1
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Umamaheswaran R, Dutta S. Preservation of proteins in the geosphere. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:858-865. [PMID: 38472431 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02366-z] [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: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Deep-time protein preservation has attracted increasing interest and rapid research activity within the palaeobiological community in recent years, but there are several different viewpoints without a cohesive framework for the interpretation of these proteins. Therefore, despite this activity, crucial gaps exist in the understanding of how proteins are preserved in the geological record and we believe it is vital to arrive at a synthesis of the various taphonomic pathways in order to proceed forward with their elucidation. Here we take a critical look at the state of knowledge regarding deep-time protein preservation and argue for the necessity of a more nuanced approach to understanding the molecular taphonomy of proteins through the lens of diagenetic pathways. We also propound an initial framework with which to comprehend the chemical changes undergone by proteins via the concept of 'proteagen'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raman Umamaheswaran
- Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India.
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
| | - Suryendu Dutta
- Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India.
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2
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Qiao F, Zou Y, Bie B, Lv Y. Dual siRNA-Loaded Cell Membrane Functionalized Matrix Facilitates Bone Regeneration with Angiogenesis and Neurogenesis. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2307062. [PMID: 37824284 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202307062] [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: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Vascularization and innervation play irreplaceable roles in bone regeneration and bone defect repair. However, the reconstruction of blood vessels and neural networks is often neglected in material design. This study aims to design a genetically functionalized matrix (GFM) and enable it to regulate angiogenesis and neurogenesis to accelerate the process of bone defect repair. The dual small interfering RNA (siRNA)-polyvinylimide (PEI) (siRP) complexes that locally knocked down soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (sFlt-1) and p75 neurotrophic factor receptor (p75NTR ) are prepared. The hybrid cell membrane (MM) loaded siRP is synthesized as siRNA@MMs to coat on polylactone (PCL) electrospun fibers for mimicking the natural bone matrix. The results indicates that siRNA@MMs could regulate the expression of vascular-related and neuro-related cytokines secreted by mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). GFMs promote the expression of osteogenic differentiation through paracrine function in vitro. GFMs attenuates inflammation and promotes osseointegration by regulating the coupling of vascularization and innervation in vivo. This study uses the natural hybrid cell membrane to carry genetic material and assist in the vascularization and innervation function of two siRNA. The results present the significance of neuro-vascularized organoid bone and may provide a promising choice for the design of bone tissue engineering scaffold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangyu Qiao
- Mechanobiology and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, P. R. China
| | - Yang Zou
- State Key Laboratory of New Textile Materials and Advanced Processing Technologies, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan, 430200, P. R. China
- School of Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan, 430200, P. R. China
| | - Binglin Bie
- State Key Laboratory of New Textile Materials and Advanced Processing Technologies, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan, 430200, P. R. China
| | - Yonggang Lv
- State Key Laboratory of New Textile Materials and Advanced Processing Technologies, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan, 430200, P. R. China
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3
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Shaw B, McDonnell T, Radley E, Thomas B, Smith L, Davenport CA, Gonzalez S, Rahman A, Layfield R. Preservation of whole antibodies within ancient teeth. iScience 2023; 26:107575. [PMID: 37622005 PMCID: PMC10445445 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Archaeological remains can preserve some proteins into deep time, offering remarkable opportunities for probing past events in human history. Recovering functional proteins from skeletal tissues could uncover a molecular memory related to the life-history of the associated remains. We demonstrate affinity purification of whole antibody molecules from medieval human teeth, dating to the 13th-15th centuries, from skeletons with different putative pathologies. Purified antibodies are intact retaining disulphide-linkages, are amenable to primary sequences analysis, and demonstrate apparent immunoreactivity against contemporary EBV antigen on western blot. Our observations highlight the potential of ancient antibodies to provide insights into the long-term association between host immune factors and ancient microbes, and more broadly retain a molecular memory related to the natural history of human health and immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barry Shaw
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham Medical School, Nottingham, UK
| | - Thomas McDonnell
- Centre for Rheumatology Research, Division of Medicine, UCL, London, UK
| | - Elizabeth Radley
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Brian Thomas
- Mass Spectrometry Research Group, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Lynn Smith
- Norton Priory Museum and Gardens, Runcorn, UK
| | - Carol A.L. Davenport
- Research Centre for Evolutionary Anthropology and Paleoecology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Silvia Gonzalez
- Research Centre for Evolutionary Anthropology and Paleoecology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Anisur Rahman
- Centre for Rheumatology Research, Division of Medicine, UCL, London, UK
| | - Rob Layfield
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham Medical School, Nottingham, UK
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4
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Anné J, Canoville A, Edwards NP, Schweitzer MH, Zanno LE. Independent Evidence for the Preservation of Endogenous Bone Biochemistry in a Specimen of Tyrannosaurus rex. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12020264. [PMID: 36829540 PMCID: PMC9953530 DOI: 10.3390/biology12020264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Biomolecules preserved in deep time have potential to shed light on major evolutionary questions, driving the search for new and more rigorous methods to detect them. Despite the increasing body of evidence from a wide variety of new, high resolution/high sensitivity analytical techniques, this research is commonly met with skepticism, as the long standing dogma persists that such preservation in very deep time (>1 Ma) is unlikely. The Late Cretaceous dinosaur Tyrannosaurus rex (MOR 1125) has been shown, through multiple biochemical studies, to preserve original bone chemistry. Here, we provide additional, independent support that deep time bimolecular preservation is possible. We use synchrotron X-ray fluorescence imaging (XRF) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) to investigate a section from the femur of this dinosaur, and demonstrate preservation of elements (S, Ca, and Zn) associated with bone remodeling and redeposition. We then compare these data to the bone of an extant dinosaur (bird), as well as a second non-avian dinosaur, Tenontosaurus tilletti (OMNH 34784) that did not preserve any sign of original biochemistry. Our data indicate that MOR 1125 bone cortices have similar bone elemental distributions to that of an extant bird, which supports preservation of original endogenous chemistry in this specimen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Anné
- The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46208, USA
- Correspondence:
| | | | - Nicholas P. Edwards
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Mary H. Schweitzer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Campus Box 7617, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
- Paleontology, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, 11 W. Jones St., Raleigh, NC 27601, USA
- Department of Geology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 12, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Lindsay E. Zanno
- Department of Biological Sciences, Campus Box 7617, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
- Paleontology, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, 11 W. Jones St., Raleigh, NC 27601, USA
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5
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Anderson LA. Biomolecular histology as a novel proxy for ancient DNA and protein sequence preservation. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9518. [PMID: 36518622 PMCID: PMC9743065 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Researchers' ability to accurately screen fossil and subfossil specimens for preservation of DNA and protein sequences remains limited. Thermal exposure and geologic age are usable proxies for sequence preservation on a broad scale but are of nominal use for specimens of similar depositional environments. Cell and tissue biomolecular histology is thus proposed as a novel proxy for determining sequence preservation potential of ancient specimens with improved accuracy. Biomolecular histology as a proxy is hypothesized to elucidate why fossils/subfossils of some depositional environments preserve sequences while others do not and to facilitate selection of ancient specimens for use in molecular studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Landon A Anderson
- Department of Biology North Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina USA
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6
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Soft Tissue and Biomolecular Preservation in Vertebrate Fossils from Glauconitic, Shallow Marine Sediments of the Hornerstown Formation, Edelman Fossil Park, New Jersey. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11081161. [PMID: 36009787 PMCID: PMC9405258 DOI: 10.3390/biology11081161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Endogenous biomolecules and soft tissues are known to persist in the fossil record. To date, these discoveries derive from a limited number of preservational environments, (e.g., fluvial channels and floodplains), and fossils from less common depositional environments have been largely unexplored. We conducted paleomolecular analyses of shallow marine vertebrate fossils from the Cretaceous–Paleogene Hornerstown Formation, an 80–90% glauconitic greensand from Jean and Ric Edelman Fossil Park in Mantua Township, NJ. Twelve samples were demineralized and found to yield products morphologically consistent with vertebrate osteocytes, blood vessels, and bone matrix. Specimens from these deposits that are dark in color exhibit excellent histological preservation and yielded a greater recovery of cells and soft tissues, whereas lighter-colored specimens exhibit poor histology and few to no cells/soft tissues. Additionally, a well-preserved femur of the marine crocodilian Thoracosaurus was found to have retained endogenous collagen I by immunofluorescence and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Our results thus not only corroborate previous findings that soft tissue and biomolecular recovery from fossils preserved in marine environments are possible but also expand the range of depositional environments documented to preserve endogenous biomolecules, thus broadening the suite of geologic strata that may be fruitful to examine in future paleomolecular studies.
