1
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Hassan A, Blakeley G, McGregor AP, Zancolli G. Venom gland organogenesis in the common house spider. Sci Rep 2024; 14:15379. [PMID: 38965282 PMCID: PMC11224297 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65336-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Venom is a remarkable innovation found across the animal kingdom, yet the evolutionary origins of venom systems in various groups, including spiders, remain enigmatic. Here, we investigated the organogenesis of the venom apparatus in the common house spider, Parasteatoda tepidariorum. The venom apparatus consists of a pair of secretory glands, each connected to an opening at the fang tip by a duct that runs through the chelicerae. We performed bulk RNA-seq to identify venom gland-specific markers and assayed their expression using RNA in situ hybridisation experiments on whole-mount time-series. These revealed that the gland primordium emerges during embryonic stage 13 at the chelicera tip, progresses proximally by the end of embryonic development and extends into the prosoma post-eclosion. The initiation of expression of an important toxin component in late postembryos marks the activation of venom-secreting cells. Our selected markers also exhibited distinct expression patterns in adult venom glands: sage and the toxin marker were expressed in the secretory epithelium, forkhead and sum-1 in the surrounding muscle layer, while Distal-less was predominantly expressed at the gland extremities. Our study provides the first comprehensive analysis of venom gland morphogenesis in spiders, offering key insights into their evolution and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Afrah Hassan
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Grace Blakeley
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | | | - Giulia Zancolli
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland.
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland.
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2
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Leite DJ, Schönauer A, Blakeley G, Harper A, Garcia-Castro H, Baudouin-Gonzalez L, Wang R, Sarkis N, Nikola AG, Koka VSP, Kenny NJ, Turetzek N, Pechmann M, Solana J, McGregor AP. An atlas of spider development at single-cell resolution provides new insights into arthropod embryogenesis. EvoDevo 2024; 15:5. [PMID: 38730509 PMCID: PMC11083766 DOI: 10.1186/s13227-024-00224-4] [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: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Spiders are a diverse order of chelicerates that diverged from other arthropods over 500 million years ago. Research on spider embryogenesis, particularly studies using the common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum, has made important contributions to understanding the evolution of animal development, including axis formation, segmentation, and patterning. However, we lack knowledge about the cells that build spider embryos, their gene expression profiles and fate. Single-cell transcriptomic analyses have been revolutionary in describing these complex landscapes of cellular genetics in a range of animals. Therefore, we carried out single-cell RNA sequencing of P. tepidariorum embryos at stages 7, 8 and 9, which encompass the establishment and patterning of the body plan, and initial differentiation of many tissues and organs. We identified 20 cell clusters, from 18.5 k cells, which were marked by many developmental toolkit genes, as well as a plethora of genes not previously investigated. We found differences in the cell cycle transcriptional signatures, suggestive of different proliferation dynamics, which related to distinctions between endodermal and some mesodermal clusters, compared with ectodermal clusters. We identified many Hox genes as markers of cell clusters, and Hox gene ohnologs were often present in different clusters. This provided additional evidence of sub- and/or neo-functionalisation of these important developmental genes after the whole genome duplication in an arachnopulmonate ancestor (spiders, scorpions, and related orders). We also examined the spatial expression of marker genes for each cluster to generate a comprehensive cell atlas of these embryonic stages. This revealed new insights into the cellular basis and genetic regulation of head patterning, hematopoiesis, limb development, gut development, and posterior segmentation. This atlas will serve as a platform for future analysis of spider cell specification and fate, and studying the evolution of these processes among animals at cellular resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Leite
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK.
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.
| | - Anna Schönauer
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Grace Blakeley
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Amber Harper
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Helena Garcia-Castro
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | | | - Ruixun Wang
- Institute for Zoology, Biocenter, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47B, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Naïra Sarkis
- Institute for Zoology, Biocenter, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47B, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Alexander Günther Nikola
- Evolutionary Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Venkata Sai Poojitha Koka
- Evolutionary Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Nathan J Kenny
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
- Department of Biochemistry Te Tari Matū Koiora, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Natascha Turetzek
- Evolutionary Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Matthias Pechmann
- Institute for Zoology, Biocenter, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47B, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jordi Solana
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK.
| | - Alistair P McGregor
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK.
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.
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3
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Medina-Jiménez BI, Budd GE, Janssen R. Single-cell RNA sequencing of mid-to-late stage spider embryos: new insights into spider development. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:150. [PMID: 38326752 PMCID: PMC10848406 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09898-x] [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: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum represents an emerging new model organism of arthropod evolutionary and developmental (EvoDevo) studies. Recent technical advances have resulted in the first single-cell sequencing (SCS) data on this species allowing deeper insights to be gained into its early development, but mid-to-late stage embryos were not included in these pioneering studies. RESULTS Therefore, we performed SCS on mid-to-late stage embryos of Parasteatoda and characterized resulting cell clusters by means of in-silico analysis (comparison of key markers of each cluster with previously published information on these genes). In-silico prediction of the nature of each cluster was then tested/verified by means of additional in-situ hybridization experiments with additional markers of each cluster. CONCLUSIONS Our data show that SCS data reliably group cells with similar genetic fingerprints into more or less distinct clusters, and thus allows identification of developing cell types on a broader level, such as the distinction of ectodermal, mesodermal and endodermal cell lineages, as well as the identification of distinct developing tissues such as subtypes of nervous tissue cells, the developing heart, or the ventral sulcus (VS). In comparison with recent other SCS studies on the same species, our data represent later developmental stages, and thus provide insights into different stages of developing cell types and tissues such as differentiating neurons and the VS that are only present at these later stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda I Medina-Jiménez
- Department of Earth Sciences, Palaeobiology, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Graham E Budd
- Department of Earth Sciences, Palaeobiology, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ralf Janssen
- Department of Earth Sciences, Palaeobiology, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden.
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4
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Janssen R, Pechmann M. Expression of posterior Hox genes and opisthosomal appendage development in a mygalomorph spider. Dev Genes Evol 2023; 233:107-121. [PMID: 37495828 PMCID: PMC10746769 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-023-00707-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Spiders represent an evolutionary successful group of chelicerate arthropods. The body of spiders is subdivided into two regions (tagmata). The anterior tagma, the prosoma, bears the head appendages and four pairs of walking legs. The segments of the posterior tagma, the opisthosoma, either lost their appendages during the course of evolution or their appendages were substantially modified to fulfill new tasks such as reproduction, gas exchange, and silk production. Previous work has shown that the homeotic Hox genes are involved in shaping the posterior appendages of spiders. In this paper, we investigate the expression of the posterior Hox genes in a tarantula that possesses some key differences of posterior appendages compared to true spiders, such as the lack of the anterior pair of spinnerets and a second set of book lungs instead of trachea. Based on the observed differences in posterior Hox gene expression in true spiders and tarantulas, we argue that subtle changes in the Hox gene expression of the Hox genes abdA and AbdB are possibly responsible for at least some of the morphological differences seen in true spiders versus tarantulas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralf Janssen
- Department of Earth Sciences, Palaeobiology, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Matthias Pechmann
- Institute for Zoology, Biocenter, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47b, 50674, Cologne, Germany
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5
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Sharma PP. The Impact of Whole Genome Duplication on the Evolution of the Arachnids. Integr Comp Biol 2023; 63:825-842. [PMID: 37263789 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The proliferation of genomic resources for Chelicerata in the past 10 years has revealed that the evolution of chelicerate genomes is more dynamic than previously thought, with multiple waves of ancient whole genome duplications affecting separate lineages. Such duplication events are fascinating from the perspective of evolutionary history because the burst of new gene copies associated with genome duplications facilitates the acquisition of new gene functions (neofunctionalization), which may in turn lead to morphological novelties and spur net diversification. While neofunctionalization has been invoked in several contexts with respect to the success and diversity of spiders, the overall impact of whole genome duplications on chelicerate evolution and development remains imperfectly understood. The purpose of this review is to examine critically the role of whole genome duplication on the diversification of the extant arachnid orders, as well as assess functional datasets for evidence of subfunctionalization or neofunctionalization in chelicerates. This examination focuses on functional data from two focal model taxa: the spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum, which exhibits evidence for an ancient duplication, and the harvestman Phalangium opilio, which exhibits an unduplicated genome. I show that there is no evidence that taxa with genome duplications are more successful than taxa with unduplicated genomes. I contend that evidence for sub- or neofunctionalization of duplicated developmental patterning genes in spiders is indirect or fragmentary at present, despite the appeal of this postulate for explaining the success of groups like spiders. Available expression data suggest that the condition of duplicated Hox modules may have played a role in promoting body plan disparity in the posterior tagma of some orders, such as spiders and scorpions, but functional data substantiating this postulate are critically missing. Spatiotemporal dynamics of duplicated transcription factors in spiders may represent cases of developmental system drift, rather than neofunctionalization. Developmental system drift may represent an important, but overlooked, null hypothesis for studies of paralogs in chelicerate developmental biology. To distinguish between subfunctionalization, neofunctionalization, and developmental system drift, concomitant establishment of comparative functional datasets from taxa exhibiting the genome duplication, as well as those that lack the paralogy, is sorely needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prashant P Sharma
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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6
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Fan Z, Wang LY, Xiao L, Tan B, Luo B, Ren TY, Liu N, Zhang ZS, Bai M. Lampshade web spider Ectatosticta davidi chromosome-level genome assembly provides evidence for its phylogenetic position. Commun Biol 2023; 6:748. [PMID: 37463957 PMCID: PMC10354039 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05129-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The spider of Ectatosticta davidi, belonging to the lamp-shade web spider family, Hypochilidae, which is closely related to Hypochilidae and Filistatidae and recovered as sister of the rest Araneomorphs spiders. Here we show the final assembled genome of E. davidi with 2.16 Gb in 15 chromosomes. Then we confirm the evolutionary position of Hypochilidae. Moreover, we find that the GMC gene family exhibit high conservation throughout the evolution of true spiders. We also find that the MaSp genes of E. davidi may represent an early stage of MaSp and MiSp genes in other true spiders, while CrSp shares a common origin with AgSp and PySp but differ from MaSp. Altogether, this study contributes to addressing the limited availability of genomic sequences from Hypochilidae spiders, and provides a valuable resource for investigating the genomic evolution of spiders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Fan
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
- School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, 400700, Chongqing, China
| | - Lu-Yu Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, 400700, Chongqing, China
| | - Lin Xiao
- School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, 400700, Chongqing, China
| | - Bing Tan
- School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, 400700, Chongqing, China
| | - Bin Luo
- School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, 400700, Chongqing, China
| | - Tian-Yu Ren
- School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, 400700, Chongqing, China
| | - Ning Liu
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China.
| | - Zhi-Sheng Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, 400700, Chongqing, China.
| | - Ming Bai
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China.
- Northeast Asia Biodiversity Research Center, Northeast Forestry University, 150040, Harbin, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China.
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7
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Oxford G. The genome sequence of the spider, Parasteatoda lunata (Clerck, 1757). Wellcome Open Res 2023; 8:271. [PMID: 37766855 PMCID: PMC10521088 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.19585.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
We present a genome assembly from an individual female Parasteatoda lunata (spider; Arthropoda; Arachnida; Araneae; Theridiidae). The genome sequence is 1,411.4 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 12 chromosomal, including the X 1 and X 2 sex chromosomes. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 14.29 kilobases in length.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoff Oxford
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, England, YO10 5DD, UK
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8
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Wang R, Leite DJ, Karadas L, Schiffer PH, Pechmann M. FGF signalling is involved in cumulus migration in the common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum. Dev Biol 2023; 494:35-45. [PMID: 36470448 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Cell migration is a fundamental component during the development of most multicellular organisms. In the early spider embryo, the collective migration of signalling cells, known as the cumulus, is required to set the dorsoventral body axis. Here, we show that FGF signalling plays an important role during cumulus migration in the spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum. Spider embryos with reduced FGF signalling show reduced or absent cumulus migration and display dorsoventral patterning defects. Our study reveals that the transcription factor Ets4 regulates the expression of several FGF signalling components in the cumulus. In conjunction with a previous study, we show that the expression of fgf8 in the germ-disc is regulated via the Hedgehog signalling pathway. We also demonstrate that FGF signalling influences the BMP signalling pathway activity in the region around cumulus cells. Finally, we show that FGFR signalling might also influence cumulus migration in basally branching spiders and we propose that fgf8 might act as a chemo-attractant to guide cumulus cells towards the future dorsal pole of the spider embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruixun Wang
- Institute for Zoology/Developmental Biology, Biocenter, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47b, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Daniel J Leite
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Linda Karadas
- Institute for Zoology/Developmental Biology, Biocenter, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47b, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Philipp H Schiffer
- Institute for Zoology/Developmental Biology, Biocenter, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47b, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Matthias Pechmann
- Institute for Zoology/Developmental Biology, Biocenter, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47b, 50674, Cologne, Germany.
