1
|
Massri AJ, Berrio A, Afanassiev A, Greenstreet L, Pipho K, Byrne M, Schiebinger G, McClay DR, Wray GA. Single-cell transcriptomics reveals evolutionary reconfiguration of embryonic cell fate specification in the sea urchin Heliocidaris erythrogramma. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.30.591752. [PMID: 38746376 PMCID: PMC11092583 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.30.591752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Altered regulatory interactions during development likely underlie a large fraction of phenotypic diversity within and between species, yet identifying specific evolutionary changes remains challenging. Analysis of single-cell developmental transcriptomes from multiple species provides a powerful framework for unbiased identification of evolutionary changes in developmental mechanisms. Here, we leverage a "natural experiment" in developmental evolution in sea urchins, where a major life history switch recently evolved in the lineage leading to Heliocidaris erythrogramma , precipitating extensive changes in early development. Comparative analyses of scRNA-seq developmental time courses from H. erythrogramma and Lytechinus variegatus (representing the derived and ancestral states respectively) reveals numerous evolutionary changes in embryonic patterning. The earliest cell fate specification events, and the primary signaling center are co-localized in the ancestral dGRN but remarkably, in H. erythrogramma they are spatially and temporally separate. Fate specification and differentiation are delayed in most embryonic cell lineages, although in some cases, these processes are conserved or even accelerated. Comparative analysis of regulator-target gene co-expression is consistent with many specific interactions being preserved but delayed in H. erythrogramma , while some otherwise widely conserved interactions have likely been lost. Finally, specific patterning events are directly correlated with evolutionary changes in larval morphology, suggesting that they are directly tied to the life history shift. Together, these findings demonstrate that comparative scRNA-seq developmental time courses can reveal a diverse set of evolutionary changes in embryonic patterning and provide an efficient way to identify likely candidate regulatory interactions for subsequent experimental validation.
Collapse
|
2
|
Shi C, Chen S, Liu H, Pan R, Li S, Wang Y, Wu X, Li J, Li X, Xing C, Liu X, Wang Y, Qu Q, Li G. Evolution of the gene regulatory network of body axis by enhancer hijacking in amphioxus. eLife 2024; 13:e89615. [PMID: 38231024 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89615] [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: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
A central goal of evolutionary developmental biology is to decipher the evolutionary pattern of gene regulatory networks (GRNs) that control embryonic development, and the mechanism underlying GRNs evolution. The Nodal signaling that governs the body axes of deuterostomes exhibits a conserved GRN orchestrated principally by Nodal, Gdf1/3, and Lefty. Here we show that this GRN has been rewired in cephalochordate amphioxus. We found that while the amphioxus Gdf1/3 ortholog exhibited nearly no embryonic expression, its duplicate Gdf1/3-like, linked to Lefty, was zygotically expressed in a similar pattern as Lefty. Consistent with this, while Gdf1/3-like mutants showed defects in axial development, Gdf1/3 mutants did not. Further transgenic analyses showed that the intergenic region between Gdf1/3-like and Lefty could drive reporter gene expression as that of the two genes. These results indicated that Gdf1/3-like has taken over the axial development role of Gdf1/3 in amphioxus, possibly through hijacking Lefty enhancers. We finally demonstrated that, to compensate for the loss of maternal Gdf1/3 expression, Nodal has become an indispensable maternal factor in amphioxus and its maternal mutants caused axial defects as Gdf1/3-like mutants. We therefore demonstrated a case that the evolution of GRNs could be triggered by enhancer hijacking events. This pivotal event has allowed the emergence of a new GRN in extant amphioxus, presumably through a stepwise process. In addition, the co-expression of Gdf1/3-like and Lefty achieved by a shared regulatory region may have provided robustness during body axis formation, which provides a selection-based hypothesis for the phenomena called developmental system drift.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chenggang Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Shuang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Huimin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Rongrong Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Shiqi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Yanhui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Xiaotong Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Jingjing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Xuewen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Chaofan Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Xian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Yiquan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Qingming Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Guang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Fung CW, Chau KY, Tong DCS, Knox C, Tam SST, Tan SY, Loi DSC, Leung Z, Xu Y, Lan Y, Qian PY, Chan KYK, Wu AR. Parentage influence on gene expression under acidification revealed through single-embryo sequencing. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:6796-6808. [PMID: 37888909 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17148] [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: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
The dissolution of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2 ) in seawater has altered its carbonate chemistry in the process of ocean acidification (OA). OA affects the viability of marine species. In particular, calcifying organisms and their early planktonic larval stages are considered vulnerable. These organisms often utilize energy reserves for metabolism rather than growth and calcification as supported by bulk RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) experiments. Yet, transcriptomic profiling of a bulk sample reflects the average gene expression of the population, neglecting the variations between individuals, which forms the basis for natural selection. Here, we used single-embryo RNA-seq on larval sea urchin Heliocidaris crassispina, which is a commercially and ecologically valuable species in East Asia, to document gene expression changes to OA at an individual and family level. Three paternal half-sibs groups were fertilized and exposed to 3 pH conditions (ambient pH 8.0, 7.7 and 7.4) for 12 h prior to sequencing and oxygen consumption assay. The resulting transcriptomic profile of all embryos can be distinguished into four clusters, with differences in gene expressions that govern biomineralization, cell differentiation and patterning, as well as metabolism. While these responses were influenced by pH conditions, the male identities also had an effect. Specifically, a regression model and goodness of fit tests indicated a significant interaction between sire and pH on the probability of embryo membership in different clusters of gene expression. The single-embryo RNA-seq approach is promising in climate stressor research because not only does it highlight potential impacts before phenotypic changes were observed, but it also highlights variations between individuals and lineages, thus enabling a better determination of evolutionary potential.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cheuk Wang Fung