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7
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Soft-Tissue, Rare Earth Element, and Molecular Analyses of Dreadnoughtus schrani, an Exceptionally Complete Titanosaur from Argentina. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11081158. [PMID: 36009785 PMCID: PMC9404821 DOI: 10.3390/biology11081158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Evidence that organic material preserves in deep time (>1 Ma) has been reported using a wide variety of analytical techniques. However, the comprehensive geochemical data that could aid in building robust hypotheses for how soft-tissues persist over millions of years are lacking from most paleomolecular reports. Here, we analyze the molecular preservation and taphonomic history of the Dreadnougtus schrani holotype (MPM-PV 1156) at both macroscopic and microscopic levels. We review the stratigraphy, depositional setting, and physical taphonomy of the D. schrani skeletal assemblage, and extensively characterize the preservation and taphonomic history of the humerus at a micro-scale via: (1) histological analysis (structural integrity) and X-ray diffraction (exogenous mineral content); (2) laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (analyses of rare earth element content throughout cortex); (3) demineralization and optical microscopy (soft-tissue microstructures); (4) in situ and in-solution immunological assays (presence of endogenous protein). Our data show the D. schrani holotype preserves soft-tissue microstructures and remnants of endogenous bone protein. Further, it was exposed to LREE-enriched groundwaters and weakly-oxidizing conditions after burial, but experienced negligible further chemical alteration after early-diagenetic fossilization. These findings support previous hypotheses that fossils that display low trace element uptake are favorable targets for paleomolecular analyses.
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8
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Qiao W, Pan D, Zheng Y, Wu S, Liu X, Chen Z, Wan M, Feng S, Cheung KMC, Yeung KWK, Cao X. Divalent metal cations stimulate skeleton interoception for new bone formation in mouse injury models. Nat Commun 2022; 13:535. [PMID: 35087048 PMCID: PMC8795158 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28203-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Bone formation induced by divalent metal cations has been widely reported; however, the underlying mechanism is unclear. Here we report that these cations stimulate skeleton interoception by promoting prostaglandin E2 secretion from macrophages. This immune response is accompanied by the sprouting and arborization of calcitonin gene-related polypeptide-α+ nerve fibers, which sense the inflammatory cue with PGE2 receptor 4 and convey the interoceptive signals to the central nervous system. Activating skeleton interoception downregulates sympathetic tone for new bone formation. Moreover, either macrophage depletion or knockout of cyclooxygenase-2 in the macrophage abolishes divalent cation-induced skeleton interoception. Furthermore, sensory denervation or knockout of EP4 in the sensory nerves eliminates the osteogenic effects of divalent cations. Thus, our study reveals that divalent cations promote bone formation through the skeleton interoceptive circuit, a finding which could prompt the development of novel biomaterials to elicit the therapeutic power of these divalent cations. Mechanisms underlying bone formation induced by divalent metal cations remain largely unknown. Here the authors show that these cations can activate the skeleton interoceptive circuit through the immune-neural axis to initiate new bone formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Qiao
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R, People's Republic of China.,Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Innovative Technology in Orthopaedic Trauma, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518053, People's Republic of China.,Applied Oral Sciences and Community Dental Care, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R, People's Republic of China
| | - Dayu Pan
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.,Department of Orthopaedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 154 Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, People's Republic of China
| | - Yufeng Zheng
- State Key Laboratory for Turbulence and Complex System and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuilin Wu
- School of Materials Science & Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuanyong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructure, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, People's Republic of China.,Cixi Center of Biomaterials Surface Engineering, Ningbo, 315300, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhuofan Chen
- Hospital of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510000, People's Republic of China
| | - Mei Wan
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Shiqin Feng
- Department of Orthopaedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 154 Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, People's Republic of China
| | - Kenneth M C Cheung
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R, People's Republic of China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Innovative Technology in Orthopaedic Trauma, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518053, People's Republic of China
| | - Kelvin W K Yeung
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R, People's Republic of China. .,Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Innovative Technology in Orthopaedic Trauma, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518053, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xu Cao
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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9
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Ullmann PV, Macauley K, Ash RD, Shoup B, Scannella JB. Taphonomic and Diagenetic Pathways to Protein Preservation, Part I: The Case of Tyrannosaurus rex Specimen MOR 1125. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:1193. [PMID: 34827186 PMCID: PMC8614911 DOI: 10.3390/biology10111193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
Many recent reports have demonstrated remarkable preservation of proteins in fossil bones dating back to the Permian. However, preservation mechanisms that foster the long-term stability of biomolecules and the taphonomic circumstances facilitating them remain largely unexplored. To address this, we examined the taphonomic and geochemical history of Tyrannosaurus rex specimen Museum of the Rockies (MOR) 1125, whose right femur and tibiae were previously shown to retain still-soft tissues and endogenous proteins. By combining taphonomic insights with trace element compositional data, we reconstruct the postmortem history of this famous specimen. Our data show that following prolonged, subaqueous decay in an estuarine channel, MOR 1125 was buried in a coarse sandstone wherein its bones fossilized while interacting with oxic and potentially brackish early-diagenetic groundwaters. Once its bones became stable fossils, they experienced minimal further chemical alteration. Comparisons with other recent studies reveal that oxidizing early-diagenetic microenvironments and diagenetic circumstances which restrict exposure to percolating pore fluids elevate biomolecular preservation potential by promoting molecular condensation reactions and hindering chemical alteration, respectively. Avoiding protracted interactions with late-diagenetic pore fluids is also likely crucial. Similar studies must be conducted on fossil bones preserved under diverse paleoenvironmental and diagenetic contexts to fully elucidate molecular preservation pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul V. Ullmann
- Department of Geology, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA;
| | - Kyle Macauley
- Department of Geology, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA;
| | - Richard D. Ash
- Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA;
| | - Ben Shoup
- Absaroka Energy & Environmental Solutions, Buffalo, WY 82834, USA;
| | - John B. Scannella
- Museum of the Rockies, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA;
- Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
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10
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Inkret J, Podovšovnik E, Zupanc T, Haring G, Pajnič IZ. Intra-bone nuclear DNA variability in Second World War metatarsal and metacarpal bones. Int J Legal Med 2021; 135:1245-1256. [PMID: 33624158 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-021-02528-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
DNA analysis of Second World War skeletal remains is challenging because of the limited yield of DNA that is usually recovered. Recent forensic research has focused on determining which skeletal elements are superior in their preservation of DNA, and little focus has been placed on measuring intra-bone variability. Metatarsals and metacarpals outperformed all the other bones in DNA yield when analyzing all representative skeletal elements of three Second World War victims, and intra-bone variability was not studied. Soft-tissue remnants were found to contribute to higher DNA yield in trabecular bone tissue. Because metatarsals and metacarpals are composed of trabecular epiphyses and a dense diaphysis, the goal of this study was to explore intra-bone variability in DNA content by measuring nuclear DNA quantity and quality using the PowerQuant System (Promega). A total of 193 bones from a single Second World War mass grave were examined. From each bone, DNA was extracted from the compact diaphysis and from both spongy epiphyses combined. This study confirms higher DNA quantity in epiphyses than diaphyses among all the bones analyzed, and more DNA was obtained from metacarpal epiphyses than from metatarsal epiphyses. Therefore, whenever the possibility for sampling both metacarpals and metatarsals from skeletal remains exists, collecting metacarpals is recommended. In cases in which the hands are missing, metatarsals should be sampled. In any case, epiphyses are a richer source of DNA than diaphyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jezerka Inkret
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Eva Podovšovnik
- Faculty of Tourism Studies - Turistica, University of Primorska, Portorož, Slovenia
| | - Tomaž Zupanc
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Gregor Haring
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Irena Zupanič Pajnič
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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11
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Peter Scholz
- Hochschule Rhein‐Waal Fakultät Life Sciences Marie‐Curie‐Str. 1 D‐47533 Kleve
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12
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Molecular tests support the viability of rare earth elements as proxies for fossil biomolecule preservation. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15566. [PMID: 32968129 PMCID: PMC7511940 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72648-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The rare earth element (REE) composition of a fossil bone reflects its chemical alteration during diagenesis. Consequently, fossils presenting low REE concentrations and/or REE profiles indicative of simple diffusion, signifying minimal alteration, have been proposed as ideal candidates for paleomolecular investigation. We directly tested this prediction by conducting multiple biomolecular assays on a well-preserved fibula of the dinosaur Edmontosaurus from the Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation previously found to exhibit low REE concentrations and steeply-declining REE profiles. Gel electrophoresis identified the presence of organic material in this specimen, and subsequent immunofluorescence and enzyme-linked immunosorbant assays identified preservation of epitopes of the structural protein collagen I. Our results thereby support the utility of REE profiles as proxies for soft tissue and biomolecular preservation in fossil bones. Based on considerations of trace element taphonomy, we also draw predictions as to the biomolecular recovery potential of additional REE profile types exhibited by fossil bones.