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9
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Núñez-Pascual V, Calleja F, Pardo RV, Sarrazin AF, Irles P. The ring-legged earwig Euborellia annulipes as a new model for oogenesis and development studies in insects. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART B, MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2023; 340:18-33. [PMID: 35167178 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.23121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Insects are the dominant group of animals on Earth. Despite this abundance, most of our knowledge about many aspects of their biology and development come from a unique model, the vinegar fly, Drosophila melanogaster. Nevertheless, in the last years, the advances in molecular tools and imaging techniques have allowed the emergence of new insect models, adding valuable information to decipher the morphogenetic bases behind the formation and evolution of the vast diversity of shapes, sizes, and patterns that characterize them. Earwigs belong to Dermaptera which is a small order clustered in the Polyneopteran group. They are hemimetabolous insects with a flattened body, characteristic abdominal pincers, and maternal care behavior. This last feature and their role in agroecosystems have been studied in cosmopolitan species such as Forficula auricularia and Euborellia annulipes; however, their reproduction and embryonic development have been poorly addressed in laboratory conditions. In response, here we describe the ring-legged earwig Euborellia annulipes embryogenesis and life cycle from nymphal to adult stages, its reproduction, and essential morphological and behavioral characters. Additionally, using confocal and transmission electron microscopy we analyzed in detail the morphogenesis of its peculiar meroistic polytrophic ovary. Our aim is to provide an emerging model system to perform comparative studies on insect oogenesis, development, and morphological evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Núñez-Pascual
- CoDe-Lab, Instituto de Química, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile.,Institute of Agri-food, Animal and Environmental Sciences (ICA3), Universidad de O'Higgins, Rancagua, Chile
| | - Felipe Calleja
- Institute of Agri-food, Animal and Environmental Sciences (ICA3), Universidad de O'Higgins, Rancagua, Chile
| | - Renato V Pardo
- CoDe-Lab, Instituto de Química, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Andres F Sarrazin
- CoDe-Lab, Instituto de Química, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Paula Irles
- Institute of Agri-food, Animal and Environmental Sciences (ICA3), Universidad de O'Higgins, Rancagua, Chile
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Lüddecke T, Paas A, Harris RJ, Talmann L, Kirchhoff KN, Billion A, Hardes K, Steinbrink A, Gerlach D, Fry BG, Vilcinskas A. Venom biotechnology: casting light on nature's deadliest weapons using synthetic biology. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1166601. [PMID: 37207126 PMCID: PMC10188951 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1166601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Venoms are complex chemical arsenals that have evolved independently many times in the animal kingdom. Venoms have attracted the interest of researchers because they are an important innovation that has contributed greatly to the evolutionary success of many animals, and their medical relevance offers significant potential for drug discovery. During the last decade, venom research has been revolutionized by the application of systems biology, giving rise to a novel field known as venomics. More recently, biotechnology has also made an increasing impact in this field. Its methods provide the means to disentangle and study venom systems across all levels of biological organization and, given their tremendous impact on the life sciences, these pivotal tools greatly facilitate the coherent understanding of venom system organization, development, biochemistry, and therapeutic activity. Even so, we lack a comprehensive overview of major advances achieved by applying biotechnology to venom systems. This review therefore considers the methods, insights, and potential future developments of biotechnological applications in the field of venom research. We follow the levels of biological organization and structure, starting with the methods used to study the genomic blueprint and genetic machinery of venoms, followed gene products and their functional phenotypes. We argue that biotechnology can answer some of the most urgent questions in venom research, particularly when multiple approaches are combined together, and with other venomics technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Lüddecke
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- *Correspondence: Tim Lüddecke,
| | - Anne Paas
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Richard J. Harris
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences (IMB), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Lea Talmann
- Syngenta Crop Protection, Stein, Switzerland
| | - Kim N. Kirchhoff
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
| | - André Billion
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
| | - Kornelia Hardes
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- BMBF Junior Research Group in Infection Research “ASCRIBE”, Giessen, Germany
| | - Antje Steinbrink
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Doreen Gerlach
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
| | - Bryan G. Fry
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
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11
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Angelakakis A, Turetzek N, Tuni C. Female mating rates and their fitness consequences in the common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9678. [PMID: 36590337 PMCID: PMC9797470 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Mating systems, with varying female mating rates occurring with the same partner (monandry) or with multiple mates (polyandry), can have far reaching consequences for population viability and the rate of gene flow. Here, we investigate the mating rates of the common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum (Theridiidae), an emerging model for genetic studies, with yet undescribed reproductive behavior. It is hypothesized that spiders belonging to this family have low re-mating rates. We paired females twice with the same male (monandry) or with different males (polyandry), and recorded behaviors, mating success and fitness resulting from single- and double-matings, either monandrous or polyandrous. Despite the study being explorative in nature, we predict successful matings to be more frequent during first encounters, to reduce female risk of remaining unmated. For re-mating to be adaptive, we expect higher fitness of double-mated females, and polyandrous females to experience highest mating success and fitness if reproductive gains are achieved by mating with multiple partners. We show that the majority of the females did not mate, and those that did mated only once, not necessarily on their first encounter. The likelihood of re-mating did not differ between monandrous and polyandrous encounters and female mating experience (mated once, twice monandrous, twice polyandrous) did not affect fitness, indicated by similar offspring production. Female twanging of the web leads to successful matings suggesting female behavioral receptivity. Cannibalism rates were low and mostly occurred pre-copulatory. We discuss how the species ecology, with potentially high mating costs for males and limited female receptivity, may shape a mating system with low mating rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apostolos Angelakakis
- Behavioral Ecology, Faculty of BiologyLudwig‐Maximilians‐University MunichPlanegg‐MartinsriedGermany,Evolutionary Ecology, Faculty of BiologyLudwig‐Maximilians‐University MunichPlanegg‐MartinsriedGermany
| | - Natascha Turetzek
- Evolutionary Ecology, Faculty of BiologyLudwig‐Maximilians‐University MunichPlanegg‐MartinsriedGermany
| | - Cristina Tuni
- Behavioral Ecology, Faculty of BiologyLudwig‐Maximilians‐University MunichPlanegg‐MartinsriedGermany
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12
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Prpic NM, Pechmann M. Extraembryonic tissue in chelicerates: a review and outlook. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210269. [PMID: 36252223 PMCID: PMC9574639 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0269] [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] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The formation of extraembryonic membranes (EEMs) contributes to the proper development of many animals. In arthropods, the formation and function of EEMs have been studied best in insects. Regarding the development of extraembryonic tissue in chelicerates (spiders and relatives), most information is available for spiders (Araneae). Especially two populations of cells have been considered to represent EEMs in spiders. The first of these potential EEMs develops shortly after egg deposition, opposite to a radially symmetrical germ disc that forms in one hemisphere of the egg and encloses the yolk. The second tissue, which has been described as being extraembryonic is the so-called dorsal field, which is required to cover the dorsal part of the developing spider germ rudiment before proper dorsal closure. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge regarding the formation of potential extraembryonic structures in the Chelicerata. We describe the early embryogenesis of spiders and other chelicerates, with a special focus on the formation of the potential extraembryonic tissues. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Extraembryonic tissues: exploring concepts, definitions and functions across the animal kingdom’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikola-Michael Prpic
- Justus-Liebig-Universitaet Giessen, Institut für Allgemeine Zoologie und Entwicklungsbiologie, AG Zoologie mit dem Schwerpunkt Molekulare Entwicklungsbiologie, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 38, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Matthias Pechmann
- Institute for Zoology, University of Cologne, Biocenter, Zuelpicher Strasse 47b, 50674 Cologne, Germany
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13
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Akiyama-Oda Y, Akaiwa T, Oda H. Reconstruction of the Global Polarity of an Early Spider Embryo by Single-Cell and Single-Nucleus Transcriptome Analysis. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:933220. [PMID: 35938158 PMCID: PMC9353575 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.933220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Patterning along an axis of polarity is a fundamental step in the development of a multicellular animal embryo. In the cellular field of an early spider embryo, Hedgehog signaling operates to specify a "fuzzy" French-flag-like pattern along the primary axis, which is related to the future anterior-posterior (A-P) axis. However, details regarding the generation and development of a diversity of cell states based on the embryo polarity are not known. To address this issue, we applied single-cell RNA sequencing to the early spider embryo consisting of approximately 2,000 cells. Our results confirmed that this technique successfully detected 3 cell populations corresponding to the germ layers and some transient cell states. We showed that the data from dissociated cells had sufficient information for reconstruction of a correct global A-P polarity of the presumptive ectoderm, without clear segregation of specific cell states. This outcome is explained by the varied but differentially overlapping expression of Hedgehog-signal target genes and newly identified marker genes. We also showed that the data resources generated by the transcriptome analysis are applicable to a genome-wide search for genes whose expression is spatially regulated, based on the detection of pattern similarity. Furthermore, we performed single-nucleus RNA sequencing, which was more powerful in detecting emerging cell states. The single-cell and single-nucleus transcriptome techniques will help investigate the pattern-forming processes in the spider model system in an unbiased, comprehensive manner. We provided web-based resources of these transcriptome datasets for future studies of pattern formation and cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuko Akiyama-Oda
- JT Biohistory Research Hall, Takatsuki, Japan
- PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Japan
- Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, Faculty of Medicine, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Takatsuki, Japan
| | - Takanori Akaiwa
- JT Biohistory Research Hall, Takatsuki, Japan
- Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Japan
| | - Hiroki Oda
- JT Biohistory Research Hall, Takatsuki, Japan
- Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Japan
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14
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von Reumont BM, Anderluh G, Antunes A, Ayvazyan N, Beis D, Caliskan F, Crnković A, Damm M, Dutertre S, Ellgaard L, Gajski G, German H, Halassy B, Hempel BF, Hucho T, Igci N, Ikonomopoulou MP, Karbat I, Klapa MI, Koludarov I, Kool J, Lüddecke T, Ben Mansour R, Vittoria Modica M, Moran Y, Nalbantsoy A, Ibáñez MEP, Panagiotopoulos A, Reuveny E, Céspedes JS, Sombke A, Surm JM, Undheim EAB, Verdes A, Zancolli G. Modern venomics-Current insights, novel methods, and future perspectives in biological and applied animal venom research. Gigascience 2022; 11:giac048. [PMID: 35640874 PMCID: PMC9155608 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giac048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Venoms have evolved >100 times in all major animal groups, and their components, known as toxins, have been fine-tuned over millions of years into highly effective biochemical weapons. There are many outstanding questions on the evolution of toxin arsenals, such as how venom genes originate, how venom contributes to the fitness of venomous species, and which modifications at the genomic, transcriptomic, and protein level drive their evolution. These questions have received particularly little attention outside of snakes, cone snails, spiders, and scorpions. Venom compounds have further become a source of inspiration for translational research using their diverse bioactivities for various applications. We highlight here recent advances and new strategies in modern venomics and discuss how recent technological innovations and multi-omic methods dramatically improve research on venomous animals. The study of genomes and their modifications through CRISPR and knockdown technologies will increase our understanding of how toxins evolve and which functions they have in the different ontogenetic stages during the development of venomous animals. Mass spectrometry imaging combined with spatial transcriptomics, in situ hybridization techniques, and modern computer tomography gives us further insights into the spatial distribution of toxins in the venom system and the function of the venom apparatus. All these evolutionary and biological insights contribute to more efficiently identify venom compounds, which can then be synthesized or produced in adapted expression systems to test their bioactivity. Finally, we critically discuss recent agrochemical, pharmaceutical, therapeutic, and diagnostic (so-called translational) aspects of venoms from which humans benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bjoern M von Reumont
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute for Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Department for Applied Bioinformatics, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Senckenberg Frankfurt, Senckenberganlage 25, 60235 Frankfurt, Germany
- Justus Liebig University Giessen, Institute for Insectbiotechnology, Heinrich Buff Ring 26-32, 35396 Giessen, Germany
| | - Gregor Anderluh
- Department of Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Agostinho Antunes
- CIIMAR/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Av. General Norton de Matos, s/n, 4450–208 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Naira Ayvazyan
- Orbeli Institute of Physiology of NAS RA, Orbeli ave. 22, 0028 Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Dimitris Beis
- Developmental Biology, Centre for Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece
| | - Figen Caliskan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Letters, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, TR-26040 Eskisehir, Turkey
| | - Ana Crnković
- Department of Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Maik Damm
- Technische Universität Berlin, Department of Chemistry, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Lars Ellgaard
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Goran Gajski
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Mutagenesis Unit, Ksaverska cesta 2, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Hannah German
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Beata Halassy
- University of Zagreb, Centre for Research and Knowledge Transfer in Biotechnology, Trg Republike Hrvatske 14, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Benjamin-Florian Hempel
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies BCRT, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tim Hucho
- Translational Pain Research, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Nasit Igci
- Nevsehir Haci Bektas Veli University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, 50300 Nevsehir, Turkey
| | - Maria P Ikonomopoulou
- Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Food, Madrid,E28049, Spain
- The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Izhar Karbat
