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Holzem M, Boutros M, Holstein TW. The origin and evolution of Wnt signalling. Nat Rev Genet 2024; 25:500-512. [PMID: 38374446 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-024-00699-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
The Wnt signal transduction pathway has essential roles in the formation of the primary body axis during development, cellular differentiation and tissue homeostasis. This animal-specific pathway has been studied extensively in contexts ranging from developmental biology to medicine for more than 40 years. Despite its physiological importance, an understanding of the evolutionary origin and primary function of Wnt signalling has begun to emerge only recently. Recent studies on very basal metazoan species have shown high levels of conservation of components of both canonical and non-canonical Wnt signalling pathways. Furthermore, some pathway proteins have been described also in non-animal species, suggesting that recruitment and functional adaptation of these factors has occurred in metazoans. In this Review, we summarize the current state of research regarding the evolutionary origin of Wnt signalling, its ancestral function and the characteristics of the primal Wnt ligand, with emphasis on the importance of genomic studies in various pre-metazoan and basal metazoan species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Holzem
- Division of Signalling and Functional Genomics, German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology & BioQuant, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
- Faculty of Medicine Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
- Institute for Human Genetics, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Michael Boutros
- Division of Signalling and Functional Genomics, German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology & BioQuant, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute for Human Genetics, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas W Holstein
- Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
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De Pao Mendonca K, Rocher C, Dufour A, Schenkelaars Q, Heimbürger-Boavida LE, le Bivic A, Borchiellini C, Issartel J, Renard E. Methylmercury exposure of the sponge O. lobularis induces strong tissue and cell defects. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 358:141839. [PMID: 38636911 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141839] [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: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Mediterranean marine biota suffers from various anthropogenic threats. Among them, pollutants such as mercury (Hg) represent important environmental issues that are exacerbated by bioaccumulation and bioamplification along food webs via its organic form, monomethylmercury (MMHg). To date, very little is known regarding the impact of mercury on Porifera and the few available studies have been exclusively focused on Demospongiae. This work studies the effect of MMHgCl at different biological levels of Oscarella lobularis (Porifera, Homoscleromorpha). Bioaccumulation assays show that MMHgCl significantly accumulated in sponge tissues after a 96-h exposure to 0.1 μg L-1. Toxicity assays (LC5096h) show a sensibility that depends on life-stage (adult vs bud). Additionally, we show that the exposure to 1 μg L-1 MMHgCl negatively impacts the epithelial integrity and the regeneration process in buds, as shown by the loss of cell-cell contacts and the alteration of osculum morphogenesis. For the first time in a sponge, a whole set of genes classically involved in metal detoxification and in antioxidant response were identified. Significant changes in catalase, superoxide dismutase and nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 expressions in exposed juveniles were measured. Such an integrative approach from the physiological to the molecular scales on a non-model organism expands our knowledge concerning sensitivity and toxicity mechanisms induced by MMHg in Porifera, raising new questions regarding the possible defences used by marine sponges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kassandra De Pao Mendonca
- Aix Marseille Univ, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, Marseille, France; Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IBDM, UMR7288, Marseille, France
| | - Caroline Rocher
- Aix Marseille Univ, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, Marseille, France
| | - Aurélie Dufour
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS/INSU, Université de Toulon, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO), Marseille, France
| | | | - Lars-Eric Heimbürger-Boavida
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS/INSU, Université de Toulon, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO), Marseille, France
| | - André le Bivic
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IBDM, UMR7288, Marseille, France
| | | | - Julien Issartel
- Aix Marseille Univ, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, Marseille, France; Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, FR 3098 ECCOREV, F-13545, Aix-en-Provence, France.
| | - Emmanuelle Renard
- Aix Marseille Univ, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, Marseille, France; Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IBDM, UMR7288, Marseille, France; Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, FR 3098 ECCOREV, F-13545, Aix-en-Provence, France.
