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Mörsdorf D, Knabl P, Genikhovich G. Highly conserved and extremely evolvable: BMP signalling in secondary axis patterning of Cnidaria and Bilateria. Dev Genes Evol 2024; 234:1-19. [PMID: 38472535 PMCID: PMC11226491 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-024-00714-4] [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: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Bilateria encompass the vast majority of the animal phyla. As the name states, they are bilaterally symmetric, that is with a morphologically clear main body axis connecting their anterior and posterior ends, a second axis running between their dorsal and ventral surfaces, and with a left side being roughly a mirror image of their right side. Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signalling has widely conserved functions in the formation and patterning of the second, dorso-ventral (DV) body axis, albeit to different extents in different bilaterian species. Whilst initial findings in the fruit fly Drosophila and the frog Xenopus highlighted similarities amongst these evolutionarily very distant species, more recent analyses featuring other models revealed considerable diversity in the mechanisms underlying dorsoventral patterning. In fact, as phylogenetic sampling becomes broader, we find that this axis patterning system is so evolvable that even its core components can be deployed differently or lost in different model organisms. In this review, we will try to highlight the diversity of ways by which BMP signalling controls bilaterality in different animals, some of which do not belong to Bilateria. Future research combining functional analyses and modelling is bound to give us some understanding as to where the limits to the extent of the evolvability of BMP-dependent axial patterning may lie.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Mörsdorf
- Dept. Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, UBB, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Paul Knabl
- Dept. Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, UBB, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution (VDSEE), University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Grigory Genikhovich
- Dept. Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, UBB, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria.
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2
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Knabl P, Schauer A, Pomreinke AP, Zimmermann B, Rogers KW, Čapek D, Müller P, Genikhovich G. Analysis of SMAD1/5 target genes in a sea anemone reveals ZSWIM4-6 as a novel BMP signaling modulator. eLife 2024; 13:e80803. [PMID: 38323609 PMCID: PMC10849676 DOI: 10.7554/elife.80803] [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: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BMP signaling has a conserved function in patterning the dorsal-ventral body axis in Bilateria and the directive axis in anthozoan cnidarians. So far, cnidarian studies have focused on the role of different BMP signaling network components in regulating pSMAD1/5 gradient formation. Much less is known about the target genes downstream of BMP signaling. To address this, we generated a genome-wide list of direct pSMAD1/5 target genes in the anthozoan Nematostella vectensis, several of which were conserved in Drosophila and Xenopus. Our ChIP-seq analysis revealed that many of the regulatory molecules with documented bilaterally symmetric expression in Nematostella are directly controlled by BMP signaling. We identified several so far uncharacterized BMP-dependent transcription factors and signaling molecules, whose bilaterally symmetric expression may be indicative of their involvement in secondary axis patterning. One of these molecules is zswim4-6, which encodes a novel nuclear protein that can modulate the pSMAD1/5 gradient and potentially promote BMP-dependent gene repression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Knabl
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of ViennaViennaAustria
- Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution (VDSEE), University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Alexandra Schauer
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | | | - Bob Zimmermann
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | | | | | - Patrick Müller
- Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck SocietyTübingenGermany
- University of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - Grigory Genikhovich
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of ViennaViennaAustria
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3
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Gilbert E, Craggs J, Modepalli V. Gene Regulatory Network that Shaped the Evolution of Larval Apical Organ in Cnidaria. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msad285. [PMID: 38152864 PMCID: PMC10781443 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad285] [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: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Among non-bilaterian animals, a larval apical sensory organ with integrated neurons is only found in cnidarians. Within cnidarians, an apical organ with a ciliary tuft is mainly found in Actiniaria. Whether this apical tuft has evolved independently in Actiniaria or alternatively originated in the common ancestor of Cnidaria and Bilateria and was lost in specific groups is uncertain. To test this hypothesis, we generated transcriptomes of the apical domain during the planula stage of four species representing three key groups of cnidarians: Aurelia aurita (Scyphozoa), Nematostella vectensis (Actiniaria), and Acropora millepora and Acropora tenuis (Scleractinia). We showed that the canonical genes implicated in patterning the apical domain of N. vectensis are largely absent in A. aurita. In contrast, the apical domain of the scleractinian planula shares gene expression pattern with N. vectensis. By comparing the larval single-cell transcriptomes, we revealed the apical organ cell type of Scleractinia and confirmed its homology to Actiniaria. However, Fgfa2, a vital regulator of the regionalization of the N. vectensis apical organ, is absent in the scleractinian genome. Likewise, we found that FoxJ1 and 245 genes associated with cilia are exclusively expressed in the N. vectensis apical domain, which is in line with the presence of ciliary apical tuft in Actiniaria and its absence in Scleractinia and Scyphozoa. Our findings suggest that the common ancestor of cnidarians lacked a ciliary apical tuft, and it could have evolved independently in the Actiniaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor Gilbert
- Marine Biological Association of the UK, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Jamie Craggs
- Horniman Museum and Gardens, London SE23 3PQ, UK
| | - Vengamanaidu Modepalli
- Marine Biological Association of the UK, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK
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4
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Zimmermann B, Montenegro JD, Robb SMC, Fropf WJ, Weilguny L, He S, Chen S, Lovegrove-Walsh J, Hill EM, Chen CY, Ragkousi K, Praher D, Fredman D, Schultz D, Moran Y, Simakov O, Genikhovich G, Gibson MC, Technau U. Topological structures and syntenic conservation in sea anemone genomes. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8270. [PMID: 38092765 PMCID: PMC10719294 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44080-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
There is currently little information about the evolution of gene clusters, genome architectures and karyotypes in early branching animals. Slowly evolving anthozoan cnidarians can be particularly informative about the evolution of these genome features. Here we report chromosome-level genome assemblies of two related anthozoans, the sea anemones Nematostella vectensis and Scolanthus callimorphus. We find a robust set of 15 chromosomes with a clear one-to-one correspondence between the two species. Both genomes show chromosomal conservation, allowing us to reconstruct ancestral cnidarian and metazoan chromosomal blocks, consisting of at least 19 and 16 ancestral linkage groups, respectively. We show that, in contrast to Bilateria, the Hox and NK clusters of investigated cnidarians are largely disintegrated, despite the presence of staggered hox/gbx expression in Nematostella. This loss of microsynteny conservation may be facilitated by shorter distances between cis-regulatory sequences and their cognate transcriptional start sites. We find no clear evidence for topologically associated domains, suggesting fundamental differences in long-range gene regulation compared to vertebrates. These data suggest that large sets of ancestral metazoan genes have been retained in ancestral linkage groups of some extant lineages; yet, higher order gene regulation with associated 3D architecture may have evolved only after the cnidarian-bilaterian split.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bob Zimmermann
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
- Research platform SinCeReSt, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Juan D Montenegro
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
- Research platform SinCeReSt, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sofia M C Robb
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - Whitney J Fropf
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - Lukas Weilguny
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Shuonan He
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - Shiyuan Chen
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - Jessica Lovegrove-Walsh
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Eric M Hill
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - Cheng-Yi Chen
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - Katerina Ragkousi
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA, 01002, USA
| | - Daniela Praher
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - David Fredman
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Darrin Schultz
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Yehu Moran
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
- The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | - Oleg Simakov
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
- Research platform SinCeReSt, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Grigory Genikhovich
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthew C Gibson
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA.
| | - Ulrich Technau
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria.
- Research platform SinCeReSt, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria.
- Max Perutz laboratories, University of Vienna, Dr. Bohrgasse 5, 1030, Vienna, Austria.