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13
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Palaeontological evidence reveals convergent evolution of intervertebral joint types in amniotes. Sci Rep 2020; 10:14106. [PMID: 32839497 PMCID: PMC7445751 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70751-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The intervertebral disc (IVD) has long been considered unique to mammals. Palaeohistological sampling of 17 mostly extinct clades across the amniote tree revealed preservation of different intervertebral soft tissue types (cartilage, probable notochord) seen in extant reptiles. The distribution of the fossilised tissues allowed us to infer the soft part anatomy of the joint. Surprisingly, we also found evidence for an IVD in fossil reptiles, including non-avian dinosaurs, ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, and marine crocodiles. Based on the fossil dataset, we traced the evolution of the amniote intervertebral joint through ancestral character state reconstruction. The IVD evolved at least twice, in mammals and in extinct diapsid reptiles. From this reptilian IVD, extant reptile groups and some non-avian dinosaurs independently evolved a synovial ball-and-socket joint. The unique birds dorsal intervertebral joint evolved from this dinosaur joint. The tuatara and some geckos reverted to the ancestral persisting notochord.
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14
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Bailleul AM, O'Connor J, Li Z, Wu Q, Zhao T, Martinez Monleon MA, Wang M, Zheng X. Confirmation of ovarian follicles in an enantiornithine (Aves) from the Jehol biota using soft tissue analyses. Commun Biol 2020; 3:399. [PMID: 32724075 PMCID: PMC7387556 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01131-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The remains of ovarian follicles reported in nine specimens of basal birds represents one of the most remarkable examples of soft-tissue preservation in the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota. This discovery was immediately contested and the structures alternatively interpreted as ingested seeds. Fragments of the purported follicles preserved in an enantiornithine (STM10-12) were extracted and subjected to multiple high-resolution analyses. The structures in STM10-12 possess the histological and histochemical characteristics of smooth muscles fibers intertwined together with collagen fibers, resembling the contractile structure in the perifollicular membrane (PFM) of living birds. Fossilized blood vessels, very abundant in extant PFMs, are also preserved. Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy shows the preserved tissues primarily underwent alumino-silicification, with minor mineralization via iron oxides. No evidence of plant tissue was found. These results confirm the original interpretation as follicles within the left ovary, supporting the interpretation that the right ovary was functionally lost early in avian evolution. Bailleul et al. employ histology, histochemistry and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy to confirm the presence of disputed ovarian follicles in a specimen of fossil Cretaceous bird. These findings have implications for the evolution of the avian breeding system seen in birds today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alida M Bailleul
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100044, Beijing, China. .,CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, 100044, Beijing, China.
| | - Jingmai O'Connor
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100044, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, 100044, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiheng Li
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100044, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, 100044, Beijing, China
| | - Qian Wu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100044, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, 100044, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 210008, Nanjing, China
| | | | - Min Wang
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100044, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, 100044, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoting Zheng
- Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University, 276005, Linyi City, Shandong, China.,Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature, 273300, Linyi City, Shandong, China
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15
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Righetti PG, Zilberstein G, Zilberstein S. EVA Technology and Proteomics: A Two-Pronged Attack on Cultural Heritage. J Proteome Res 2020; 19:2914-2925. [PMID: 32442381 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.0c00080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
A novel way for exploring the world's cultural heritage in the absence of damage or contamination (such as removing pigments in paintings or chipping away pieces of bones) of the items under investigation is here reported, called the EVA technique. It is based on films of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) impregnated with strong anion and cation exchangers, admixed with hydrophobic resins, C8 and C18. When in contact with any surface these films can harvest nanomoles of macromolecules (proteins and DNA) as well as metabolites, which can then be identified by standard instrumentation. Some important applications are reported, such as the findings of the renal pathology and assumption of morphine in the original manuscript of Master I Margarita by Bulgakov, the presence of TBC bacterium in Chekhov's shirt and in a letter by Orwell, the Y. pestis and anthrax bacteria in the death registries of Milan's lazaretto in the 1630 plague bout, as well as ample traces of five metals in Kepler's manuscripts, suggesting his potential practice of alchemy. Also, in the pages of the Memoirs of Casanova, although the gonorrhea bacterium could not be found, spots of HgS could be measured, suggesting its use for curing the disease. A family of EVA films is described, enlarging its use to dedicated applications, such as the capture of drugs of abuse in the pages of famous writers and even in the paintings of fauvists. It is hoped that the present methodology could open the doors of museums, state archives, and private collections for detecting biological traces left by artists, literates, and men of culture in their masterpieces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pier Giorgio Righetti
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "'Giulio Natta"', Politecnico di Milano, Via Mancinelli 7, Milano 20131, Italy
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16
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Bailleul AM, Zheng W, Horner JR, Hall BK, Holliday CM, Schweitzer MH. Evidence of proteins, chromosomes and chemical markers of DNA in exceptionally preserved dinosaur cartilage. Natl Sci Rev 2020; 7:815-822. [PMID: 34692099 PMCID: PMC8289162 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwz206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Revised: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
A histological ground-section from a duck-billed dinosaur nestling (Hypacrosaurus stebingeri) revealed microstructures morphologically consistent with nuclei and chromosomes in cells within calcified cartilage. We hypothesized that this exceptional cellular preservation extended to the molecular level and had molecular features in common with extant avian cartilage. Histochemical and immunological evidence supports in situ preservation of extracellular matrix components found in extant cartilage, including glycosaminoglycans and collagen type II. Furthermore, isolated Hypacrosaurus chondrocytes react positively with two DNA intercalating stains. Specific DNA staining is only observed inside the isolated cells, suggesting endogenous nuclear material survived fossilization. Our data support the hypothesis that calcified cartilage is preserved at the molecular level in this Mesozoic material, and suggest that remnants of once-living chondrocytes, including their DNA, may preserve for millions of years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alida M Bailleul
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Wenxia Zheng
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - John R Horner
- Honors Program, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA
| | - Brian K Hall
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Casey M Holliday
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Mary H Schweitzer
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC 27601, USA
- Department of Geology, University of Lund, 22362, Sweden
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17
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Abstract
Introduction: Despite an extensive published literature, skepticism over the claim of original biochemicals including proteins preserved in the fossil record persists and the issue remains controversial. Workers using many different techniques including mass spectrometry, X-ray, electron microscopy and optical spectroscopic techniques, have attempted to verify proteinaceous or other biochemicals that appear endogenous to fossils found throughout the geologic column.Areas covered: This paper presents a review of the relevant literature published over the last 50 years. A comparative survey of the reported techniques used is also given.Expert opinion: Morphological and molecular investigations show that original biochemistry is geologically extensive, geographically global, and taxonomically wide-ranging. The survival of endogenous organics in fossils remains the subject of widespread and increasing research investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Thomas
- Mass Spectrometry Group, Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Stephen Taylor
- Mass Spectrometry Group, Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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18
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Boatman EM, Goodwin MB, Holman HYN, Fakra S, Zheng W, Gronsky R, Schweitzer MH. Mechanisms of soft tissue and protein preservation in Tyrannosaurus rex. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15678. [PMID: 31666554 PMCID: PMC6821828 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51680-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2018] [Accepted: 09/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The idea that original soft tissue structures and the native structural proteins comprising them can persist across geological time is controversial, in part because rigorous and testable mechanisms that can occur under natural conditions, resulting in such preservation, have not been well defined. Here, we evaluate two non-enzymatic structural protein crosslinking mechanisms, Fenton chemistry and glycation, for their possible contribution to the preservation of blood vessel structures recovered from the cortical bone of a Tyrannosaurus rex (USNM 555000 [formerly, MOR 555]). We demonstrate the endogeneity of the fossil vessel tissues, as well as the presence of type I collagen in the outermost vessel layers, using imaging, diffraction, spectroscopy, and immunohistochemistry. Then, we use data derived from synchrotron FTIR studies of the T. rex vessels to analyse their crosslink character, with comparison against two non-enzymatic Fenton chemistry- and glycation-treated extant chicken samples. We also provide supporting X-ray microprobe analyses of the chemical state of these fossil tissues to support our conclusion that non-enzymatic crosslinking pathways likely contributed to stabilizing, and thus preserving, these T. rex vessels. Finally, we propose that these stabilizing crosslinks could play a crucial role in the preservation of other microvascular tissues in skeletal elements from the Mesozoic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M Boatman
- Department of Engineering, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC, 27101, USA.
