1
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Ohta N, Christiaen L. Cellular remodeling and JAK inhibition promote zygotic gene expression in the Ciona germline. EMBO Rep 2024; 25:2188-2201. [PMID: 38649664 PMCID: PMC11094015 DOI: 10.1038/s44319-024-00139-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Transcription control is a major determinant of cell fate decisions in somatic tissues. By contrast, early germline fate specification in numerous vertebrate and invertebrate species relies extensively on RNA-level regulation, exerted on asymmetrically inherited maternal supplies, with little-to-no zygotic transcription. However delayed, a maternal-to-zygotic transition is nevertheless poised to complete the deployment of pre-gametic programs in the germline. Here, we focus on early germline specification in the tunicate Ciona to study zygotic genome activation. We first demonstrate that a peculiar cellular remodeling event excludes localized postplasmic Pem-1 mRNA, which encodes the general inhibitor of transcription. Subsequently, zygotic transcription begins in Pem-1-negative primordial germ cells (PGCs), as revealed by histochemical detection of elongating RNA Polymerase II, and nascent Mef2 transcripts. In addition, we uncover a provisional antagonism between JAK and MEK/BMPRI/GSK3 signaling, which controls the onset of zygotic gene expression, following cellular remodeling of PGCs. We propose a 2-step model for the onset of zygotic transcription in the Ciona germline and discuss the significance of germ plasm dislocation and remodeling in the context of developmental fate specification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoyuki Ohta
- Michael Sars Centre, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
| | - Lionel Christiaen
- Michael Sars Centre, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
- Center for Developmental Genetics, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
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2
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Frese AN, Mariossi A, Levine MS, Wühr M. Quantitative proteome dynamics across embryogenesis in a model chordate. iScience 2024; 27:109355. [PMID: 38510129 PMCID: PMC10951915 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The evolution of gene expression programs underlying the development of vertebrates remains poorly characterized. Here, we present a comprehensive proteome atlas of the model chordate Ciona, covering eight developmental stages and ∼7,000 translated genes, accompanied by a multi-omics analysis of co-evolution with the vertebrate Xenopus. Quantitative proteome comparisons argue against the widely held hourglass model, based solely on transcriptomic profiles, whereby peak conservation is observed during mid-developmental stages. Our analysis reveals maximal divergence at these stages, particularly gastrulation and neurulation. Together, our work provides a valuable resource for evaluating conservation and divergence of multi-omics profiles underlying the diversification of vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander N. Frese
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Andrea Mariossi
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Michael S. Levine
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Martin Wühr
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
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3
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Lanoizelet M, Elkhoury Youhanna C, Roure A, Darras S. Molecular control of cellulosic fin morphogenesis in ascidians. BMC Biol 2024; 22:74. [PMID: 38561802 PMCID: PMC10986139 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01872-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The tunicates form a group of filter-feeding marine animals closely related to vertebrates. They share with them a number of features such as a notochord and a dorsal neural tube in the tadpole larvae of ascidians, one of the three groups that make tunicates. However, a number of typical chordate characters have been lost in different branches of tunicates, a diverse and fast-evolving phylum. Consequently, the tunic, a sort of exoskeleton made of extracellular material including cellulose secreted by the epidermis, is the unifying character defining the tunicate phylum. In the larva of ascidians, the tunic differentiates in the tail into a median fin (with dorsal and ventral extended blades) and a caudal fin. RESULTS Here we have performed experiments in the ascidian Phallusia mammillata to address the molecular control of tunic 3D morphogenesis. We have demonstrated that the tail epidermis medio-lateral patterning essential for peripheral nervous system specification also controls tunic elongation into fins. More specifically, when tail epidermis midline identity was abolished by BMP signaling inhibition, or CRISPR/Cas9 inactivation of the transcription factor coding genes Msx or Klf1/2/4/17, median fin did not form. We postulated that this genetic program should regulate effectors of tunic secretion. We thus analyzed the expression and regulation in different ascidian species of two genes acquired by horizontal gene transfer (HGT) from bacteria, CesA coding for a cellulose synthase and Gh6 coding for a cellulase. We have uncovered an unexpected dynamic history of these genes in tunicates and high levels of variability in gene expression and regulation among ascidians. Although, in Phallusia, Gh6 has a regionalized expression in the epidermis compatible with an involvement in fin elongation, our functional studies indicate a minor function during caudal fin formation only. CONCLUSIONS Our study constitutes an important step in the study of the integration of HGT-acquired genes into developmental networks and a cellulose-based morphogenesis of extracellular material in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxence Lanoizelet
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative Des Organismes Marins (BIOM), Banyuls/Mer, 66650, France.
- Present address: Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Louvain, Belgium.
| | - Christel Elkhoury Youhanna
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative Des Organismes Marins (BIOM), Banyuls/Mer, 66650, France
- Present address: Centre de Biologie Structurale, Univ Montpellier, CNRS UMR 5048, INSERM U1054, Montpellier, 34090, France
| | - Agnès Roure
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative Des Organismes Marins (BIOM), Banyuls/Mer, 66650, France
| | - Sébastien Darras
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative Des Organismes Marins (BIOM), Banyuls/Mer, 66650, France.
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4
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Satake H, Sasakura Y. The neuroendocrine system of Ciona intestinalis Type A, a deuterostome invertebrate and the closest relative of vertebrates. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2024; 582:112122. [PMID: 38109989 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2023.112122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Deuterostome invertebrates, including echinoderms, hemichordates, cephalochordates, and urochordates, exhibit common and species-specific morphological, developmental, physiological, and behavioral characteristics that are regulated by neuroendocrine and nervous systems. Over the past 15 years, omics, genetic, and/or physiological studies on deuterostome invertebrates have identified low-molecular-weight transmitters, neuropeptides and their cognate receptors, and have clarified their various biological functions. In particular, there has been increasing interest on the neuroendocrine and nervous systems of Ciona intestinalis Type A, which belongs to the subphylum Urochordata and occupies the critical phylogenetic position as the closest relative of vertebrates. During the developmental stage, gamma-aminobutylic acid, D-serine, and gonadotropin-releasing hormones regulate metamorphosis of Ciona. In adults, the neuropeptidergic mechanisms underlying ovarian follicle growth, oocyte maturation, and ovulation have been elucidated. This review article provides the most recent and fundamental knowledge of the neuroendocrine and nervous systems of Ciona, and their evolutionary aspects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Honoo Satake
- Bioorganic Research Institute, Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences, Kyoto, Japan.
| | - Yasunori Sasakura
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Shizuoka, Japan
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5
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Sato A, Mihirogi Y, Wood C, Suzuki Y, Truebano M, Bishop J. Heterogeneity in maternal mRNAs within clutches of eggs in response to thermal stress during the embryonic stage. BMC Ecol Evol 2024; 24:21. [PMID: 38347459 PMCID: PMC10860308 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-024-02203-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The origin of variation is of central interest in evolutionary biology. Maternal mRNAs govern early embryogenesis in many animal species, and we investigated the possibility that heterogeneity in maternal mRNA provisioning of eggs can be modulated by environmental stimuli. RESULTS We employed two sibling species of the ascidian Ciona, called here types A and B, that are adapted to different temperature regimes and can be hybridized. Previous study showed that hybrids using type B eggs had higher susceptibility to thermal stress than hybrids using type A eggs. We conducted transcriptome analyses of multiple single eggs from crosses using eggs of the different species to compare the effects of maternal thermal stress on heterogeneity in egg provisioning, and followed the effects across generations. We found overall decreases of heterogeneity of egg maternal mRNAs associated with maternal thermal stress. When the eggs produced by the F1 AB generation were crossed with type B sperm and the progeny ('ABB' generation) reared unstressed until maturation, the overall heterogeneity of the eggs produced was greater in a clutch from an individual with a heat-stressed mother compared to one from a non-heat-stressed mother. By examining individual genes, we found no consistent overall effect of thermal stress on heterogeneity of expression in genes involved in developmental buffering. In contrast, heterogeneity of expression in signaling molecules was directly affected by thermal stress. CONCLUSIONS Due to the absence of batch replicates and variation in the number of reads obtained, our conclusions are very limited. However, contrary to the predictions of bet-hedging, the results suggest that maternal thermal stress at the embryo stage is associated with reduced heterogeneity of maternal mRNA provision in the eggs subsequently produced by the stressed individual, but there is then a large increase in heterogeneity in eggs of the next generation, although itself unstressed. Despite its limitations, our study presents a proof of concept, identifying a model system, experimental approach and analytical techniques capable of providing a significant advance in understanding the impact of maternal environment on developmental heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsuko Sato
- Department of Biology, Ochanomizu University, Otsuka, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 112-8610, Japan.
- Marine Biological Association of the UK, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK.
- Human Life Innovation Center, Ochanomizu University, Otsuka, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 112-8610, Japan.
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3, Aramaki Aza Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan.