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5
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He S, Shao W, Chen SC, Wang T, Gibson MC. Spatial transcriptomics reveals a cnidarian segment polarity program in Nematostella vectensis. Curr Biol 2023:S0960-9822(23)00676-0. [PMID: 37315559 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.05.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
During early animal evolution, the emergence of axially polarized segments was central to the diversification of complex bilaterian body plans. Nevertheless, precisely how and when segment polarity pathways arose remains obscure. Here, we demonstrate the molecular basis for segment polarization in developing larvae of the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. Utilizing spatial transcriptomics, we first constructed a 3D gene expression atlas of developing larval segments. Capitalizing on accurate in silico predictions, we identified Lbx and Uncx, conserved homeodomain-containing genes that occupy opposing subsegmental domains under the control of both bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling and the Hox-Gbx cascade. Functionally, Lbx mutagenesis eliminated all molecular evidence of segment polarization at the larval stage and caused an aberrant mirror-symmetric pattern of retractor muscles (RMs) in primary polyps. These results demonstrate the molecular basis for segment polarity in a non-bilaterian animal, suggesting that polarized metameric structures were present in the Cnidaria-Bilateria common ancestor over 600 million years ago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuonan He
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Wanqing Shao
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | | | - Ting Wang
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA
| | - Matthew C Gibson
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
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6
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He S, Shao W, Chen S(C, Wang T, Gibson MC. Spatial transcriptomics reveals a conserved segment polarity program that governs muscle patterning in Nematostella vectensis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.09.523347. [PMID: 36711919 PMCID: PMC9882047 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.09.523347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
During early animal evolution, the emergence of axially-polarized segments was central to the diversification of complex bilaterian body plans. Nevertheless, precisely how and when segment polarity pathways arose remains obscure. Here we demonstrate the molecular basis for segment polarization in developing larvae of the pre-bilaterian sea anemone Nematostella vectensis . Utilizing spatial transcriptomics, we first constructed a 3-D gene expression atlas of developing larval segments. Capitalizing on accurate in silico predictions, we identified Lbx and Uncx, conserved homeodomain-containing genes that occupy opposing subsegmental domains under the control of both BMP signaling and the Hox-Gbx cascade. Functionally, Lbx mutagenesis eliminated all molecular evidence of segment polarization at larval stage and caused an aberrant mirror-symmetric pattern of retractor muscles in primary polyps. These results demonstrate the molecular basis for segment polarity in a pre-bilaterian animal, suggesting that polarized metameric structures were present in the Cnidaria-Bilateria common ancestor over 600 million years ago. Highlights Nematostella endomesodermal tissue forms metameric segments and displays a transcriptomic profile similar to that observed in bilaterian mesoderm Construction of a comprehensive 3-D gene expression atlas enables systematic dissection of segmental identity in endomesoderm Lbx and Uncx , two conserved homeobox-containing genes, establish segment polarity in Nematostella The Cnidarian-Bilaterian common ancestor likely possessed the genetic toolkit to generate polarized metameric structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuonan He
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA,Current Address: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - Wanqing Shao
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA,Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA,Current Address: Research Computing, Boston Children’s Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | | | - Ting Wang
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA,Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA,McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63108, USA
| | - Matthew C. Gibson
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, Kansas 66160, USA,Correspodence:
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7
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Segal D, Coulombe S, Sim J, Dostie J. A conserved HOTAIRM1-HOXA1 regulatory axis contributes early to neuronal differentiation. RNA Biol 2023; 20:1523-1539. [PMID: 37743644 PMCID: PMC10619521 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2023.2258028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
HOTAIRM1 is unlike most long non-coding RNAs in that its sequence is highly conserved across mammals. Such evolutionary conservation points to it having a role in key cellular processes. We previously reported that HOTAIRM1 is required to curb premature activation of downstream HOXA genes in a cell model recapitulating their sequential induction during development. We found that it regulates 3' HOXA gene expression by a mechanism involving epigenetic and three-dimensional chromatin changes. Here we show that HOTAIRM1 participates in proper progression through the early stages of neuronal differentiation. We found that it can associate with the HOXA1 transcription factor and contributes to its downstream transcriptional program. Particularly, HOTAIRM1 affects the NANOG/POU5F1/SOX2 core pluripotency network maintaining an undifferentiated cell state. HOXA1 depletion similarly perturbed expression of these pluripotent factors, suggesting that HOTAIRM1 is a modulator of this transcription factor pathway. Also, given that binding of HOTAIRM1 to HOXA1 was observed in different cell types and species, our results point to this ribonucleoprotein complex as an integral part of a conserved HOTAIRM1-HOXA1 regulatory axis modulating the transition from a pluripotent to a differentiated neuronal state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Segal
- Department of Biochemistry, and Rosalind & Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Samy Coulombe
- Department of Biochemistry, and Rosalind & Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- School of Computer Science, and McGill Center for Bioinformatics, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Jasper Sim
- Department of Biochemistry, and Rosalind & Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Josée Dostie
- Department of Biochemistry, and Rosalind & Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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8
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Steinworth BM, Martindale MQ, Ryan JF. Gene Loss may have Shaped the Cnidarian and Bilaterian Hox and ParaHox Complement. Genome Biol Evol 2022; 15:6889381. [PMID: 36508343 PMCID: PMC9825252 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evac172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Hox and ParaHox transcription factors are important for specifying cell fates along the primary body axes during the development of most animals. Within Cnidaria, much of the research on Hox/ParaHox genes has focused on Anthozoa (anemones and corals) and Hydrozoa (hydroids) and has concentrated on the evolution and function of cnidarian Hox genes in relation to their bilaterian counterparts. Here we analyze together the full complement of Hox and ParaHox genes from species representing all four medusozoan classes (Staurozoa, Cubozoa, Hydrozoa, and Scyphozoa) and both anthozoan classes (Octocorallia and Hexacorallia). Our results show that Hox genes involved in patterning the directive axes of anthozoan polyps are absent in the stem leading to Medusozoa. For the first time, we show spatial and temporal expression patterns of Hox and ParaHox genes in the upside-down jellyfish Cassiopea xamachana (Scyphozoa), which are consistent with diversification of medusozoan Hox genes both from anthozoans and within medusozoa. Despite unprecedented taxon sampling, our phylogenetic analyses, like previous studies, are characterized by a lack of clear homology between most cnidarian and bilaterian Hox and Hox-related genes. Unlike previous studies, we propose the hypothesis that the cnidarian-bilaterian ancestor possessed a remarkably large Hox complement and that extensive loss of Hox genes was experienced by both cnidarian and bilaterian lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bailey M Steinworth
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St Augustine, Florida 32080,Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611
| | - Mark Q Martindale
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St Augustine, Florida 32080,Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611
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9
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Schulreich SM, Salamanca-Díaz DA, Zieger E, Calcino AD, Wanninger A. A mosaic of conserved and novel modes of gene expression and morphogenesis in mesoderm and muscle formation of a larval bivalve. ORG DIVERS EVOL 2022; 22:893-913. [PMID: 36398106 PMCID: PMC9649484 DOI: 10.1007/s13127-022-00569-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
The mesoderm gives rise to several key morphological features of bilaterian animals including endoskeletal elements and the musculature. A number of regulatory genes involved in mesoderm and/or muscle formation (e.g., Brachyury (Bra), even-skipped (eve), Mox, myosin II heavy chain (mhc)) have been identified chiefly from chordates and the ecdysozoans Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans, but data for non-model protostomes, especially those belonging to the ecdysozoan sister clade, Lophotrochozoa (e.g., flatworms, annelids, mollusks), are only beginning to emerge. Within the lophotrochozoans, Mollusca constitutes the most speciose and diverse phylum. Interestingly, however, information on the morphological and molecular underpinnings of key ontogenetic processes such as mesoderm formation and myogenesis remains scarce even for prominent molluscan sublineages such as the bivalves. Here, we investigated myogenesis and developmental expression of Bra, eve, Mox, and mhc in the quagga mussel Dreissena rostriformis, an invasive freshwater bivalve and an emerging model in invertebrate evodevo. We found that all four genes are expressed during mesoderm formation, but some show additional, individual sites of expression during ontogeny. While Mox and mhc are involved in early myogenesis, eve is also expressed in the embryonic shell field and Bra is additionally present in the foregut. Comparative analysis suggests that Mox has an ancestral role in mesoderm and possibly muscle formation in bilaterians, while Bra and eve are conserved regulators of mesoderm development of nephrozoans (protostomes and deuterostomes). The fully developed Dreissena veliger larva shows a highly complex muscular architecture, supporting a muscular ground pattern of autobranch bivalve larvae that includes at least a velum muscle ring, three or four pairs of velum retractors, one or two pairs of larval retractors, two pairs of foot retractors, a pedal plexus, possibly two pairs of mantle retractors, and the muscles of the pallial line, as well as an anterior and a posterior adductor. As is typical for their molluscan kin, remodelling and loss of prominent larval features such as the velum musculature and various retractor systems appear to be also common in bivalves. Supplementary information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13127-022-00569-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan M. Schulreich
- Unit for Integrative Zoology, Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - David A. Salamanca-Díaz
- Unit for Integrative Zoology, Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Elisabeth Zieger
- Unit for Integrative Zoology, Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Andrew D. Calcino
- Unit for Integrative Zoology, Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Wanninger
- Unit for Integrative Zoology, Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
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10
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Holstein TW. The role of cnidarian developmental biology in unraveling axis formation and Wnt signaling. Dev Biol 2022; 487:74-98. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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11
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Martindale MQ. Emerging models: The "development" of the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi and the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis as useful experimental models. Curr Top Dev Biol 2022; 147:93-120. [PMID: 35337468 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2022.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The goal of this chapter is to explain the reasoning for developing two understudied invertebrate animal species for asking specific biological questions. The first is the ctenophore (comb jelly) Mnemiopsis leidyi and the second is the anthozoan cnidarian (starlet sea anemone) Nematostella vectensis. Although these two taxa belong to some of the earliest branching extant metazoan clades, their developmental features could hardly be more different from one another. This should serve as a general warning to be careful when extrapolating comparisons of one species to another. Two-taxon comparisons are especially flawed; and to interpret features in a phylogenetic context one must sample carefully within a given taxon to determine how representative certain features are before comparing with other clades. The other benefit of this comparison is to identify key practical factors when attempting to develop new species for experimental investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Q Martindale
- Whitney Lab for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL, United States.
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12
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Erofeeva TV, Grigorenko AP, Gusev FE, Kosevich IA, Rogaev EI. Studying of Molecular Regulation of Developmental Processes of Lower Metazoans Exemplified by Cnidaria Using High-Throughput Sequencing. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2022; 87:269-293. [PMID: 35526848 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297922030075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
A unique set of features and characteristics of species of the Cnidaria phylum is the one reason that makes them a model for a various studies. The plasticity of a life cycle and the processes of cell differentiation and development of an integral multicellular organism associated with it are of a specific scientific interest. A new stage of development of molecular genetic methods, including methods for high-throughput genome, transcriptome, and epigenome sequencing, both at the level of the whole organism and at the level of individual cells, makes it possible to obtain a detailed picture of the development of these animals. This review examines some modern approaches and advances in the reconstruction of the processes of ontogenesis of cnidarians by studying the regulatory signal transduction pathways and their interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taisia V Erofeeva
- Department Research Center for Genetics and Life Sciences, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Krasnodar Region, 354349, Russia
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Anastasia P Grigorenko
- Department Research Center for Genetics and Life Sciences, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Krasnodar Region, 354349, Russia.