| | - Mark B Goodwin
- Museum of Paleontology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Hoi-Ying N Holman
- Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Sirine Fakra
- Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Wenxia Zheng
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Ronald Gronsky
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Mary H Schweitzer
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
- Department of Geology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC, 27601, USA
- Museum of the Rockies, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59715, USA
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19
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Barbi M, Bell PR, Fanti F, Dynes JJ, Kolaceke A, Buttigieg J, Coulson IM, Currie PJ. Integumentary structure and composition in an exceptionally well-preserved hadrosaur (Dinosauria: Ornithischia). PeerJ 2019; 7:e7875. [PMID: 31637130 PMCID: PMC6800526 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Preserved labile tissues (e.g., skin, muscle) in the fossil record of terrestrial vertebrates are increasingly becoming recognized as an important source of biological and taphonomic information. Here, we combine a variety of synchrotron radiation techniques with scanning electron and optical microscopy to elucidate the structure of 72 million-year-old squamous (scaly) skin from a hadrosaurid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Alberta, Canada. Scanning electron and optical microscopy independently reveal that the three-dimensionally preserved scales are associated with a band of carbon-rich layers up to a total thickness of ∼75 microns, which is topographically and morphologically congruent with the stratum corneum in modern reptiles. Compositionally, this band deviates from that of the surrounding sedimentary matrix; Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and soft X-ray spectromicroscopy analyses indicate that carbon appears predominantly as carbonyl in the skin. The regions corresponding to the integumentary layers are distinctively enriched in iron compared to the sedimentary matrix and appear with kaolinite-rich laminae. These hosting carbonyl-rich layers are apparently composed of subcircular bodies resembling preserved cell structures. Each of these structures is encapsulated by calcite/vaterite, with iron predominantly concentrated at its center. The presence of iron, calcite/vaterite and kaolinite may, independently or collectively, have played important roles in the preservation of the layered structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauricio Barbi
- Department of Physics, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Phil R Bell
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Federico Fanti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali, Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Museo Geologico Giovanni Capellini, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - James J Dynes
- Canadian Light Source Inc., University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Anezka Kolaceke
- Department of Physics, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Josef Buttigieg
- Department of Biology, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Ian M Coulson
- Department of Geology, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Philip J Currie
- Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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20
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Bailleul AM, O’Connor J, Schweitzer MH. Dinosaur paleohistology: review, trends and new avenues of investigation. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7764. [PMID: 31579624 PMCID: PMC6768056 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In the mid-19th century, the discovery that bone microstructure in fossils could be preserved with fidelity provided a new avenue for understanding the evolution, function, and physiology of long extinct organisms. This resulted in the establishment of paleohistology as a subdiscipline of vertebrate paleontology, which has contributed greatly to our current understanding of dinosaurs as living organisms. Dinosaurs are part of a larger group of reptiles, the Archosauria, of which there are only two surviving lineages, crocodilians and birds. The goal of this review is to document progress in the field of archosaur paleohistology, focusing in particular on the Dinosauria. We briefly review the "growth age" of dinosaur histology, which has encompassed new and varied directions since its emergence in the 1950s, resulting in a shift in the scientific perception of non-avian dinosaurs from "sluggish" reptiles to fast-growing animals with relatively high metabolic rates. However, fundamental changes in growth occurred within the sister clade Aves, and we discuss this major evolutionary transition as elucidated by histology. We then review recent innovations in the field, demonstrating how paleohistology has changed and expanded to address a diversity of non-growth related questions. For example, dinosaur skull histology has elucidated the formation of curious cranial tissues (e.g., "metaplastic" tissues), and helped to clarify the evolution and function of oral adaptations, such as the dental batteries of duck-billed dinosaurs. Lastly, we discuss the development of novel techniques with which to investigate not only the skeletal tissues of dinosaurs, but also less-studied soft-tissues, through molecular paleontology and paleohistochemistry-recently developed branches of paleohistology-and the future potential of these methods to further explore fossilized tissues. We suggest that the combination of histological and molecular methods holds great potential for examining the preserved tissues of dinosaurs, basal birds, and their extant relatives. This review demonstrates the importance of traditional bone paleohistology, but also highlights the need for innovation and new analytical directions to improve and broaden the utility of paleohistology, in the pursuit of more diverse, highly specific, and sensitive methods with which to further investigate important paleontological questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alida M. Bailleul
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing, China
| | - Jingmai O’Connor
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing, China
| | - Mary H. Schweitzer
- Department of Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Science, Raleigh, NC, USA
- Department of Geology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Museum of the Rockies, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
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21
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Saitta ET, Liang R, Lau MCY, Brown CM, Longrich NR, Kaye TG, Novak BJ, Salzberg SL, Norell MA, Abbott GD, Dickinson MR, Vinther J, Bull ID, Brooker RA, Martin P, Donohoe P, Knowles TDJ, Penkman KEH, Onstott T. Cretaceous dinosaur bone contains recent organic material and provides an environment conducive to microbial communities. eLife 2019; 8:e46205. [PMID: 31210129 PMCID: PMC6581507 DOI: 10.7554/elife.46205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 05/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Fossils were thought to lack original organic molecules, but chemical analyses show that some can survive. Dinosaur bone has been proposed to preserve collagen, osteocytes, and blood vessels. However, proteins and labile lipids are diagenetically unstable, and bone is a porous open system, allowing microbial/molecular flux. These 'soft tissues' have been reinterpreted as biofilms. Organic preservation versus contamination of dinosaur bone was examined by freshly excavating, with aseptic protocols, fossils and sedimentary matrix, and chemically/biologically analyzing them. Fossil 'soft tissues' differed from collagen chemically and structurally; while degradation would be expected, the patterns observed did not support this. 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing revealed that dinosaur bone hosted an abundant microbial community different from lesser abundant communities of surrounding sediment. Subsurface dinosaur bone is a relatively fertile habitat, attracting microbes that likely utilize inorganic nutrients and complicate identification of original organic material. There exists potential post-burial taphonomic roles for subsurface microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan T Saitta
- Integrative Research Center, Section of Earth SciencesField Museum of Natural HistoryChicagoUnited States
| | - Renxing Liang
- Department of GeosciencesPrinceton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Maggie CY Lau
- Department of GeosciencesPrinceton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
- Institute of Deep-Sea Science and EngineeringChinese Academy of SciencesSanyaChina
| | - Caleb M Brown
- Royal Tyrrell Museum of PalaeontologyDrumhellerCanada
| | - Nicholas R Longrich
- Department of Biology and BiochemistryUniversity of BathBathUnited Kingdom
- Milner Centre for EvolutionUniversity of BathBathUnited Kingdom
| | - Thomas G Kaye
- Foundation for Scientific AdvancementSierra VistaUnited States
| | - Ben J Novak
- Revive and RestoreSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Steven L Salzberg
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Computational Biology, McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic MedicineJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreUnited States
- Department of Computer Science, Center for Computational Biology, McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic MedicineJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreUnited States
- Department of Biostatistics, Center for Computational Biology, McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic MedicineJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Mark A Norell
- Division of PaleontologyAmerican Museum of Natural HistoryNew YorkUnited States
| | - Geoffrey D Abbott
- School of Natural and Environmental SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Jakob Vinther
- School of Earth SciencesUniversity of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom
| | - Ian D Bull
- School of ChemistryUniversity of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Peter Martin
- School of PhysicsUniversity of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom
| | - Paul Donohoe
- School of Natural and Environmental SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUnited Kingdom
| | - Timothy DJ Knowles
- School of ChemistryUniversity of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom
- School of ArtsUniversity of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Tullis Onstott
- Department of GeosciencesPrinceton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
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22
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Cullen TM, Longstaffe FJ, Wortmann UG, Goodwin MB, Huang L, Evans DC. Stable isotopic characterization of a coastal floodplain forest community: a case study for isotopic reconstruction of Mesozoic vertebrate assemblages. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:181210. [PMID: 30891263 PMCID: PMC6408390 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.181210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Stable isotopes are powerful tools for elucidating ecological trends in extant vertebrate communities, though their application to Mesozoic ecosystems is complicated by a lack of extant isotope data from comparable environments/ecosystems (e.g. coastal floodplain forest environments, lacking significant C4 plant components). We sampled 20 taxa across a broad phylogenetic, body size, and physiological scope from the Atchafalaya River Basin of Louisiana as an environmental analogue to the Late Cretaceous coastal floodplains of North America. Samples were analysed for stable carbon, oxygen and nitrogen isotope compositions from bioapatite and keratin tissues to test the degree of ecological resolution that can be determined in a system with similar environmental conditions, and using similar constraints, as those in many Mesozoic assemblages. Isotopic results suggest a broad overlap in resource use among taxa and considerable terrestrial-aquatic interchange, highlighting the challenges of ecological interpretation in C3 systems, particularly when lacking observational data for comparison. We also propose a modified oxygen isotope-temperature equation that uses mean endotherm and mean ectotherm isotope data to more precisely predict temperature when compared with measured Atchafalaya River water data. These results provide a critical isotopic baseline for coastal floodplain forests, and act as a framework for future studies of Mesozoic palaeoecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- T M Cullen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3B2
- Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 2C6
| | - F J Longstaffe
- Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - U G Wortmann
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto, 22 Russell Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3B1
| | - M B Goodwin
- University of California Museum of Paleontology, 1101 Valley Life Sciences, Berkeley, CA 94720-4780, USA
| | - L Huang
- Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - D C Evans
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3B2
- Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 2C6
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23
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Wiemann J, Fabbri M, Yang TR, Stein K, Sander PM, Norell MA, Briggs DEG. Fossilization transforms vertebrate hard tissue proteins into N-heterocyclic polymers. Nat Commun 2018; 9:4741. [PMID: 30413693 PMCID: PMC6226439 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07013-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate hard tissues consist of mineral crystallites within a proteinaceous scaffold that normally degrades post-mortem. Here we show, however, that decalcification of Mesozoic hard tissues preserved in oxidative settings releases brownish stained extracellular matrix, cells, blood vessels, and nerve projections. Raman Microspectroscopy shows that these fossil soft tissues are a product of diagenetic transformation to Advanced Glycoxidation and Lipoxidation End Products, a class of N-heterocyclic polymers generated via oxidative crosslinking of proteinaceous scaffolds. Hard tissues in reducing environments, in contrast, lack soft tissue preservation. Comparison of fossil soft tissues with modern and experimentally matured samples reveals how proteinaceous tissues undergo diagenesis and explains biases in their preservation in the rock record. This provides a target, focused on oxidative depositional environments, for finding cellular-to-subcellular soft tissue morphology in fossils and validates its use in phylogenetic and other evolutionary studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmina Wiemann
