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Aguillon R, Rinsky M, Simon-Blecher N, Doniger T, Appelbaum L, Levy O. CLOCK evolved in cnidaria to synchronize internal rhythms with diel environmental cues. eLife 2024; 12:RP89499. [PMID: 38743049 PMCID: PMC11093582 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The circadian clock enables anticipation of the day/night cycle in animals ranging from cnidarians to mammals. Circadian rhythms are generated through a transcription-translation feedback loop (TTFL or pacemaker) with CLOCK as a conserved positive factor in animals. However, CLOCK's functional evolutionary origin and mechanism of action in basal animals are unknown. In the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis, pacemaker gene transcript levels, including NvClk (the Clock ortholog), appear arrhythmic under constant darkness, questioning the role of NvCLK. Utilizing CRISPR/Cas9, we generated a NvClk allele mutant (NvClkΔ), revealing circadian behavior loss under constant dark (DD) or light (LL), while maintaining a 24 hr rhythm under light-dark condition (LD). Transcriptomics analysis revealed distinct rhythmic genes in wild-type (WT) polypsunder LD compared to DD conditions. In LD, NvClkΔ/Δ polyps exhibited comparable numbers of rhythmic genes, but were reduced in DD. Furthermore, under LD, the NvClkΔ/Δ polyps showed alterations in temporal pacemaker gene expression, impacting their potential interactions. Additionally, differential expression of non-rhythmic genes associated with cell division and neuronal differentiation was observed. These findings revealed that a light-responsive pathway can partially compensate for circadian clock disruption, and that the Clock gene has evolved in cnidarians to synchronize rhythmic physiology and behavior with the diel rhythm of the earth's biosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphael Aguillon
- Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan UniversityRamat GanIsrael
- The Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan UniversityRamat GanIsrael
| | - Mieka Rinsky
- Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan UniversityRamat GanIsrael
| | - Noa Simon-Blecher
- Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan UniversityRamat GanIsrael
| | - Tirza Doniger
- Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan UniversityRamat GanIsrael
| | - Lior Appelbaum
- Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan UniversityRamat GanIsrael
- The Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan UniversityRamat GanIsrael
| | - Oren Levy
- Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan UniversityRamat GanIsrael
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Botte A, Payton L, Tran D. The effects of artificial light at night on behavioral rhythm and related gene expression are wavelength dependent in the oyster Crassostrea gigas. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:120375-120386. [PMID: 37938485 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-30793-1] [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: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Artificial light at night (ALAN) constitutes a growing threat to coastal ecosystems by altering natural light cycles, which could impair organisms' biological rhythms, with resulting physiological and ecological consequences. Coastal ecosystems are strongly exposed to ALAN, but its effects on coastal organisms are poorly studied. Besides ALAN's intensity, ALAN's quality exposure may change the impacts on organisms. This study aims to characterize the effects of different ALAN's spectral compositions (monochromatic wavelength lights in red (peak at 626 nm), green (peak at 515 nm), blue (peak at 467 nm), and white (410-680 nm) light) at low and realistic intensity (1 lx) on the oyster Crassostrea gigas daily rhythm. Results reveal that all ALAN's treatments affect the oysters' daily valve activity rhythm in different manners and the overall expression of the 13 studied genes. Eight of these genes are involved in the oyster's circadian clock, 2 are clock-associated genes, and 3 are light perception genes. The blue light has the most important effects on oysters' valve behavior and clock and clock-associated gene expression. Interestingly, red and green lights also show significant impacts on the daily rhythm, while the lowest impacts are shown with the green light. Finally, ALAN white light shows the same impact as the blue one in terms of loss of rhythmic oysters' percentage, but the chronobiological parameters of the remaining rhythmic oysters are less disrupted than when exposed to each of the monochromatic light's treatments alone. We conclude that ALAN's spectral composition does influence its effect on oysters' daily rhythm, which could give clues to limit physiological and ecological impacts on coastal environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Botte
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, EPOC, UMR 5805, 33120, Arcachon, France
| | - Laura Payton
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, EPOC, UMR 5805, 33120, Arcachon, France
| | - Damien Tran
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, EPOC, UMR 5805, 33120, Arcachon, France.