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Fedor E Gusev
- Department Research Center for Genetics and Life Sciences, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Krasnodar Region, 354349, Russia
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Igor A Kosevich
- Department Research Center for Genetics and Life Sciences, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Krasnodar Region, 354349, Russia
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
| | - Evgeny I Rogaev
- Department Research Center for Genetics and Life Sciences, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Krasnodar Region, 354349, Russia
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
- Department of Psychiatry, UMass Chan Medical School, Shrewsbury, MA 01545, USA
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13
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Munro C, Zapata F, Howison M, Siebert S, Dunn CW. Evolution of gene expression across species and specialized zooids in Siphonophora. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6521037. [PMID: 35134205 PMCID: PMC8844502 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Siphonophores are complex colonial animals, consisting of asexually produced bodies (zooids) that are functionally specialized for specific tasks, including feeding, swimming, and sexual reproduction. Though this extreme functional specialization has captivated biologists for generations, its genomic underpinnings remain unknown. We use RNA-seq to investigate gene expression patterns in five zooids and one specialized tissue across seven siphonophore species. Analyses of gene expression across species present several challenges, including identification of comparable expression changes on gene trees with complex histories of speciation, duplication, and loss. We examine gene expression within species, conduct classical analyses examining expression patterns between species, and introduce species branch filtering, which allows us to examine the evolution of expression across species in a phylogenetic framework. Within and across species, we identified hundreds of zooid-specific and species-specific genes, as well as a number of putative transcription factors showing differential expression in particular zooids and developmental stages. We found that gene expression patterns tended to be largely consistent in zooids with the same function across species, but also some large lineage-specific shifts in gene expression. Our findings show that patterns of gene expression have the potential to define zooids in colonial organisms. Traditional analyses of the evolution of gene expression focus on the tips of gene phylogenies, identifying large-scale expression patterns that are zooid or species variable. The new explicit phylogenetic approach we propose here focuses on branches (not tips) offering a deeper evolutionary perspective into specific changes in gene expression within zooids along all branches of the gene (and species) trees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catriona Munro
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - Felipe Zapata
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Mark Howison
- Research Improving People’s Lives (RIPL), Providence, RI, USA
| | - Stefan Siebert
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Casey W Dunn
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
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14
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Swank S, Sanger TJ, Stuart YE. (Non)Parallel developmental mechanisms in vertebrate appendage reduction and loss. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:15484-15497. [PMID: 34824770 PMCID: PMC8601893 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8226] [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: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Appendages have been reduced or lost hundreds of times during vertebrate evolution. This phenotypic convergence may be underlain by shared or different molecular mechanisms in distantly related vertebrate clades. To investigate, we reviewed the developmental and evolutionary literature of appendage reduction and loss in more than a dozen vertebrate genera from fish to mammals. We found that appendage reduction and loss was nearly always driven by modified gene expression as opposed to changes in coding sequences. Moreover, expression of the same genes was repeatedly modified across vertebrate taxa. However, the specific mechanisms by which expression was modified were rarely shared. The multiple routes to appendage reduction and loss suggest that adaptive loss of function phenotypes might arise routinely through changes in expression of key developmental genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Swank
- Department of BiologyLoyola University ChicagoChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Thomas J. Sanger
- Department of BiologyLoyola University ChicagoChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Yoel E. Stuart
- Department of BiologyLoyola University ChicagoChicagoIllinoisUSA
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15
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Sachslehner A, Zieger E, Calcino A, Wanninger A. HES and Mox genes are expressed during early mesoderm formation in a mollusk with putative ancestral features. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18030. [PMID: 34504115 PMCID: PMC8429573 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96711-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The mesoderm is considered the youngest of the three germ layers. Although its morphogenesis has been studied in some metazoans, the molecular components underlying this process remain obscure for numerous phyla including the highly diverse Mollusca. Here, expression of Hairy and enhancer of split (HES), Mox, and myosin heavy chain (MHC) was investigated in Acanthochitona fascicularis, a representative of Polyplacophora with putative ancestral molluscan features. While AfaMHC is expressed throughout myogenesis, AfaMox1 is only expressed during early stages of mesodermal band formation and in the ventrolateral muscle, an autapomorphy of the polyplacophoran trochophore. Comparing our findings to previously published data across Metazoa reveals Mox expression in the mesoderm in numerous bilaterians including gastropods, polychaetes, and brachiopods. It is also involved in myogenesis in molluscs, annelids, tunicates, and craniates, suggesting a dual role of Mox in mesoderm and muscle formation in the last common bilaterian ancestor. AfaHESC2 is expressed in the ectoderm of the polyplacophoran gastrula and later in the mesodermal bands and in putative neural tissue, whereas AfaHESC7 is expressed in the trochoblasts of the gastrula and during foregut formation. This confirms the high developmental variability of HES gene expression and demonstrates that Mox and HES genes are pleiotropic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attila Sachslehner
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Unit for Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Elisabeth Zieger
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Unit for Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andrew Calcino
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Unit for Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Wanninger
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Unit for Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
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16
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Angeloni A, Bogdanovic O. Sequence determinants, function, and evolution of CpG islands. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 49:1109-1119. [PMID: 34156435 PMCID: PMC8286816 DOI: 10.1042/bst20200695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
In vertebrates, cytosine-guanine (CpG) dinucleotides are predominantly methylated, with ∼80% of all CpG sites containing 5-methylcytosine (5mC), a repressive mark associated with long-term gene silencing. The exceptions to such a globally hypermethylated state are CpG-rich DNA sequences called CpG islands (CGIs), which are mostly hypomethylated relative to the bulk genome. CGIs overlap promoters from the earliest vertebrates to humans, indicating a concerted evolutionary drive compatible with CGI retention. CGIs are characterised by DNA sequence features that include DNA hypomethylation, elevated CpG and GC content and the presence of transcription factor binding sites. These sequence characteristics are congruous with the recruitment of transcription factors and chromatin modifying enzymes, and transcriptional activation in general. CGIs colocalize with sites of transcriptional initiation in hypermethylated vertebrate genomes, however, a growing body of evidence indicates that CGIs might exert their gene regulatory function in other genomic contexts. In this review, we discuss the diverse regulatory features of CGIs, their functional readout, and the evolutionary implications associated with CGI retention in vertebrates and possibly in invertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allegra Angeloni
- Genomics and Epigenetics Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, Australia
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Faculty of Science, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - Ozren Bogdanovic
- Genomics and Epigenetics Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, Australia
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Faculty of Science, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
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17
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Johnson AB, Lambert JD. The Caudal ParaHox gene is required for hindgut development in the mollusc Tritia (a.k.a. Ilyanassa). Dev Biol 2020; 470:1-9. [PMID: 33191200 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2020.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Caudal homeobox genes are found across animals, typically linked to two other homeobox genes in what has been called the ParaHox cluster. These genes have been proposed to pattern the anterior-posterior axis of the endoderm ancestrally, but the expression of Caudal in extant groups is varied and often occurs in other germ layers. Here we examine the role of Caudal in the embryo of the mollusc Tritia (Ilyanassa) obsoleta. ToCaudal expression is initially broad, then becomes progressively restricted and is finally only in the developing hindgut (a.k.a. intestine). Knockdown of ToCaudal using morpholino oligonucleotides specifically blocks hindgut development, indicating that despite its initially broad expression, the functional role of ToCaudal is in hindgut patterning. This is the first functional characterization of Caudal in an animal with spiralian development, which is an ancient mode of embryogenesis that arose early in bilaterian animal evolution. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the ancestral role of the ParaHox genes was anterior-posterior patterning of the endoderm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam B Johnson
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - J David Lambert
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA.
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18
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Bao R, Friedrich M. Genomic signatures of globally enhanced gene duplicate accumulation in the megadiverse higher Diptera fueling intralocus sexual conflict resolution. PeerJ 2020; 8:e10012. [PMID: 33083121 PMCID: PMC7560327 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene duplication is an important source of evolutionary innovation. To explore the relative impact of gene duplication during the diversification of major insect model system lineages, we performed a comparative analysis of lineage-specific gene duplications in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Brachycera), the mosquito Anopheles gambiae (Diptera: Culicomorpha), the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera), and the honeybee Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera). Focusing on close to 6,000 insect core gene families containing maximally six paralogs, we detected a conspicuously higher number of lineage-specific duplications in Drosophila (689) compared to Anopheles (315), Tribolium (386), and Apis (223). Based on analyses of sequence divergence, phylogenetic distribution, and gene ontology information, we present evidence that an increased background rate of gene duplicate accumulation played an exceptional role during the diversification of the higher Diptera (Brachycera), in part by providing enriched opportunities for intralocus sexual conflict resolution, which may have boosted speciation rates during the early radiation of the megadiverse brachyceran subclade Schizophora.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riyue Bao
- Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Markus Friedrich
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.,School of Medicine, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
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19
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Reddy PC, Gungi A, Ubhe S, Galande S. Epigenomic landscape of enhancer elements during Hydra head organizer formation. Epigenetics Chromatin 2020; 13:43. [PMID: 33046126 PMCID: PMC7552563 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-020-00364-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Axis patterning during development is accompanied by large-scale gene expression changes. These are brought about by changes in the histone modifications leading to dynamic alterations in chromatin architecture. The cis regulatory DNA elements also play an important role towards modulating gene expression in a context-dependent manner. Hydra belongs to the phylum Cnidaria where the first asymmetry in the body plan was observed and the oral-aboral axis originated. Wnt signaling has been shown to determine the head organizer function in the basal metazoan Hydra. RESULTS To gain insights into the evolution of cis regulatory elements and associated chromatin signatures, we ectopically activated the Wnt signaling pathway in Hydra and monitored the genome-wide alterations in key histone modifications. Motif analysis of putative intergenic enhancer elements from Hydra revealed the conservation of bilaterian cis regulatory elements that play critical roles in development. Differentially regulated enhancer elements were identified upon ectopic activation of Wnt signaling and found to regulate many head organizer specific genes. Enhancer activity of many of the identified cis regulatory elements was confirmed by luciferase reporter assay. Quantitative chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis upon activation of Wnt signaling further confirmed the enrichment of H3K27ac on the enhancer elements of Hv_Wnt5a, Hv_Wnt11 and head organizer genes Hv_Bra1, CnGsc and Hv_Pitx1. Additionally, perturbation of the putative H3K27me3 eraser activity using a specific inhibitor affected the ectopic activation of Wnt signaling indicating the importance of the dynamic changes in the H3K27 modifications towards regulation of the genes involved in the head organizer activity. CONCLUSIONS The activation-associated histone marks H3K4me3, H3K27ac and H3K9ac mark chromatin in a similar manner as seen in bilaterians. We identified intergenic cis regulatory elements which harbor sites for key transcription factors involved in developmental processes. Differentially regulated enhancers exhibited motifs for many zinc-finger, T-box and ETS related TFs whose homologs have a head specific expression in Hydra and could be a part of the pioneer TF network in the patterning of the head. The ability to differentially modify the H3K27 residue is critical for the patterning of Hydra axis revealing a dynamic acetylation/methylation switch to regulate gene expression and chromatin architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Puli Chandramouli Reddy
- Centre of Excellence in Epigenetics, Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, 411008, India
| | - Akhila Gungi
- Centre of Excellence in Epigenetics, Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, 411008, India
| | - Suyog Ubhe
- Centre of Excellence in Epigenetics, Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, 411008, India
| | - Sanjeev Galande
- Centre of Excellence in Epigenetics, Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, 411008, India.