| | - Yukie Mihirogi
- Department of Biology, Ochanomizu University, Otsuka, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 112-8610, Japan
| | - Christine Wood
- Marine Biological Association of the UK, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK
| | - Yutaka Suzuki
- Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, Kashiwano-Ha, Chiba, 277-8561, Japan
| | - Manuela Truebano
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research Center, School of Biological and Marine Sciences, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK
| | - John Bishop
- Marine Biological Association of the UK, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK
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6
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Gallo A, Penna YM, Russo M, Rosapane M, Tosti E, Russo GL. An organic extract from ascidian Ciona robusta induces cytotoxic autophagy in human malignant cell lines. Front Chem 2024; 12:1322558. [PMID: 38389727 PMCID: PMC10881676 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2024.1322558] [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: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The last decades have seen an increase in the isolation and characterization of anticancer compounds derived from marine organisms, especially invertebrates, and their use in clinical trials. In this regard, ascidians, which are included in the subphylum Tunicata, represent successful examples with two drugs, Aplidine© and Yondelis© that reached the market as orphan drugs against several malignancies. Here, we report that an organic extract prepared from homogenized tissues of the Mediterranean ascidian Ciona robusta inhibited cell proliferation in HT-29, HepG2, and U2OS human cells with the former being the most sensitive to the extract (EC50 = 250 μg/mL). We demonstrated that the ascidian organic extract was not cytotoxic on HT-29 cells that were induced to differentiate with sodium butyrate, suggesting a preference for the mixture for the malignant phenotype. Finally, we report that cell death induced by the organic extract was mediated by the activation of a process of cytotoxic autophagy as a result of the increased expression of the LC3-II marker and number of autophagic vacuoles, which almost doubled in the treated HT-29 cells. In summary, although the detailed chemical composition of the Ciona robusta extract is still undetermined, our data suggest the presence of bioactive compounds possessing anticancer activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Gallo
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Maria Russo
- National Research Council, Institute of Food Sciences, Avellino, Italy
| | - Marco Rosapane
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
- National Research Council, Institute of Food Sciences, Avellino, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Tosti
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Gian Luigi Russo
- National Research Council, Institute of Food Sciences, Avellino, Italy
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7
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Rosner A, Ballarin L, Barnay-Verdier S, Borisenko I, Drago L, Drobne D, Concetta Eliso M, Harbuzov Z, Grimaldi A, Guy-Haim T, Karahan A, Lynch I, Giulia Lionetto M, Martinez P, Mehennaoui K, Oruc Ozcan E, Pinsino A, Paz G, Rinkevich B, Spagnuolo A, Sugni M, Cambier S. A broad-taxa approach as an important concept in ecotoxicological studies and pollution monitoring. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:131-176. [PMID: 37698089 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Aquatic invertebrates play a pivotal role in (eco)toxicological assessments because they offer ethical, cost-effective and repeatable testing options. Additionally, their significance in the food chain and their ability to represent diverse aquatic ecosystems make them valuable subjects for (eco)toxicological studies. To ensure consistency and comparability across studies, international (eco)toxicology guidelines have been used to establish standardised methods and protocols for data collection, analysis and interpretation. However, the current standardised protocols primarily focus on a limited number of aquatic invertebrate species, mainly from Arthropoda, Mollusca and Annelida. These protocols are suitable for basic toxicity screening, effectively assessing the immediate and severe effects of toxic substances on organisms. For more comprehensive and ecologically relevant assessments, particularly those addressing long-term effects and ecosystem-wide impacts, we recommended the use of a broader diversity of species, since the present choice of taxa exacerbates the limited scope of basic ecotoxicological studies. This review provides a comprehensive overview of (eco)toxicological studies, focusing on major aquatic invertebrate taxa and how they are used to assess the impact of chemicals in diverse aquatic environments. The present work supports the use of a broad-taxa approach in basic environmental assessments, as it better represents the natural populations inhabiting various ecosystems. Advances in omics and other biochemical and computational techniques make the broad-taxa approach more feasible, enabling mechanistic studies on non-model organisms. By combining these approaches with in vitro techniques together with the broad-taxa approach, researchers can gain insights into less-explored impacts of pollution, such as changes in population diversity, the development of tolerance and transgenerational inheritance of pollution responses, the impact on organism phenotypic plasticity, biological invasion outcomes, social behaviour changes, metabolome changes, regeneration phenomena, disease susceptibility and tissue pathologies. This review also emphasises the need for harmonised data-reporting standards and minimum annotation checklists to ensure that research results are findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR), maximising the use and reusability of data. The ultimate goal is to encourage integrated and holistic problem-focused collaboration between diverse scientific disciplines, international standardisation organisations and decision-making bodies, with a focus on transdisciplinary knowledge co-production for the One-Health approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amalia Rosner
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, PO 2336 Sha'ar Palmer 1, Haifa, 3102201, Israel
| | - Loriano Ballarin
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, via Ugo Bassi 58/B, Padova, I-35121, Italy
| | - Stéphanie Barnay-Verdier
- Sorbonne Université; CNRS, INSERM, Université Côte d'Azur, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging Nice, 28 avenue Valombrose, Nice, F-06107, France
| | - Ilya Borisenko
- Faculty of Biology, Department of Embryology, Saint Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya embankment 7/9, Saint Petersburg, 199034, Russia
| | - Laura Drago
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, via Ugo Bassi 58/B, Padova, I-35121, Italy
| | - Damjana Drobne
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 111, Ljubljana, 1111, Slovenia
| | - Maria Concetta Eliso
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, 80121, Italy
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Zoya Harbuzov
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, PO 2336 Sha'ar Palmer 1, Haifa, 3102201, Israel
- Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, Department of Marine Biology, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Koushy Ave., Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Annalisa Grimaldi
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Via J. H. Dunant, Varese, 3-21100, Italy
| | - Tamar Guy-Haim
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, PO 2336 Sha'ar Palmer 1, Haifa, 3102201, Israel
| | - Arzu Karahan
- Middle East Technical University, Institute of Marine Sciences, Erdemli-Mersin, PO 28, 33731, Turkey
| | - Iseult Lynch
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Maria Giulia Lionetto
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, via prov. le Lecce -Monteroni, Lecce, I-73100, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Piazza Marina, 61, Palermo, I-90133, Italy
| | - Pedro Martinez
- Department de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
- Institut Català de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Passeig de Lluís Companys, Barcelona, 08010, Spain
| | - Kahina Mehennaoui
- Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN) Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), 41, rue du Brill, Belvaux, L-4422, Luxembourg
| | - Elif Oruc Ozcan
- Faculty of Arts and Science, Department of Biology, Cukurova University, Balcali, Saricam, Adana, 01330, Turkey
| | - Annalisa Pinsino
- National Research Council, Institute of Translational Pharmacology (IFT), National Research Council (CNR), Via Ugo La Malfa 153, Palermo, 90146, Italy
| | - Guy Paz
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, PO 2336 Sha'ar Palmer 1, Haifa, 3102201, Israel
| | - Baruch Rinkevich
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, PO 2336 Sha'ar Palmer 1, Haifa, 3102201, Israel
| | - Antonietta Spagnuolo
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, 80121, Italy
| | - Michela Sugni
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Sébastien Cambier
- Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN) Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), 41, rue du Brill, Belvaux, L-4422, Luxembourg
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8
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Chen Y, Ni P, Fu R, Murphy KJ, Wyeth RC, Bishop CD, Huang X, Li S, Zhan A. (Epi)genomic adaptation driven by fine geographical scale environmental heterogeneity after recent biological invasions. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2024; 34:e2772. [PMID: 36316814 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Elucidating processes and mechanisms involved in rapid local adaptation to varied environments is a poorly understood but crucial component in management of invasive species. Recent studies have proposed that genetic and epigenetic variation could both contribute to ecological adaptation, yet it remains unclear on the interplay between these two components underpinning rapid adaptation in wild animal populations. To assess their respective contributions to local adaptation, we explored epigenomic and genomic responses to environmental heterogeneity in eight recently colonized ascidian (Ciona intestinalis) populations at a relatively fine geographical scale. Based on MethylRADseq data, we detected strong patterns of local environment-driven DNA methylation divergence among populations, significant epigenetic isolation by environment (IBE), and a large number of local environment-associated epigenetic loci. Meanwhile, multiple genetic analyses based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) showed genomic footprints of divergent selection. In addition, for five genetically similar populations, we detected significant methylation divergence and local environment-driven methylation patterns, indicating the strong effects of local environments on epigenetic variation. From a functional perspective, a majority of functional genes, Gene Ontology (GO) terms, and biological pathways were largely specific to one of these two types of variation, suggesting partial independence between epigenetic and genetic adaptation. The methylation quantitative trait loci (mQTL) analysis showed that the genetic variation explained only 18.67% of methylation variation, further confirming the autonomous relationship between these two types of variation. Altogether, we highlight the complementary interplay of genetic and epigenetic variation involved in local adaptation, which may jointly promote populations' rapid adaptive capacity and successful invasions in different environments. The findings here provide valuable insights into interactions between invaders and local environments to allow invasive species to rapidly spread, thus contributing to better prediction of invasion success and development of management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyong Chen
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ping Ni
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ruiying Fu
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Kieran J Murphy
- Department of Biology, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | - Russell C Wyeth
- Department of Biology, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Cory D Bishop
- Department of Biology, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Xuena Huang
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shiguo Li
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Aibin Zhan
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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9
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Pickett CJ, Gruner HN, Davidson B. Lhx3/4 initiates a cardiopharyngeal-specific transcriptional program in response to widespread FGF signaling. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002169. [PMID: 38271304 PMCID: PMC10810493 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Individual signaling pathways, such as fibroblast growth factors (FGFs), can regulate a plethora of inductive events. According to current paradigms, signal-dependent transcription factors (TFs), such as FGF/MapK-activated Ets family factors, partner with lineage-determining factors to achieve regulatory specificity. However, many aspects of this model have not been rigorously investigated. One key question relates to whether lineage-determining factors dictate lineage-specific responses to inductive signals or facilitate these responses in collaboration with other inputs. We utilize the chordate model Ciona robusta to investigate mechanisms generating lineage-specific induction. Previous studies in C. robusta have shown that cardiopharyngeal progenitor cells are specified through the combined activity of FGF-activated Ets1/2.b and an inferred ATTA-binding transcriptional cofactor. Here, we show that the homeobox TF Lhx3/4 serves as the lineage-determining TF that dictates cardiopharyngeal-specific transcription in response to pleiotropic FGF signaling. Targeted knockdown of Lhx3/4 leads to loss of cardiopharyngeal gene expression. Strikingly, ectopic expression of Lhx3/4 in a neuroectodermal lineage subject to FGF-dependent specification leads to ectopic cardiopharyngeal gene expression in this lineage. Furthermore, ectopic Lhx3/4 expression disrupts neural plate morphogenesis, generating aberrant cell behaviors associated with execution of incompatible morphogenetic programs. Based on these findings, we propose that combinatorial regulation by signal-dependent and lineage-determinant factors represents a generalizable, previously uncategorized regulatory subcircuit we term "cofactor-dependent induction." Integration of this subcircuit into theoretical models will facilitate accurate predictions regarding the impact of gene regulatory network rewiring on evolutionary diversification and disease ontogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. J. Pickett
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Hannah N. Gruner
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Bradley Davidson
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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10
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Manni L. The colonial tunicate Botryllus schlosseri: A key species for evolutionary developmental studies. Genesis 2023; 61:e23544. [PMID: 37641508 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Manni
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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11
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Beyer J, Song Y, Lillicrap A, Rodríguez-Satizábal S, Chatzigeorgiou M. Ciona spp. and ascidians as bioindicator organisms for evaluating effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals: A discussion paper. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 191:106170. [PMID: 37708617 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
In context of testing, screening and monitoring of endocrine-disrupting (ED) type of environmental pollutants, tunicates could possibly represent a particularly interesting group of bioindicator organisms. These primitive chordates are already important model organisms within developmental and genomics research due to their central position in evolution and close relationship to vertebrates. The solitary ascidians, such as the genus Ciona spp. (vase tunicates), could possibly be extra feasible as ED bioindicators. They have a free-swimming, tadpole-like larval stage that develops extremely quickly (<20 h under favorable conditions), has a short life cycle (typically 2-3 months), are relatively easy to maintain in laboratory culture, have fully sequenced genomes, and transgenic embryos with 3D course data of the embryo ontogeny are available. In this article, we discuss possible roles of Ciona spp. (and other solitary ascidians) as ecotoxicological bioindicator organisms in general but perhaps especially for effect studies of contaminants with presumed endocrine disrupting modes of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonny Beyer
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Økernveien 94, NO-0579, Oslo, Norway.