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3
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Mitchell DG, Edgar A, Mateu JR, Ryan JF, Martindale MQ. The ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi deploys a rapid injury response dating back to the last common animal ancestor. Commun Biol 2024; 7:203. [PMID: 38374160 PMCID: PMC10876535 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05901-7] [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] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Regenerative potential is widespread but unevenly distributed across animals. However, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying regenerative processes is limited to a handful of model organisms, restricting robust comparative analyses. Here, we conduct a time course of RNA-seq during whole body regeneration in Mnemiopsis leidyi (Ctenophora) to uncover gene expression changes that correspond with key events during the regenerative timeline of this species. We identified several genes highly enriched in this dataset beginning as early as 10 minutes after surgical bisection including transcription factors in the early timepoints, peptidases in the middle timepoints, and cytoskeletal genes in the later timepoints. We validated the expression of early response transcription factors by whole mount in situ hybridization, showing that these genes exhibited high expression in tissues surrounding the wound site. These genes exhibit a pattern of transient upregulation as seen in a variety of other organisms, suggesting that they may be initiators of an ancient gene regulatory network linking wound healing to the initiation of a regenerative response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothy G Mitchell
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, Saint Augustine, FL, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Allison Edgar
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, Saint Augustine, FL, USA
| | - Júlia Ramon Mateu
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, Saint Augustine, FL, USA
| | - Joseph F Ryan
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, Saint Augustine, FL, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Mark Q Martindale
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, Saint Augustine, FL, USA.
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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Sumner JT, Andrasz CL, Johnson CA, Wax S, Anderson P, Keeling EL, Davidson JM. De novo genome assembly and comparative genomics for the colonial ascidian Botrylloides violaceus. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2023; 13:jkad181. [PMID: 37555394 PMCID: PMC10542563 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkad181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Ascidians have the potential to reveal fundamental biological insights related to coloniality, regeneration, immune function, and the evolution of these traits. This study implements a hybrid assembly technique to produce a genome assembly and annotation for the botryllid ascidian, Botrylloides violaceus. A hybrid genome assembly was produced using Illumina, Inc. short and Oxford Nanopore Technologies long-read sequencing technologies. The resulting assembly is comprised of 831 contigs, has a total length of 121 Mbp, N50 of 1 Mbp, and a BUSCO score of 96.1%. Genome annotation identified 13 K protein-coding genes. Comparative genomic analysis with other tunicates reveals patterns of conservation and divergence within orthologous gene families even among closely related species. Characterization of the Wnt gene family, encoding signaling ligands involved in development and regeneration, reveals conserved patterns of subfamily presence and gene copy number among botryllids. This supports the use of genomic data from nonmodel organisms in the investigation of biological phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack T Sumner
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
| | - Cassidy L Andrasz
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
| | - Christine A Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
| | - Sarah Wax
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
| | - Paul Anderson
- Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
| | - Elena L Keeling
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
| | - Jean M Davidson
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
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Riesgo A, Santodomingo N, Koutsouveli V, Kumala L, Leger MM, Leys SP, Funch P. Molecular machineries of ciliogenesis, cell survival, and vasculogenesis are differentially expressed during regeneration in explants of the demosponge Halichondria panicea. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:858. [PMID: 36581804 PMCID: PMC9798719 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-09035-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Sponges are interesting animal models for regeneration studies, since even from dissociated cells, they are able to regenerate completely. In particular, explants are model systems that can be applied to many sponge species, since small fragments of sponges can regenerate all elements of the adult, including the oscula and the ability to pump water. The morphological aspects of regeneration in sponges are relatively well known, but the molecular machinery is only now starting to be elucidated for some sponge species. Here, we have used an explant system of the demosponge Halichondria panicea to understand the molecular machinery deployed during regeneration of the aquiferous system. We sequenced the transcriptomes of four replicates of the 5-day explant without an osculum (NOE), four replicates of the 17-18-day explant with a single osculum and pumping activity (PE) and also four replicates of field-collected individuals with regular pumping activity (PA), and performed differential gene expression analysis. We also described the morphology of NOE and PE samples using light and electron microscopy. Our results showed a highly disorganised mesohyl and disarranged aquiferous system in NOE that is coupled with upregulated pathways of ciliogenesis, organisation of the ECM, and cell proliferation and survival. Once the osculum is formed, genes involved in "response to stimulus in other organisms" were upregulated. Interestingly, the main molecular machinery of vasculogenesis described in vertebrates was activated during the regeneration of the aquiferous system. Notably, vasculogenesis markers were upregulated when the tissue was disorganised and about to start forming canals (NOE) and angiogenic stimulators and ECM remodelling machineries were differentially expressed once the aquiferous system was in place (PE and PA). Our results are fundamental to better understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in the formation of the aquiferous system in sponges, and its similarities with the early onset of blood-vessel formation in animal evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Riesgo
- Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Calle José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain.