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20
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Feeding-dependent tentacle development in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4399. [PMID: 32879319 PMCID: PMC7467937 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18133-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In cnidarians, axial patterning is not restricted to embryogenesis but continues throughout a prolonged life history filled with unpredictable environmental changes. How this developmental capacity copes with fluctuations of food availability and whether it recapitulates embryonic mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here we utilize the tentacles of the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis as an experimental paradigm for developmental patterning across distinct life history stages. By analyzing over 1000 growing polyps, we find that tentacle progression is stereotyped and occurs in a feeding-dependent manner. Using a combination of genetic, cellular and molecular approaches, we demonstrate that the crosstalk between Target of Rapamycin (TOR) and Fibroblast growth factor receptor b (Fgfrb) signaling in ring muscles defines tentacle primordia in fed polyps. Interestingly, Fgfrb-dependent polarized growth is observed in polyp but not embryonic tentacle primordia. These findings show an unexpected plasticity of tentacle development, and link post-embryonic body patterning with food availability. How the developmental capacity of long-lived animals copes with fluctuations in the food supply is unclear. Here, the authors show using the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis that the crosstalk between Target of Rapamycin and fibroblast growth factor signalling in ring muscles links postembryonic tentacle patterning with food availability.
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21
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Zullo L, Bozzo M, Daya A, Di Clemente A, Mancini FP, Megighian A, Nesher N, Röttinger E, Shomrat T, Tiozzo S, Zullo A, Candiani S. The Diversity of Muscles and Their Regenerative Potential across Animals. Cells 2020; 9:cells9091925. [PMID: 32825163 PMCID: PMC7563492 DOI: 10.3390/cells9091925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cells with contractile functions are present in almost all metazoans, and so are the related processes of muscle homeostasis and regeneration. Regeneration itself is a complex process unevenly spread across metazoans that ranges from full-body regeneration to partial reconstruction of damaged organs or body tissues, including muscles. The cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in regenerative processes can be homologous, co-opted, and/or evolved independently. By comparing the mechanisms of muscle homeostasis and regeneration throughout the diversity of animal body-plans and life cycles, it is possible to identify conserved and divergent cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying muscle plasticity. In this review we aim at providing an overview of muscle regeneration studies in metazoans, highlighting the major regenerative strategies and molecular pathways involved. By gathering these findings, we wish to advocate a comparative and evolutionary approach to prompt a wider use of “non-canonical” animal models for molecular and even pharmacological studies in the field of muscle regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letizia Zullo
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Micro-BioRobotics & Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology (NSYN), 16132 Genova, Italy;
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy
- Correspondence: (L.Z.); (A.Z.)
| | - Matteo Bozzo
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV 5, 16132 Genova, Italy; (M.B.); (S.C.)
| | - Alon Daya
- Faculty of Marine Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center, Michmoret 40297, Israel; (A.D.); (N.N.); (T.S.)
| | - Alessio Di Clemente
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Micro-BioRobotics & Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology (NSYN), 16132 Genova, Italy;
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV, 3, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | | | - Aram Megighian
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy;
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Nir Nesher
- Faculty of Marine Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center, Michmoret 40297, Israel; (A.D.); (N.N.); (T.S.)
| | - Eric Röttinger
- Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging (IRCAN), Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, INSERM, 06107 Nice, France;
| | - Tal Shomrat
- Faculty of Marine Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center, Michmoret 40297, Israel; (A.D.); (N.N.); (T.S.)
| | - Stefano Tiozzo
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer (LBDV), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 06230 Paris, France;
| | - Alberto Zullo
- Department of Science and Technology, University of Sannio, 82100 Benevento, Italy;
- Correspondence: (L.Z.); (A.Z.)
| | - Simona Candiani
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV 5, 16132 Genova, Italy; (M.B.); (S.C.)
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22
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Heger P, Zheng W, Rottmann A, Panfilio KA, Wiehe T. The genetic factors of bilaterian evolution. eLife 2020; 9:e45530. [PMID: 32672535 PMCID: PMC7535936 DOI: 10.7554/elife.45530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Cambrian explosion was a unique animal radiation ~540 million years ago that produced the full range of body plans across bilaterians. The genetic mechanisms underlying these events are unknown, leaving a fundamental question in evolutionary biology unanswered. Using large-scale comparative genomics and advanced orthology evaluation techniques, we identified 157 bilaterian-specific genes. They include the entire Nodal pathway, a key regulator of mesoderm development and left-right axis specification; components for nervous system development, including a suite of G-protein-coupled receptors that control physiology and behaviour, the Robo-Slit midline repulsion system, and the neurotrophin signalling system; a high number of zinc finger transcription factors; and novel factors that previously escaped attention. Contradicting the current view, our study reveals that genes with bilaterian origin are robustly associated with key features in extant bilaterians, suggesting a causal relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Heger
- Institute for Genetics, Cologne Biocenter, University of CologneCologneGermany
| | - Wen Zheng
- Institute for Genetics, Cologne Biocenter, University of CologneCologneGermany
| | - Anna Rottmann
- Institute for Genetics, Cologne Biocenter, University of CologneCologneGermany
| | - Kristen A Panfilio
- Institute for Zoology: Developmental Biology, Cologne Biocenter, University of CologneCologneGermany
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill CampusCoventryUnited Kingdom
| | - Thomas Wiehe
- Institute for Genetics, Cologne Biocenter, University of CologneCologneGermany
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23
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Jellyfish genomes reveal distinct homeobox gene clusters and conservation of small RNA processing. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3051. [PMID: 32561724 PMCID: PMC7305137 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16801-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The phylum Cnidaria represents a close outgroup to Bilateria and includes familiar animals including sea anemones, corals, hydroids, and jellyfish. Here we report genome sequencing and assembly for true jellyfish Sanderia malayensis and Rhopilema esculentum. The homeobox gene clusters are characterised by interdigitation of Hox, NK, and Hox-like genes revealing an alternate pathway of ANTP class gene dispersal and an intact three gene ParaHox cluster. The mitochondrial genomes are linear but, unlike in Hydra, we do not detect nuclear copies, suggesting that linear plastid genomes are not necessarily prone to integration. Genes for sesquiterpenoid hormone production, typical for arthropods, are also now found in cnidarians. Somatic and germline cells both express piwi-interacting RNAs in jellyfish revealing a conserved cnidarian feature, and evidence for tissue-specific microRNA arm switching as found in Bilateria is detected. Jellyfish genomes reveal a mosaic of conserved and divergent genomic characters evolved from a shared ancestral genetic architecture.