| | - You Song
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Økernveien 94, NO-0579, Oslo, Norway
| | - Adam Lillicrap
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Økernveien 94, NO-0579, Oslo, Norway
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12
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Dumas F, Mauro M, Vazzana M, Arizza V, Vizzini A. Ciona robusta macrophage migration inhibitory factor (Mif1 and Mif2) genes are differentially regulated in the lipopolysaccharide-challenged pharynx. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2023; 103:727-730. [PMID: 37148434 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on Mif (macrophage migration inhibitory factor) gene expression in the pharynx (haemapoetic tissue) of Ciona robusta were investigated using quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) and in situ hybridisation (ISH). To verify the induction of an inflammatory response in the pharynx, a qRT-PCR analysis was performed to evaluate the change in the expression of proinflammatory marker genes such as Mbl, Ptx-like, Tnf-α and Nf-kb, which were shown to be upregulated 1 h post LPS challenge. The change in the expression of the two Mif paralogs in the pharynx was assessed before and after stimulation, and qRT-PCR and ISH results showed that, although Mif2 and Mif2 were expressed in clusters of haemocytes in pharynx vessels, only Mif1 expression increased after LPS stimulation. This indicates that the Mif genes are differently regulated and respond to different ambient inputs that need further analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Dumas
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche-Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Manuela Mauro
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche-Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Mirella Vazzana
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche-Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Arizza
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche-Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Aiti Vizzini
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche-Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
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13
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Jenike AE, Jenike KM, Peterson KJ, Fromm B, Halushka MK. Direct observation of the evolution of cell-type-specific microRNA expression signatures supports the hematopoietic origin model of endothelial cells. Evol Dev 2023; 25:226-239. [PMID: 37157156 PMCID: PMC10302300 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of specialized cell-types is a long-standing interest of biologists, but given the deep time-scales very difficult to reconstruct or observe. microRNAs have been linked to the evolution of cellular complexity and may inform on specialization. The endothelium is a vertebrate-specific specialization of the circulatory system that enabled a critical new level of vasoregulation. The evolutionary origin of these endothelial cells is unclear. We hypothesized that Mir-126, an endothelial cell-specific microRNA may be informative. We here reconstruct the evolutionary history of Mir-126. Mir-126 likely appeared in the last common ancestor of vertebrates and tunicates, which was a species without an endothelium, within an intron of the evolutionary much older EGF Like Domain Multiple (Egfl) locus. Mir-126 has a complex evolutionary history due to duplications and losses of both the host gene and the microRNA. Taking advantage of the strong evolutionary conservation of the microRNA among Olfactores, and using RNA in situ hybridization, we localized Mir-126 in the tunicate Ciona robusta. We found exclusive expression of the mature Mir-126 in granular amebocytes, supporting a long-proposed scenario that endothelial cells arose from hemoblasts, a type of proto-endothelial amoebocyte found throughout invertebrates. This observed change of expression of Mir-126 from proto-endothelial amoebocytes in the tunicate to endothelial cells in vertebrates is the first direct observation of the evolution of a cell-type in relation to microRNA expression indicating that microRNAs can be a prerequisite of cell-type evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana E. Jenike
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205 USA
| | - Katharine M. Jenike
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205 USA
| | - Kevin J. Peterson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover NH, USA
| | - Bastian Fromm
- The Arctic University Museum of Norway, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, 9006 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Marc K. Halushka
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205 USA
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14
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La Paglia L, Vazzana M, Mauro M, Dumas F, Fiannaca A, Urso A, Arizza V, Vizzini A. Transcriptomic and Bioinformatic Analyses Identifying a Central Mif-Cop9-Nf-kB Signaling Network in Innate Immunity Response of Ciona robusta. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24044112. [PMID: 36835523 PMCID: PMC9960688 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24044112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The Ascidian C. robusta is a powerful model for studying innate immunity. LPS induction activates inflammatory-like reactions in the pharynx and the expression of several innate immune genes in granulocyte hemocytes such as cytokines, for instance, macrophage migration inhibitory factors (CrMifs). This leads to intracellular signaling involving the Nf-kB signaling cascade that triggers downstream pro-inflammatory gene expression. In mammals, the COP9 (Constitutive photomorphogenesis 9) signalosome (CSN) complex also results in the activation of the NF-kB pathway. It is a highly conserved complex in vertebrates, mainly engaged in proteasome degradation which is essential for maintaining processes such as cell cycle, DNA repair, and differentiation. In the present study, we used bioinformatics and in-silico analyses combined with an in-vivo LPS exposure strategy, next-generation sequencing (NGS), and qRT-PCR to elucidate molecules and the temporal dynamics of Mif cytokines, Csn signaling components, and the Nf-κB signaling pathway in C. robusta. A qRT-PCR analysis of immune genes selected from transcriptome data revealed a biphasic activation of the inflammatory response. A phylogenetic and STRING analysis indicated an evolutionarily conserved functional link between the Mif-Csn-Nf-kB axis in ascidian C. robusta during LPS-mediated inflammation response, finely regulated by non-coding molecules such as microRNAs (miRNAs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura La Paglia
- Istituto di Calcolo e Reti ad Alte Prestazioni-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy
| | - Mirella Vazzana
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche-Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Manuela Mauro
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche-Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Francesca Dumas
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche-Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Antonino Fiannaca
- Istituto di Calcolo e Reti ad Alte Prestazioni-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy
| | - Alfonso Urso
- Istituto di Calcolo e Reti ad Alte Prestazioni-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Arizza
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche-Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Aiti Vizzini
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche-Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, 90128 Palermo, Italy
- Correspondence:
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15
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Improved Genome Editing in the Ascidian Ciona with CRISPR/Cas9 and TALEN. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2637:375-388. [PMID: 36773161 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3016-7_28] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
The ascidian Ciona intestinalis type A (or Ciona robusta) is an important organism for elucidating the mechanisms that make the chordate body plan. CRISPR/Cas9 and TAL effector nuclease (TALEN) are widely used to quickly address genetic functions in Ciona. Our previously reported method of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis in this animal has inferior mutation rates compared to those of TALENs. We here describe an updated way to effectively mutate genes with CRISPR/Cas9 in Ciona. Although the construction of TALENs is much more laborious than that of CRISPR/Cas9, this technique is useful for tissue-specific knockouts that are not easy even by the optimized CRISPR/Cas9 method.
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16
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Sakamoto A, Hozumi A, Shiraishi A, Satake H, Horie T, Sasakura Y. The
TRP
channel
PKD2
is involved in sensing the mechanical stimulus of adhesion for initiating metamorphosis in the chordate
Ciona. Dev Growth Differ 2022; 64:395-408. [DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aya Sakamoto
- Shimoda Marine Research Center University of Tsukuba, Shimoda Shizuoka Japan
| | - Akiko Hozumi
- Shimoda Marine Research Center University of Tsukuba, Shimoda Shizuoka Japan
| | - Akira Shiraishi
- Bioorganic Research Institute, Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences Kyoto Japan
| | - Honoo Satake
- Bioorganic Research Institute, Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences Kyoto Japan
| | - Takeo Horie
- Shimoda Marine Research Center University of Tsukuba, Shimoda Shizuoka Japan
| | - Yasunori Sasakura
- Shimoda Marine Research Center University of Tsukuba, Shimoda Shizuoka Japan
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17
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Mechanisms of Sperm–Egg Interactions: What Ascidian Fertilization Research Has Taught Us. Cells 2022; 11:cells11132096. [PMID: 35805180 PMCID: PMC9265791 DOI: 10.3390/cells11132096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Revised: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Fertilization is an essential process in terrestrial organisms for creating a new organism with genetic diversity. Before gamete fusion, several steps are required to achieve successful fertilization. Animal spermatozoa are first activated and attracted to the eggs by egg-derived chemoattractants. During the sperm passage of the egg’s extracellular matrix or upon the sperm binding to the proteinaceous egg coat, the sperm undergoes an acrosome reaction, an exocytosis of acrosome. In hermaphrodites such as ascidians, the self/nonself recognition process occurs when the sperm binds to the egg coat. The activated or acrosome-reacted spermatozoa penetrate through the proteinaceous egg coat. The extracellular ubiquitin–proteasome system, the astacin-like metalloproteases, and the trypsin-like proteases play key roles in this process in ascidians. In the present review, we summarize our current understanding and perspectives on gamete recognition and egg coat lysins in ascidians and consider the general mechanisms of fertilization in animals and plants.
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18
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Hara T, Hasegawa S, Iwatani Y, Nishino AS. The trunk-tail junctional region in Ciona larvae autonomously expresses tail-beating bursts at ∼20 second intervals. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:275646. [PMID: 35678124 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243828] [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: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Swimming locomotion in aquatic vertebrates, such as fish and tadpoles, is expressed through neuron networks in the spinal cord. These networks are arranged in parallel, ubiquitously distributed and mutually coupled along the spinal cord to express undulation patterns accommodated to various inputs into the networks. While these systems have been widely studied in vertebrate swimmers, their evolutionary origin along the chordate phylogeny remains unclear. Ascidians, representing a sister group of vertebrates, give rise to tadpole larvae that swim freely in seawater. In the present study, we examined the locomotor ability of the anterior and posterior body fragments of larvae of the ascidian Ciona that had been cut at an arbitrary position. Examination of more than 200 fragments revealed a necessary and sufficient body region that spanned only ∼10% of the body length and included the trunk-tail junction. 'Mid-piece' body fragments, which included the trunk-tail junctional region, but excluded most of the anterior trunk and posterior tail, autonomously expressed periodic tail-beating bursts at ∼20 s intervals. We compared the durations and intervals of tail-beating bursts expressed by mid-piece fragments, and also by whole larvae under different sensory conditions. The results suggest that body parts outside the mid-piece effect shortening of swimming intervals, particularly in the dark, and vary the burst duration. We propose that Ciona larvae express swimming behaviors by modifying autonomous and periodic locomotor drives that operate locally in the trunk-tail junctional region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Hara
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki 036-8561, Japan
| | - Shuya Hasegawa
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki 036-8561, Japan
| | - Yasushi Iwatani
- Department of Science and Technology, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki 036-8561, Japan
| | - Atsuo S Nishino
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki 036-8561, Japan.,Department of Bioresources Science, United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Iwate University, Hirosaki 036-8561, Japan
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19
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Removal of the block to self-fertilization by low-calcium artificial seawater in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis. ZYGOTE 2022; 30:738-742. [PMID: 35686329 DOI: 10.1017/s0967199422000144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Ascidians (Urochordate) are hermaphroditic marine invertebrates that release sperm and eggs to the surrounding seawater. However, several ascidians, including Ciona intestinalis and Halocynthia roretzi, show strict self-sterility due to a self/nonself-recognition mechanism in the interaction between sperm and the vitelline coat (VC) of the eggs. We have previously reported that sperm intracellular Ca2+ level drastically increased immediately after sperm binding to the VC of self eggs but not nonself eggs in C. intestinalis type A, which was potently inhibited by lowering the external Ca2+ concentration, suggesting that sperm Ca2+ influx occurs after sperm self-recognition on the VC. Here, we investigated whether self-sterility was abolished by lowering the external Ca2+ concentration in C. intestinalis. The results showed that the block to self-fertilization was removed by low-Ca2+ (∼1 mM) seawater without decreasing the fertilization rate. Such an effect was not observed with Mg2+ or K+. These results led us to conclude that a low-Ca2+ environment is sufficient to block the self-recognition signal upon fertilization. As low-Ca2+ seawater showed no effect on H. roretzi self-sterility, we propose that the mechanism of self-sterility in Ciona must be distinctive from that in Halocynthia.