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Maria I Klapa
- Metabolic Engineering and Systems Biology Laboratory, Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences, Foundation for Research & Technology Hellas (FORTH/ICE-HT), Patras GR-26504, Greece
| | - Ivan Koludarov
- Justus Liebig University Giessen, Institute for Insectbiotechnology, Heinrich Buff Ring 26-32, 35396 Giessen, Germany
| | - Jeroen Kool
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tim Lüddecke
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Senckenberg Frankfurt, Senckenberganlage 25, 60235 Frankfurt, Germany
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, 35392 Gießen, Germany
| | - Riadh Ben Mansour
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Gafsa University, Campus Universitaire Siidi Ahmed Zarrouk, 2112 Gafsa, Tunisia
| | - Maria Vittoria Modica
- Dept. of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms (BEOM), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Via Po 25c, I-00198 Roma, Italy
| | - Yehu Moran
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Ayse Nalbantsoy
- Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ege University, 35100 Bornova, Izmir, Turkey
| | - María Eugenia Pachón Ibáñez
- Unit of Infectious Diseases, Microbiology, and Preventive Medicine, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alexios Panagiotopoulos
- Metabolic Engineering and Systems Biology Laboratory, Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences, Foundation for Research & Technology Hellas (FORTH/ICE-HT), Patras GR-26504, Greece
- Animal Biology Division, Department of Biology, University of Patras, Patras, GR-26500, Greece
| | - Eitan Reuveny
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Javier Sánchez Céspedes
- Unit of Infectious Diseases, Microbiology, and Preventive Medicine, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Andy Sombke
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Joachim M Surm
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Eivind A B Undheim
- University of Oslo, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Postboks 1066 Blindern 0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Aida Verdes
- Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Giulia Zancolli
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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15
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Janssen R, Eriksson BJ. Embryonic expression patterns of Wnt genes in the RTA-clade spider Cupiennius salei. Gene Expr Patterns 2022; 44:119247. [PMID: 35472494 DOI: 10.1016/j.gep.2022.119247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Spiders represent widely used model organisms for chelicerate and even arthropod development and evolution. Wnt genes are important and evolutionary conserved factors that control and regulate numerous developmental processes. Recent studies comprehensively investigated the complement and expression of spider Wnt genes revealing conserved as well as diverged aspects of their expression and thus (likely) function among different groups of spiders representing Mygalomorphae (tarantulas), and both main groups of Araneae (true spiders) (Haplogynae/Synspermiata and Entelegynae). The allegedly most modern/derived group of entelegyne spiders is represented by the RTA-clade of which no comprehensive data on Wnt expression were available prior to this study. Here, we investigated the embryonic expression of all Wnt genes of the RTA-clade spider Cupiennius salei. We found that most of the Wnt expression patterns are conserved between Cupiennius and other spiders, especially more basally branching species. Surprisingly, most differences in Wnt gene expression are seen in the common model spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum (a non-RTA clade entelegyne species). These results show that data and conclusions drawn from research on one member of a group of animals (or any other organism) cannot necessarily be extrapolated to the group as a whole, and instead highlight the need for comprehensive taxon sampling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralf Janssen
- Uppsala University, Department of Earth Sciences, Palaeobiology, Villavägen 16, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Bo Joakim Eriksson
- Department für Neurowissenschaften und Entwicklungsbiologie, Universität Wien, Djerassiplatz 1, A-1030, Vienna, Austria
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16
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Junker RR, Albrecht J, Becker M, Keuth R, Farwig N, Schleuning M. Towards an animal economics spectrum for ecosystem research. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert R. Junker
- Evolutionary Ecology of Plants Department of Biology University of Marburg 35043 Marburg Germany
- Department of Environment and Biodiversity University of Salzburg 5020 Salzburg Austria
| | - Jörg Albrecht
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK‐F) Senckenberganlage 25 60325 Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Marcel Becker
- Conservation Ecology Department of Biology University of Marburg 35043 Marburg Germany
| | - Raya Keuth
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK‐F) Senckenberganlage 25 60325 Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Nina Farwig
- Conservation Ecology Department of Biology University of Marburg 35043 Marburg Germany
| | - Matthias Schleuning
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK‐F) Senckenberganlage 25 60325 Frankfurt am Main Germany
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17
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Janeschik M, Schacht MI, Platten F, Turetzek N. It takes Two: Discovery of Spider Pax2 Duplicates Indicates Prominent Role in Chelicerate Central Nervous System, Eye, as Well as External Sense Organ Precursor Formation and Diversification After Neo- and Subfunctionalization. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.810077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Paired box genes are conserved across animals and encode transcription factors playing key roles in development, especially neurogenesis. Pax6 is a chief example for functional conservation required for eye development in most bilaterian lineages except chelicerates. Pax6 is ancestrally linked and was shown to have interchangeable functions with Pax2. Drosophila melanogaster Pax2 plays an important role in the development of sensory hairs across the whole body. In addition, it is required for the differentiation of compound eyes, making it a prime candidate to study the genetic basis of arthropod sense organ development and diversification, as well as the role of Pax genes in eye development. Interestingly, in previous studies identification of chelicerate Pax2 was either neglected or failed. Here we report the expression of two Pax2 orthologs in the common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum, a model organism for chelicerate development. The two Pax2 orthologs most likely arose as a consequence of a whole genome duplication in the last common ancestor of spiders and scorpions. Pax2.1 is expressed in the peripheral nervous system, including developing lateral eyes and external sensilla, as well as the ventral neuroectoderm of P. tepidariorum embryos. This not only hints at a conserved dual role of Pax2/5/8 orthologs in arthropod sense organ development but suggests that in chelicerates, Pax2 could have acquired the role usually played by Pax6. For the other paralog, Pt-Pax2.2, expression was detected in the brain, but not in the lateral eyes and the expression pattern associated with sensory hairs differs in timing, pattern, and strength. To achieve a broader phylogenetic sampling, we also studied the expression of both Pax2 genes in the haplogyne cellar spider Pholcus phalangioides. We found that the expression difference between paralogs is even more extreme in this species, since Pp-Pax2.2 shows an interesting expression pattern in the ventral neuroectoderm while the expression in the prosomal appendages is strictly mesodermal. This expression divergence indicates both sub- and neofunctionalization after Pax2 duplication in spiders and thus presents an opportunity to study the evolution of functional divergence after gene duplication and its impact on sense organ diversification.
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18
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Janssen R, Pechmann M, Turetzek N. A chelicerate Wnt gene expression atlas: novel insights into the complexity of arthropod Wnt-patterning. EvoDevo 2021; 12:12. [PMID: 34753512 PMCID: PMC8579682 DOI: 10.1186/s13227-021-00182-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The Wnt genes represent a large family of secreted glycoprotein ligands that date back to early animal evolution. Multiple duplication events generated a set of 13 Wnt families of which 12 are preserved in protostomes. Embryonic Wnt expression patterns (Wnt-patterning) are complex, representing the plentitude of functions these genes play during development. Here, we comprehensively investigated the embryonic expression patterns of Wnt genes from three species of spiders covering both main groups of true spiders, Haplogynae and Entelegynae, a mygalomorph species (tarantula), as well as a distantly related chelicerate outgroup species, the harvestman Phalangium opilio. All spiders possess the same ten classes of Wnt genes, but retained partially different sets of duplicated Wnt genes after whole genome duplication, some of which representing impressive examples of sub- and neo-functionalization. The harvestman, however, possesses a more complete set of 11 Wnt genes but with no duplicates. Our comprehensive data-analysis suggests a high degree of complexity and evolutionary flexibility of Wnt-patterning likely providing a firm network of mutational protection. We discuss the new data on Wnt gene expression in terms of their potential function in segmentation, posterior elongation, and appendage development and critically review previous research on these topics. We conclude that earlier research may have suffered from the absence of comprehensive gene expression data leading to partial misconceptions about the roles of Wnt genes in development and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralf Janssen
- Department of Earth Sciences, Palaeobiology, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Matthias Pechmann
- Department of Developmental Biology, Biocenter, Institute for Zoology, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47b, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Natascha Turetzek
- Evolutionary Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München, Grosshaderner Strasse 2, 82152, Biozentrum, Germany
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19
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Baudouin-Gonzalez L, Schoenauer A, Harper A, Blakeley G, Seiter M, Arif S, Sumner-Rooney L, Russell S, Sharma PP, McGregor AP. The Evolution of Sox Gene Repertoires and Regulation of Segmentation in Arachnids. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:3153-3169. [PMID: 33755150 PMCID: PMC8661403 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The Sox family of transcription factors regulates many processes during metazoan development, including stem cell maintenance and nervous system specification. Characterizing the repertoires and roles of these genes can therefore provide important insights into animal evolution and development. We further characterized the Sox repertoires of several arachnid species with and without an ancestral whole-genome duplication and compared their expression between the spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum and the harvestman Phalangium opilio. We found that most Sox families have been retained as ohnologs after whole-genome duplication and evidence for potential subfunctionalization and/or neofunctionalization events. Our results also suggest that Sox21b-1 likely regulated segmentation ancestrally in arachnids, playing a similar role to the closely related SoxB gene, Dichaete, in insects. We previously showed that Sox21b-1 is required for the simultaneous formation of prosomal segments and sequential addition of opisthosomal segments in P. tepidariorum. We studied the expression and function of Sox21b-1 further in this spider and found that although this gene regulates the generation of both prosomal and opisthosomal segments, it plays different roles in the formation of these tagmata reflecting their contrasting modes of segmentation and deployment of gene regulatory networks with different architectures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Baudouin-Gonzalez
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Schoenauer
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Amber Harper
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Grace Blakeley
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Seiter
- Unit Integrative Zoology, Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Saad Arif
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom.,Centre for Functional Genomics, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Steven Russell
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Prashant P Sharma
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Alistair P McGregor
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom.,Centre for Functional Genomics, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom
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20
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Schacht MI, Schomburg C, Bucher G. six3 acts upstream of foxQ2 in labrum and neural development in the spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum. Dev Genes Evol 2020; 230:95-104. [PMID: 32040712 PMCID: PMC7128001 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-020-00654-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [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: 10/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Anterior patterning in animals is based on a gene regulatory network, which comprises highly conserved transcription factors like six3, pax6 and otx. More recently, foxQ2 was found to be an ancestral component of this network but its regulatory interactions showed evolutionary differences. In most animals, foxQ2 is a downstream target of six3 and knockdown leads to mild or no epidermal phenotypes. In contrast, in the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, foxQ2 gained a more prominent role in patterning leading to strong epidermal and brain phenotypes and being required for six3 expression. However, it has remained unclear which of these novel aspects were insect or arthropod specific. Here, we study expression and RNAi phenotype of the single foxQ2 ortholog of the spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum. We find early anterior expression similar to the one of insects. Further, we show an epidermal phenotype in the labrum similar to the insect phenotype. However, our data indicate that foxQ2 is positioned downstream of six3 like in other animals but unlike insects. Hence, the epidermal and neural pattering function of foxQ2 is ancestral for arthropods while the upstream role of foxQ2 may have evolved in the lineage leading to the insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Ines Schacht
- Department of Evolutionary Developmental Genetics, GZMB, University of Göttingen, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Christoph Schomburg
- Department of Evolutionary Developmental Genetics, GZMB, University of Göttingen, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Institut für Allgemeine Zoologie und Entwicklungsbiologie, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 38, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Gregor Bucher
- Department of Evolutionary Developmental Genetics, GZMB, University of Göttingen, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
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21
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Pechmann M. Embryonic development and secondary axis induction in the Brazilian white knee tarantula Acanthoscurria geniculata, C. L. Koch, 1841 (Araneae; Mygalomorphae; Theraphosidae). Dev Genes Evol 2020; 230:75-94. [PMID: 32076811 PMCID: PMC7128004 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-020-00653-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Tarantulas represent some of the heaviest and most famous spiders. However, there is little information about the embryonic development of these spiders or their relatives (infraorder Mygalomorphae) and time-lapse recording of the embryonic development is entirely missing. I here describe the complete development of the Brazilian white knee tarantula, Acanthoscurria geniculata, in fixed and live embryos. The establishment of the blastoderm, the formation, migration and signalling of the cumulus and the shape changes that occur in the segment addition zone are analysed in detail. In addition, I show that there might be differences in the contraction process of early embryos of different theraphosid spider species. A new embryonic reference transcriptome was generated for this study and was used to clone and analyse the expression of several important developmental genes. Finally, I show that embryos of A. geniculata are amenable to tissue transplantation and bead insertion experiments. Using these functional approaches, I induced axis duplication in embryos via cumulus transplantation and ectopic activation of BMP signalling. Overall, the mygalomorph spider A. geniculata is a useful laboratory system to analyse evolutionary developmental questions, and the availability of such a system will help understanding conserved and divergent aspects of spider/chelicerate development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Pechmann
- Institute for Zoology, Department for Developmental Biology, Biocenter, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47b, 50674, Cologne, Germany.