- Department of Geology & Geophysics, Yale University, 210 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
| | - Matteo Fabbri
- Department of Geology & Geophysics, Yale University, 210 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Tzu-Ruei Yang
- Steinmann Institute for Geology, Mineralogy, and Paleontology, University of Bonn, Nussallee 8, 53115, Bonn, Germany
| | - Koen Stein
- Earth System Sciences AMGC, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - P Martin Sander
- Steinmann Institute for Geology, Mineralogy, and Paleontology, University of Bonn, Nussallee 8, 53115, Bonn, Germany
- Dinosaur Institute, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA
| | - Mark A Norell
- Division of Vertebrate Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY, 10024-5192, USA
| | - Derek E G Briggs
- Department of Geology & Geophysics, Yale University, 210 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
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24
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Yang TR, Chen YH, Wiemann J, Spiering B, Sander PM. Fossil eggshell cuticle elucidates dinosaur nesting ecology. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5144. [PMID: 30002976 PMCID: PMC6037156 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The cuticle layer consisting mainly of lipids and hydroxyapatite (HAp) atop the mineralized avian eggshell is a protective structure that prevents the egg from dehydration and microbial invasions. Previous ornithological studies have revealed that the cuticle layer is also involved in modulating the reflectance of eggshells in addition to pigments (protoporphyrin and biliverdin). Thus, the cuticle layer represents a crucial trait that delivers ecological signals. While present in most modern birds, direct evidence for cuticle preservation in stem birds and non-avian dinosaurs is yet missing. Here we present the first direct and chemical evidence for the preservation of the cuticle layer on dinosaur eggshells. We analyze several theropod eggshells from various localities, including oviraptorid Macroolithus yaotunensis eggshells from the Late Cretaceous deposits of Henan, Jiangxi, and Guangdong in China and alvarezsaurid Triprismatoolithus eggshell from the Two Medicine Formation of Montana, United States, with the scanning electron microscope (SEM), electron probe micro-analysis (EPMA), and Raman spectroscopy (RS). The elemental analysis with EPMA shows high concentration of phosphorus at the boundary between the eggshell and sediment, representing the hydroxyapatitic cuticle layer (HAp). Depletion of phosphorus in sediment excludes the allochthonous origin of the phosphorus in these eggshells. The chemometric analysis of Raman spectra collected from fossil and extant eggs provides further supportive evidence for the cuticle preservation in oviraptorid and probable alvarezsaurid eggshells. In accordance with our previous discovery of pigments preserved in Cretaceous oviraptorid dinosaur eggshells, we validate the cuticle preservation on dinosaur eggshells through deep time and offer a yet unexplored resource for chemical studies targeting the evolution of dinosaur nesting ecology. Our study also suggests that the cuticle structure can be traced far back to maniraptoran dinosaurs and enhance their reproductive success in a warm and mesic habitat such as Montana and southern China during the Late Cretaceous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tzu-Ruei Yang
- Bereich Paläontologie, Steinmann-Institut für Geologie, Mineralogie und Paläontologie, Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Jasmina Wiemann
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Beate Spiering
- Bereich Mineralogie, Steinmann-Institut für Geologie, Mineralogie und Paläontologie, Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - P. Martin Sander
- Bereich Paläontologie, Steinmann-Institut für Geologie, Mineralogie und Paläontologie, Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Dinosaur Institute, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
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25
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Marrella A, Lee TY, Lee DH, Karuthedom S, Syla D, Chawla A, Khademhosseini A, Jang HL. Engineering vascularized and innervated bone biomaterials for improved skeletal tissue regeneration. MATERIALS TODAY (KIDLINGTON, ENGLAND) 2018; 21:362-376. [PMID: 30100812 PMCID: PMC6082025 DOI: 10.1016/j.mattod.2017.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Blood vessels and nerve fibers are distributed throughout the entirety of skeletal tissue, and play important roles during bone development and fracture healing by supplying oxygen, nutrients, and cells. However, despite the successful development of bone mimetic materials that can replace damaged bone from a structural point of view, most of the available bone biomaterials often do not induce sufficient formation of blood vessels and nerves. In part, this is due to the difficulty of integrating and regulating multiple tissue types within artificial materials, which causes a gap between native skeletal tissue. Therefore, understanding the anatomy and underlying interaction mechanisms of blood vessels and nerve fibers in skeletal tissue is important to develop biomaterials that can recapitulate its complex microenvironment. In this perspective, we highlight the structure and osteogenic functions of the vascular and nervous system in bone, in a coupled manner. In addition, we discuss important design criteria for engineering vascularized, innervated, and neurovascularized bone implant materials, as well as recent advances in the development of such biomaterials. We expect that bone implant materials with neurovascularized networks can more accurately mimic native skeletal tissue and improve the regeneration of bone tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Marrella
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Medicine, Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Harvard Medical School, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02139, USA
- Division of Health Sciences & Technology, Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139. USA
| | - Tae Yong Lee
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Medicine, Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Harvard Medical School, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02139, USA
- Division of Health Sciences & Technology, Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139. USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, South Korea
| | - Dong Hoon Lee
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Medicine, Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Harvard Medical School, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02139, USA
- Division of Health Sciences & Technology, Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139. USA
| | - Sobha Karuthedom
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Medicine, Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Harvard Medical School, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02139, USA
- Division of Health Sciences & Technology, Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139. USA
| | - Denata Syla
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Medicine, Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Harvard Medical School, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02139, USA
- Division of Health Sciences & Technology, Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139. USA
| | - Aditya Chawla
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Medicine, Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Harvard Medical School, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02139, USA
- Division of Health Sciences & Technology, Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139. USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ali Khademhosseini
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Medicine, Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Harvard Medical School, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02139, USA
- Division of Health Sciences & Technology, Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139. USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Bioindustrial Technologies, College of Animal Bioscience & Technology, Konkuk University, Seoul 143-701, Republic of Korea
- Department of Physics, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21569, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hae Lin Jang
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Medicine, Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Harvard Medical School, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02139, USA
- Division of Health Sciences & Technology, Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139. USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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26
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Buckley M, Warwood S, van Dongen B, Kitchener AC, Manning PL. A fossil protein chimera; difficulties in discriminating dinosaur peptide sequences from modern cross-contamination. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:rspb.2017.0544. [PMID: 28566488 PMCID: PMC5454271 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
A decade ago, reports that organic-rich soft tissue survived from dinosaur fossils were apparently supported by proteomics-derived sequence information of exceptionally well-preserved bone. This initial claim to the sequencing of endogenous collagen peptides from an approximately 68 Myr Tyrannosaurus rex fossil was highly controversial, largely on the grounds of potential contamination from either bacterial biofilms or from laboratory practice. In a subsequent study, collagen peptide sequences from an approximately 78 Myr Brachylophosaurus canadensis fossil were reported that have remained largely unchallenged. However, the endogeneity of these sequences relies heavily on a single peptide sequence, apparently unique to both dinosaurs. Given the potential for cross-contamination from modern bone analysed by the same team, here we extract collagen from bone samples of three individuals of ostrich, Struthio camelus The resulting LC-MS/MS data were found to match all of the proposed sequences for both the original Tyrannosaurus and Brachylophosaurus studies. Regardless of the true nature of the dinosaur peptides, our finding highlights the difficulty of differentiating such sequences with confidence. Our results not only imply that cross-contamination cannot be ruled out, but that appropriate measures to test for endogeneity should be further evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Buckley
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Manchester M1 7DN, UK .,School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Interdisciplinary Centre for Ancient Life, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Stacey Warwood
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Michael Smith Building, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Bart van Dongen
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Interdisciplinary Centre for Ancient Life, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Andrew C Kitchener
- Department of Natural Sciences, National Museums Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF, UK.,Institute of Geography, School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Drummond Street, Edinburgh EH8 9XP, UK
| | - Phillip L Manning
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Interdisciplinary Centre for Ancient Life, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.,Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences, College of Charleston, 66 George Street, Charleston, SC 29424, USA
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27
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Palaeobiology of red and white blood cell-like structures, collagen and cholesterol in an ichthyosaur bone. Sci Rep 2017; 7:13776. [PMID: 29061985 PMCID: PMC5653768 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-13873-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Carbonate concretions are known to contain well-preserved fossils and soft tissues. Recently, biomolecules (e.g. cholesterol) and molecular fossils (biomarkers) were also discovered in a 380 million-year-old concretion, revealing their importance in exceptional preservation of biosignatures. Here, we used a range of microanalytical techniques, biomarkers and compound specific isotope analyses to report the presence of red and white blood cell-like structures as well as platelet-like structures, collagen and cholesterol in an ichthyosaur bone encapsulated in a carbonate concretion from the Early Jurassic (~182.7 Ma). The red blood cell-like structures are four to five times smaller than those identified in modern organisms. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis revealed that the red blood cell-like structures are organic in composition. We propose that the small size of the blood cell-like structures results from an evolutionary adaptation to the prolonged low oxygen atmospheric levels prevailing during the 70 Ma when ichthyosaurs thrived. The δ13C of the ichthyosaur bone cholesterol indicates that it largely derives from a higher level in the food chain and is consistent with a fish and cephalopod diet. The combined findings above demonstrate that carbonate concretions create isolated environments that promote exceptional preservation of fragile tissues and biomolecules.