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20
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Papadogiannis V, Pennati A, Parker HJ, Rothbächer U, Patthey C, Bronner ME, Shimeld SM. Hmx gene conservation identifies the origin of vertebrate cranial ganglia. Nature 2022; 605:701-705. [PMID: 35585239 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04742-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The evolutionary origin of vertebrates included innovations in sensory processing associated with the acquisition of a predatory lifestyle1. Vertebrates perceive external stimuli through sensory systems serviced by cranial sensory ganglia, whose neurons arise predominantly from cranial placodes; however, the understanding of the evolutionary origin of placodes and cranial sensory ganglia is hampered by the anatomical differences between living lineages and the difficulty in assigning homology between cell types and structures. Here we show that the homeobox transcription factor Hmx is a constitutive component of vertebrate sensory ganglion development and that in the tunicate Ciona intestinalis, Hmx is necessary and sufficient to drive the differentiation programme of bipolar tail neurons, cells previously thought to be homologues of neural crest2,3. Using Ciona and lamprey transgenesis, we demonstrate that a unique, tandemly duplicated enhancer pair regulated Hmx expression in the stem-vertebrate lineage. We also show notably robust vertebrate Hmx enhancer function in Ciona, demonstrating that deep conservation of the upstream regulatory network spans the evolutionary origin of vertebrates. These experiments demonstrate regulatory and functional conservation between Ciona and vertebrate Hmx, and point to bipolar tail neurons as homologues of cranial sensory ganglia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasileios Papadogiannis
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Gournes, Crete, Greece
| | - Alessandro Pennati
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Institute of Zoology and Center of Molecular Biosciences, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Hugo J Parker
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Ute Rothbächer
- Institute of Zoology and Center of Molecular Biosciences, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Cedric Patthey
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Oncology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Marianne E Bronner
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
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21
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Sato A, Oba GM, Aubert-Kato N, Yura K, Bishop J. Co-expression network analysis of environmental canalization in the ascidian Ciona. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:53. [PMID: 35484499 PMCID: PMC9052645 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-02006-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Canalization, or buffering, is defined as developmental stability in the face of genetic and/or environmental perturbations. Understanding how canalization works is important in predicting how species survive environmental change, as well as deciphering how development can be altered in the evolutionary process. However, how developmental gene expression is linked to buffering remains unclear. We addressed this by co-expression network analysis, comparing gene expression changes caused by heat stress during development at a whole-embryonic scale in reciprocal hybrid crosses of sibling species of the ascidian Ciona that are adapted to different thermal environments. RESULTS Since our previous work showed that developmental buffering in this group is maternally inherited, we first identified maternal developmental buffering genes (MDBGs) in which the expression level in embryos is both correlated to the level of environmental canalization and also differentially expressed depending on the species' gender roles in hybrid crosses. We found only 15 MDBGs, all of which showed high correlation coefficient values for expression with a large number of other genes, and 14 of these belonged to a single co-expression module. We then calculated correlation coefficients of expression between MDBGs and transcription factors in the central nervous system (CNS) developmental gene network that had previously been identified experimentally. We found that, compared to the correlation coefficients between MDBGs, which had an average of 0.96, the MDBGs are loosely linked to the CNS developmental genes (average correlation coefficient 0.45). Further, we investigated the correlation of each developmental to MDBGs, showing that only four out of 62 CNS developmental genes showed correlation coefficient > 0.9, comparable to the values between MDBGs, and three of these four genes were signaling molecules: BMP2/4, Wnt7, and Delta-like. CONCLUSIONS We show that the developmental pathway is not centrally located within the buffering network. We found that out of 62 genes in the developmental gene network, only four genes showed correlation coefficients as high as between MDBGs. We propose that loose links to MDBGs stabilize spatiotemporally dynamic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsuko Sato
- Department of Biology, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan.
- The Laboratory, Marine Biological Association of the UK, Plymouth, UK.
- Human Life Innovation Center, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan.
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
| | - Gina M Oba
- Department of Biology, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan
- The Laboratory, Marine Biological Association of the UK, Plymouth, UK
| | - Nathanael Aubert-Kato
- Department of Information Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Otsuka, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kei Yura
- Department of Biology, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Life Science & Medical Bioscience, Graduate School of Advanced Science & Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
- Human Life Innovation Center, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - John Bishop
- The Laboratory, Marine Biological Association of the UK, Plymouth, UK
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22
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Wilson ER, Murphy KJ, Wyeth RC. Ecological Review of the Ciona Species Complex. THE BIOLOGICAL BULLETIN 2022; 242:153-171. [PMID: 35580029 DOI: 10.1086/719476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
AbstractThe set of four closely related solitary ascidians Ciona spp. were once considered a single cosmopolitan species, Ciona intestinalis, but are now recognized as genetically and morphologically distinct species. The possibility of ecological differences between the species was not widely considered in studies preceding the schism of Ciona spp. Consequently, there may be an over-generalization of the ecology of Ciona spp., with potential implications for the broad range of studies targeting these species, encompassing the evolution, development, genomics, and invasion biology of Ciona spp. We completed a comprehensive review of the ecology of Ciona spp. to establish the similarities and differences between the widely distributed Ciona robusta and C. intestinalis (and what little is known of the two other species, Ciona sp. C and Ciona sp. D). When necessary, we used study locations and the species' geographic ranges to infer the species in each study in the review. As expected, ecological similarities are the norm between the two species, spanning both abiotic and biotic interactions. However, there are also important differences that have potential implications for other aspects of the biology of Ciona spp. For example, differences in temperature and salinity tolerances likely correspond with the disparities in the geographic distribution of the species. Asymmetries in topics studied in each species diminish our ability to fully compare several aspects of the ecology of Ciona spp. and are priority areas for future research. We anticipate that our clarification of common and unique aspects of each species' ecology will help to provide context for future research in many aspects of the biology of Ciona spp.
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23
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Mercurio S, Messinetti S, Barzaghi B, Pennati R. Comparing the sensitivity of two cogeneric ascidian species to two plastic additives: Bisphenol A and the flame retardant tris(chloro-propyl)phosphate. THE EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2022.2042405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- S. Mercurio
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - S. Messinetti
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - B. Barzaghi
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - R. Pennati
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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24
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Holman LE, Parker-Nance S, de Bruyn M, Creer S, Carvalho G, Rius M. Managing human-mediated range shifts: understanding spatial, temporal and genetic variation in marine non-native species. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210025. [PMID: 35067092 PMCID: PMC8784926 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of molecular tools to manage natural resources is increasingly common. However, DNA-based methods are seldom used to understand the spatial and temporal dynamics of species' range shifts. This is important when managing range shifting species such as non-native species (NNS), which can have negative impacts on biotic communities. Here, we investigated the ascidian NNS Ciona robusta, Clavelina lepadiformis, Microcosmus squamiger and Styela plicata using a combined methodological approach. We first conducted non-molecular biodiversity surveys for these NNS along the South African coastline, and compared the results with historical surveys. We detected no consistent change in range size across species, with some displaying range stability and others showing range shifts. We then sequenced a section of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) from tissue samples and found genetic differences along the coastline but no change over recent times. Finally, we found that environmental DNA metabarcoding data showed broad congruence with both the biodiversity survey and the COI datasets, but failed to capture the complete incidence of all NNS. Overall, we demonstrated how a combined methodological approach can effectively detect spatial and temporal variation in genetic composition and range size, which is key for managing both thriving NNS and threatened species. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Species’ ranges in the face of changing environments (part I)’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke E Holman
- School of Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Shirley Parker-Nance
- Zoology Department, Institute for Coastal and Marine Research Nelson Mandela University Ocean Sciences Campus, Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), South Africa.,South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON) Elwandle Coastal Node, Nelson Mandela University Ocean Sciences Campus, Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), South Africa
| | - Mark de Bruyn
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia.,Molecular Ecology and Evolution Group, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
| | - Simon Creer
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Group, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
| | - Gary Carvalho
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Group, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
| | - Marc Rius
- School of Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.,Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB, CSIC), Accés a la Cala Sant Francesc 14, 17300 Blanes, Spain.,Centre for Ecological Genomics and Wildlife Conservation, Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, South Africa
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25
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Saito T, Sawada H. Fertilization of Ascidians: Gamete Interaction, Self/Nonself Recognition and Sperm Penetration of Egg Coat. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 9:827214. [PMID: 35186958 PMCID: PMC8849226 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.827214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Fertilization is one of the most important events in living organisms to generate a new life with a mixed genetic background. To achieve successful fertilization, sperm and eggs must undergo complex processes in a sequential order. Fertilization of marine invertebrate Ciona intestinalis type A (Ciona robusta) has been studied for more than a hundred years. Ascidian sperm are attracted by chemoattractants from eggs and bind to the vitelline coat. Subsequently, sperm penetrate through the vitelline coat proteolytically and finally fuse with the egg plasma membrane. Here, we summarize the fertilization mechanisms of ascidians, particularly from sperm-egg interactions to sperm penetration of the egg coat. Since ascidians are hermaphrodites, inbreeding depression is a serious problem. To avoid self-fertilization, ascidians possess a self-incompatibility system. In this review, we also describe the molecular mechanisms of the self-incompatibility system in C. intestinalis type A governed by three allelic gene pairs of s-Themis and v-Themis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takako Saito
- Faculty of Agriculture Department of Applied Life Sciences, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Sawada
- Depatment of Food and Nutritional Environment, College of Human Life and Environment, Kinjo Gakuin University, Nagoya, Japan
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
- *Correspondence: Hitoshi Sawada,
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26
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Vanni V, Ballarin L, Gasparini F, Peronato A, Manni L. Studying Regeneration in Ascidians: An Historical Overview. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2450:27-48. [PMID: 35359301 PMCID: PMC9761513 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2172-1_2] [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] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Ascidians are sessile tunicates, that is, marine animals belonging to the phylum Chordata and considered the sister group of vertebrates. They are widespread in all the seas, constituting abundant communities in various ecosystems. Among chordates, only tunicates are able to reproduce asexually, forming colonies. The high regenerative potentialities enabling tunicates to regenerate damaged body parts, or the whole body, represent a peculiarity of this taxon. Here we review the methodological approaches used in more than a century of biological studies to induce regeneration in both solitary and colonial species. For solitary species, we refer to the regeneration of single organs or body parts (e.g., siphon, brain, gonad, tunic, viscera). For colonial species, we review a plethora of experiments regarding the surgical manipulation of colonies, the regeneration of isolated colonial entities, such as single buds in the tunic, or part of tunic and its circulatory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Vanni
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | | | | | - Anna Peronato
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Lucia Manni
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
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27
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Fiúza UM, Lemaire P. Methods for the Study of Apical Constriction During Ascidian Gastrulation. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2438:377-413. [PMID: 35147954 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2035-9_23] [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] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Gastrulation is the first major morphogenetic event during ascidian embryogenesis. Ascidian gastrulation begins with the invagination of the endodermal progenitors, a two-step process driven by individual cell shape changes of endoderm cells. During the first step, endoderm cells constrict apically, thereby flattening the vegetal side of the embryo. During the second step, endoderm cells shorten along their apicobasal axis and tissue invagination ensues. Individual cell shape changes are mediated by localized actomyosin contractile activity. Here, we describe methods used during ascidian endoderm apical constriction to study myosin activity and cellular morphodynamics with confocal and light sheet microscopy and followed by quantitative image analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulla-Maj Fiúza
- Systems Bioengineering, DCEXS Universidad Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
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28
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Morphological Study and 3D Reconstruction of the Larva of the Ascidian Halocynthia roretzi. JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/jmse10010011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The swimming larva represents the dispersal phase of ascidians, marine invertebrates belonging to tunicates. Due to its adhesive papillae, the larva searches the substrate, adheres to it, and undergoes metamorphosis, thereby becoming a sessile filter feeding animal. The larva anatomy has been described in detail in a few species, revealing a different degree of adult structure differentiation, called adultation. In the solitary ascidian Halocynthia roretzi, a species reared for commercial purposes, embryogenesis has been described in detail, but information on the larval anatomy is still lacking. Here, we describe it using a comparative approach, utilizing 3D reconstruction, as well as histological/TEM observations, with attention to its papillae. The larva is comparable to those of other solitary ascidians, such as Ciona intestinalis. However, it displays a higher level of adultation for the presence of the atrium, opened outside by means of the atrial siphon, and the peribranchial chambers. It does not reach the level of complexity of the larva of Botryllus schlosseri, a phylogenetically close colonial ascidian. Our study reveals that the papillae of H. roretzi, previously described as simple and conform, exhibit dynamic changes during settlement. This opens up new considerations on papillae morphology and evolution and deserves to be further investigated.