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW5 7BD, UK.
| | - Nadia Santodomingo
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW5 7BD, UK
- Department of Earth Sciences, Oxford University, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3AN, UK
| | - Vasiliki Koutsouveli
- Marine Symbioses Research Unit, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, D-24105, Kiel, Germany
| | - Lars Kumala
- Nordcee, Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230, Odense M, Denmark
- Marine Biological Research Center, University of Southern Denmark, Hindsholmvej 11, 5300, Kerteminde, Denmark
| | - Michelle M Leger
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-UPF), Paseo Marítimo de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sally P Leys
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 11455 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Peter Funch
- Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade, 114-116, Aarhus C, Denmark
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Amaroli A, Tassara E, Ferrando S, Aicardi S, Pasquale C, Giovine M, Bertolino M, Zekiy A, Pozzolini M. Near-Infrared 810 nm Light Affects Porifera Chondrosia reniformis (Nardo, 1847) Regeneration: Molecular Implications and Evolutionary Considerations of Photobiomodulation-Animal Cell Interaction. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 24:ijms24010226. [PMID: 36613670 PMCID: PMC9820676 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemotrophic choice as a metabolic source of energy has characterised animal cell evolution. However, light interactions with animal cell photoacceptors that are able to increase energetic metabolism (photo-biomodulation (PBM)) have been previously described. In the present study, we cut three specimens of Chondrosia reniformis into four equal parts (12 fragments), and we irradiated the regenerating edge of six fragments with the previously characterised 810 nm near-infrared light, delivered at 1 W, 60 J/cm2, 1 W/cm2, and 60 J in a continuous-wave mode for 60 s through a flat-top hand-piece with a rounded spot-size area of 1 cm2. Six fragments were irradiated with 0 W for 60 s as the controls. We performed irradiation at the time 0 h and every 24 h for a total of five administrations. We monitored the regeneration process for five days (120 h) in aquaria by examining the macroscopic and histological changes. We analysed the gene expression profile of the inflammatory processes, apoptosis, heat stress, growth factors, and collagen production and determined oxidative stress enzyme activity and the total prokaryotic symbiont content. PBM sped up C. reniformis regeneration when compared to the controls. Particularly, transforming growth factor TGF3 and TGF6 upregulation during the early phase of regeneration and TGF5 upregulation 120 h postinjury in the irradiated samples supports the positive effect of PBM in sponge tissue recovery. Conversely, the expression of TGF4, a sponge fibroblast growth factor homologue, was not affected by irradiation, indicating that multiple, independent pathways regulate the TGF genes. The results are consistent with our previous data on a wide range of organisms and humans, suggesting that PBM interaction with primary and secondary cell targets has been conserved through the evolution of life forms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Amaroli
- Department of Orthopedic Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Correspondence: (A.A.); (M.P.)
| | - Eleonora Tassara
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genova, Via Pastore 3, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Sara Ferrando
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genova, Via Pastore 3, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Stefano Aicardi
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genova, Via Pastore 3, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Claudio Pasquale
- Department of Surgical and Diagnostic Sciences, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Marco Giovine
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genova, Via Pastore 3, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Marco Bertolino
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genova, Via Pastore 3, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Angelina Zekiy
- Department of Orthopedic Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Marina Pozzolini
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genova, Via Pastore 3, 16132 Genova, Italy
- Correspondence: (A.A.); (M.P.)
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