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Kishimoto M, Gornik SG, Foulkes NS, Guse A. Negative phototaxis in the photosymbiotic sea anemone Aiptasia as a potential strategy to protect symbionts from photodamage. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17857. [PMID: 37857737 PMCID: PMC10587101 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44583-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Photosymbiotic cnidarians generally seek bright environments so that their symbionts can be photosynthetically active. However, excess light may result in a breakdown of symbiosis due to the accumulation of photodamage in symbionts causing symbiont loss (bleaching). It is currently unknown if photosymbiotic cnidarians sense light only to regulate spawning time and to facilitate predation, or whether they also use their light-sensing capacities to protect their symbionts from photodamage. In this study, we examined how the sea anemone Aiptasia changes its behaviour when exposed to excess light. We reveal that Aiptasia polyps, when carrying symbionts, contract their bodies when exposed to high light intensities and subsequently migrate away in a direction perpendicular to the light source. Interestingly, this negative phototaxis was only evident under blue light and absent upon UV, green and red light exposure. Non-symbiotic Aiptasia did not exhibit this light response. Our study demonstrates that photosymbiotic Aiptasia polyps display negative phototactic behaviour in response to blue light, and that they also can perceive its direction, despite lacking specialized eye structures. We postulate that Aiptasia uses blue light, which penetrates seawater efficiently, as a general proxy for sunlight exposure to protect its symbionts from photodamage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariko Kishimoto
- National Institute for Basic Biology, Nishigonaka 38, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan
- Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Translational Genomics, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Weyertal 115b, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Sebastian G Gornik
- Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nicholas S Foulkes
- Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
- Institute of Biological and Chemical Systems, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76344, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany.
| | - Annika Guse
- National Institute for Basic Biology, Nishigonaka 38, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan.
- Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
- Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Großhadernerstr. 2, 82152, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
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McCulloch KJ, Babonis LS, Liu A, Daly CM, Martindale MQ, Koenig KM. Nematostella vectensis exemplifies the exceptional expansion and diversity of opsins in the eyeless Hexacorallia. EvoDevo 2023; 14:14. [PMID: 37735470 PMCID: PMC10512536 DOI: 10.1186/s13227-023-00218-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Opsins are the primary proteins responsible for light detection in animals. Cnidarians (jellyfish, sea anemones, corals) have diverse visual systems that have evolved in parallel with bilaterians (squid, flies, fish) for hundreds of millions of years. Medusozoans (e.g., jellyfish, hydroids) have evolved eyes multiple times, each time independently incorporating distinct opsin orthologs. Anthozoans (e.g., corals, sea anemones,) have diverse light-mediated behaviors and, despite being eyeless, exhibit more extensive opsin duplications than medusozoans. To better understand the evolution of photosensitivity in animals without eyes, we increased anthozoan representation in the phylogeny of animal opsins and investigated the large but poorly characterized opsin family in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. RESULTS We analyzed genomic and transcriptomic data from 16 species of cnidarians to generate a large opsin phylogeny (708 sequences) with the largest sampling of anthozoan sequences to date. We identified 29 opsins from N. vectensis (NvOpsins) with high confidence, using transcriptomic and genomic datasets. We found that lineage-specific opsin duplications are common across Cnidaria, with anthozoan lineages exhibiting among the highest numbers of opsins in animals. To establish putative photosensory function of NvOpsins, we identified canonically conserved protein domains and amino acid sequences essential for opsin function in other animal species. We show high sequence diversity among NvOpsins at sites important for photoreception and transduction, suggesting potentially diverse functions. We further examined the spatiotemporal expression of NvOpsins and found both dynamic expression of opsins during embryonic development and sexually dimorphic opsin expression in adults. CONCLUSIONS These data show that lineage-specific duplication and divergence has led to expansive diversity of opsins in eyeless cnidarians, suggesting opsins from these animals may exhibit novel biochemical functions. The variable expression patterns of opsins in N. vectensis suggest opsin gene duplications allowed for a radiation of unique sensory cell types with tissue- and stage-specific functions. This diffuse network of distinct sensory cell types could be an adaptive solution for varied sensory tasks experienced in distinct life history stages in Anthozoans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle J McCulloch
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Leslie S Babonis
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
- Whitney Lab for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL, 32080, USA
| | - Alicia Liu
- John Harvard Distinguished Science Fellowship Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA , 02138, , USA
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Christina M Daly
- John Harvard Distinguished Science Fellowship Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA , 02138, , USA
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Mark Q Martindale
- Whitney Lab for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL, 32080, USA
| | - Kristen M Koenig
- John Harvard Distinguished Science Fellowship Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA , 02138, , USA.