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29
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Parra-Rincón E, Velandia-Huerto CA, Gittenberger A, Fallmann J, Gatter T, Brown FD, Stadler PF, Bermúdez-Santana CI. The Genome of the "Sea Vomit" Didemnum vexillum. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11121377. [PMID: 34947908 PMCID: PMC8704543 DOI: 10.3390/life11121377] [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: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Tunicates are the sister group of vertebrates and thus occupy a key position for investigations into vertebrate innovations as well as into the consequences of the vertebrate-specific genome duplications. Nevertheless, tunicate genomes have not been studied extensively in the past, and comparative studies of tunicate genomes have remained scarce. The carpet sea squirt Didemnum vexillum, commonly known as “sea vomit”, is a colonial tunicate considered an invasive species with substantial ecological and economical risk. We report the assembly of the D. vexillum genome using a hybrid approach that combines 28.5 Gb Illumina and 12.35 Gb of PacBio data. The new hybrid scaffolded assembly has a total size of 517.55 Mb that increases contig length about eightfold compared to previous, Illumina-only assembly. As a consequence of an unusually high genetic diversity of the colonies and the moderate length of the PacBio reads, presumably caused by the unusually acidic milieu of the tunic, the assembly is highly fragmented (L50 = 25,284, N50 = 6539). It is sufficient, however, for comprehensive annotations of both protein-coding genes and non-coding RNAs. Despite its shortcomings, the draft assembly of the “sea vomit” genome provides a valuable resource for comparative tunicate genomics and for the study of the specific properties of colonial ascidians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ernesto Parra-Rincón
- Biology Department, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Carrera 45 # 26-85, Edif. Uriel Gutiérrez, Bogotá D.C 111321, Colombia; (E.P.-R.); (P.F.S.)
| | - Cristian A. Velandia-Huerto
- Bioinformatics Group, Department of Computer Science, and Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Leipzig University, 04107 Leipzig, Germany; (J.F.); (T.G.)
- Correspondence: (C.A.V.-H.); (C.I.B.-S.)
| | - Adriaan Gittenberger
- GiMaRIS, Rijksstraatweg 75, 2171 AK Sassenheim, The Netherlands;
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9505, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jörg Fallmann
- Bioinformatics Group, Department of Computer Science, and Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Leipzig University, 04107 Leipzig, Germany; (J.F.); (T.G.)
| | - Thomas Gatter
- Bioinformatics Group, Department of Computer Science, and Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Leipzig University, 04107 Leipzig, Germany; (J.F.); (T.G.)
| | - Federico D. Brown
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão, Tr. 14 no. 101, São Paulo 05508-090, Brazil;
- Centro de Biologia Marinha, Universidade de São Paulo, Rod. Manuel Hypólito do Rego km. 131.5, São Sebastião 11612-109, Brazil
| | - Peter F. Stadler
- Biology Department, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Carrera 45 # 26-85, Edif. Uriel Gutiérrez, Bogotá D.C 111321, Colombia; (E.P.-R.); (P.F.S.)
- Bioinformatics Group, Department of Computer Science, and Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Leipzig University, 04107 Leipzig, Germany; (J.F.); (T.G.)
- Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Institute for Theoretical Chemistry, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87506, USA
| | - Clara I. Bermúdez-Santana
- Biology Department, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Carrera 45 # 26-85, Edif. Uriel Gutiérrez, Bogotá D.C 111321, Colombia; (E.P.-R.); (P.F.S.)
- Correspondence: (C.A.V.-H.); (C.I.B.-S.)
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Rocha RM, Teixeira JA, Barros RCD. Genetic diversity in the Diplosoma listerianum complex (Ascidiacea: Didemnidae) from the Western Atlantic. SYST BIODIVERS 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/14772000.2021.1988003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rosana M. Rocha
- Zoology Department, Universidade Federal do Paraná, CP 19020, Curitiba 81531-980, Brazil
| | - Joyce Ana Teixeira
- Zoology Department, Universidade Federal do Paraná, CP 19020, Curitiba 81531-980, Brazil
| | - Rodolfo Corrêa de Barros
- Parasitology Laboratory, Hospital de Clínicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Rua Padre Camargo, 280, Curitiba 80060-240, Brazil
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Vizzini A, Bonura A, La Paglia L, Fiannaca A, La Rosa M, Urso A, Mauro M, Vazzana M, Arizza V. Transcriptomic Analyses Reveal 2 and 4 Family Members of Cytochromes P450 (CYP) Involved in LPS Inflammatory Response in Pharynx of Ciona robusta. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222011141. [PMID: 34681801 PMCID: PMC8537429 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222011141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytochromes P450 (CYP) are enzymes responsible for the biotransformation of most endogenous and exogenous agents. The expression of each CYP is influenced by a unique combination of mechanisms and factors including genetic polymorphisms, induction by xenobiotics, and regulation by cytokines and hormones. In recent years, Ciona robusta, one of the closest living relatives of vertebrates, has become a model in various fields of biology, in particular for studying inflammatory response. Using an in vivo LPS exposure strategy, next-generation sequencing (NGS) and qRT-PCR combined with bioinformatics and in silico analyses, compared whole pharynx transcripts from naïve and LPS-exposed C. robusta, and we provide the first view of cytochrome genes expression and miRNA regulation in the inflammatory response induced by LPS in a hematopoietic organ. In C. robusta, cytochromes belonging to 2B,2C, 2J, 2U, 4B and 4F subfamilies were deregulated and miRNA network interactions suggest that different conserved and species-specific miRNAs are involved in post-transcriptional regulation of cytochrome genes and that there could be an interplay between specific miRNAs regulating both inflammation and cytochrome molecules in the inflammatory response in C. robusta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiti Vizzini
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche-Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (M.M.); (M.V.); (V.A.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Angela Bonura
- Istituto per la Ricerca e l’Innovazione Biomedica-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy;
| | - Laura La Paglia
- Istituto di Calcolo e Reti ad Alte Prestazioni-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy; (L.L.P.); (A.F.); (M.L.R.); (A.U.)
| | - Antonino Fiannaca
- Istituto di Calcolo e Reti ad Alte Prestazioni-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy; (L.L.P.); (A.F.); (M.L.R.); (A.U.)
| | - Massimo La Rosa
- Istituto di Calcolo e Reti ad Alte Prestazioni-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy; (L.L.P.); (A.F.); (M.L.R.); (A.U.)
| | - Alfonso Urso
- Istituto di Calcolo e Reti ad Alte Prestazioni-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy; (L.L.P.); (A.F.); (M.L.R.); (A.U.)
| | - Manuela Mauro
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche-Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (M.M.); (M.V.); (V.A.)
| | - Mirella Vazzana
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche-Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (M.M.); (M.V.); (V.A.)
| | - Vincenzo Arizza
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche-Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (M.M.); (M.V.); (V.A.)