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22
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Cordellier M, Schneider JM, Uhl G, Posnien N. Sex differences in spiders: from phenotype to genomics. Dev Genes Evol 2020; 230:155-172. [PMID: 32052129 PMCID: PMC7127994 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-020-00657-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Sexual reproduction is pervasive in animals and has led to the evolution of sexual dimorphism. In most animals, males and females show marked differences in primary and secondary sexual traits. The formation of sex-specific organs and eventually sex-specific behaviors is defined during the development of an organism. Sex determination processes have been extensively studied in a few well-established model organisms. While some key molecular regulators are conserved across animals, the initiation of sex determination is highly diverse. To reveal the mechanisms underlying the development of sexual dimorphism and to identify the evolutionary forces driving the evolution of different sexes, sex determination mechanisms must thus be studied in detail in many different animal species beyond the typical model systems. In this perspective article, we argue that spiders represent an excellent group of animals in which to study sex determination mechanisms. We show that spiders are sexually dimorphic in various morphological, behavioral, and life history traits. The availability of an increasing number of genomic and transcriptomic resources and functional tools provides a great starting point to scrutinize the extensive sexual dimorphism present in spiders on a mechanistic level. We provide an overview of the current knowledge of sex determination in spiders and propose approaches to reveal the molecular and genetic underpinnings of sexual dimorphism in these exciting animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Cordellier
- Department of Biology, Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Jutta M Schneider
- Department of Biology, Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Gabriele Uhl
- Zoological Institute and Museum, Research Group General and Systematic Zoology, Universität Greifswald, Loitzer Straße 26, 17489, Greifswald, Germany.
| | - Nico Posnien
- Department of Developmental Biology, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University Göttingen, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
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23
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Distribution and development of the external sense organ pattern on the appendages of postembryonic and adult stages of the spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum. Dev Genes Evol 2020; 230:121-136. [PMID: 32036445 PMCID: PMC7128012 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-020-00655-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Spiders are equipped with a large number of innervated cuticular specializations, which respond to various sensory stimuli. The physiological function of mechanosensory organs has been analysed in great detail in some model spider species (e.g. Cupiennius salei); however, much less is known about the distribution and function of chemosensory organs. Furthermore, our knowledge on how the sense organ pattern develops on the spider appendages is limited. Here we analyse the development of the pattern and distribution of six different external mechano- and chemosensory organs in all postembryonic stages and in adult male and female spiders of the species Parasteatoda tepidariorum. We show that except for small mechanosensory setae, external sense organs appear in fixed positions on the pedipalps and first walking legs, arranged in longitudinal rows along the proximal-distal axis or in invariable positions relative to morphological landmarks (joints, distal tarsal tip). A comparison to other Entelegynae spiders shows that these features are conserved. We hope that this study lays the foundation for future molecular analysis to address the question how this conserved pattern is generated.
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Tyagi K, Kumar V, Kundu S, Pakrashi A, Prasad P, Caleb JTD, Chandra K. Identification of Indian Spiders through DNA barcoding: Cryptic species and species complex. Sci Rep 2019; 9:14033. [PMID: 31575965 PMCID: PMC6773733 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-50510-8] [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: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Spiders are mega diverse arthropods and play an important role in the ecosystem. Identification of this group is challenging due to their cryptic behavior, sexual dimorphism, and unavailability of taxonomic keys for juveniles. To overcome these obstacles, DNA barcoding plays a pivotal role in spider identification throughout the globe. This study is the first large scale attempt on DNA barcoding of spiders from India with 101 morphospecies of 72 genera under 21 families, including five endemic species and holotypes of three species. A total of 489 barcodes was generated and analyzed, among them 85 novel barcodes of 22 morphospecies were contributed to the global database. The estimated delimitation threshold of the Indian spiders was 2.6% to 3.7% K2P corrected pairwise distance. The multiple species delimitation methods (BIN, ABGD, GMYC and PTP) revealed a total of 107 molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) for 101 morphospecies. We detected more than one MOTU in 11 morphospecies with discrepancies in genetic distances and tree topologies. Cryptic diversity was detected in Pardosa pusiola, Cyclosa spirifera, and Heteropoda venatoria. The intraspecies distances which were as large as our proposed delimitation threshold were observed in Pardosa sumatrana, Thiania bhamoensis, and Cheiracanthium triviale. Further, shallow genetic distances were detected in Cyrtophora cicatrosa, Hersilia savignyi, Argiope versicolor, Phintella vittata, and Oxyopes birmanicus. Two morphologically distinguished species (Plexippus paykulli and Plexippus petersi) showed intra-individual variation within their DNA barcode data. Additionally, we reinstate the original combination for Linyphia sikkimensis based on both morphology and DNA barcoding. These data show that DNA barcoding is a valuable tool for specimen identification and species discovery of Indian spiders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaomud Tyagi
- Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics Division, Zoological Survey of India, M- Block, New Alipore, Kolkata, 700 053, West Bengal, India
| | - Vikas Kumar
- Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics Division, Zoological Survey of India, M- Block, New Alipore, Kolkata, 700 053, West Bengal, India.
| | - Shantanu Kundu
- Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics Division, Zoological Survey of India, M- Block, New Alipore, Kolkata, 700 053, West Bengal, India
| | - Avas Pakrashi
- Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics Division, Zoological Survey of India, M- Block, New Alipore, Kolkata, 700 053, West Bengal, India
| | - Priya Prasad
- Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics Division, Zoological Survey of India, M- Block, New Alipore, Kolkata, 700 053, West Bengal, India
| | - John T D Caleb
- Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics Division, Zoological Survey of India, M- Block, New Alipore, Kolkata, 700 053, West Bengal, India
| | - Kailash Chandra
- Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics Division, Zoological Survey of India, M- Block, New Alipore, Kolkata, 700 053, West Bengal, India
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25
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Haney RA, Matte T, Forsyth FS, Garb JE. Alternative Transcription at Venom Genes and Its Role as a Complementary Mechanism for the Generation of Venom Complexity in the Common House Spider. Front Ecol Evol 2019; 7. [PMID: 31431897 PMCID: PMC6700725 DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00085] [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] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The complex composition of venom, a proteinaceous secretion used by
diverse animal groups for predation or defense, is typically viewed as being
driven by gene duplication in conjunction with positive selection, leading to
large families of diversified toxins with selective venom gland expression. Yet,
the production of alternative transcripts at venom genes is often overlooked as
another potentially important process that could contribute proteins to venom,
and requires comprehensive datasets integrating genome and transcriptome
sequences together with proteomic characterization of venom to be fully
documented. In the common house spider, Parasteatoda
tepidariorum, we used RNA sequencing of four tissue types in
conjunction with the sequenced genome to provide a comprehensive transcriptome
annotation. We also used mass spectrometry to identify a minimum of 99 distinct
proteins in P tepidariorum venom, including at least 33
latrotoxins, pore-forming neurotoxins shared with the confamilial black widow.
We found that venom proteins are much more likely to come from multiple
transcript genes, whose transcripts produced distinct protein sequences. The
presence of multiple distinct proteins in venom from transcripts at individual
genes was confirmed for eight loci by mass spectrometry, and is possible at 21
others. Alternative transcripts from the same gene, whether encoding or not
encoding a protein found in venom, showed a range of expression patterns, but
were not necessarily restricted to the venom gland. However, approximately half
of venom protein encoding transcripts were found among the 1,318 transcripts
with strongly venom gland biased expression. Our findings revealed an important
role for alternative transcription in generating venom protein complexity and
expanded the traditional model of venom evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Haney
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, United States
| | - Taylor Matte
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Boston University, Medical, Boston, MA, United States
| | - FitzAnthony S Forsyth
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, United States
| | - Jessica E Garb
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, United States
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26
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Bednarek AW, Sawadro MK, Nicewicz Ł, Babczyńska AI. Vitellogenins in the spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum - expression profile and putative hormonal regulation of vitellogenesis. BMC DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2019; 19:4. [PMID: 30849941 PMCID: PMC6408786 DOI: 10.1186/s12861-019-0184-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Knowledge about vitellogenesis in spiders is rudimentary. Therefore, the aim of study was to check the vitellogenin (Vg) presence in various tissues of the female spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum, determine when and where vitellogenesis starts and takes place, and the putative role of selected hormones in the vitellogenesis. RESULTS Here we show two genes encoding Vg (PtVg4 and PtVg6) in the genome of the spider P. tepidariorum. One gene PtVg4 and three subunits of Vg (250 kDa, 47 kDa and 30 kDa) are expressed in the midgut glands, ovaries and hemolymph. Heterosynthesis of the Vg in the midgut glands and autosynthesis in the ovaries were observed. Vitellogenesis begins in the last nymphal stage in the midgut glands (heterosynthesis). However, after sexual maturity is reached, Vg is also synthesized in the ovaries (autosynthesis). Changes in the PtVg4 expression level and in the Vg concentration after treatment with 20-hydroxyecdysone, a juvenile hormone analog (fenoxycarb) and an antijuvenoid compound (precocene I) were observed. Therefore, we propose a hypothetical model for the hormonal regulation of vitellogenesis in P. tepidariorum. CONCLUSIONS Our results are the first comprehensive study on spider vitellogenesis. In our opinion, this work will open discussion on the evolutionary context of possible similarities in the hormonal control of vitellogenesis between P. tepidariorum and other arthropods as well as their consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata W. Bednarek
- Department of Animal Physiology and Ecotoxicology, University of Silesia, Bankowa 9, PL40007 Katowice, Poland
| | - Marta K. Sawadro
- Department of Animal Physiology and Ecotoxicology, University of Silesia, Bankowa 9, PL40007 Katowice, Poland
| | - Łukasz Nicewicz
- Department of Animal Physiology and Ecotoxicology, University of Silesia, Bankowa 9, PL40007 Katowice, Poland
| | - Agnieszka I. Babczyńska
- Department of Animal Physiology and Ecotoxicology, University of Silesia, Bankowa 9, PL40007 Katowice, Poland
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27
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Babczyńska A, Sułowicz S, Talik E, Hermyt M, Bednarek A, Sawadro M, Molenda A. Sterile Capsule-Egg Cocoon Covering Constitutes an Antibacterial Barrier for Spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum Embryos. Physiol Biochem Zool 2019; 92:115-124. [PMID: 30601104 DOI: 10.1086/701390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Coexistence of organisms and pathogens has resulted in the evolution of efficient antimicrobial defense, especially at the embryonic stage. This investigation aimed to substantiate the hypothesis that the layers of silk in a spider cocoon play a role in the immunity of the embryos against microorganisms present in the external environment. A two-step interdisciplinary attempt has been made. First, the eggs and empty cocoons of the spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum were incubated on lysogeny broth agar media for 3 d. In the samples of eggs, no growth of bacteria was detected. This indicated that the eggs inside cocoons were sterile. Therefore, in the second step, the cocoons and egg surface were analyzed using SEM, TEM, and LM. The obtained images demonstrated that both inner and outer layers of the silk are built of threads of the same diameter, set in an irregular manner, and randomly clustered into groups. The threads in the outer layer were packed more densely than in the inner one. TEM analysis revealed threads of two types of fibrils and their arrangement. The resultant thread tangle of the cocoon, possibly correlated with the ultrastructure of the fibers, seems to be an example of a structure-function relationship playing a crucial ecoimmunological role in spider embryonic development.