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
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Häfker NS, Andreatta G, Manzotti A, Falciatore A, Raible F, Tessmar-Raible K. Rhythms and Clocks in Marine Organisms. ANNUAL REVIEW OF MARINE SCIENCE 2023; 15:509-538. [PMID: 36028229 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-marine-030422-113038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The regular movements of waves and tides are obvious representations of the oceans' rhythmicity. But the rhythms of marine life span across ecological niches and timescales, including short (in the range of hours) and long (in the range of days and months) periods. These rhythms regulate the physiology and behavior of individuals, as well as their interactions with each other and with the environment. This review highlights examples of rhythmicity in marine animals and algae that represent important groups of marine life across different habitats. The examples cover ecologically highly relevant species and a growing number of laboratory model systems that are used to disentangle key mechanistic principles. The review introduces fundamental concepts of chronobiology, such as the distinction between rhythmic and endogenous oscillator-driven processes. It also addresses the relevance of studying diverse rhythms and oscillators, as well as their interconnection, for making better predictions of how species will respond to environmental perturbations, including climate change. As the review aims to address scientists from the diverse fields of marine biology, ecology, and molecular chronobiology, all of which have their own scientific terms, we provide definitions of key terms throughout the article.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Sören Häfker
- Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria; ,
- Research Platform "Rhythms of Life," University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gabriele Andreatta
- Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria; ,
- Research Platform "Rhythms of Life," University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alessandro Manzotti
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Chloroplaste et Perception de la Lumière chez les Microalgues, UMR 7141, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Paris, France;
| | - Angela Falciatore
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Chloroplaste et Perception de la Lumière chez les Microalgues, UMR 7141, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Paris, France;
| | - Florian Raible
- Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria; ,
- Research Platform "Rhythms of Life," University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kristin Tessmar-Raible
- Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria; ,
- Research Platform "Rhythms of Life," University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
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Juretić D. Designed Multifunctional Peptides for Intracellular Targets. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11091196. [PMID: 36139975 PMCID: PMC9495127 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11091196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Nature’s way for bioactive peptides is to provide them with several related functions and the ability to cooperate in performing their job. Natural cell-penetrating peptides (CPP), such as penetratins, inspired the design of multifunctional constructs with CPP ability. This review focuses on known and novel peptides that can easily reach intracellular targets with little or no toxicity to mammalian cells. All peptide candidates were evaluated and ranked according to the predictions of low toxicity to mammalian cells and broad-spectrum activity. The final set of the 20 best peptide candidates contains the peptides optimized for cell-penetrating, antimicrobial, anticancer, antiviral, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory activity. Their predicted features are intrinsic disorder and the ability to acquire an amphipathic structure upon contact with membranes or nucleic acids. In conclusion, the review argues for exploring wide-spectrum multifunctionality for novel nontoxic hybrids with cell-penetrating peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davor Juretić
- Mediterranean Institute for Life Sciences, 21000 Split, Croatia;
- Faculty of Science, University of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia;
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