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32
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Olivo P, Palladino A, Ristoratore F, Spagnuolo A. Brain Sensory Organs of the Ascidian Ciona robusta: Structure, Function and Developmental Mechanisms. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:701779. [PMID: 34552923 PMCID: PMC8450388 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.701779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
During evolution, new characters are designed by modifying pre-existing structures already present in ancient organisms. In this perspective, the Central Nervous System (CNS) of ascidian larva offers a good opportunity to analyze a complex phenomenon with a simplified approach. As sister group of vertebrates, ascidian tadpole larva exhibits a dorsal CNS, made up of only about 330 cells distributed into the anterior sensory brain vesicle (BV), connected to the motor ganglion (MG) and a caudal nerve cord (CNC) in the tail. Low number of cells does not mean, however, low complexity. The larval brain contains 177 neurons, for which a documented synaptic connectome is now available, and two pigmented organs, the otolith and the ocellus, controlling larval swimming behavior. The otolith is involved in gravity perception and the ocellus in light perception. Here, we specifically review the studies focused on the development of the building blocks of ascidians pigmented sensory organs, namely pigment cells and photoreceptor cells. We focus on what it is known, up to now, on the molecular bases of specification and differentiation of both lineages, on the function of these organs after larval hatching during pre-settlement period, and on the most cutting-edge technologies, like single cell RNAseq and genome editing CRISPR/CAS9, that, adapted and applied to Ciona embryos, are increasingly enhancing the tractability of Ciona for developmental studies, including pigmented organs formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Olivo
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Napoli, Italy
| | - Antonio Palladino
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Napoli, Italy
| | - Filomena Ristoratore
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Napoli, Italy
| | - Antonietta Spagnuolo
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Napoli, Italy
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33
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Le Moan A, Roby C, Fraïsse C, Daguin-Thiébaut C, Bierne N, Viard F. An introgression breakthrough left by an anthropogenic contact between two ascidians. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:6718-6732. [PMID: 34547149 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Human-driven translocations of species have diverse evolutionary consequences such as promoting hybridization between previously geographically isolated taxa. This is well illustrated by the solitary tunicate, Ciona robusta, native to the North East Pacific and introduced in the North East Atlantic. It is now co-occurring with its congener Ciona intestinalis in the English Channel, and C. roulei in the Mediterranean Sea. Despite their long allopatric divergence, first and second generation crosses showed a high hybridization success between the introduced and native taxa in the laboratory. However, previous genetic studies failed to provide evidence of recent hybridization between C. robusta and C. intestinalis in the wild. Using SNPs obtained from ddRAD-sequencing of 397 individuals from 26 populations, we further explored the genome-wide population structure of the native Ciona taxa. We first confirmed results documented in previous studies, notably (i) a chaotic genetic structure at regional scale, and (ii) a high genetic similarity between C. roulei and C. intestinalis, which is calling for further taxonomic investigation. More importantly, and unexpectedly, we also observed a genomic hotspot of long introgressed C. robusta tracts into C. intestinalis genomes at several locations of their contact zone. Both the genomic architecture of introgression, restricted to a 1.5 Mb region of chromosome 5, and its absence in allopatric populations suggest introgression is recent and occurred after the introduction of the non-native species. Overall, our study shows that anthropogenic hybridization can be effective in promoting introgression breakthroughs between species at a late stage of the speciation continuum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Le Moan
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 7144, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Roscoff, France.,Department of Marine Sciences, Tjärnö Marine Laboratory, University of Gothenburg, Strömstad, Sweden
| | - Charlotte Roby
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 7144, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Roscoff, France
| | | | | | | | - Frédérique Viard
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 7144, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Roscoff, France.,ISEM, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
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34
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Varello R, Wetzel MA, Cima F. Two facets of geotextiles in coastal ecosystems: Anti- or profouling effects? MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 170:105414. [PMID: 34273865 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Nonwoven geotextile fabrics have physical, mechanical and hydraulic properties useful in coastal protection as an alternative to natural stone, slag, and concrete. In a 10-month experiment, the colonisation of macrofouling organisms on different substrata based on polypropylene (PP), polyester (PET) or high density polyethylene (HDPE) fibres was investigated in the Lagoon of Venice, Italy - an environment with temperate transitional waters with high biodiversity - and compared with the colonisation on wood as a reference substratum, because of its occurrence in artificial structures at the study location, until a stable stage was reached in the development of the macrofouling community. Geotextile fabrics showed implications for community development. They affected both ecological succession in different ways by disturbing biofouling settlement and growth (HDPE fabrics) or favouring species which become dominant (PP fabrics). For these two-faceted aspects that potentially cause different long-term impacts on the biodiversity of resident communities, the use of geotextile fabrics as antifouling or as profouling systems for restoration of degraded ecosystems is discussed. In all cases, the communities displayed unique properties, such as differences in the settlement of pioneer species, an initial disturbance to serpulid settlement, absence of barnacles, selection of dominant taxa (ascidians), and changes in the percentages of various taxa forming the community structure. Given the increasing interest in geotextile materials for employment in various marine developments and industries, these results could represent first lines of evidence to inform decision-making to minimise/modify biofouling, and/or predict the use of artificial substrata as habitats by marine organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Varello
- Laboratory of Ascidian Biology, Department of Biology (DiBio), University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Markus A Wetzel
- Department of Animal Ecology, German Federal Institute of Hydrology - BfG, Am Mainzer Tor 1, 56068, Koblenz, Germany; Institute for Integrated Natural Sciences, University of Koblenz - Landau, Universitätsstrasse 1, 56070, Koblenz, Germany
| | - Francesca Cima
- Laboratory of Ascidian Biology, Department of Biology (DiBio), University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131, Padova, Italy.
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Razghandi K, Janßen N, Le MLV, Stach T. The filter-house of the larvacean Oikopleura dioica. A complex extracellular architecture: From fiber production to rudimentary state to inflated house. J Morphol 2021; 282:1259-1273. [PMID: 34041785 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
While cellulose is the most abundant macromolecule in the biosphere, most animals are unable to produce cellulose with the exception of tunicates. Some tunicates have evolved the ability to secrete a complex house containing cellulosic fibers, yet little is known about the early stages of the house building process. Here, we investigate the rudimentary house of Oikopleura dioica for the first time using complementary light and electron microscopic techniques. In addition, we digitally modeled the arrangement of chambers, nets, and filters of the functional, expanded house in three dimensions based on life-video-imaging. Combining 3D-reconstructions based on serial histological semithin-sections, confocal laser scanning microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and focused ion beam (FIB)-SEM, we were able to elucidate the arrangement of structural components, including cellulosic fibers, of the rudimentary house with a focus on the food concentration filter. We developed a model for the arrangement of folded structures in the house rudiment and show it is a precisely preformed structure with identifiable components intricately correlated with specific cells. Moreover, we demonstrate that structural details of the apical surfaces of Nasse cells provide the exact locations and shapes to produce the fibers of the house and interact among each other, with Giant Fol cells, and with the fibers to arrange them in the precise positions necessary for expansion of the house rudiment into the functional state. The presented data and hypotheses advance our knowledge about the interrelation of structure and function on different biological levels and prompt investigations into this astonishing biological object.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khashayar Razghandi
- Biomaterials Department, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence "Matters of Activity. Image Space Material", Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nils Janßen
- Biomaterials Department, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Mai-Lee Van Le
- Institut für Biologie, AG Vergleichende Zoologie, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Stach
- Institut für Biologie, AG Vergleichende Elektronenmikroskopie, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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36
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The Pericardial Body of Ciona intestinalis Contains Hemocytes and Degenerating Muscle Cells, But No Parasites. Acta Parasitol 2021; 66:560-568. [PMID: 33367964 PMCID: PMC8166686 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-020-00323-x] [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: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Purpose A ventral heart positioned posterior to the branchial basket and equipped with a pericardium is homologous in tunicates and their sister group, the craniates, yet the tunicate model organism Ciona intestinalis features a pericardial body, a structure peculiar to few ascidian species. Here, we set out to distinguish between two competing hypotheses regarding the function of the pericardial body found in the literature: (H1) The pericardial body performs a role in the removal of dysfunctional myocardial cells, and (H2) it is a specialized niche of the immune system involved in defense against parasites. Methods We used histological techniques, transmission electron microscopy, and PCR-based gene sequencing to investigate whether individual ascidians parasitized with apicomplexan protists show signs of infections within the pericardial body. Results In individuals of C. intestinalis from the German North Sea infested with apicomplexan protists, the pericardial body contains numerous myocardial cells in various stages of degeneration while no remnants of parasitic cells could be identified. Conclusion Thus, we conclude that H2—the pericardial body is a specialized niche of the immune system involved in defense against parasites—can be refuted. Rather, our observations support H1, the hypothesis that the pericardial body performs a role in the removal of dysfunctional myocardial cells. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11686-020-00323-x.
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37
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Cionin, a vertebrate cholecystokinin/gastrin homolog, induces ovulation in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis type A. Sci Rep 2021; 11:10911. [PMID: 34035343 PMCID: PMC8149874 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90295-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cionin is a homolog of vertebrate cholecystokinin/gastrin that has been identified in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis type A. The phylogenetic position of ascidians as the closest living relatives of vertebrates suggests that cionin can provide clues to the evolution of endocrine/neuroendocrine systems throughout chordates. Here, we show the biological role of cionin in the regulation of ovulation. In situ hybridization demonstrated that the mRNA of the cionin receptor, Cior2, was expressed specifically in the inner follicular cells of pre-ovulatory follicles in the Ciona ovary. Cionin was found to significantly stimulate ovulation after 24-h incubation. Transcriptome and subsequent Real-time PCR analyses confirmed that the expression levels of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling genes and a matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) gene were significantly elevated in the cionin-treated follicles. Of particular interest is that an RTK inhibitor and MMP inhibitor markedly suppressed the stimulatory effect of cionin on ovulation. Furthermore, inhibition of RTK signaling reduced the MMP gene expression in the cionin-treated follicles. These results provide evidence that cionin induces ovulation by stimulating MMP gene expression via the RTK signaling pathway. This is the first report on the endogenous roles of cionin and the induction of ovulation by cholecystokinin/gastrin family peptides in an organism.
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Kawai T, Hashimoto M, Eguchi N, Nishino JM, Jinno Y, Mori-Kreiner R, Aspåker M, Chiba D, Ohtsuka Y, Kawanabe A, Nishino AS, Okamura Y. Heterologous functional expression of ascidian Nav1 channels and close relationship with the evolutionary ancestor of vertebrate Nav channels. J Biol Chem 2021; 296:100783. [PMID: 34000300 PMCID: PMC8192821 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100783] [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: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 05/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated sodium channels (Nav1s) are responsible for the initiation and propagation of action potentials in neurons, muscle, and endocrine cells. Many clinically used drugs such as local anesthetics and antiarrhythmics inhibit Nav1s, and a variety of inherited human disorders are caused by mutations in Nav1 genes. Nav1s consist of the main α subunit and several auxiliary β subunits. Detailed information on the structure–function relationships of Nav1 subunits has been obtained through heterologous expression experiments and analyses of protein structures. The basic properties of Nav1s, including their gating and ion permeation, were classically described in the squid giant axon and other invertebrates. However, heterologous functional expression of Nav1s from marine invertebrates has been unsuccessful. Ascidians belong to the Urochordata, a sister group of vertebrates, and the larval central nervous system of ascidians shows a similar plan to that of vertebrates. Here, we report the biophysical properties of ascidian Ciona Nav1 (CiNav1a) heterologously expressed in Xenopus oocytes. CiNav1a exhibited tetrodotoxin-insensitive sodium currents with rapid gating kinetics of activation and inactivation. Furthermore, consistent with the fact that the Ciona genome lacks orthologous genes to vertebrate β subunits, the human β1 subunit did not influence the gating properties when coexpressed with CiNav1a. Interestingly, CiNav1a contains an ankyrin-binding motif in the II–III linker, which can be targeted to the axon initial segment of mammalian cortical neurons. Our findings provide a platform to gain insight into the evolutionary and biophysical properties of Nav1s, which are important for the development of targeted therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takafumi Kawai
- Integrative Physiology, Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Masaki Hashimoto
- Graduate School of Frontier Bioscience, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | | | - Junko M Nishino
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki, Japan; Department of Bioresources Science, United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Iwate University, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Yuka Jinno
- Integrative Physiology, Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Risa Mori-Kreiner
- Integrative Physiology, Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | | | - Daijiro Chiba
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Yukio Ohtsuka
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Akira Kawanabe
- Integrative Physiology, Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Atsuo S Nishino
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki, Japan; Department of Bioresources Science, United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Iwate University, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Yasushi Okamura
- Integrative Physiology, Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan; Graduate School of Frontier Bioscience, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.