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28
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Schroeter ER, DeHart CJ, Cleland TP, Zheng W, Thomas PM, Kelleher NL, Bern M, Schweitzer MH. Expansion for the Brachylophosaurus canadensis Collagen I Sequence and Additional Evidence of the Preservation of Cretaceous Protein. J Proteome Res 2017; 16:920-932. [PMID: 28111950 PMCID: PMC5401637 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.6b00873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Sequence data from biomolecules such as DNA and proteins, which provide critical information for evolutionary studies, have been assumed to be forever outside the reach of dinosaur paleontology. Proteins, which are predicted to have greater longevity than DNA, have been recovered from two nonavian dinosaurs, but these results remain controversial. For proteomic data derived from extinct Mesozoic organisms to reach their greatest potential for investigating questions of phylogeny and paleobiology, it must be shown that peptide sequences can be reliably and reproducibly obtained from fossils and that fragmentary sequences for ancient proteins can be increasingly expanded. To test the hypothesis that peptides can be repeatedly detected and validated from fossil tissues many millions of years old, we applied updated extraction methodology, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and bioinformatics analyses on a Brachylophosaurus canadensis specimen (MOR 2598) from which collagen I peptides were recovered in 2009. We recovered eight peptide sequences of collagen I: two identical to peptides recovered in 2009 and six new peptides. Phylogenetic analyses place the recovered sequences within basal archosauria. When only the new sequences are considered, B. canadensis is grouped more closely to crocodylians, but when all sequences (current and those reported in 2009) are analyzed, B. canadensis is placed more closely to basal birds. The data robustly support the hypothesis of an endogenous origin for these peptides, confirm the idea that peptides can survive in specimens tens of millions of years old, and bolster the validity of the 2009 study. Furthermore, the new data expand the coverage of B. canadensis collagen I (a 33.6% increase in collagen I alpha 1 and 116.7% in alpha 2). Finally, this study demonstrates the importance of reexamining previously studied specimens with updated methods and instrumentation, as we obtained roughly the same amount of sequence data as the previous study with substantially less sample material. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD005087.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena R. Schroeter
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Caroline J. DeHart
- National Resource for Translational and Developmental Proteomics, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Timothy P. Cleland
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas-Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Wenxia Zheng
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Paul M. Thomas
- National Resource for Translational and Developmental Proteomics, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Neil L. Kelleher
- National Resource for Translational and Developmental Proteomics, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Marshall Bern
- Protein Metrics, San Carlos, California 94070, United States
| | - Mary H. Schweitzer
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, North Carolina 27601, United States
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29
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Abstract
Some fragments of ancient protein are less prone to degradation because they bind strongly to the surfaces of minerals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam F Wallace
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, United States
| | - James D Schiffbauer
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, United States
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30
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31
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Iniesto M, Buscalioni ÁD, Carmen Guerrero M, Benzerara K, Moreira D, López-Archilla AI. Involvement of microbial mats in early fossilization by decay delay and formation of impressions and replicas of vertebrates and invertebrates. Sci Rep 2016; 6:25716. [PMID: 27162204 PMCID: PMC4861970 DOI: 10.1038/srep25716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2015] [Accepted: 04/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial mats have been hypothesized to improve the persistence and the preservation of organic remains during fossilization processes. We test this hypothesis with long-term experiments (up to 5.5 years) using invertebrate and vertebrate corpses. Once placed on mats, the microbial community coats the corpses and forms a three-dimensional sarcophagus composed of microbial cells and exopolymeric substances (EPS). This coverage provides a template for i) moulding superficial features, resulting in negative impressions, and ii) generating replicas. The impressions of fly setulae, fish scales and frog skin verrucae are shaped mainly by small cells in an EPS matrix. Microbes also replicate delicate structures such as the three successive layers that compose a fish eye. The sarcophagus protects the body integrity, allowing the persistence of inner organs such as the ovaries and digestive apparatus in flies, the swim bladder and muscles in fish, and the bone marrow in frog legs. This study brings strong experimental evidence to the idea that mats favour metazoan fossilization by moulding, replicating and delaying decay. Rapid burial has classically been invoked as a mechanism to explain exceptional preservation. However, mats may play a similar role during early fossilization as they can preserve complex features for a long time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Iniesto
- Department of Ecology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - M Carmen Guerrero
- Department of Ecology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Karim Benzerara
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux, et de Cosmochimie, Sorbonne Universités, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7590, Université Pierre et Marie Curie Paris 06, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement Unité Mixte de Recherche 206, 75005 Paris, France
| | - David Moreira
- Unité d'Ecologie, Systématique et Evolution, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8079, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
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32
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Giovannetti G, Guerrini A, Salvadori PA. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging for the study of fossils. Magn Reson Imaging 2016; 34:730-742. [PMID: 26979538 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2016.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2015] [Revised: 02/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/03/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Computed tomography (CT) has long been used for investigating palaeontological specimens, as it is a nondestructive technique which avoids the need to dissolve or ionize the fossil sample. However, magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have recently gained ground as analytical tools for examination of palaeontological samples, by nondestructively providing information about the structure and composition of fossils. While MRI techniques are able to reveal the three-dimensional geometry of the trace fossil, MRS can provide information on the chemical composition of the samples. The multidimensional nature of MR (magnetic resonance) signals has potential to provide rich three-dimensional data on the palaeontological specimens and also to help in elucidating paleopathological and paleoecological questions. In this work the verified applications and the emerging uses of MRI and MRS in paleontology are reviewed, with particular attention to fossil spores, fossil plants, ambers, fossil invertebrates, and fossil vertebrate studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Giovannetti
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Council of Research, via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Andrea Guerrini
- Sezione Paleontologica GAPL (Gruppo Archeologico e Paleontologico Livornese), Museo di Storia Naturale del Mediterraneo, via Roma, 234, 57127 Leghorn, Italy
| | - Piero A Salvadori
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Council of Research, via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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33
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Schweitzer MH, Moyer AE, Zheng W. Testing the Hypothesis of Biofilm as a Source for Soft Tissue and Cell-Like Structures Preserved in Dinosaur Bone. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150238. [PMID: 26926069 PMCID: PMC4771714 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2015] [Accepted: 02/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Recovery of still-soft tissue structures, including blood vessels and osteocytes, from dinosaur bone after demineralization was reported in 2005 and in subsequent publications. Despite multiple lines of evidence supporting an endogenous source, it was proposed that these structures arose from contamination from biofilm-forming organisms. To test the hypothesis that soft tissue structures result from microbial invasion of the fossil bone, we used two different biofilm-forming microorganisms to inoculate modern bone fragments from which organic components had been removed. We show fundamental morphological, chemical and textural differences between the resultant biofilm structures and those derived from dinosaur bone. The data do not support the hypothesis that biofilm-forming microorganisms are the source of these structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Higby Schweitzer
- Department of Biological Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Alison E. Moyer
- Department of Biological Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Wenxia Zheng
- Department of Biological Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
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34
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Cadena E. Microscopical and elemental FESEM and Phenom ProX-SEM-EDS analysis of osteocyte- and blood vessel-like microstructures obtained from fossil vertebrates of the Eocene Messel Pit, Germany. PeerJ 2016; 4:e1618. [PMID: 26819855 PMCID: PMC4727973 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2015] [Accepted: 01/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Eocene (∾48 Ma) Messel Pit in Germany is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its exceptionally preserved fossils, including vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants. Messel fossil vertebrates are typically characterized by their articulated state, and in some cases the skin, hair, feathers, scales and stomach contents are also preserved. Despite the exceptional macroscopic preservation of Messel fossil vertebrates, the microstructural aspect of these fossils has been poorly explored. In particular, soft tissue structures such as hair or feathers have not been chemically analyzed, nor have bone microstructures. I report here the preservation and recovery of osteocyte-like and blood vessel-like microstructures from the bone of Messel Pit specimens, including the turtles Allaeochelys crassesculpta and Neochelys franzeni, the crocodile Diplocynodon darwini, and the pangolin Eomanis krebsi. I used a Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) and a Phenom ProX desktop scanning electron microscope (LOT-QuantumDesign) equipped with a thermionic CeB6 source and a high sensitivity multi-mode backscatter electron (BSE) for microscopical and elemental characterization of these bone microstructures. Osteocyte-like and blood vessel-like microstructures are constituted by a thin layer (∾50 nm thickness), external and internal mottled texture with slightly marked striations. Circular to linear marks are common on the external surface of the osteocyte-like microstructures and are interpreted as microbial troughs. Iron (Fe) is the most abundant element found in the osteocyte-like and blood vessel-like microstructures, but not in the bone matrix or collagen fibril-like microstructures. The occurrence of well-preserved soft-tissue elements (at least their physical form) establishes a promising background for future studies on preservation of biomolecules (proteins or DNA) in Messel Pit fossils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwin Cadena
