model species. First, we examined the effects of temperature (16°, 18°, 24°C) on vertebral elemental incorporation (Li/Ca, Mg/Ca, Mn/Ca, Zn/Ca, Sr/Ca, Ba/Ca). Second, we tested the relationship between water and subsequent vertebral elemental composition by manipulating dissolved barium concentrations (1x, 3x, 6x). We also evaluated the influence of natural variation in growth rate on elemental incorporation for both experiments. Finally, we examined the accuracy of classifying individuals to known environmental histories (temperature and barium treatments) using vertebral elemental composition. Temperature had strong, negative effects on the uptake of magnesium (DMg) and barium (DBa) and positively influenced manganese (DMn) incorporation. Temperature-dependent responses were not observed for lithium and strontium. Vertebral Ba/Ca was positively correlated with ambient Ba/Ca. Partition coefficients (DBa) revealed increased discrimination of barium in response to increased dissolved barium concentrations. There were no significant relationships between elemental incorporation and somatic growth or vertebral precipitation rates for any elements except Zn. Relationships between somatic growth rate and DZn were, however, inconsistent and inconclusive. Variation in the vertebral elemental signatures of U. halleri reliably distinguished individual rays from each treatment based on temperature (85%) and Ba exposure (96%) history. These results support the assumption that vertebral elemental composition reflects the environmental conditions during deposition and validates the use of vertebral elemental signatures as natural markers in an elasmobranch. Vertebral elemental analysis is a promising tool for the study of elasmobranch population structure, movement, and habitat use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wade D. Smith
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University, Newport, Oregon, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Jessica A. Miller
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University, Newport, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Selina S. Heppell
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
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