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28
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Bonatto Paese CL, Leite DJ, Schönauer A, McGregor AP, Russell S. Duplication and expression of Sox genes in spiders. BMC Evol Biol 2018; 18:205. [PMID: 30587109 PMCID: PMC6307133 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-018-1337-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Sox family of transcription factors is an important part of the genetic 'toolbox' of all metazoans examined to date and is known to play important developmental roles in vertebrates and insects. However, outside the commonly studied Drosophila model little is known about the repertoire of Sox family transcription factors in other arthropod species. Here we characterise the Sox family in two chelicerate species, the spiders Parasteatoda tepidariorum and Stegodyphus mimosarum, which have experienced a whole genome duplication (WGD) in their evolutionary history. RESULTS We find that virtually all of the duplicate Sox genes have been retained in these spiders after the WGD. Analysis of the expression of Sox genes in P. tepidariorum embryos suggests that it is likely that some of these genes have neofunctionalised after duplication. Our expression analysis also strengthens the view that an orthologue of vertebrate Group B1 genes, SoxNeuro, is implicated in the earliest events of CNS specification in both vertebrates and invertebrates. In addition, a gene in the Dichaete/Sox21b class is dynamically expressed in the spider segment addition zone, suggestive of an ancient regulatory mechanism controlling arthropod segmentation as recently suggested for flies and beetles. Together with the recent analysis of Sox gene expression in the embryos of other arthropods, our findings support the idea of conserved functions for some of these genes, including a potential role for SoxC and SoxD genes in CNS development and SoxF in limb development. CONCLUSIONS Our study provides a new chelicerate perspective to understanding the evolution and function of Sox genes and how the retention of duplicates of such important tool-box genes after WGD has contributed to different aspects of spider embryogenesis. Future characterisation of the function of these genes in spiders will help us to better understand the evolution of the regulation of important developmental processes in arthropods and other metazoans including neurogenesis and segmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian L Bonatto Paese
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Daniel J Leite
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Anna Schönauer
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Alistair P McGregor
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK.
| | - Steven Russell
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK.
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29
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Paese CLB, Schoenauer A, Leite DJ, Russell S, McGregor AP. A SoxB gene acts as an anterior gap gene and regulates posterior segment addition in a spider. eLife 2018; 7:e37567. [PMID: 30126532 PMCID: PMC6167052 DOI: 10.7554/elife.37567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Sox genes encode a set of highly conserved transcription factors that regulate many developmental processes. In insects, the SoxB gene Dichaete is the only Sox gene known to be involved in segmentation. To determine if similar mechanisms are used in other arthropods, we investigated the role of Sox genes during segmentation in the spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum. While Dichaete does not appear to be involved in spider segmentation, we found that the closely related Sox21b-1 gene acts as a gap gene during formation of anterior segments and is also part of the segmentation clock for development of the segment addition zone and sequential addition of opisthosomal segments. Thus, we have found that two different mechanisms of segmentation in a non-mandibulate arthropod are regulated by a SoxB gene. Our work provides new insights into the function of an important and conserved gene family, and the evolution of the regulation of segmentation in arthropods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Louis Bonatto Paese
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Developmental BiologyDepartment of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes UniversityOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Anna Schoenauer
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Developmental BiologyDepartment of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes UniversityOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Daniel J Leite
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Developmental BiologyDepartment of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes UniversityOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Steven Russell
- Department of GeneticsUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Alistair P McGregor
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Developmental BiologyDepartment of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes UniversityOxfordUnited Kingdom
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30
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Barnett AA, Thomas RH. Early segmentation in the mite Archegozetes longisetosus reveals conserved and derived aspects of chelicerate development. Dev Genes Evol 2018; 228:213-217. [PMID: 29987414 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-018-0615-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The arthropod body plan is comprised of several repeating segments along the anteroposterior body axis. This high degree of conservation, however, obfuscates the wide degree of underlying developmental variation present across and within arthropod groups. In chelicerates, the arthropod clade containing mites, spiders, scorpions, and horseshoe crabs, development is the most similar at the stages following early germ band segmentation. Comparative studies of chelicerate segmentation prior to these events, however, remain scarce. In order to elucidate and identify possible shared and derived aspects of chelicerate segmentation, we followed the early prosomal (anterior) segmentation in the model mite Archegozetes longisetosus using the expression of the conserved segmental marker hedgehog (hh). Our data indicate that the ancestral chelicerate likely utilized the gene hedgehog in a group of cells surrounding the germ disc. We also provide evidence that chelicerate segmentation, albeit via the conserved "short/intermediate germ" mode, progresses differently in the prosoma between Archegozetes and spiders and thus early, anterior segmentation in chelicerates is heterochronic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austen A Barnett
- Department of Natural Sciences, DeSales University, Center Valley, PA, 18034, USA.
| | - Richard H Thomas
- Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA
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31
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Hemmi N, Akiyama-Oda Y, Fujimoto K, Oda H. A quantitative study of the diversity of stripe-forming processes in an arthropod cell-based field undergoing axis formation and growth. Dev Biol 2018; 437:84-104. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2018.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2017] [Revised: 03/01/2018] [Accepted: 03/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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32
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Townley MA, Harms D. Comparative study of spinning field development in two species of araneophagic spiders (Araneae, Mimetidae, Australomimetus). EVOLUTIONARY SYSTEMATICS 2017. [DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.1.14765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
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33
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Pechmann M, Benton MA, Kenny NJ, Posnien N, Roth S. A novel role for Ets4 in axis specification and cell migration in the spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28849761 PMCID: PMC5574703 DOI: 10.7554/elife.27590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Organizers play important roles during the embryonic development of many animals. The most famous example is the Spemann organizer that sets up embryonic axes in amphibian embryos. In spiders, a group of BMP secreting mesenchymal cells (the cumulus) functions as an organizer of the dorsoventral axis. Similar to experiments performed with the Spemann organizer, transplantation of the cumulus is able to induce a secondary axis in spiders. Despite the importance of this structure, it is unknown which factors are needed to activate cumulus specific gene expression. To address this question, we performed a transcriptomic analysis of early embryonic development in the spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum. Through this work, we found that the transcription factor Pt-Ets4 is needed for cumulus integrity, dorsoventral patterning and for the activation of Pt-hunchback and Pt-twist expression. Furthermore, ectopic expression of Pt-Ets4 is sufficient to induce cell delamination and migration by inducing a mesoderm-like cell fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Pechmann
- Developmental Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Matthew A Benton
- Developmental Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Nathan J Kenny
- Life Sciences Department, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nico Posnien
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Siegfried Roth
- Developmental Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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34
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Schwager EE, Sharma PP, Clarke T, Leite DJ, Wierschin T, Pechmann M, Akiyama-Oda Y, Esposito L, Bechsgaard J, Bilde T, Buffry AD, Chao H, Dinh H, Doddapaneni H, Dugan S, Eibner C, Extavour CG, Funch P, Garb J, Gonzalez LB, Gonzalez VL, Griffiths-Jones S, Han Y, Hayashi C, Hilbrant M, Hughes DST, Janssen R, Lee SL, Maeso I, Murali SC, Muzny DM, Nunes da Fonseca R, Paese CLB, Qu J, Ronshaugen M, Schomburg C, Schönauer A, Stollewerk A, Torres-Oliva M, Turetzek N, Vanthournout B, Werren JH, Wolff C, Worley KC, Bucher G, Gibbs RA, Coddington J, Oda H, Stanke M, Ayoub NA, Prpic NM, Flot JF, Posnien N, Richards S, McGregor AP. The house spider genome reveals an ancient whole-genome duplication during arachnid evolution. BMC Biol 2017. [PMID: 28756775 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-017-0399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The duplication of genes can occur through various mechanisms and is thought to make a major contribution to the evolutionary diversification of organisms. There is increasing evidence for a large-scale duplication of genes in some chelicerate lineages including two rounds of whole genome duplication (WGD) in horseshoe crabs. To investigate this further, we sequenced and analyzed the genome of the common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum. RESULTS We found pervasive duplication of both coding and non-coding genes in this spider, including two clusters of Hox genes. Analysis of synteny conservation across the P. tepidariorum genome suggests that there has been an ancient WGD in spiders. Comparison with the genomes of other chelicerates, including that of the newly sequenced bark scorpion Centruroides sculpturatus, suggests that this event occurred in the common ancestor of spiders and scorpions, and is probably independent of the WGDs in horseshoe crabs. Furthermore, characterization of the sequence and expression of the Hox paralogs in P. tepidariorum suggests that many have been subject to neo-functionalization and/or sub-functionalization since their duplication. CONCLUSIONS Our results reveal that spiders and scorpions are likely the descendants of a polyploid ancestor that lived more than 450 MYA. Given the extensive morphological diversity and ecological adaptations found among these animals, rivaling those of vertebrates, our study of the ancient WGD event in Arachnopulmonata provides a new comparative platform to explore common and divergent evolutionary outcomes of polyploidization events across eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn E Schwager
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 198 Riverside Street, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA
| | - Prashant P Sharma
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Thomas Clarke
- Department of Biology, Washington and Lee University, 204 West Washington Street, Lexington, VA, 24450, USA
- Department of Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
- J. Craig Venter Institute, 9714 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
| | - Daniel J Leite
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Torsten Wierschin
- Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald, Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science, Walther-Rathenau-Str. 47, 17487, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Matthias Pechmann
- Department for Developmental Biology, University Goettingen, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut for Zoology and Anthropology, GZMB Ernst-Caspari-Haus, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Cologne, Cologne Biocenter, Institute of Zoology, Zuelpicher Straße 47b, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Yasuko Akiyama-Oda
- JT Biohistory Research Hall, 1-1 Murasaki-cho, Takatsuki, Osaka, 569-1125, Japan
- Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan
| | - Lauren Esposito
- Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability, California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Drive, San Francisco, CA, 94118, USA
| | - Jesper Bechsgaard
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 116, building 1540, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Trine Bilde
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 116, building 1540, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Alexandra D Buffry
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Hsu Chao
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Huyen Dinh
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - HarshaVardhan Doddapaneni
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Shannon Dugan
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Cornelius Eibner
- Department of Genetics, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Philosophenweg 12, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Cassandra G Extavour
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Peter Funch
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 116, building 1540, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Jessica Garb
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 198 Riverside Street, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA
| | - Luis B Gonzalez
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Vanessa L Gonzalez
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, MRC-163, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013-7012, USA
| | - Sam Griffiths-Jones
- Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, D.1416 Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Yi Han
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Cheryl Hayashi
- Department of Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, 10024, USA
| | - Maarten Hilbrant
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Cologne, Cologne Biocenter, Institute of Zoology, Zuelpicher Straße 47b, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Daniel S T Hughes
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Ralf Janssen
- Department of Earth Sciences, Palaeobiology, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sandra L Lee
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Ignacio Maeso
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo (CABD), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Shwetha C Murali
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Donna M Muzny
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Rodrigo Nunes da Fonseca
- Nucleo em Ecologia e Desenvolvimento SocioAmbiental de Macaé (NUPEM), Campus Macaé, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, 27941-222, Brazil
| | - Christian L B Paese
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Jiaxin Qu
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Matthew Ronshaugen
- Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, D.1416 Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Christoph Schomburg
- Department for Developmental Biology, University Goettingen, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut for Zoology and Anthropology, GZMB Ernst-Caspari-Haus, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Anna Schönauer
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Angelika Stollewerk
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, E1 4NS, London, UK
| | - Montserrat Torres-Oliva
- Department for Developmental Biology, University Goettingen, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut for Zoology and Anthropology, GZMB Ernst-Caspari-Haus, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Natascha Turetzek
- Department for Developmental Biology, University Goettingen, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut for Zoology and Anthropology, GZMB Ernst-Caspari-Haus, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Bram Vanthournout
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 116, building 1540, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructure group (EON), Biology Department, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - John H Werren
- Biology Department, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Carsten Wolff
- Humboldt-Universität of Berlin, Institut für Biologie, Philippstr.13, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kim C Worley
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Gregor Bucher
- Department of Evolutionary Developmental Genetics, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute, GZMB, Georg-August-University, Göttingen Campus, Justus von Liebig Weg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Richard A Gibbs
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Jonathan Coddington
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, MRC-163, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013-7012, USA.