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Laura D, Anna P, Nicola F, Loriano B, Rigers B, Gianfranco S. Stress granules in Ciona robusta: First evidences of TIA-1-related nucleolysin and tristetraprolin gene expression under metal exposure. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2021; 243:108977. [PMID: 33465518 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2021.108977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Stress granules are non-membranous cytoplasmic foci, composed of non-translating messenger ribonucleoproteins, translational initiation factors and other additional proteins. They represent a primary mechanism to rapidly modulate gene expression when cells are subjected to adverse environmental conditions. Very few works have been devoted to study the presence of the molecular components of stress granules in invertebrates. In this work, we characterized the transcript sequences for two important protein components of stress granules, TIA-1-related nucleolysin (TIAR) and tristetraprolin (TTP), in the solitary ascidian Ciona robusta, an invertebrate chordate, and carried out the first studies on their gene expression under stress conditions induced by metals (Cu, Zn and Cd). Data on mRNA expression levels, provided by qRT-PCR analyses, show a generalized decrease at the second day of metal-exposure for both tiar and ttp, suggesting that metal accumulation induces acute stress and the inhibition of the transcription for the two studied proteins. In-situ hybridization analyses demonstrate that TIAR and TTP antisense riboprobes recognize circulating granular amoebocytes in the hemolymph, in both blood lacunae and tunic. The results obtained in this work increase our knowledge on the evolution of anti-stress proteins in metazoans and emphasize the importance of the transcription of tiar and ttp, which represents an efficient physiological response allowing organisms to survive in the environment under stress conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drago Laura
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Peronato Anna
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Franchi Nicola
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Ballarin Loriano
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy.
| | - Bakiu Rigers
- Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries, Agricultural University of Tirana, Tirana, Albania
| | - Santovito Gianfranco
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
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Satou Y, Sato A, Yasuo H, Mihirogi Y, Bishop J, Fujie M, Kawamitsu M, Hisata K, Satoh N. Chromosomal Inversion Polymorphisms in Two Sympatric Ascidian Lineages. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:6209075. [PMID: 33822040 PMCID: PMC8186479 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromosomal rearrangements can reduce fitness of heterozygotes and can thereby prevent gene flow. Therefore, such rearrangements can play a role in local adaptation and speciation. In particular, inversions are considered to be a major potential cause for chromosomal speciation. There are two closely related, partially sympatric lineages of ascidians in the genus Ciona, which we call type-A and type-B animals in the present study. Although these invertebrate chordates are largely isolated reproductively, hybrids can be found in wild populations, suggesting incomplete prezygotic barriers. Although the genome of type-A animals has been decoded and widely used, the genome for type-B animals has not been decoded at the chromosomal level. In the present study, we sequenced the genomes of two type-B individuals from different sides of the English Channel (in the zone of sympatry with type-A individuals) and compared them at the chromosomal level with the type-A genome. Although the overall structures were well conserved between type A and type B, chromosomal alignments revealed many inversions differentiating these two types of Ciona; it is probable that the frequent inversions have contributed to separation between these two lineages. In addition, comparisons of the genomes between the two type-B individuals revealed that type B had high rates of inversion polymorphisms and nucleotide polymorphisms, and thus type B might be in the process of differentiation into multiple new types or species. Our results suggest an important role of inversions in chromosomal speciation of these broadcasting spawners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutaka Satou
- Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Sakyo, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Atsuko Sato
- Department of Biology, Ochanomizu University, Otsuka, Bunkyo-ku, Japan.,Marine Biological Association of the UK, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, United Kingdom.,Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Hitoyoshi Yasuo
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer (LBDV), Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Yukie Mihirogi
- Department of Biology, Ochanomizu University, Otsuka, Bunkyo-ku, Japan
| | - John Bishop
- Marine Biological Association of the UK, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, United Kingdom
| | - Manabu Fujie
- DNA Sequencing Section, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Mayumi Kawamitsu
- DNA Sequencing Section, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Kanako Hisata
- Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Noriyuki Satoh
- Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, Japan
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Vizzini A, Dumas F, Di Falco F, Arizza V. Evolutionary and transcriptional analyses of a pentraxin-like component family involved in the LPS inflammatory response of Ciona robusta. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2021; 111:94-101. [PMID: 33513439 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2021.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Pentraxins (PTXs) are a superfamily of conserved proteins which are components of the humoral arm of innate immunity. They are considered to be functional ancestors of antibodies and are classified into short and long types. In this study, we show that a pentraxin-like component (Ptx-like) with a C-terminal PTX domain, highly homologous to the short PTX of H. sapiens CRP, and a long N-terminal domain typical of long PTXs, is involved in the inflammatory response of Ciona robusta under LPS exposure in vivo. Analyses of protein domains as well as 3D modelling and phylogenetic tree supported the close relationship of Ptx-like with mammalian CRP, suggesting that C. robusta Ptx-like shares a common ancestor in the chordate lineages. qRT-PCR analysis showed that Ptx-like was transcriptionally upregulated during the inflammatory process induced by LPS inoculation and that it is involved in the initial phase as well as the secondary phase of the inflammatory response in which matrix remodelling and the achievement of homeostasis occur. In situ hybridisation assays revealed that gene transcription was upregulated in the pharynx post-LPS challenge in vivo, and that Ptx-like was expressed by clusters of haemocytes, mainly granulocytes, inside the pharynx vessels. We also found transcript-expressing granulocytes flowing in the musculature and in the lacunae of the circulatory system. These data supported that Ptx-like is a potential molecule of the acute-phase response in C. robusta immune defence systems against bacterial infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiti Vizzini
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche - Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, Palermo, Italy.
| | - Francesca Dumas
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche - Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, Palermo, Italy
| | - Felicia Di Falco
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche - Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, Palermo, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Arizza
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche - Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, Palermo, Italy
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Lee AL, Capa M, Dafforn KA, Hutchings PA, Murray A. New records of non-indigenous Branchiomma and Parasabella species (Sabellidae: Annelida) in South Australia highlight the continuing challenges for sabellid taxonomy. J NAT HIST 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2020.1862334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aria L. Lee
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
- Sydney Institute of Marine Sciences, Mosman, Australia
| | - María Capa
- Department of Biology, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, Spain
| | - Katherine A. Dafforn
- Sydney Institute of Marine Sciences, Mosman, Australia
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Australia
| | - Pat A. Hutchings
- Department of Marine Invertebrates, Australian Museum Research Institute, Sydney, Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Australia
| | - Anna Murray
- Department of Marine Invertebrates, Australian Museum Research Institute, Sydney, Australia
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Vizzini A, Bonura A, La Paglia L, Fiannaca A, La Rosa M, Urso A, Arizza V. ceRNA Network Regulation of TGF-β, WNT, FOXO, Hedgehog Pathways in the Pharynx of Ciona robusta. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22073497. [PMID: 33800649 PMCID: PMC8037537 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22073497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) family of cytokines performs a multifunctional signaling, which is integrated and coordinated in a signaling network that involves other pathways, such as Wintless, Forkhead box-O (FOXO) and Hedgehog and regulates pivotal functions related to cell fate in all tissues. In the hematopoietic system, TGF-β signaling controls a wide spectrum of biological processes, from immune system homeostasis to the quiescence and self-renewal of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Recently an important role in post-transcription regulation has been attributed to two type of ncRNAs: microRNAs and pseudogenes. Ciona robusta, due to its philogenetic position close to vertebrates, is an excellent model to investigate mechanisms of post-transcriptional regulation evolutionarily highly conserved in immune homeostasis. The combined use of NGS and bioinformatic analyses suggests that in the pharynx, the hematopoietic organ of Ciona robusta, the Tgf-β, Wnt, Hedgehog and FoxO pathways are involved in tissue homeostasis, as they are in human. Furthermore, ceRNA network interactions and 3'UTR elements analyses of Tgf-β, Wnt, Hedgehog and FoxO pathways genes suggest that different miRNAs conserved (cin-let-7d, cin-mir-92c, cin-mir-153), species-specific (cin-mir-4187, cin-mir-4011a, cin-mir-4056, cin-mir-4150, cin-mir-4189, cin-mir-4053, cin-mir-4016, cin-mir-4075), pseudogenes (ENSCING00000011392, ENSCING00000018651, ENSCING00000007698) and mRNA 3'UTR elements are involved in post-transcriptional regulation in an integrated way in C. robusta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiti Vizzini
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche–Università di Palermo, via Archirafi 18, 90100 Palermo, Italy;
- Correspondence:
| | - Angela Bonura
- Istituto per La Ricerca e l’Innovazione Biomedica–Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche, via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90100 Palermo, Italy;
| | - Laura La Paglia
- Istituto di Calcolo e Reti ad Alte Prestazioni–Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche, via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90100 Palermo, Italy; (L.L.P.); (A.F.); (M.L.R.); (A.U.)
| | - Antonino Fiannaca
- Istituto di Calcolo e Reti ad Alte Prestazioni–Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche, via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90100 Palermo, Italy; (L.L.P.); (A.F.); (M.L.R.); (A.U.)
| | - Massimo La Rosa
- Istituto di Calcolo e Reti ad Alte Prestazioni–Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche, via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90100 Palermo, Italy; (L.L.P.); (A.F.); (M.L.R.); (A.U.)
| | - Alfonso Urso
- Istituto di Calcolo e Reti ad Alte Prestazioni–Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche, via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90100 Palermo, Italy; (L.L.P.); (A.F.); (M.L.R.); (A.U.)