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24
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DeBiasse MB, Colgan WN, Harris L, Davidson B, Ryan JF. Inferring Tunicate Relationships and the Evolution of the Tunicate Hox Cluster with the Genome of Corella inflata. Genome Biol Evol 2020; 12:948-964. [PMID: 32211845 PMCID: PMC7337526 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Tunicates, the closest living relatives of vertebrates, have served as a foundational model of early embryonic development for decades. Comparative studies of tunicate phylogeny and genome evolution provide a critical framework for analyzing chordate diversification and the emergence of vertebrates. Toward this goal, we sequenced the genome of Corella inflata (Ascidiacea, Phlebobranchia), so named for the capacity to brood self-fertilized embryos in a modified, "inflated" atrial chamber. Combining the new genome sequence for Co. inflata with publicly available tunicate data, we estimated a tunicate species phylogeny, reconstructed the ancestral Hox gene cluster at important nodes in the tunicate tree, and compared patterns of gene loss between Co. inflata and Ciona robusta, the prevailing tunicate model species. Our maximum-likelihood and Bayesian trees estimated from a concatenated 210-gene matrix were largely concordant and showed that Aplousobranchia was nested within a paraphyletic Phlebobranchia. We demonstrated that this relationship is not an artifact due to compositional heterogeneity, as had been suggested by previous studies. In addition, within Thaliacea, we recovered Doliolida as sister to the clade containing Salpida and Pyrosomatida. The Co. inflata genome provides increased resolution of the ancestral Hox clusters of key tunicate nodes, therefore expanding our understanding of the evolution of this cluster and its potential impact on tunicate morphological diversity. Our analyses of other gene families revealed that several cardiovascular associated genes (e.g., BMP10, SCL2A12, and PDE2a) absent from Ci. robusta, are present in Co. inflata. Taken together, our results help clarify tunicate relationships and the genomic content of key ancestral nodes within this phylogeny, providing critical insights into tunicate evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa B DeBiasse
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville
| | - William N Colgan
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
| | - Lincoln Harris
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
| | - Bradley Davidson
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
| | - Joseph F Ryan
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville
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25
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Paulin MG, Cahill‐Lane J. Events in Early Nervous System Evolution. Top Cogn Sci 2019; 13:25-44. [DOI: 10.1111/tops.12461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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26
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Paço A, Freitas R. HOX genes as transcriptional and epigenetic regulators during tumorigenesis and their value as therapeutic targets. Epigenomics 2019; 11:1539-1552. [PMID: 31556724 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2019-0090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Several HOX genes are aberrantly expressed in a wide range of cancers interfering with their development and resistance to treatment. This seems to be often caused by alterations in the methylation profiles of their promoters. The role of HOX gene products in cancer is highly 'tissue specific', relying ultimately on their ability to regulate oncogenes or tumor-suppressor genes, directly as transcriptional regulators or indirectly interfering with the levels of epigenetic regulators. Nowadays, different strategies have been tested the use of HOX genes as therapeutic targets for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Here, we trace the history of the research concerning the involvement of HOX genes in cancer, their connection with epigenetic regulation and their potential use as therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Paço
- Laboratório de Microbiologia do Solo, Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas (ICAAM), Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada (IIFA), Universidade de Évora, 7006-554 Évora, Portugal
| | - Renata Freitas
- I3S - Institute for Innovation & Health Research, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.,IBMC - Institute for Molecular & Cell Biology, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.,ICBAS - Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
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27
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Steinmetz PRH. A non-bilaterian perspective on the development and evolution of animal digestive systems. Cell Tissue Res 2019; 377:321-339. [PMID: 31388768 PMCID: PMC6733828 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-019-03075-x] [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: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Digestive systems and extracellular digestion are key animal features, but their emergence during early animal evolution is currently poorly understood. As the last common ancestor of non-bilaterian animal groups (sponges, ctenophores, placozoans and cnidarians) dates back to the beginning of animal life, their study and comparison provides important insights into the early evolution of digestive systems and functions. Here, I have compiled an overview of the development and cell biology of digestive tissues in non-bilaterian animals. I will highlight the fundamental differences between extracellular and intracellular digestive processes, and how these are distributed among animals. Cnidarians (e.g. sea anemones, corals, jellyfish), the phylogenetic outgroup of bilaterians (e.g. vertebrates, flies, annelids), occupy a key position to reconstruct the evolution of bilaterian gut evolution. A major focus will therefore lie on the development and cell biology of digestive tissues in cnidarians, especially sea anemones, and how they compare to bilaterian gut tissues. In that context, I will also review how a recent study on the gastrula fate map of the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis challenges our long-standing conceptions on the evolution of cnidarian and bilaterian germ layers and guts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick R H Steinmetz
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgt. 55, 5006, Bergen, Norway.
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28
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Ohdera A, Ames CL, Dikow RB, Kayal E, Chiodin M, Busby B, La S, Pirro S, Collins AG, Medina M, Ryan JF. Box, stalked, and upside-down? Draft genomes from diverse jellyfish (Cnidaria, Acraspeda) lineages: Alatina alata (Cubozoa), Calvadosia cruxmelitensis (Staurozoa), and Cassiopea xamachana (Scyphozoa). Gigascience 2019; 8:giz069. [PMID: 31257419 PMCID: PMC6599738 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giz069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Revised: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anthozoa, Endocnidozoa, and Medusozoa are the 3 major clades of Cnidaria. Medusozoa is further divided into 4 clades, Hydrozoa, Staurozoa, Cubozoa, and Scyphozoa-the latter 3 lineages make up the clade Acraspeda. Acraspeda encompasses extraordinary diversity in terms of life history, numerous nuisance species, taxa with complex eyes rivaling other animals, and some of the most venomous organisms on the planet. Genomes have recently become available within Scyphozoa and Cubozoa, but there are currently no published genomes within Staurozoa and Cubozoa. FINDINGS Here we present 3 new draft genomes of Calvadosia cruxmelitensis (Staurozoa), Alatina alata (Cubozoa), and Cassiopea xamachana (Scyphozoa) for which we provide a preliminary orthology analysis that includes an inventory of their respective venom-related genes. Additionally, we identify synteny between POU and Hox genes that had previously been reported in a hydrozoan, suggesting this linkage is highly conserved, possibly dating back to at least the last common ancestor of Medusozoa, yet likely independent of vertebrate POU-Hox linkages. CONCLUSIONS These draft genomes provide a valuable resource for studying the evolutionary history and biology of these extraordinary animals, and for identifying genomic features underlying venom, vision, and life history traits in Acraspeda.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aki Ohdera
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, 326 Mueller, University Park, PA, 16801, USA
| | - Cheryl L Ames
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th Street & Constitution Avenue NW, Washington DC, 20560, USA
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, 8600 Rockville Pike MSC 3830, Bethesda, MD, 20894, USA
| | - Rebecca B Dikow
- Data Science Lab, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Smithsonian Institution, 10th Street & Constitution Avenue NW, Washington DC, 20560, USA
| | - Ehsan Kayal
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th Street & Constitution Avenue NW, Washington DC, 20560, USA
- UPMC, CNRS, FR2424, ABiMS, Station Biologique, Place Georges Teissier, 29680 Roscoff, France
| | - Marta Chiodin
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, 9505 Ocean Shore Boulevard, St. Augustine, FL, 32080, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, 220 Bartram Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Ben Busby
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, 8600 Rockville Pike MSC 3830, Bethesda, MD, 20894, USA
| | - Sean La
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, 8600 Rockville Pike MSC 3830, Bethesda, MD, 20894, USA
- Department of Mathematics, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Barnaby, British Columbia, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Stacy Pirro
- Iridian Genomes, Inc., 6213 Swords Way, Bethesda, MD, 20817, USA
| | - Allen G Collins
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th Street & Constitution Avenue NW, Washington DC, 20560, USA
- National Systematics Laboratory of NOAA's Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD, 20910, USA
| | - Mónica Medina
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, 326 Mueller, University Park, PA, 16801, USA
| | - Joseph F Ryan
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, 9505 Ocean Shore Boulevard, St. Augustine, FL, 32080, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, 220 Bartram Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
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29
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DuBuc TQ, Ryan JF, Martindale MQ. "Dorsal-Ventral" Genes Are Part of an Ancient Axial Patterning System: Evidence from Trichoplax adhaerens (Placozoa). Mol Biol Evol 2019; 36:966-973. [PMID: 30726986 PMCID: PMC6501881 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msz025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Placozoa are a morphologically simplistic group of marine animals found globally in tropical and subtropical environments. They consist of two named species, Trichoplax adhaerens and more recently Hoilungia hongkongensis, both with roughly six morphologically distinct cell types. With a sequenced genome, a limited number of cell types, and a simple flattened morphology, Trichoplax is an ideal model organism from which to explore the biology of an animal with a cellular complexity analagous to that of the earliest animals. Using a new approach for identification of gene expression patterns, this research looks at the relationship of Chordin/TgfΒ signaling and the axial patterning system of Placozoa. Our results suggest that placozoans have an oral-aboral axis similar to cnidarians and that the parahoxozoan ancestor (common ancestor of Placozoa and Cnidaria) was likely radially symmetric.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Q DuBuc
- Whitney Lab for Marine Bioscience and the Department of Biology, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL
- Kewalo Marine Laboratory and the Department of Biology, University of Hawaii, Manoa, Honolulu, HI
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, Bioscience Building, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Joseph F Ryan
- Whitney Lab for Marine Bioscience and the Department of Biology, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL
| | - Mark Q Martindale
- Whitney Lab for Marine Bioscience and the Department of Biology, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL
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30
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Nathaniel Clarke D, Lowe CJ, James Nelson W. The cadherin-catenin complex is necessary for cell adhesion and embryogenesis in Nematostella vectensis. Dev Biol 2019; 447:170-181. [PMID: 30629955 PMCID: PMC6433513 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Revised: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The cadherin-catenin complex is a conserved, calcium-dependent cell-cell adhesion module that is necessary for normal development and the maintenance of tissue integrity in bilaterian animals. Despite longstanding evidence of a deep ancestry of calcium-dependent cell adhesion in animals, the requirement of the cadherin-catenin complex to coordinate cell-cell adhesion has not been tested directly in a non-bilaterian organism. Here, we provide the first analysis of classical cadherins and catenins in the Starlet Sea Anemone, Nematostella vectensis. Gene expression, protein localization, siRNA-mediated knockdown of α-catenin, and calcium-dependent cell aggregation assays provide evidence that a bonafide cadherin-catenin complex is present in the early embryo, and that α-catenin is required for normal embryonic development and the formation of cell-cell adhesions between cells dissociated from whole embryos. Together these results support the hypothesis that the cadherin-catenin complex was likely a complete and functional cell-cell adhesion module in the last common cnidarian-bilaterian ancestor. SUMMARY STATEMENT: Embryonic manipulations and ex vivo adhesion assays in the sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis, indicate that the necessity of the cadherin-catenin complex for mediating cell-cell adhesion is deeply conserved in animal evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Nathaniel Clarke
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford CA 94305, United States.
| | - Christopher J Lowe
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford CA 94305, United States.
| | - W James Nelson
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford CA 94305, United States; Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford CA 94305, United States.