| | - Hiroki Oda
- JT Biohistory Research Hall, 1-1 Murasaki-cho, Takatsuki, Osaka, 569-1125, Japan.
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
| | - Mario Stanke
- Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald, Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science, Walther-Rathenau-Str. 47, 17487, Greifswald, Germany.
| | - Nadia A Ayoub
- Department of Biology, Washington and Lee University, 204 West Washington Street, Lexington, VA, 24450, USA.
| | - Nikola-Michael Prpic
- Department for Developmental Biology, University Goettingen, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut for Zoology and Anthropology, GZMB Ernst-Caspari-Haus, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077, Goettingen, Germany.
| | - Jean-François Flot
- Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Evolutionary Biology & Ecology, C.P. 160/12, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Nico Posnien
- Department for Developmental Biology, University Goettingen, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut for Zoology and Anthropology, GZMB Ernst-Caspari-Haus, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077, Goettingen, Germany.
| | - Stephen Richards
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Alistair P McGregor
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK.
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Schwager EE, Sharma PP, Clarke T, Leite DJ, Wierschin T, Pechmann M, Akiyama-Oda Y, Esposito L, Bechsgaard J, Bilde T, Buffry AD, Chao H, Dinh H, Doddapaneni H, Dugan S, Eibner C, Extavour CG, Funch P, Garb J, Gonzalez LB, Gonzalez VL, Griffiths-Jones S, Han Y, Hayashi C, Hilbrant M, Hughes DST, Janssen R, Lee SL, Maeso I, Murali SC, Muzny DM, Nunes da Fonseca R, Paese CLB, Qu J, Ronshaugen M, Schomburg C, Schönauer A, Stollewerk A, Torres-Oliva M, Turetzek N, Vanthournout B, Werren JH, Wolff C, Worley KC, Bucher G, Gibbs RA, Coddington J, Oda H, Stanke M, Ayoub NA, Prpic NM, Flot JF, Posnien N, Richards S, McGregor AP. The house spider genome reveals an ancient whole-genome duplication during arachnid evolution. BMC Biol 2017; 15:62. [PMID: 28756775 PMCID: PMC5535294 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-017-0399-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 197] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Accepted: 06/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The duplication of genes can occur through various mechanisms and is thought to make a major contribution to the evolutionary diversification of organisms. There is increasing evidence for a large-scale duplication of genes in some chelicerate lineages including two rounds of whole genome duplication (WGD) in horseshoe crabs. To investigate this further, we sequenced and analyzed the genome of the common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum. Results We found pervasive duplication of both coding and non-coding genes in this spider, including two clusters of Hox genes. Analysis of synteny conservation across the P. tepidariorum genome suggests that there has been an ancient WGD in spiders. Comparison with the genomes of other chelicerates, including that of the newly sequenced bark scorpion Centruroides sculpturatus, suggests that this event occurred in the common ancestor of spiders and scorpions, and is probably independent of the WGDs in horseshoe crabs. Furthermore, characterization of the sequence and expression of the Hox paralogs in P. tepidariorum suggests that many have been subject to neo-functionalization and/or sub-functionalization since their duplication. Conclusions Our results reveal that spiders and scorpions are likely the descendants of a polyploid ancestor that lived more than 450 MYA. Given the extensive morphological diversity and ecological adaptations found among these animals, rivaling those of vertebrates, our study of the ancient WGD event in Arachnopulmonata provides a new comparative platform to explore common and divergent evolutionary outcomes of polyploidization events across eukaryotes. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12915-017-0399-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn E Schwager
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 198 Riverside Street, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA
| | - Prashant P Sharma
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Thomas Clarke
- Department of Biology, Washington and Lee University, 204 West Washington Street, Lexington, VA, 24450, USA.,Department of Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA.,J. Craig Venter Institute, 9714 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
| | - Daniel J Leite
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Torsten Wierschin
- Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald, Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science, Walther-Rathenau-Str. 47, 17487, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Matthias Pechmann
- Department for Developmental Biology, University Goettingen, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut for Zoology and Anthropology, GZMB Ernst-Caspari-Haus, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077, Goettingen, Germany.,Department of Developmental Biology, University of Cologne, Cologne Biocenter, Institute of Zoology, Zuelpicher Straße 47b, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Yasuko Akiyama-Oda
- JT Biohistory Research Hall, 1-1 Murasaki-cho, Takatsuki, Osaka, 569-1125, Japan.,Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan
| | - Lauren Esposito
- Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability, California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Drive, San Francisco, CA, 94118, USA
| | - Jesper Bechsgaard
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 116, building 1540, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Trine Bilde
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 116, building 1540, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Alexandra D Buffry
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Hsu Chao
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Huyen Dinh
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - HarshaVardhan Doddapaneni
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Shannon Dugan
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Cornelius Eibner
- Department of Genetics, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Philosophenweg 12, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Cassandra G Extavour
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Peter Funch
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 116, building 1540, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Jessica Garb
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 198 Riverside Street, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA
| | - Luis B Gonzalez
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Vanessa L Gonzalez
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, MRC-163, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013-7012, USA
| | - Sam Griffiths-Jones
- Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, D.1416 Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Yi Han
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Cheryl Hayashi
- Department of Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA.,Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, 10024, USA
| | - Maarten Hilbrant
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK.,Department of Developmental Biology, University of Cologne, Cologne Biocenter, Institute of Zoology, Zuelpicher Straße 47b, 50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Daniel S T Hughes
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Ralf Janssen
- Department of Earth Sciences, Palaeobiology, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sandra L Lee
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Ignacio Maeso
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo (CABD), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Shwetha C Murali
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Donna M Muzny
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Rodrigo Nunes da Fonseca
- Nucleo em Ecologia e Desenvolvimento SocioAmbiental de Macaé (NUPEM), Campus Macaé, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, 27941-222, Brazil
| | - Christian L B Paese
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Jiaxin Qu
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Matthew Ronshaugen
- Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, D.1416 Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Christoph Schomburg
- Department for Developmental Biology, University Goettingen, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut for Zoology and Anthropology, GZMB Ernst-Caspari-Haus, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Anna Schönauer
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Angelika Stollewerk
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, E1 4NS, London, UK
| | - Montserrat Torres-Oliva
- Department for Developmental Biology, University Goettingen, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut for Zoology and Anthropology, GZMB Ernst-Caspari-Haus, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Natascha Turetzek
- Department for Developmental Biology, University Goettingen, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut for Zoology and Anthropology, GZMB Ernst-Caspari-Haus, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Bram Vanthournout
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 116, building 1540, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.,Evolution and Optics of Nanostructure group (EON), Biology Department, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - John H Werren
- Biology Department, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Carsten Wolff
- Humboldt-Universität of Berlin, Institut für Biologie, Philippstr.13, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kim C Worley
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Gregor Bucher
- Department of Evolutionary Developmental Genetics, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute, GZMB, Georg-August-University, Göttingen Campus, Justus von Liebig Weg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Richard A Gibbs
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Jonathan Coddington
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, MRC-163, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013-7012, USA.
| | - Hiroki Oda
- JT Biohistory Research Hall, 1-1 Murasaki-cho, Takatsuki, Osaka, 569-1125, Japan. .,Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
| | - Mario Stanke
- Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald, Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science, Walther-Rathenau-Str. 47, 17487, Greifswald, Germany.
| | - Nadia A Ayoub
- Department of Biology, Washington and Lee University, 204 West Washington Street, Lexington, VA, 24450, USA.
| | - Nikola-Michael Prpic
- Department for Developmental Biology, University Goettingen, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut for Zoology and Anthropology, GZMB Ernst-Caspari-Haus, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077, Goettingen, Germany.
| | - Jean-François Flot
- Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Evolutionary Biology & Ecology, C.P. 160/12, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Nico Posnien
- Department for Developmental Biology, University Goettingen, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut for Zoology and Anthropology, GZMB Ernst-Caspari-Haus, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077, Goettingen, Germany.
| | - Stephen Richards
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Alistair P McGregor
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK.