- Paleoherpetology, Senckenberg Research Institute , Frankfurt am Main , Germany
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35
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Tomescu AMF, Klymiuk AA, Matsunaga KKS, Bippus AC, Shelton GWK. Microbes and the Fossil Record: Selected Topics in Paleomicrobiology. THEIR WORLD: A DIVERSITY OF MICROBIAL ENVIRONMENTS 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-28071-4_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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36
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Schweitzer MH, Lindgren J, Moyer AE. Melanosomes and ancient coloration re-examined: A response to Vinther 2015 (DOI 10.1002/bies.201500018). Bioessays 2015; 37:1174-83. [PMID: 26434749 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201500061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Round to elongate microbodies associated with fossil vertebrate soft tissues were interpreted as microbial traces until 2008, when they were re-described as remnant melanosomes - intracellular, pigment-containing eukaryotic organelles. Since then, multiple claims for melanosome preservation and inferences of organismal color, behavior, and physiology have been advanced, based upon the shape and size of these microstructures. Here, we re-examine evidence for ancient melanosomes in light of information reviewed in Vinther (2015), and literature regarding the preservation potential of microorganisms and their exopolymeric secretions. We: (i) address statements in Vinther's recent (2015) review that are incorrect or which misrepresent published data; (ii) discuss the need for caution in interpreting "voids" and microbodies associated with degraded fossil soft tissues; (iii) present evidence that microorganisms are in many cases an equally parsimonious source for these "voids" as are remnant melanosomes; and (iv) suggest methods/criteria for differentiating melanosomes from microbial traces in the fossil record.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary H Schweitzer
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.,North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC, USA.,Department of Geology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Alison E Moyer
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
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37
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Bertazzo S, Maidment SCR, Kallepitis C, Fearn S, Stevens MM, Xie HN. Fibres and cellular structures preserved in 75-million-year-old dinosaur specimens. Nat Commun 2015; 6:7352. [PMID: 26056764 PMCID: PMC4468865 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2015] [Accepted: 04/30/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Exceptionally preserved organic remains are known throughout the vertebrate fossil record, and recently, evidence has emerged that such soft tissue might contain original components. We examined samples from eight Cretaceous dinosaur bones using nano-analytical techniques; the bones are not exceptionally preserved and show no external indication of soft tissue. In one sample, we observe structures consistent with endogenous collagen fibre remains displaying ∼ 67 nm banding, indicating the possible preservation of the original quaternary structure. Using ToF-SIMS, we identify amino-acid fragments typical of collagen fibrils. Furthermore, we observe structures consistent with putative erythrocyte remains that exhibit mass spectra similar to emu whole blood. Using advanced material characterization approaches, we find that these putative biological structures can be well preserved over geological timescales, and their preservation is more common than previously thought. The preservation of protein over geological timescales offers the opportunity to investigate relationships, physiology and behaviour of long extinct animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Bertazzo
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK
- Present address: Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, Malet Place Engineering Building, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Susannah C. R. Maidment
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Charalambos Kallepitis
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Sarah Fearn
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Molly M. Stevens
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Hai-nan Xie
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK
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38
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Ravosa MJ, Menegaz RA, Scott JE, Daegling DJ, McAbee KR. Limitations of a morphological criterion of adaptive inference in the fossil record. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2015; 91:883-898. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2014] [Revised: 05/08/2015] [Accepted: 05/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J. Ravosa
- Department of Biological Sciences Galvin Life Science Center, University of Notre Dame Notre Dame IN 46556 U.S.A
- Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering University of Notre Dame Notre Dame IN 46556 U.S.A
- Department of Anthropology University of Notre Dame Notre Dame IN 46556 U.S.A
| | - Rachel A. Menegaz
- Department of Biomedical and Applied Sciences Indiana University School of Dentistry Indianapolis IN 46202 U.S.A
| | - Jeremiah E. Scott
- Department of Anthropology Southern Illinois University Carbondale IL 62901 U.S.A
| | - David J. Daegling
- Department of Anthropology University of Florida Gainesville FL 32611 U.S.A
| | - Kevin R. McAbee
- Department of Biological Sciences Galvin Life Science Center, University of Notre Dame Notre Dame IN 46556 U.S.A
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39
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Hill RC, Wither MJ, Nemkov T, Barrett A, D'Alessandro A, Dzieciatkowska M, Hansen KC. Preserved Proteins from Extinct Bison latifrons Identified by Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Hydroxylysine Glycosides are a Common Feature of Ancient Collagen. Mol Cell Proteomics 2015; 14:1946-58. [PMID: 25948757 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.m114.047787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Bone samples from several vertebrates were collected from the Ziegler Reservoir fossil site, in Snowmass Village, Colorado, and processed for proteomics analysis. The specimens come from Pleistocene megafauna Bison latifrons, dating back ∼ 120,000 years. Proteomics analysis using a simplified sample preparation procedure and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) was applied to obtain protein identifications. Several bioinformatics resources were used to obtain peptide identifications based on sequence homology to extant species with annotated genomes. With the exception of soil sample controls, all samples resulted in confident peptide identifications that mapped to type I collagen. In addition, we analyzed a specimen from the extinct B. latifrons that yielded peptide identifications mapping to over 33 bovine proteins. Our analysis resulted in extensive fibrillar collagen sequence coverage, including the identification of posttranslational modifications. Hydroxylysine glucosylgalactosylation, a modification thought to be involved in collagen fiber formation and bone mineralization, was identified for the first time in an ancient protein dataset. Meta-analysis of data from other studies indicates that this modification may be common in well-preserved prehistoric samples. Additional peptide sequences from extracellular matrix (ECM) and non-ECM proteins have also been identified for the first time in ancient tissue samples. These data provide a framework for analyzing ancient protein signatures in well-preserved fossil specimens, while also contributing novel insights into the molecular basis of organic matter preservation. As such, this analysis has unearthed common posttranslational modifications of collagen that may assist in its preservation over time. The data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD001827.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan C Hill
- From the ‡Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
| | - Matthew J Wither
- From the ‡Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
| | - Travis Nemkov
- From the ‡Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
| | - Alexander Barrett
- From the ‡Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
| | - Angelo D'Alessandro
- From the ‡Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
| | - Monika Dzieciatkowska
- From the ‡Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
| | - Kirk C Hansen
- From the ‡Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
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40
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A Pelomedusoid Turtle from the Paleocene–Eocene of Colombia Exhibiting Preservation of Blood Vessels and Osteocytes. J HERPETOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1670/13-046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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41
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Schweitzer MH, Schroeter ER, Goshe MB. Protein Molecular Data from Ancient (>1 million years old) Fossil Material: Pitfalls, Possibilities and Grand Challenges. Anal Chem 2014; 86:6731-40. [DOI: 10.1021/ac500803w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mary Higby Schweitzer
- North
Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, North Carolina 27601, United States
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42
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Moyer AE, Zheng W, Johnson EA, Lamanna MC, Li DQ, Lacovara KJ, Schweitzer MH. Melanosomes or microbes: testing an alternative hypothesis for the origin of microbodies in fossil feathers. Sci Rep 2014; 4:4233. [PMID: 24595214 PMCID: PMC3942740 DOI: 10.1038/srep04233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2013] [Accepted: 01/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbodies associated with fossil feathers, originally attributed to microbial biofilm, have been reinterpreted as melanosomes: pigment-containing, eukaryotic organelles. This interpretation generated hypotheses regarding coloration in non-avian and avian dinosaurs. Because melanosomes and microbes overlap in size, distribution and morphology, we re-evaluate both hypotheses. We compare melanosomes within feathers of extant chickens with patterns induced by microbial overgrowth on the same feathers, using scanning (SEM), field emission (FESEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy. Melanosomes are always internal, embedded in a morphologically distinct keratinous matrix. Conversely, microbes grow across the surface of feathers in continuous layers, more consistent with published images from fossil feathers. We compare our results to both published literature and new data from a fossil feather ascribed to Gansus yumenensis (ANSP 23403). ‘Mouldic impressions’ were observed in association with both the feather and sediment grains, supporting a microbial origin. We propose criteria for distinguishing between these two microbodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison E Moyer
- Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695
| | - Wenxia Zheng
- Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695
| | - Elizabeth A Johnson
- Physical and Life Sciences Department, Colorado Northwestern Community College, Craig, CO, 81625
| | - Matthew C Lamanna
- Section of Vertebrate Paleontology, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | - Da-qing Li
- Gansu Geological Museum, Lanzhou, Gansu, China, 730030
| | - Kenneth J Lacovara
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Mary H Schweitzer
- 1] Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 [2] North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC, 27601
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Schweitzer MH, Zheng W, Cleland TP, Goodwin MB, Boatman E, Theil E, Marcus MA, Fakra SC. A role for iron and oxygen chemistry in preserving soft tissues, cells and molecules from deep time. Proc Biol Sci 2014; 281:20132741. [PMID: 24285202 PMCID: PMC3866414 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.2741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2013] [Accepted: 10/29/2013] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The persistence of original soft tissues in Mesozoic fossil bone is not explained by current chemical degradation models. We identified iron particles (goethite-αFeO(OH)) associated with soft tissues recovered from two Mesozoic dinosaurs, using transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, micro-X-ray diffraction and Fe micro-X-ray absorption near-edge structure. Iron chelators increased fossil tissue immunoreactivity to multiple antibodies dramatically, suggesting a role for iron in both preserving and masking proteins in fossil tissues. Haemoglobin (HB) increased tissue stability more than 200-fold, from approximately 3 days to more than two years at room temperature (25°C) in an ostrich blood vessel model developed to test post-mortem 'tissue fixation' by cross-linking or peroxidation. HB-induced solution hypoxia coupled with iron chelation enhances preservation as follows: HB + O2 > HB - O2 > -O2 >> +O2. The well-known O2/haeme interactions in the chemistry of life, such as respiration and bioenergetics, are complemented by O2/haeme interactions in the preservation of fossil soft tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary H. Schweitzer
- Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 8208, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, 11 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601, USA
| | - Wenxia Zheng
- Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 8208, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Timothy P. Cleland
- Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 8208, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Mark B. Goodwin
- Museum of Paleontology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Elizabeth Boatman
- Department of Material Sciences and Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Elizabeth Theil
- CHORI (Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute), 5700 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, Oakland, CA 94609, USA
- Department of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7622, USA
| | - Matthew A. Marcus
- Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Sirine C. Fakra
- Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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Smejkal GB, Poinar GO, Righetti PG. Will amber inclusions provide the first glimpse of a Mesozoic proteome? Expert Rev Proteomics 2014; 6:1-4. [DOI: 10.1586/14789450.6.1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Smejkal GB, Schweitzer MH. Will current technologies enable dinosaur proteomics? Expert Rev Proteomics 2014; 4:695-9. [DOI: 10.1586/14789450.4.6.695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Abstract
The last decade has seen an exponential increase in our understanding of osteocytes function and biology. These cells, once considered inert by-standers trapped into the mineralized bone, has now risen to be key regulators of skeletal metabolism, mineral homeostasis, and hematopoiesis. As tools and techniques to study osteocytes improved and expanded, it has become evident that there is more to these cells than initially thought. Osteocytes are now recognized not only as the key responders to mechanical forces but also as orchestrators of bone remodeling and mineral homeostasis. These cells are the primary source of several important proteins, such as sclerostin and fibroblast growth factor 23, that are currently target as novel therapies for bone loss (as the case for antisclerostin antibodies) or phosphate disorders. Better understanding of the intricate cellular and molecular mechanisms that govern osteocyte biology will open new avenue of research and ultimately indentify novel therapeutics to treat bone and mineral disorders. This review summarizes novel findings and discusses future avenues of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Divieti Pajevic
- Endocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Setzer TJ, Sundell IB, Dibbley SK, Les C. Technical note: a histological technique for detecting the cryptic preservation of erythrocytes and soft tissue in ancient human skeletonized remains. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2013; 152:566-8. [PMID: 24122740 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2013] [Accepted: 08/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Bone samples from a Middle Bronze Age (ca., 1600-1300 BC) site were prepared for histological analysis. Preliminary results suggested that components of bone marrow remained preserved. To verify these findings and optimize the sample preparation procedure, we conducted experiments varying the type of acid used to decalcify the bones for histology preparation, as well as the exposure time to the demineralizing agents and thickness of sections taken from the samples for slide preparation. Subsequent examination of the slides revealed the presence of well-preserved erythrocytes and other cellular structures consistent with bone marrow. Our results demonstrate that the traditional methods used to prepare bone samples for histology may be adjusted to improve the quality of the soft tissue architecture and cellular morphology for histological observation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teddi J Setzer
- Department of Anthropology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48201
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Armitage MH, Anderson KL. Soft sheets of fibrillar bone from a fossil of the supraorbital horn of the dinosaur Triceratops horridus. Acta Histochem 2013; 115:603-8. [PMID: 23414624 DOI: 10.1016/j.acthis.2013.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2012] [Revised: 12/28/2012] [Accepted: 01/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Soft fibrillar bone tissues were obtained from a supraorbital horn of Triceratops horridus collected at the Hell Creek Formation in Montana, USA. Soft material was present in pre and post-decalcified bone. Horn material yielded numerous small sheets of lamellar bone matrix. This matrix possessed visible microstructures consistent with lamellar bone osteocytes. Some sheets of soft tissue had multiple layers of intact tissues with osteocyte-like structures featuring filipodial-like interconnections and secondary branching. Both oblate and stellate types of osteocyte-like cells were present in sheets of soft tissues and exhibited organelle-like microstructures. SEM analysis yielded osteocyte-like cells featuring filipodial extensions of 18-20μm in length. Filipodial extensions were delicate and showed no evidence of any permineralization or crystallization artifact and therefore were interpreted to be soft. This is the first report of sheets of soft tissues from Triceratops horn bearing layers of osteocytes, and extends the range and type of dinosaur specimens known to contain non-fossilized material in bone matrix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Hollis Armitage
- Department of Biology, California State University, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330-8303, USA.
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Embryology of Early Jurassic dinosaur from China with evidence of preserved organic remains. Nature 2013; 496:210-4. [PMID: 23579680 DOI: 10.1038/nature11978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2012] [Accepted: 02/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Fossil dinosaur embryos are surprisingly rare, being almost entirely restricted to Upper Cretaceous strata that record the late stages of non-avian dinosaur evolution. Notable exceptions are the oldest known embryos from the Early Jurassic South African sauropodomorph Massospondylus and Late Jurassic embryos of a theropod from Portugal. The fact that dinosaur embryos are rare and typically enclosed in eggshells limits their availability for tissue and cellular level investigations of development. Consequently, little is known about growth patterns in dinosaur embryos, even though post-hatching ontogeny has been studied in several taxa. Here we report the discovery of an embryonic dinosaur bone bed from the Lower Jurassic of China, the oldest such occurrence in the fossil record. The embryos are similar in geological age to those of Massospondylus and are also assignable to a sauropodomorph dinosaur, probably Lufengosaurus. The preservation of numerous disarticulated skeletal elements and eggshells in this monotaxic bone bed, representing different stages of incubation and therefore derived from different nests, provides opportunities for new investigations of dinosaur embryology in a clade noted for gigantism. For example, comparisons among embryonic femora of different sizes and developmental stages reveal a consistently rapid rate of growth throughout development, possibly indicating that short incubation times were characteristic of sauropodomorphs. In addition, asymmetric radial growth of the femoral shaft and rapid expansion of the fourth trochanter suggest that embryonic muscle activation played an important role in the pre-hatching ontogeny of these dinosaurs. This discovery also provides the oldest evidence of in situ preservation of complex organic remains in a terrestrial vertebrate.
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Schweitzer MH, Zheng W, Cleland TP, Bern M. Molecular analyses of dinosaur osteocytes support the presence of endogenous molecules. Bone 2013; 52:414-23. [PMID: 23085295 DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2012.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2012] [Revised: 10/05/2012] [Accepted: 10/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The discovery of soft, transparent microstructures in dinosaur bone consistent in morphology with osteocytes was controversial. We hypothesize that, if original, these microstructures will have molecular features in common with extant osteocytes. We present immunological and mass spectrometry evidence for preservation of proteins comprising extant osteocytes (Actin, Tubulin, PHEX, Histone H4) in osteocytes recovered from two non-avian dinosaurs. Furthermore, antibodies to DNA show localized binding to these microstructures, which also react positively with DNA intercalating stains propidium iodide (PI) and 4',6'-diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride (DAPI). Each antibody binds dinosaur cells in patterns similar to extant cells. These data are the first to support preservation of multiple proteins and to present multiple lines of evidence for material consistent with DNA in dinosaurs, supporting the hypothesis that these structures were part of the once living animals. We propose mechanisms for preservation of cells and component molecules, and discuss implications for dinosaurian cellular biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Higby Schweitzer
- Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
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