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31
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Leclère L, Horin C, Chevalier S, Lapébie P, Dru P, Peron S, Jager M, Condamine T, Pottin K, Romano S, Steger J, Sinigaglia C, Barreau C, Quiroga Artigas G, Ruggiero A, Fourrage C, Kraus JEM, Poulain J, Aury JM, Wincker P, Quéinnec E, Technau U, Manuel M, Momose T, Houliston E, Copley RR. The genome of the jellyfish Clytia hemisphaerica and the evolution of the cnidarian life-cycle. Nat Ecol Evol 2019; 3:801-810. [PMID: 30858591 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-019-0833-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Jellyfish (medusae) are a distinctive life-cycle stage of medusozoan cnidarians. They are major marine predators, with integrated neurosensory, muscular and organ systems. The genetic foundations of this complex form are largely unknown. We report the draft genome of the hydrozoan jellyfish Clytia hemisphaerica and use multiple transcriptomes to determine gene use across life-cycle stages. Medusa, planula larva and polyp are each characterized by distinct transcriptome signatures reflecting abrupt life-cycle transitions and all deploy a mixture of phylogenetically old and new genes. Medusa-specific transcription factors, including many with bilaterian orthologues, associate with diverse neurosensory structures. Compared to Clytia, the polyp-only hydrozoan Hydra has lost many of the medusa-expressed transcription factors, despite similar overall rates of gene content evolution and sequence evolution. Absence of expression and gene loss among Clytia orthologues of genes patterning the anthozoan aboral pole, secondary axis and endomesoderm support simplification of planulae and polyps in Hydrozoa, including loss of bilateral symmetry. Consequently, although the polyp and planula are generally considered the ancestral cnidarian forms, in Clytia the medusa maximally deploys the ancestral cnidarian-bilaterian transcription factor gene complement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Leclère
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Coralie Horin
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Sandra Chevalier
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Pascal Lapébie
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France.,Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Philippe Dru
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Sophie Peron
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Muriel Jager
- Evolution Paris-Seine, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris, France.,Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB UMR 7205), Sorbonne Université, MNHN, CNRS, EPHE, Paris, France
| | - Thomas Condamine
- Evolution Paris-Seine, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Karen Pottin
- Evolution Paris-Seine, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris, France.,Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement (IBPS-LBD, UMR7622), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Paris, France
| | - Séverine Romano
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Julia Steger
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France.,Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement (IBPS-LBD, UMR7622), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Paris, France
| | - Chiara Sinigaglia
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France.,Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5242-INRA USC 1370, Lyon cedex 07, France
| | - Carine Barreau
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Gonzalo Quiroga Artigas
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France.,The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL, USA
| | - Antonella Ruggiero
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France.,Centre de Recherche de Biologie cellulaire de Montpellier, CNRS UMR 5237, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Cécile Fourrage
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France.,Service de Génétique UMR 781, Hôpital Necker-APHP, Paris, France
| | - Johanna E M Kraus
- Department for Molecular Evolution and Development, Centre of Organismal Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Julie Poulain
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut François Jacob, CEA, CNRS, Univ Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, Evry, France
| | - Jean-Marc Aury
- Genoscope, Institut de Biologie François-Jacob, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, Université Paris-Saclay, Evry, France
| | - Patrick Wincker
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut François Jacob, CEA, CNRS, Univ Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, Evry, France
| | - Eric Quéinnec
- Evolution Paris-Seine, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris, France.,Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB UMR 7205), Sorbonne Université, MNHN, CNRS, EPHE, Paris, France
| | - Ulrich Technau
- Department for Molecular Evolution and Development, Centre of Organismal Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michaël Manuel
- Evolution Paris-Seine, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris, France.,Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB UMR 7205), Sorbonne Université, MNHN, CNRS, EPHE, Paris, France
| | - Tsuyoshi Momose
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Evelyn Houliston
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Richard R Copley
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France.
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32
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He S, Del Viso F, Chen CY, Ikmi A, Kroesen AE, Gibson MC. An axial Hox code controls tissue segmentation and body patterning in Nematostella vectensis. Science 2018; 361:1377-1380. [PMID: 30262503 DOI: 10.1126/science.aar8384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Hox genes encode conserved developmental transcription factors that govern anterior-posterior (A-P) pattering in diverse bilaterian animals, which display bilateral symmetry. Although Hox genes are also present within Cnidaria, these simple animals lack a definitive A-P axis, leaving it unclear how and when a functionally integrated Hox code arose during evolution. We used short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated knockdown and CRISPR-Cas9 mutagenesis to demonstrate that a Hox-Gbx network controls radial segmentation of the larval endoderm during development of the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. Loss of Hox-Gbx activity also elicits marked defects in tentacle patterning along the directive (orthogonal) axis of primary polyps. On the basis of our results, we propose that an axial Hox code may have controlled body patterning and tissue segmentation before the evolution of the bilaterian A-P axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuonan He
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | | | - Cheng-Yi Chen
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Aissam Ikmi
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA.,Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Amanda E Kroesen
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Matthew C Gibson
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA. .,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
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34
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Metzis V, Steinhauser S, Pakanavicius E, Gouti M, Stamataki D, Ivanovitch K, Watson T, Rayon T, Mousavy Gharavy SN, Lovell-Badge R, Luscombe NM, Briscoe J. Nervous System Regionalization Entails Axial Allocation before Neural Differentiation. Cell 2018; 175:1105-1118.e17. [PMID: 30343898 PMCID: PMC6218657 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.09.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Revised: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Neural induction in vertebrates generates a CNS that extends the rostral-caudal length of the body. The prevailing view is that neural cells are initially induced with anterior (forebrain) identity; caudalizing signals then convert a proportion to posterior fates (spinal cord). To test this model, we used chromatin accessibility to define how cells adopt region-specific neural fates. Together with genetic and biochemical perturbations, this identified a developmental time window in which genome-wide chromatin-remodeling events preconfigure epiblast cells for neural induction. Contrary to the established model, this revealed that cells commit to a regional identity before acquiring neural identity. This “primary regionalization” allocates cells to anterior or posterior regions of the nervous system, explaining how cranial and spinal neurons are generated at appropriate axial positions. These findings prompt a revision to models of neural induction and support the proposed dual evolutionary origin of the vertebrate CNS. Chromatin accessibility defines neural progenitor identity A limited developmental window exists to establish spinal cord competency Cells acquire axial identity prior to neural identity
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Mina Gouti
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK; Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin 13092, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Nicholas M Luscombe
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK; UCL Genetics Institute, Department of Genetics Evolution and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK; Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna-son, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
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35
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Evolution of the bilaterian mouth and anus. Nat Ecol Evol 2018; 2:1358-1376. [PMID: 30135501 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-018-0641-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Revised: 06/26/2018] [Accepted: 07/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
It is widely held that the bilaterian tubular gut with mouth and anus evolved from a simple gut with one major gastric opening. However, there is no consensus on how this happened. Did the single gastric opening evolve into a mouth, with the anus forming elsewhere in the body (protostomy), or did it evolve into an anus, with the mouth forming elsewhere (deuterostomy), or did it evolve into both mouth and anus (amphistomy)? These questions are addressed by the comparison of developmental fates of the blastopore, the opening of the embryonic gut, in diverse animals that live today. Here we review comparative data on the identity and fate of blastoporal tissue, investigate how the formation of the through-gut relates to the major body axes, and discuss to what extent evolutionary scenarios are consistent with these data. Available evidence indicates that stem bilaterians had a slit-like gastric opening that was partially closed in subsequent evolution, leaving open the anus and most likely also the mouth, which would favour amphistomy. We discuss remaining difficulties, and outline directions for future research.
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36
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Abstract
Distantly related animals have spectacularly different shapes and body plans, which can render it difficult to understand which of their body parts may have a shared evolutionary origin. Studying the molecular regulation of the development of these body parts during embryogenesis can help identifying commonalities that are not visible by eye.
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Hox and Wnt pattern the primary body axis of an anthozoan cnidarian before gastrulation. Nat Commun 2018; 9:2007. [PMID: 29789526 PMCID: PMC5964151 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04184-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Hox gene transcription factors are important regulators of positional identity along the anterior–posterior axis in bilaterian animals. Cnidarians (e.g., sea anemones, corals, and hydroids) are the sister group to the Bilateria and possess genes related to both anterior and central/posterior class Hox genes. Here we report a previously unrecognized domain of Hox expression in the starlet sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis, beginning at early blastula stages. We explore the relationship of two opposing Hox genes (NvAx6/NvAx1) expressed on each side of the blastula during early development. Functional perturbation reveals that NvAx6 and NvAx1 not only regulate their respective expression domains, but also interact with Wnt genes to pattern the entire oral–aboral axis. These findings suggest an ancient link between Hox/Wnt patterning during axis formation and indicate that oral–aboral domains are likely established during blastula formation in anthozoan cnidarians. Hox genes regulate anterior–posterior axis formation but their role in cnidarians is unclear. Here, the authors disrupt Hox genes NvAx1 and NvAx6 in the starlet sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis, showing antagonist function in patterning the oral–aboral axis and a link to Wnt signaling.
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38
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Ohdera AH, Abrams MJ, Ames CL, Baker DM, Suescún-Bolívar LP, Collins AG, Freeman CJ, Gamero-Mora E, Goulet TL, Hofmann DK, Jaimes-Becerra A, Long PF, Marques AC, Miller LA, Mydlarz LD, Morandini AC, Newkirk CR, Putri SP, Samson JE, Stampar SN, Steinworth B, Templeman M, Thomé PE, Vlok M, Woodley CM, Wong JC, Martindale MQ, Fitt WK, Medina M. Upside-Down but Headed in the Right Direction: Review of the Highly Versatile Cassiopea xamachana System. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
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Abstract
Bilaterality – the possession of two orthogonal body axes – is the name-giving trait of all bilaterian animals. These body axes are established during early embryogenesis and serve as a three-dimensional coordinate system that provides crucial spatial cues for developing cells, tissues, organs and appendages. The emergence of bilaterality was a major evolutionary transition, as it allowed animals to evolve more complex body plans. Therefore, how bilaterality evolved and whether it evolved once or several times independently is a fundamental issue in evolutionary developmental biology. Recent findings from non-bilaterian animals, in particular from Cnidaria, the sister group to Bilateria, have shed new light into the evolutionary origin of bilaterality. Here, we compare the molecular control of body axes in radially and bilaterally symmetric cnidarians and bilaterians, identify the minimal set of traits common for Bilateria, and evaluate whether bilaterality arose once or more than once during evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grigory Genikhovich
- Department for Molecular Evolution and Development, Centre of Organismal Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ulrich Technau
- Department for Molecular Evolution and Development, Centre of Organismal Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
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A bipolar role of the transcription factor ERG for cnidarian germ layer formation and apical domain patterning. Dev Biol 2017; 430:346-361. [PMID: 28818668 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Revised: 07/29/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Germ layer formation and axial patterning are biological processes that are tightly linked during embryonic development of most metazoans. In addition to canonical WNT, it has been proposed that ERK-MAPK signaling is involved in specifying oral as well as aboral territories in cnidarians. However, the effector and the molecular mechanism underlying latter phenomenon is unknown. By screening for potential effectors of ERK-MAPK signaling in both domains, we identified a member of the ETS family of transcription factors, Nverg that is bi-polarily expressed prior to gastrulation. We further describe the crucial role of NvERG for gastrulation, endomesoderm as well as apical domain formation. The molecular characterization of the obtained NvERG knock-down phenotype using previously described as well as novel potential downstream targets, provides evidence that a single transcription factor, NvERG, simultaneously controls expression of two different sets of downstream targets, leading to two different embryonic gene regulatory networks (GRNs) in opposite poles of the developing embryo. We also highlight the molecular interaction of cWNT and MEK/ERK/ERG signaling that provides novel insight into the embryonic axial organization of Nematostella, and show a cWNT repressive role of MEK/ERK/ERG signaling in segregating the endomesoderm in two sub-domains, while a common input of both pathways is required for proper apical domain formation. Taking together, we build the first blueprint for a global cnidarian embryonic GRN that is the foundation for additional gene specific studies addressing the evolution of embryonic and larval development.