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Feitosa NM, Pechmann M, Schwager EE, Tobias-Santos V, McGregor AP, Damen WGM, Nunes da Fonseca R. Molecular control of gut formation in the spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum. Genesis 2017; 55. [PMID: 28432834 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2016] [Revised: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 03/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The development of a digestive system is an essential feature of bilaterians. Studies of the molecular control of gut formation in arthropods have been studied in detail in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. However, little is known in other arthropods, especially in noninsect arthropods. To better understand the evolution of arthropod alimentary system, we investigate the molecular control of gut development in the spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum (Pt), the primary chelicerate model species for developmental studies. Orthologs of the ectodermal genes Pt-wingless (Pt-wg) and Pt-hedgehog (Pt-hh), of the endodermal genes, Pt-serpent (Pt-srp) and Pt-hepatocyte-nuclear factor-4 (Pt-hnf4) and of the mesodermal gene Pt-twist (Pt-twi) are expressed in the same germ layers during spider gut development as in D. melanogaster. Thus, our expression data suggest that the downstream molecular components involved in gut development in arthropods are conserved. However, Pt-forkhead (Pt-fkh) expression and function in spiders is considerably different from its D. melanogaster ortholog. Pt-fkh is expressed before gastrulation in a cell population that gives rise to endodermal and mesodermal precursors, suggesting a possible role for this factor in specification of both germ layers. To test this hypothesis, we knocked down Pt-fkh via RNA interference. Pt-fkh RNAi embryos not only fail to develop a proper gut, but also lack the mesodermal Pt-twi expressing cells. Thus, in spiders Pt-fkh specifies endodermal and mesodermal germ layers. We discuss the implications of these findings for the evolution and development of gut formation in Ecdysozoans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália Martins Feitosa
- Laboratório Integrado de Ciências Morfofuncionais, Núcleo em Ecologia e Desenvolvimento Socio-Ambiental de Macaé (NUPEM), Campus Macaé, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Macaé, Rio de Janeiro, 27920-560, Brazil
| | - Matthias Pechmann
- Institute for Developmental Biology, University of Cologne, Cologne, North-Rhine Westphalia, 50674, Germany
| | - Evelyn E Schwager
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 198 Riverside Street, Lowell, Massachusetts, 01854
| | - Vitória Tobias-Santos
- Laboratório Integrado de Ciências Morfofuncionais, Núcleo em Ecologia e Desenvolvimento Socio-Ambiental de Macaé (NUPEM), Campus Macaé, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Macaé, Rio de Janeiro, 27920-560, Brazil
| | - Alistair P McGregor
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, United Kingdom
| | - Wim G M Damen
- Department of Genetics, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Philosophenweg 12, Jena, 07743, Germany
| | - Rodrigo Nunes da Fonseca
- Laboratório Integrado de Ciências Morfofuncionais, Núcleo em Ecologia e Desenvolvimento Socio-Ambiental de Macaé (NUPEM), Campus Macaé, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Macaé, Rio de Janeiro, 27920-560, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), 21941-599 Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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37
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Gendreau KL, Haney RA, Schwager EE, Wierschin T, Stanke M, Richards S, Garb JE. House spider genome uncovers evolutionary shifts in the diversity and expression of black widow venom proteins associated with extreme toxicity. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:178. [PMID: 28209133 PMCID: PMC5314461 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-3551-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2016] [Accepted: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Black widow spiders are infamous for their neurotoxic venom, which can cause extreme and long-lasting pain. This unusual venom is dominated by latrotoxins and latrodectins, two protein families virtually unknown outside of the black widow genus Latrodectus, that are difficult to study given the paucity of spider genomes. Using tissue-, sex- and stage-specific expression data, we analyzed the recently sequenced genome of the house spider (Parasteatoda tepidariorum), a close relative of black widows, to investigate latrotoxin and latrodectin diversity, expression and evolution. RESULTS We discovered at least 47 latrotoxin genes in the house spider genome, many of which are tandem-arrayed. Latrotoxins vary extensively in predicted structural domains and expression, implying their significant functional diversification. Phylogenetic analyses show latrotoxins have substantially duplicated after the Latrodectus/Parasteatoda split and that they are also related to proteins found in endosymbiotic bacteria. Latrodectin genes are less numerous than latrotoxins, but analyses show their recruitment for venom function from neuropeptide hormone genes following duplication, inversion and domain truncation. While latrodectins and other peptides are highly expressed in house spider and black widow venom glands, latrotoxins account for a far smaller percentage of house spider venom gland expression. CONCLUSIONS The house spider genome sequence provides novel insights into the evolution of venom toxins once considered unique to black widows. Our results greatly expand the size of the latrotoxin gene family, reinforce its narrow phylogenetic distribution, and provide additional evidence for the lateral transfer of latrotoxins between spiders and bacterial endosymbionts. Moreover, we strengthen the evidence for the evolution of latrodectin venom genes from the ecdysozoan Ion Transport Peptide (ITP)/Crustacean Hyperglycemic Hormone (CHH) neuropeptide superfamily. The lower expression of latrotoxins in house spiders relative to black widows, along with the absence of a vertebrate-targeting α-latrotoxin gene in the house spider genome, may account for the extreme potency of black widow venom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerry L Gendreau
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Biocomplexity Institute, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Robert A Haney
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA
| | - Evelyn E Schwager
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA
| | - Torsten Wierschin
- Institut für Mathematik und Informatik, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt Universität Greifswald, Walther-Rathenau-Straße 47, 17487, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Mario Stanke
- Institut für Mathematik und Informatik, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt Universität Greifswald, Walther-Rathenau-Straße 47, 17487, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Stephen Richards
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Jessica E Garb
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA.
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38
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Whittle CA, Extavour CG. Expression-Linked Patterns of Codon Usage, Amino Acid Frequency, and Protein Length in the Basally Branching Arthropod Parasteatoda tepidariorum. Genome Biol Evol 2016; 8:2722-36. [PMID: 27017527 PMCID: PMC5630913 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evw068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Spiders belong to the Chelicerata, the most basally branching arthropod subphylum. The common house spider, Parasteatoda tepidariorum, is an emerging model and provides a valuable system to address key questions in molecular evolution in an arthropod system that is distinct from traditionally studied insects. Here, we provide evidence suggesting that codon usage, amino acid frequency, and protein lengths are each influenced by expression-mediated selection in P. tepidariorum. First, highly expressed genes exhibited preferential usage of T3 codons in this spider, suggestive of selection. Second, genes with elevated transcription favored amino acids with low or intermediate size/complexity (S/C) scores (glycine and alanine) and disfavored those with large S/C scores (such as cysteine), consistent with the minimization of biosynthesis costs of abundant proteins. Third, we observed a negative correlation between expression level and coding sequence length. Together, we conclude that protein-coding genes exhibit signals of expression-related selection in this emerging, noninsect, arthropod model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie A Whittle
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University
| | - Cassandra G Extavour
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University
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Pechmann M. Formation of the germ-disc in spider embryos by a condensation-like mechanism. Front Zool 2016; 13:35. [PMID: 27525029 PMCID: PMC4982120 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-016-0166-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 07/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Determination of the embryonic body axes is a crucial developmental process in all animals. The establishment of the embryonic axes of spiders has been best studied in the common-house-spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum. Here, anteroposterior (AP) polarity arises during germ disc formation; the centre of the germ-disc marks the future posterior pole, and the rim of the disc the future anterior pole of the spider embryo. The centre of the germ disc is also needed for the formation of the cumulus, a group of migratory cells needed to establish dorsoventral (DV) polarity. Thus, both body axes depend on proper germ disc formation and patterning. However, these processes have not been fully analysed at the cellular and molecular level. Results Here I present new techniques to stain the cell membranes/outlines in live and fixed spider embryos. I show that the germ-disc is formed from a regular and contiguous blastoderm and that co-ordinated cell shape changes, rather than migration of single cells, are required to drive germ-disc formation in P. tepidariorum embryos. Furthermore, I show that the rate of cell divisions within the embryonic and extra-embryonic region is not involved in the rapid establishment of the germ-disc. Finally, I show that the process of germ-disc formation is dependent on the initiation of zygotic transcription. Conclusions The presented data provide new insights in to the formation of the germ-disc in spider embryos. The establishment of the germ-disc in Parasteatoda embryos is a highly dynamic process that involves wide scale cell-shape changes. While most of the blastodermal cells become cuboidal to form the dense germ-disc, the remaining blastodermal cells stay squamous and develop into huge extra-embryonic, yolk rich cells. In addition, this study shows that the onset of zygotic transcription is needed to establish the germ-disc itself, and that the mid-blastula transition of Parasteatoda tepidariorum embryos is prior to any overt axis establishment. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12983-016-0166-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Pechmann
- University of Cologne, Cologne Biocenter, Zülpicher Str. 47B, 50674 Cologne, Germany
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Leite DJ, Ninova M, Hilbrant M, Arif S, Griffiths-Jones S, Ronshaugen M, McGregor AP. Pervasive microRNA Duplication in Chelicerates: Insights from the Embryonic microRNA Repertoire of the Spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum. Genome Biol Evol 2016; 8:2133-44. [PMID: 27324919 PMCID: PMC4987109 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evw143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs are small (∼22 nt) noncoding RNAs that repress translation and therefore regulate the production of proteins from specific target mRNAs. microRNAs have been found to function in diverse aspects of gene regulation within animal development and many other processes. Among invertebrates, both conserved and novel, lineage specific, microRNAs have been extensively studied predominantly in holometabolous insects such as Drosophila melanogaster However little is known about microRNA repertoires in other arthropod lineages such as the chelicerates. To understand the evolution of microRNAs in this poorly sampled subphylum, we characterized the microRNA repertoire expressed during embryogenesis of the common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum We identified a total of 148 microRNAs in P. tepidariorum representing 66 families. Approximately half of these microRNA families are conserved in other metazoans, while the remainder are specific to this spider. Of the 35 conserved microRNAs families 15 had at least two copies in the P. tepidariorum genome. A BLAST-based approach revealed a similar pattern of duplication in other spiders and a scorpion, but not among other chelicerates and arthropods, with the exception of a horseshoe crab. Among the duplicated microRNAs we found examples of lineage-specific tandem duplications, and the duplication of entire microRNA clusters in three spiders, a scorpion, and in a horseshoe crab. Furthermore, we found that paralogs of many P. tepidariorum microRNA families exhibit arm switching, which suggests that duplication was often followed by sub- or neofunctionalization. Our work shows that understanding the evolution of microRNAs in the chelicerates has great potential to provide insights into the process of microRNA duplication and divergence and the evolution of animal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Leite
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Ninova
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Maarten Hilbrant
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, United Kingdom
| | - Saad Arif
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Alistair P McGregor
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, United Kingdom
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Leite DJ, McGregor AP. Arthropod evolution and development: recent insights from chelicerates and myriapods. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2016; 39:93-100. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2016.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2016] [Revised: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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Hartmann K, Laumann M, Bergmann P, Heethoff M, Schmelzle S. Development of the synganglion and morphology of the adult nervous system in the miteArchegozetes longisetosusAoki (Chelicerata, Actinotrichida, Oribatida). J Morphol 2016; 277:537-48. [DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2015] [Revised: 12/10/2015] [Accepted: 12/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Konstantin Hartmann
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Humboldt University of Berlin; Philippstraße 13 Haus 6 Berlin 10115 Germany
| | - Michael Laumann
- Electron Microscopy Center, University of Konstanz, Universitaetsstrasse 10; Konstanz 78457 Germany
| | - Paavo Bergmann
- Evolutionary Biology of Invertebrates, University of Tuebingen, Auf Der Morgenstelle 28E; Tuebingen 72076 Germany
| | - Michael Heethoff
- Ecological Networks, Technical University Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstraße 3; Darmstadt 64287 Germany
| | - Sebastian Schmelzle
- Ecological Networks, Technical University Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstraße 3; Darmstadt 64287 Germany
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Akiyama-Oda Y, Oda H. Multi-color FISH facilitates analysis of cell-type diversification and developmental gene regulation in theParasteatodaspider embryo. Dev Growth Differ 2016; 58:215-24. [DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2015] [Revised: 12/09/2015] [Accepted: 12/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yasuko Akiyama-Oda
- JT Biohistory Research Hall; 1-1 Murasaki-cho 569-1125 Takatsuki Osaka 569-1125 Japan
- Microbiology and Infection Control; Osaka Medical College; 2-7 Daigaku-machi 569-8686 Takatsuki, Osaka Japan
| | - Hiroki Oda
- JT Biohistory Research Hall; 1-1 Murasaki-cho 569-1125 Takatsuki Osaka 569-1125 Japan
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Schönauer A, Paese CLB, Hilbrant M, Leite DJ, Schwager EE, Feitosa NM, Eibner C, Damen WGM, McGregor AP. The Wnt and Delta-Notch signalling pathways interact to direct pair-rule gene expression via caudal during segment addition in the spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum. Development 2016; 143:2455-63. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.131656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 05/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In short germ arthropods, posterior segments are added sequentially from a growth zone or segment addition zone (SAZ) during embryogenesis. Studies in spiders such as the common house spider, Parasteatoda tepidariorum, have provided insights into the gene regulatory network (GRN) that underlies the development of the SAZ, and revealed the involvement of two important signalling pathways. It was shown that Wnt8 maintains a pool of undifferentiated cells in the SAZ, but this ligand is also required for dynamic Delta (Dl) expression associated with the formation of new segments. However, it remains unclear how these pathways interact during SAZ formation and subsequently regulate segment addition. Here we show that Delta-Notch signalling is required for Wnt8 expression in posterior SAZ cells, but represses the expression of this Wnt gene in anterior SAZ cells. We also found that these two signalling pathways are required for the expression of the spider orthologues of the segmentation genes even-skipped (eve) and runt-1 (run-1), at least in part via the transcription factor encoded by caudal (cad). Moreover, it appears that dynamic expression of eve in this spider does not require a feedback loop with run-1, as is found in the pair-rule circuit of the beetle Tribolium. Taken together, our results suggest that the development of posterior segments in Parasteatoda is directed by dynamic interactions between Wnt8 and Delta-Notch signalling that are read out by cad, which is necessary but not sufficient to regulate the expression of the pair-rule genes eve and run-1. Our study therefore provides new insights towards better understanding the evolution and developmental regulation of segmentation in other arthropods including insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Schönauer