| | - Vincenzo Arizza
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche–Università di Palermo, via Archirafi 18, 90100 Palermo, Italy;
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Clutton EA, Alurralde G, Repolho T. Early developmental stages of native populations of Ciona intestinalis under increased temperature are affected by local habitat history. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:jeb233403. [PMID: 33472872 PMCID: PMC7938807 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.233403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Temperature modulates marine ectotherm physiology, influencing survival, abundance and species distribution. While native species could be susceptible to ocean warming, thermal tolerance might favour the spread of non-native species. Determining the success of invasive species in response to climate change is confounded by the cumulative, synergistic or antagonistic effects of environmental drivers, which vary at a geographical and temporal scale. Thus, an organism's acclimation or adaptive potential could play an important evolutionary role by enabling or conditioning species tolerance to stressful environmental conditions. We investigated developmental performance of early life stages of the ascidian Ciona intestinalis (derived from populations of anthropogenically impacted and control sites) to an extreme weather event (i.e. marine heatwave). Fertilization rate, embryo and larval development, settlement, metamorphosis success and juvenile heart rate were assessed as experimental endpoints. With the exception of fertilization and heart rates, temperature influenced all analysed endpoints. C. intestinalis derived from control sites were the most negatively affected by increased temperature conditions. By contrast, C. intestinalis from anthropogenically impacted sites showed a positive response to thermal stress, with a higher proportion of larvae development, settlement and metamorphosis success being observed under increased temperature conditions. No differences were observed for heart rates between sampled populations and experimental temperature conditions. Moreover, interaction between temperature and populations was statistically significant for embryo and larvae development, and metamorphosis. We hypothesize that selection resulting from anthropogenic forcing could shape stress resilience of species in their native range and subsequently confer advantageous traits underlying their invasive potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Clutton
- Institute of Marine Sciences, Faculty of Science and Health, University of Portsmouth, Eastney, Portsmouth PO4 9LY, UK
| | - Gaston Alurralde
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Departamento Diversidad Biológica y Ecología, Ecología Marina, Av. Velez Sarsfield 299 (X5000JJC), Córdoba, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecologıa Animal (IDEA), Av. Velez Sarsfield 299 (X5000JJC), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Tiago Repolho
- MARE - Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente (MARE), Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
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Liberti A, Natarajan O, Atkinson CGF, Sordino P, Dishaw LJ. Reflections on the Use of an Invertebrate Chordate Model System for Studies of Gut Microbial Immune Interactions. Front Immunol 2021; 12:642687. [PMID: 33717199 PMCID: PMC7947342 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.642687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The functional ecology of the gastrointestinal tract impacts host physiology, and its dysregulation is at the center of various diseases. The immune system, and specifically innate immunity, plays a fundamental role in modulating the interface of host and microbes in the gut. While humans remain a primary focus of research in this field, the use of diverse model systems help inform us of the fundamental principles legislating homeostasis in the gut. Invertebrates, which lack vertebrate-style adaptive immunity, can help define conserved features of innate immunity that shape the gut ecosystem. In this context, we previously proposed the use of a marine invertebrate, the protochordate Ciona robusta, as a novel tractable model system for studies of host-microbiome interactions. Significant progress, reviewed herein, has been made to fulfill that vision. We examine and review discoveries from Ciona that include roles for a secreted immune effector interacting with elements of the microbiota, as well as chitin-rich mucus lining the gut epithelium, the gut-associated microbiome of adults, and the establishment of a large catalog of cultured isolates with which juveniles can be colonized. Also discussed is the establishment of methods to rear the animals germ-free, an essential technology for dissecting the symbiotic interactions at play. As the foundation is now set to extend these studies into the future, broadening our comprehension of how host effectors shape the ecology of these microbial communities in ways that establish and maintain homeostasis will require full utilization of "multi-omics" approaches to merge computational sciences, modeling, and experimental biology in hypothesis-driven investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Assunta Liberti
- Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms (BEOM), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Ojas Natarajan
- Morsani College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
- Division of Molecular Genetics, Children’s Research Institute, St. Petersburg, FL, United States
| | - Celine Grace F. Atkinson
- Division of Molecular Genetics, Children’s Research Institute, St. Petersburg, FL, United States
- Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Paolo Sordino
- Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms (BEOM), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Larry J. Dishaw
- Morsani College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
- Division of Molecular Genetics, Children’s Research Institute, St. Petersburg, FL, United States
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Corrêa de Barros R, Moreira da Rocha R. Genetic analyses reveal cryptic diversity in the widely distributed Styela canopus (Ascidiacea:Styelidae). INVERTEBR SYST 2021. [DOI: 10.1071/is20058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The routine use of DNA sequencing techniques and phylogenetic analysis has resulted in the discovery of many cryptic species, especially in the oceans. The common, globally introduced species Styela canopus is suspected to be a complex of cryptic species because of its widespread distribution and variable external morphology. We tested this possibility using COI and ANT marker sequences to uncover the phylogenetic relationship among 19 populations, and to examine genetic variability as well as gene flow. We obtained 271 COI and 67 ANT sequences and found surprising diversity among the 19 populations (COI: π = 0.18, hd = 0.99; ANT: π = 0.13, hd = 0.95). Corresponding topologies were found using Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood for both simple locus (COI) and multilocus (COI + ANT) analyses and so the clades received strong support. We used simple (ABGD, bPTP, GMYC) and multiple (BSD) locus methods to delimit species. The simple locus methods indicated that the current Styela canopus comprises at least 15 species. The BSD method for concatenated data supported 7 of the 15 species. We suggest that S. canopus should be treated as the Styela canopus complex. The large number of cryptic species found, often with more than one clade found in sympatry, creates opportunities for better understanding reproductive isolation, hybridisation or speciation. As several lineages have already been introduced widely around the world, we must quickly understand their diversity and invasive abilities.
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Taverna A, de Aranzamendi MC, Maggioni T, Alurralde G, Turon X, Tatián M. Morphology, genetics, and historical records support the synonymy of two ascidian species and suggest their spread throughout areas of the Southern Hemisphere. INVERTEBR SYST 2021. [DOI: 10.1071/is20060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Taxonomic uncertainties and the lack of ecological knowledge can hinder the correct identification and the assignment of biogeographic status of marine species. The ascidian Asterocarpa humilis (Heller, 1878), originally described from New Zealand, has a broad distribution in shallow temperate areas of the Southern Hemisphere, having recently colonised areas of the Northern Hemisphere. A closely related species, Cnemidocarpa robinsoni Hartmeyer, 1916, has been reported in the South-Eastern Pacific and the South-Western Atlantic, and several authors considered it a junior synonym of A. humilis. We gathered for the first time morphological and genetic data from specimens from distant areas. We studied the morphology of specimens collected at seven locations of South America. We also re-examined specimens from museum collections and revised the available literature on these species. Genetic data were obtained from specimens from Argentina and compared with available sequences of A. humilis from Chile, New Zealand, England and France. Morphological and genetic analyses showed that all compared specimens were conspecific. Furthermore, specimens from different continents shared haplotypes and exhibited low genetic distance among them. These results, the biological characteristics of this ascidian, and its longstanding presence in different habitats from disjoint areas, allow us to question its native range. We support the idea that A. humilis is a cryptogenic and neocosmopolitan species that has been transported by maritime traffic through the Southern Hemisphere, revealing frequent processes of exchange through this wide area for more than a century, with presumably associated alterations in the marine biota.
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Coulcher JF, Roure A, Chowdhury R, Robert M, Lescat L, Bouin A, Carvajal Cadavid J, Nishida H, Darras S. Conservation of peripheral nervous system formation mechanisms in divergent ascidian embryos. eLife 2020; 9:e59157. [PMID: 33191918 PMCID: PMC7710358 DOI: 10.7554/elife.59157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Ascidians with very similar embryos but highly divergent genomes are thought to have undergone extensive developmental system drift. We compared, in four species (Ciona and Phallusia for Phlebobranchia, Molgula and Halocynthia for Stolidobranchia), gene expression and gene regulation for a network of six transcription factors regulating peripheral nervous system (PNS) formation in Ciona. All genes, but one in Molgula, were expressed in the PNS with some differences correlating with phylogenetic distance. Cross-species transgenesis indicated strong levels of conservation, except in Molgula, in gene regulation despite lack of sequence conservation of the enhancers. Developmental system drift in ascidians is thus higher for gene regulation than for gene expression and is impacted not only by phylogenetic distance, but also in a clade-specific manner and unevenly within a network. Finally, considering that Molgula is divergent in our analyses, this suggests deep conservation of developmental mechanisms in ascidians after 390 My of separate evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua F Coulcher
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins (BIOM)Banyuls-sur-MerFrance
| | - Agnès Roure
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins (BIOM)Banyuls-sur-MerFrance
| | - Rafath Chowdhury
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins (BIOM)Banyuls-sur-MerFrance
| | - Méryl Robert
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins (BIOM)Banyuls-sur-MerFrance
| | - Laury Lescat
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins (BIOM)Banyuls-sur-MerFrance
| | - Aurélie Bouin
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins (BIOM)Banyuls-sur-MerFrance
| | - Juliana Carvajal Cadavid
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins (BIOM)Banyuls-sur-MerFrance
| | - Hiroki Nishida
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka UniversityToyonakaJapan
| | - Sébastien Darras
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins (BIOM)Banyuls-sur-MerFrance
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49
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Hotta K, Dauga D, Manni L. The ontology of the anatomy and development of the solitary ascidian Ciona: the swimming larva and its metamorphosis. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17916. [PMID: 33087765 PMCID: PMC7578030 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73544-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Ciona robusta (Ciona intestinalis type A), a model organism for biological studies, belongs to ascidians, the main class of tunicates, which are the closest relatives of vertebrates. In Ciona, a project on the ontology of both development and anatomy is ongoing for several years. Its goal is to standardize a resource relating each anatomical structure to developmental stages. Today, the ontology is codified until the hatching larva stage. Here, we present its extension throughout the swimming larva stages, the metamorphosis, until the juvenile stages. For standardizing the developmental ontology, we acquired different time-lapse movies, confocal microscope images and histological serial section images for each developmental event from the hatching larva stage (17.5 h post fertilization) to the juvenile stage (7 days post fertilization). Combining these data, we defined 12 new distinct developmental stages (from Stage 26 to Stage 37), in addition to the previously defined 26 stages, referred to embryonic development. The new stages were grouped into four Periods named: Adhesion, Tail Absorption, Body Axis Rotation, and Juvenile. To build the anatomical ontology, 203 anatomical entities were identified, defined according to the literature, and annotated, taking advantage from the high resolution and the complementary information obtained from confocal microscopy and histology. The ontology describes the anatomical entities in hierarchical levels, from the cell level (cell lineage) to the tissue/organ level. Comparing the number of entities during development, we found two rounds on entity increase: in addition to the one occurring after fertilization, there is a second one during the Body Axis Rotation Period, when juvenile structures appear. Vice versa, one-third of anatomical entities associated with the embryo/larval life were significantly reduced at the beginning of metamorphosis. Data was finally integrated within the web-based resource "TunicAnatO", which includes a number of anatomical images and a dictionary with synonyms. This ontology will allow the standardization of data underpinning an accurate annotation of gene expression and the comprehension of mechanisms of differentiation. It will help in understanding the emergence of elaborated structures during both embryogenesis and metamorphosis, shedding light on tissue degeneration and differentiation occurring at metamorphosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kohji Hotta
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, Kouhoku-ku, Yokohama, 223-8522, Japan.
| | - Delphine Dauga
- Bioself Communication, 28 rue de la bibliotheque, 13001, Marseille, France
| | - Lucia Manni
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35121, Padova, Italy.
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50
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Yamaji S, Hozumi A, Matsunobu S, Sasakura Y. Orchestration of the distinct morphogenetic movements in different tissues drives tail regression during ascidian metamorphosis. Dev Biol 2020; 465:66-78. [PMID: 32697971 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2020.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Metamorphosis is the dramatic conversion of an animal body from larva to adult. In ascidians, tadpole-shaped, swimming larvae become sessile juveniles by losing their tail during metamorphosis. This study investigated the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying this metamorphic event called tail regression, in the model ascidian Ciona. The ascidian tail consists of internal organs such as muscle, notochord, nerve cord, and the outer epidermal layer surrounding them. We found that the epidermis and internal organs show different regression strategies. Epidermal cells are shortened along the anterior-posterior axis and gather at the posterior region. The epidermal mass is then invaginated into the trunk by apical constriction. The internal tissues, by contrast, enter into the trunk by forming coils. During coiling, notches are introduced into the muscle cells, which likely reduces their rigidness to promote coiling. Actin filament is the major component necessary for the regression events in both the epidermis and internal tissues. The shortening and invagination of the epidermis depend on the phosphorylation of the myosin regulatory light chain (mrlc) regulated by rho-kinase (ROCK). The coiling of internal tissues does not require ROCK-dependent phosphorylation of mrlc, and they can complete coiling without epidermis, although epidermis can facilitate the coiling of internal tissues. We conclude that tail regression in ascidians consists of active morphogenetic movements in which each tissue's independent mechanism is orchestrated with the others to complete this event within the available time window.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sota Yamaji
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Shimoda, Shizuoka, 415-0025, Japan
| | - Akiko Hozumi
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Shimoda, Shizuoka, 415-0025, Japan
| | - Shohei Matsunobu
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Shimoda, Shizuoka, 415-0025, Japan
| | - Yasunori Sasakura
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Shimoda, Shizuoka, 415-0025, Japan.
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