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Rotiferan Hox genes give new insights into the evolution of metazoan bodyplans. Nat Commun 2017; 8:9. [PMID: 28377584 PMCID: PMC5431905 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00020-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Accepted: 02/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The phylum Rotifera consists of minuscule, nonsegmented animals with a unique body plan and an unresolved phylogenetic position. The presence of pharyngeal articulated jaws supports an inclusion in Gnathifera nested in the Spiralia. Comparison of Hox genes, involved in animal body plan patterning, can be used to infer phylogenetic relationships. Here, we report the expression of five Hox genes during embryogenesis of the rotifer Brachionus manjavacas and show how these genes define different functional components of the nervous system and not the usual bilaterian staggered expression along the anteroposterior axis. Sequence analysis revealed that the lox5-parapeptide, a key signature in lophotrochozoan and platyhelminthean Hox6/lox5 genes, is absent and replaced by different signatures in Rotifera and Chaetognatha, and that the MedPost gene, until now unique to Chaetognatha, is also present in rotifers. Collectively, our results support an inclusion of chaetognaths in gnathiferans and Gnathifera as sister group to the remaining spiralians. Rotifers are microscopic animals with an unusual, nonsegmented body plan consisting of a head, trunk and foot. Here, Fröbius and Funch investigate the role of Hox genes—which are widely used in animal body plan patterning—in rotifer embryogenesis and find non-canonical expression in the nervous system.
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Leclère L, Röttinger E. Diversity of Cnidarian Muscles: Function, Anatomy, Development and Regeneration. Front Cell Dev Biol 2017; 4:157. [PMID: 28168188 PMCID: PMC5253434 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2016.00157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to perform muscle contractions is one of the most important and distinctive features of eumetazoans. As the sister group to bilaterians, cnidarians (sea anemones, corals, jellyfish, and hydroids) hold an informative phylogenetic position for understanding muscle evolution. Here, we review current knowledge on muscle function, diversity, development, regeneration and evolution in cnidarians. Cnidarian muscles are involved in various activities, such as feeding, escape, locomotion and defense, in close association with the nervous system. This variety is reflected in the large diversity of muscle organizations found in Cnidaria. Smooth epithelial muscle is thought to be the most common type, and is inferred to be the ancestral muscle type for Cnidaria, while striated muscle fibers and non-epithelial myocytes would have been convergently acquired within Cnidaria. Current knowledge of cnidarian muscle development and its regeneration is limited. While orthologs of myogenic regulatory factors such as MyoD have yet to be found in cnidarian genomes, striated muscle formation potentially involves well-conserved myogenic genes, such as twist and mef2. Although satellite cells have yet to be identified in cnidarians, muscle plasticity (e.g., de- and re-differentiation, fiber repolarization) in a regenerative context and its potential role during regeneration has started to be addressed in a few cnidarian systems. The development of novel tools to study those organisms has created new opportunities to investigate in depth the development and regeneration of cnidarian muscle cells and how they contribute to the regenerative process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Leclère
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer (LBDV) Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Eric Röttinger
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, INSERM, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging (IRCAN) Nice, France
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Rentzsch F, Layden M, Manuel M. The cellular and molecular basis of cnidarian neurogenesis. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2016; 6. [PMID: 27882698 PMCID: PMC6680159 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Revised: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Neurogenesis initiates during early development and it continues through later developmental stages and in adult animals to enable expansion, remodeling, and homeostasis of the nervous system. The generation of nerve cells has been analyzed in detail in few bilaterian model organisms, leaving open many questions about the evolution of this process. As the sister group to bilaterians, cnidarians occupy an informative phylogenetic position to address the early evolution of cellular and molecular aspects of neurogenesis and to understand common principles of neural development. Here we review studies in several cnidarian model systems that have revealed significant similarities and interesting differences compared to neurogenesis in bilaterian species, and between different cnidarian taxa. Cnidarian neurogenesis is currently best understood in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis, where it includes epithelial neural progenitor cells that express transcription factors of the soxB and atonal families. Notch signaling regulates the number of these neural progenitor cells, achaete‐scute and dmrt genes are required for their further development and Wnt and BMP signaling appear to be involved in the patterning of the nervous system. In contrast to many vertebrates and Drosophila, cnidarians have a high capacity to generate neurons throughout their lifetime and during regeneration. Utilizing this feature of cnidarian biology will likely allow gaining new insights into the similarities and differences of embryonic and regenerative neurogenesis. The use of different cnidarian model systems and their expanding experimental toolkits will thus continue to provide a better understanding of evolutionary and developmental aspects of nervous system formation. WIREs Dev Biol 2017, 6:e257. doi: 10.1002/wdev.257 This article is categorized under:
Gene Expression and Transcriptional Hierarchies > Cellular Differentiation Signaling Pathways > Cell Fate Signaling Comparative Development and Evolution > Organ System Comparisons Between Species
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Rentzsch
- Sars Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | | | - Michaël Manuel
- Sorbonne Universités, UMPC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, Evolution Paris-Seine, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Paris, France
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De Oliveira AL, Wollesen T, Kristof A, Scherholz M, Redl E, Todt C, Bleidorn C, Wanninger A. Comparative transcriptomics enlarges the toolkit of known developmental genes in mollusks. BMC Genomics 2016; 17:905. [PMID: 27832738 PMCID: PMC5103448 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-3080-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Accepted: 09/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mollusks display a striking morphological disparity, including, among others, worm-like animals (the aplacophorans), snails and slugs, bivalves, and cephalopods. This phenotypic diversity renders them ideal for studies into animal evolution. Despite being one of the most species-rich phyla, molecular and in silico studies concerning specific key developmental gene families are still scarce, thus hampering deeper insights into the molecular machinery that governs the development and evolution of the various molluscan class-level taxa. RESULTS Next-generation sequencing was used to retrieve transcriptomes of representatives of seven out of the eight recent class-level taxa of mollusks. Similarity searches, phylogenetic inferences, and a detailed manual curation were used to identify and confirm the orthology of numerous molluscan Hox and ParaHox genes, which resulted in a comprehensive catalog that highlights the evolution of these genes in Mollusca and other metazoans. The identification of a specific molluscan motif in the Hox paralog group 5 and a lophotrochozoan ParaHox motif in the Gsx gene is described. Functional analyses using KEGG and GO tools enabled a detailed description of key developmental genes expressed in important pathways such as Hedgehog, Wnt, and Notch during development of the respective species. The KEGG analysis revealed Wnt8, Wnt11, and Wnt16 as Wnt genes hitherto not reported for mollusks, thereby enlarging the known Wnt complement of the phylum. In addition, novel Hedgehog (Hh)-related genes were identified in the gastropod Lottia cf. kogamogai, demonstrating a more complex gene content in this species than in other mollusks. CONCLUSIONS The use of de novo transcriptome assembly and well-designed in silico protocols proved to be a robust approach for surveying and mining large sequence data in a wide range of non-model mollusks. The data presented herein constitute only a small fraction of the information retrieved from the analysed molluscan transcriptomes, which can be promptly employed in the identification of novel genes and gene families, phylogenetic inferences, and other studies using molecular tools. As such, our study provides an important framework for understanding some of the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in molluscan body plan diversification and hints towards functions of key developmental genes in molluscan morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. L. De Oliveira
- Department of Integrative Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, Vienna, 1090 Austria
| | - T. Wollesen
- Department of Integrative Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, Vienna, 1090 Austria
| | - A. Kristof
- Department of Integrative Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, Vienna, 1090 Austria
| | - M. Scherholz
- Department of Integrative Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, Vienna, 1090 Austria
| | - E. Redl
- Department of Integrative Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, Vienna, 1090 Austria
| | - C. Todt
- University of Bergen, University Museum, The Natural History Collections, Allégaten 41, 5007 Bergen, Norway
| | - C. Bleidorn
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, 28006 Spain
- Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, 04103 Germany
| | - A. Wanninger
- Department of Integrative Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, Vienna, 1090 Austria
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A transcriptional time-course analysis of oral vs. aboral whole-body regeneration in the Sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. BMC Genomics 2016; 17:718. [PMID: 27605362 PMCID: PMC5015328 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-3027-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2016] [Accepted: 08/20/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The ability of regeneration is essential for the homeostasis of all animals as it allows the repair and renewal of tissues and body parts upon normal turnover or injury. The extent of this ability varies greatly in different animals with the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis, a basal cnidarian model animal, displaying remarkable whole-body regeneration competence. Results In order to study this process in Nematostella we performed an RNA-Seq screen wherein we analyzed and compared the transcriptional response to bisection in the wound-proximal body parts undergoing oral (head) or aboral (tail) regeneration at several time points up to the initial restoration of the basic body shape. The transcriptional profiles of regeneration responsive genes were analyzed so as to define the temporal pattern of differential gene expression associated with the tissue-specific oral and aboral regeneration. The identified genes were characterized according to their GO (gene ontology) assignations revealing groups that were enriched in the regeneration process with particular attention to their affiliation to the major developmental signaling pathways. While some of the genes and gene groups thus analyzed were previously known to be active in regeneration, we have also revealed novel and surprising candidate genes such as cilia-associated genes that likely participate in this important developmental program. Conclusions This work highlighted the main groups of genes which showed polarization upon regeneration, notably the proteinases, multiple transcription factors and the Wnt pathway genes that were highly represented, all displaying an intricate temporal balance between the two sides. In addition, the evolutionary comparison performed between regeneration in different animal model systems may reveal the basic mechanisms playing a role in this fascinating process. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-3027-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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46