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Christian L. B. Paese
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Maarten Hilbrant
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
- Present address: Institute for Developmental Biology, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Str. 47b, 50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Daniel J. Leite
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Evelyn E. Schwager
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
- Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 198 Riverside St., Lowell, MA 01854, USA
| | - Natália Martins Feitosa
- Laboratório Integrado de Ciências Morfofuncionais, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro- UFRJ/NUPEM-Campus Macaé
| | - Cornelius Eibner
- Department of Genetics, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Philosophenweg 12, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Wim G. M. Damen
- Department of Genetics, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Philosophenweg 12, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Alistair P. McGregor
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
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Edgar A, Bates C, Larkin K, Black S. Gastrulation occurs in multiple phases at two distinct sites in Latrodectus and Cheiracanthium spiders. EvoDevo 2015; 6:33. [PMID: 26500757 PMCID: PMC4618530 DOI: 10.1186/s13227-015-0029-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2015] [Accepted: 10/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The longstanding canonical model of spider gastrulation posits that cell internalization occurs only at a unitary central blastopore; and that the cumulus (dorsal organizer) arises from within the early deep layer by cell-cell interaction. Recent work has begun to challenge the canonical model by demonstrating cell internalization at extra-blastoporal sites in two species (Parasteatoda tepidariorum and Zygiella x-notata); and showing in Zygiella that the prospective cumulus internalizes first, before other cells are present in the deep layer. The cell behaviors making up spider gastrulation thus appear to show considerable variation, and a wider sampling of taxa is indicated. RESULTS We evaluated the model in three species from two families by direct observation of living embryos. Movements of individual cells were traced from timelapse recordings and the origin and fate of the cumulus determined by CM-DiI labeling. We show that there are two distinct regions of internalization: most cells enter the deep layer via the central blastopore but many additional cells ingress via an extra-blastoporal ring, either at the periphery of the germ disc (Latrodectus spp.) or nearer the central field (Cheiracanthium mildei). In all species, the cumulus cells internalize first; this is shown by tracing cells in timelapse, histology, and by CM-DiI injection into the deep layer. Injection very early in gastrulation labels only cumulus mesenchyme cells whereas injections at later stages label non-cumulus mesoderm and endoderm. CONCLUSIONS We propose a revised model to accommodate the new data. Our working model has the prospective cumulus cells internalizing first, at the central blastopore. The cumulus cells begin migration before other cells enter the deep layer. This is consistent with early specification of the cumulus and suggests that cell-cell interaction with other deep layer cells is not required for its function. As the cumulus migrates, additional mesendoderm internalizes at two distinct locations: through the central blastopore and at an extra-blastoporal ring. Our work thus demonstrates early, cell-autonomous behavior of the cumulus and variation in subsequent location and timing of cell internalization during gastrulation in spiders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison Edgar
- />Kleinholtz Biological Laboratories, Department of Biology, Reed College, 3203 S.E. Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR 97202 USA
- />Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708 USA
| | - Christine Bates
- />Kleinholtz Biological Laboratories, Department of Biology, Reed College, 3203 S.E. Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR 97202 USA
- />Department of Internal Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708 USA
| | - Kay Larkin
- />Kleinholtz Biological Laboratories, Department of Biology, Reed College, 3203 S.E. Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR 97202 USA
| | - Steven Black
- />Kleinholtz Biological Laboratories, Department of Biology, Reed College, 3203 S.E. Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR 97202 USA
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A revised and dated phylogeny of cobweb spiders (Araneae, Araneoidea, Theridiidae): A predatory Cretaceous lineage diversifying in the era of the ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2015; 94:658-675. [PMID: 26454029 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2015.09.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2015] [Revised: 08/19/2015] [Accepted: 09/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Cobweb spiders (Theridiidae) are highly diverse from the perspective of species richness, morphological diversity, variety of web architecture, and behavioral repertoires. The family includes over 50% of social spiders, a behavioral rarity among the order, and members of the family are furthermore the subject of research on venom, silk biomechanics, kleptoparasitism and web building, among other traits. Theridiidae is one of the most abundant groups of spiders, and thus key insect predators in many different ecosystems and is among relatively few spider families that show high degree of myrmecophagy. Modern comparative studies on all these fronts are best buttressed on a phylogenetic foundation. Our goal here is to offer a revised, dated, phylogenetic hypothesis for the family by summarizing previously published data from multiple molecular and morphological studies through data-mining, and adding novel data from several genera. We also test the hypothesis that the origin and diversification of cobweb spiders coincides with that of ants on which many species specialize as prey. The new phylogeny is largely congruent with prior studies and current taxonomy and should provide a useful tool for theridiid classification and for comparative analyses. Nevertheless, we also highlight the limitations of currently available data-the state of the art in Theridiidae phylogenetics-offering weak support for most of the deeper nodes in the phylogeny. Thus the need is clear for modern phylogenomic approaches to obtain a more solid understanding, especially of relationships among subfamilies. We recover the monophyly of currently recognized theridiid subfamilies with the exception of some enigmatic 'pholcommatines' (Styposis, Phoroncidia) and putative 'hadrotarsines' (Audifia, Tekellina) whose placement is uncertain in our analyses. Theridiidae dates back some 100 mya to the Cretaceous, a period of diversification in flowering plants and many groups of insects, including ants. The origin of cobweb spiders, and hence the cobweb-a speciallized trap for pedestrian prey-coincides with a major diversification shift in ants. The family becomes abundant in fossil record 50-40 mya as ants also diversify and reach dominance and contemporary patterns of abundances of theridiids and ants show the same trends, with increasing relative abundance towards the equator and at lower altitudes. We find that among orbiculariae, lineages that specialize on ant prey are non-randomly clustered within Theridiidae. Given these findings we hypothesize that the origin of the gumfoot web was a stepping stone that facilitated the capture of ants and resulted in specialized myrmecophagy in a number of 'basal' theridiids. We also document a subsequent loss in myrmecophagy, and associated increase in speciation rates, as 'recent' theridiid groups evolve diverse web forms and many return to the capture of aerial prey.
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Janssen R, Schönauer A, Weber M, Turetzek N, Hogvall M, Goss GE, Patel NH, McGregor AP, Hilbrant M. The evolution and expression of panarthropod frizzled genes. Front Ecol Evol 2015. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2015.00096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Farley RD. Book lung development in the embryo, postembryo and first instar of the cobweb spider, Parasteatoda tepidariorum C. L Koch, 1841 (Araneomorphae, Theridiidae). ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2015; 44:355-377. [PMID: 25936921 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2015.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2015] [Revised: 03/27/2015] [Accepted: 04/22/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Light and electron microscopy were used to compare spider book lung development with earlier studies of the development of horseshoe crab book gills and scorpion book lungs. Histological studies at the beginning of the 20th century provided evidence that spider and scorpion book lungs begin with outgrowth of a few primary lamellae (respiratory furrows, saccules) from the posterior surface of opisthosomal limb buds, reminiscent of the formation of book gills in the horseshoe crab. In spider embryos, light micrographs herein also show small primary lamellae formed at the posterior surface of opisthosomal limb buds. Later, more prominent primary lamellae extend into each book lung sinus from the inner wall of the book lung operculum formed from the limb bud. It appears most primary lamellae continue developing and become part of later book lungs, but there is variation in the rate and sequence of development. Electron micrographs show the process of air channel formation from parallel rows of precursor cells: mode I (cord hollowing), release of secretory vesicles into the extracellular space and mode II (cell hollowing), alignment and fusion of intracellular vesicles. Cell death (cavitation) is much less common but occurs in some places. Results herein support the early 20th century hypotheses that 1) book lungs are derived from book gills and 2) book lungs are an early step in the evolution of spider tracheae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger D Farley
- Department of Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
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Molecular characterization and embryonic origin of the eyes in the common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum. EvoDevo 2015; 6:15. [PMID: 26034574 PMCID: PMC4450840 DOI: 10.1186/s13227-015-0011-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2015] [Accepted: 04/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Two visual systems are present in most arthropod groups: median and lateral eyes. Most of our current knowledge about the developmental and molecular mechanisms involved in eye formation in arthropods comes from research in the model system Drosophila melanogaster. Here, a core set of retinal determination genes, namely, sine-oculis (so), eyes absent (eya), dachshund (dac), and the two pax6 orthologues eyeless (ey) and twin of eyeless (toy) govern early retinal development. By contrast, not much is known about the development of the up-to-eight eyes present in spiders. Therefore, we analyzed the embryonic expression of core retinal determination genes in the common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum. Results We show that the anlagen of the median and lateral eyes in P. tepidariorum originate from different regions of the non-neurogenic ectoderm in the embryonic head. The median eyes are specified as two individual anlagen in an anterior median position in the developing head and subsequently move to their final position following extensive morphogenetic movements of the non-neurogenic ectoderm. The lateral eyes develop from a more lateral position. Intriguingly, they are specified as a unique field of cells that splits into the three individual lateral eyes during late embryonic development. Using gene expression analyses, we identified a unique combination of determination gene expression in the anlagen of the lateral and median eyes, respectively. Conclusions This study of retinal determination genes in the common house spider P. tepidariorum represents the first comprehensive analysis of the well-known retinal determination genes in arthropods outside insects. The development of the individual lateral eyes via the subdivision of one single eye primordium might be the vestige of a larger composite eye anlage, and thus supports the notion that the composite eye is the plesiomorphic state of the lateral eyes in arthropods. The molecular distinction of the two visual systems is similar to the one described for compound eyes and ocelli in Drosophila, suggesting that a unique core determination network for median and lateral eyes, respectively, might have been in place already in the last common ancestor of spiders and insects. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13227-015-0011-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Posnien N, Zeng V, Schwager EE, Pechmann M, Hilbrant M, Keefe JD, Damen WGM, Prpic NM, McGregor AP, Extavour CG. A comprehensive reference transcriptome resource for the common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum. PLoS One 2014; 9:e104885. [PMID: 25118601 PMCID: PMC4132015 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0104885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2014] [Accepted: 07/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasteatoda tepidariorum is an increasingly popular model for the study of spider development and the evolution of development more broadly. However, fully understanding the regulation and evolution of P. tepidariorum development in comparison to other animals requires a genomic perspective. Although research on P. tepidariorum has provided major new insights, gene analysis to date has been limited to candidate gene approaches. Furthermore, the few available EST collections are based on embryonic transcripts, which have not been systematically annotated and are unlikely to contain transcripts specific to post-embryonic stages of development. We therefore generated cDNA from pooled embryos representing all described embryonic stages, as well as post-embryonic stages including nymphs, larvae and adults, and using Illumina HiSeq technology obtained a total of 625,076,514 100-bp paired end reads. We combined these data with 24,360 ESTs available in GenBank, and 1,040,006 reads newly generated from 454 pyrosequencing of a mixed-stage embryo cDNA library. The combined sequence data were assembled using a custom de novo assembly strategy designed to optimize assembly product length, number of predicted transcripts, and proportion of raw reads incorporated into the assembly. The de novo assembly generated 446,427 contigs with an N50 of 1,875 bp. These sequences obtained 62,799 unique BLAST hits against the NCBI non-redundant protein data base, including putative orthologs to 8,917 Drosophila melanogaster genes based on best reciprocal BLAST hit identity compared with the D. melanogaster proteome. Finally, we explored the utility of the transcriptome for RNA-Seq studies, and showed that this resource can be used as a mapping scaffold to detect differential gene expression in different cDNA libraries. This resource will therefore provide a platform for future genomic, gene expression and functional approaches using P. tepidariorum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nico Posnien
- Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, Department of Developmental Biology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, GZMB Ernst-Caspari-Haus, Göttingen, Germany
- * E-mail: (NP); (CGE)
| | - Victor Zeng
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Evelyn E. Schwager
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Matthias Pechmann
- Cologne Biocenter, Institute of Developmental Biology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Maarten Hilbrant
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph D. Keefe
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Wim G. M. Damen
- Department of Genetics, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Nikola-Michael Prpic
- Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, Department of Developmental Biology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, GZMB Ernst-Caspari-Haus, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Alistair P. McGregor
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Cassandra G. Extavour
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail: (NP); (CGE)
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