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Layden MJ, Johnston H, Amiel AR, Havrilak J, Steinworth B, Chock T, Röttinger E, Martindale MQ. MAPK signaling is necessary for neurogenesis in Nematostella vectensis. BMC Biol 2016; 14:61. [PMID: 27480076 PMCID: PMC4968017 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-016-0282-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2016] [Accepted: 07/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The nerve net of Nematostella is generated using a conserved cascade of neurogenic transcription factors. For example, NvashA, a homolog of the achaete-scute family of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors, is necessary and sufficient to specify a subset of embryonic neurons. However, positive regulators required for the expression of neurogenic transcription factors remain poorly understood. Results We show that treatment with the MEK/MAPK inhibitor U0126 severely reduces the expression of known neurogenic genes, Nvath-like, NvsoxB(2), and NvashA, and known markers of differentiated neurons, suggesting that MAPK signaling is necessary for neural development. Interestingly, ectopic NvashA fails to rescue the expression of neural markers in U0126-treated animals. Double fluorescence in situ hybridization and transgenic analysis confirmed that NvashA targets represent both unique and overlapping populations of neurons. Finally, we used a genome-wide microarray to identify additional patterning genes downstream of MAPK that might contribute to neurogenesis. We identified 18 likely neural transcription factors, and surprisingly identified ~40 signaling genes and transcription factors that are expressed in either the aboral domain or animal pole that gives rise to the endomesoderm at late blastula stages. Conclusions Together, our data suggest that MAPK is a key early regulator of neurogenesis, and that it is likely required at multiple steps. Initially, MAPK promotes neurogenesis by positively regulating expression of NvsoxB(2), Nvath-like, and NvashA. However, we also found that MAPK is necessary for the activity of the neurogenic transcription factor NvashA. Our forward molecular approach provided insight about the mechanisms of embryonic neurogenesis. For instance, NvashA suppression of Nvath-like suggests that inhibition of progenitor identity is an active process in newly born neurons, and we show that downstream targets of NvashA reflect multiple neural subtypes rather than a uniform neural fate. Lastly, analysis of the MAPK targets in the early embryo suggests that MAPK signaling is critical not only to neurogenesis, but also endomesoderm formation and aboral patterning. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12915-016-0282-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Layden
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA.
| | - Hereroa Johnston
- Université Nice Sophia Antipolis UMR 7284, CNRS UMR 7284, INSERM U1081, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging, Nice, France
| | - Aldine R Amiel
- Université Nice Sophia Antipolis UMR 7284, CNRS UMR 7284, INSERM U1081, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging, Nice, France
| | - Jamie Havrilak
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA
| | - Bailey Steinworth
- The Whitney Marine Laboratory for Marine Science, University of Florida, St. Augustine, Florida, USA
| | - Taylor Chock
- The Whitney Marine Laboratory for Marine Science, University of Florida, St. Augustine, Florida, USA
| | - Eric Röttinger
- Université Nice Sophia Antipolis UMR 7284, CNRS UMR 7284, INSERM U1081, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging, Nice, France
| | - Mark Q Martindale
- The Whitney Marine Laboratory for Marine Science, University of Florida, St. Augustine, Florida, USA.
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Kavanaugh SI, Tsai PS. Functional Authentication of a Novel Gastropod Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Receptor Reveals Unusual Features and Evolutionary Insight. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0160292. [PMID: 27467252 PMCID: PMC4964986 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2016] [Accepted: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
A gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-like molecule was previously identified in a gastropod, Aplysia californica, and named ap-GnRH. In this study, we cloned the full-length cDNA of a putative ap-GnRH receptor (ap-GnRHR) and functionally authenticated this receptor as a bona fide ap-GnRHR. This receptor contains two potential translation start sites, each accompanied by a Kozak sequence, suggesting the translation of a long and a short form of the receptor is possible. The putative ap-GnRHR maintains the conserved structural motifs of GnRHR-like receptors and shares 45% sequence identity with the octopus GnRHR. The expression of the putative ap-GnRHR short form is ubiquitous in all tissues examined, whereas the long form is only expressed in parts of the central nervous system, osphradium, small hermaphroditic duct, and ovotestis. The cDNA encoding the long or the short receptor was transfected into the Drosophila S2 cell line and subject to a radioreceptor assay using 125I-labeled ap-GnRH as the radioligand. Further, the transfected cells were treated with various concentrations of ap-GnRH and measured for the accumulation of cAMP and inositol monophosphate (IP1). Radioreceptor assay revealed that only the long receptor bound specifically to the radioligand. Further, only the long receptor responded to ap-GnRH with an increased accumulation of IP1, but not cAMP. Our studies show that despite the more prevalent expression of the short receptor, only the long receptor is the functional ap-GnRHR. Importantly, this is only the second report on the authentication of a protostome GnRHR, and based on the function and the phylogenetic grouping of ap-GnRHR, we suggest that this receptor is more similar to protostome corazonin receptors than chordate GnRHRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott I. Kavanaugh
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Pei-San Tsai
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Chen B, Piel WH, Monteiro A. Distal-less homeobox genes of insects and spiders: genomic organization, function, regulation and evolution. INSECT SCIENCE 2016; 23:335-352. [PMID: 26898323 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 01/30/2016] [Accepted: 02/04/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The Distal-less (Dll) genes are homeodomain transcription factors that are present in most Metazoa and in representatives of all investigated arthropod groups. In Drosophila, the best studied insect, Dll plays an essential role in forming the proximodistal axis of the legs, antennae and analia, and in specifying antennal identity. The initiation of Dll expression in clusters of cells in mid-lateral regions of the Drosophila embryo represents the earliest genetic marker of limbs. Dll genes are involved in the development of the peripheral nervous system and sensitive organs, and they also function as master regulators of black pigmentation in some insect lineages. Here we analyze the complete genomes of six insects, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and Homo sapiens, as well as multiple Dll sequences available in databases in order to examine the structure and protein features of these genes. We also review the function, expression, regulation and evolution of arthropod Dll genes with emphasis on insects and spiders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Chen
- Institute of Entomology and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, P.R. China
| | - William H Piel
- Yale-NUS College, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Antónia Monteiro
- Yale-NUS College, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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Arendt D, Tosches MA, Marlow H. From nerve net to nerve ring, nerve cord and brain--evolution of the nervous system. Nat Rev Neurosci 2016; 17:61-72. [PMID: 26675821 DOI: 10.1038/nrn.2015.15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The puzzle of how complex nervous systems emerged remains unsolved. Comparative studies of neurodevelopment in cnidarians and bilaterians suggest that this process began with distinct integration centres that evolved on opposite ends of an initial nerve net. The 'apical nervous system' controlled general body physiology, and the 'blastoporal nervous system' coordinated feeding movements and locomotion. We propose that expansion, integration and fusion of these centres gave rise to the bilaterian nerve cord and brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Detlev Arendt
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 699117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Maria Antonietta Tosches
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 4, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Heather Marlow
- Pasteur Institute, 25-28 Rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
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Layden MJ, Rentzsch F, Röttinger E. The rise of the starlet sea anemone Nematostella vectensis as a model system to investigate development and regeneration. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2016; 5:408-28. [PMID: 26894563 PMCID: PMC5067631 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2015] [Revised: 11/20/2015] [Accepted: 11/28/2015] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Reverse genetics and next‐generation sequencing unlocked a new era in biology. It is now possible to identify an animal(s) with the unique biology most relevant to a particular question and rapidly generate tools to functionally dissect that biology. This review highlights the rise of one such novel model system, the starlet sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. Nematostella is a cnidarian (corals, jellyfish, hydras, sea anemones, etc.) animal that was originally targeted by EvoDevo researchers looking to identify a cnidarian animal to which the development of bilaterians (insects, worms, echinoderms, vertebrates, mollusks, etc.) could be compared. Studies in Nematostella have accomplished this goal and informed our understanding of the evolution of key bilaterian features. However, Nematostella is now going beyond its intended utility with potential as a model to better understand other areas such as regenerative biology, EcoDevo, or stress response. This review intends to highlight key EvoDevo insights from Nematostella that guide our understanding about the evolution of axial patterning mechanisms, mesoderm, and nervous systems in bilaterians, as well as to discuss briefly the potential of Nematostella as a model to better understand the relationship between development and regeneration. Lastly, the sum of research to date in Nematostella has generated a variety of tools that aided the rise of Nematostella to a viable model system. We provide a catalogue of current resources and techniques available to facilitate investigators interested in incorporating Nematostella into their research. WIREs Dev Biol 2016, 5:408–428. doi: 10.1002/wdev.222 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Layden
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA
| | - Fabian Rentzsch
- Sars Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Eric Röttinger
- Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging (IRCAN), CNRS UMR 7284, INSERM U1081, Université de Nice-Sophia-Antipolis, Nice, France
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