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kin Yung Chau
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Daniel Chun Sang Tong
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Claire Knox
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Sindy Sing Ting Tam
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Sin Yen Tan
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Danson Shek Chun Loi
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ziuwin Leung
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ying Xu
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yi Lan
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
- Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Pei-Yuan Qian
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
- Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kit Yu Karen Chan
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Biology Department, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Angela Ruohao Wu
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
- Center for Aging Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Formery L, Lowe CJ. Integrating Complex Life Cycles in Comparative Developmental Biology. Annu Rev Genet 2023; 57:321-339. [PMID: 37585618 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genet-071719-020641] [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] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
The goal of comparative developmental biology is identifying mechanistic differences in embryonic development between different taxa and how these evolutionary changes have led to morphological and organizational differences in adult body plans. Much of this work has focused on direct-developing species in which the adult forms straight from the embryo and embryonic modifications have direct effects on the adult. However, most animal lineages are defined by indirect development, in which the embryo gives rise to a larval body plan and the adult forms by transformation of the larva. Historically, much of our understanding of complex life cycles is viewed through the lenses of ecology and zoology. In this review, we discuss the importance of establishing developmental rather than morphological or ecological criteria for defining developmental mode and explicitly considering the evolutionary implications of incorporating complex life cycles into broad developmental comparisons of embryos across metazoans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Formery
- Department of Biology, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, California, USA;
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Christopher J Lowe
- Department of Biology, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, California, USA;
- Chan Zuckerberg BioHub, San Francisco, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Fu XX, Zhuo DH, Zhang YJ, Li YF, Liu X, Xing YY, Huang Y, Wang YF, Cheng T, Wang D, Chen SH, Chen YJ, Jiang GN, Lu FI, Feng Y, Huang X, Ma J, Liu W, Bai G, Xu PF. A spatiotemporal barrier formed by Follistatin is required for left-right patterning. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2219649120. [PMID: 37276408 PMCID: PMC10268237 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2219649120] [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: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
How left-right (LR) asymmetry emerges in a patterning field along the anterior-posterior axis remains an unresolved problem in developmental biology. Left-biased Nodal emanating from the LR organizer propagates from posterior to anterior (PA) and establishes the LR pattern of the whole embryo. However, little is known about the regulatory mechanism of the PA spread of Nodal and its asymmetric activation in the forebrain. Here, we identify bilaterally expressed Follistatin (Fst) as a regulator blocking the propagation of the zebrafish Nodal ortholog Southpaw (Spaw) in the right lateral plate mesoderm (LPM), and restricting Spaw transmission in the left LPM to facilitate the establishment of a robust LR asymmetric Nodal patterning. In addition, Fst inhibits the Activin-Nodal signaling pathway in the forebrain thus preventing Nodal activation prior to the arrival, at a later time, of Spaw emanating from the left LPM. This contributes to the orderly propagation of asymmetric Nodal activation along the PA axis. The LR regulation function of Fst is further confirmed in chick and frog embryos. Overall, our results suggest that a robust LR patterning emerges by counteracting a Fst barrier formed along the PA axis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Xin Fu
- Women's Hospital and Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou310058, China
| | - Ding-Hao Zhuo
- Women's Hospital and Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou310058, China
| | - Ying-Jie Zhang
- Women's Hospital and Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou310058, China
| | - Yun-Fei Li
- Women's Hospital and Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou310058, China
| | - Xiang Liu
- Women's Hospital and Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou310058, China
| | - Yan-Yi Xing
- Women's Hospital and Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou310058, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Genetic and Developmental Disorders, Hangzhou310058, China
| | - Ying Huang
- Women's Hospital and Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou310058, China
| | - Yi-Fan Wang
- Women's Hospital and Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou310058, China
- Precision Medicine Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore117599, Singapore
| | - Tao Cheng
- Women's Hospital and Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou310058, China
| | - Dan Wang
- Women's Hospital and Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou310058, China
| | - Si-Han Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Ministry of Education Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou311121, China
| | - Yi-Jian Chen
- Institute of Cell and Developmental Biology, Zhejiang University School of Life Sciences, Hangzhou310058, China
| | - Guan-Nan Jiang
- Women's Hospital and Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou310058, China
| | - Fu-I Lu
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908
| | - Yu Feng
- Department of Biophysics and Infectious Disease of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou310058, China
| | - Xiao Huang
- Institute of Cell and Developmental Biology, Zhejiang University School of Life Sciences, Hangzhou310058, China
| | - Jun Ma
- Women's Hospital and Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou310058, China
| | - Wei Liu
- Department of Metabolic Medicine, International Institutes of Medicine, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu32200, China
| | - Ge Bai
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Ministry of Education Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou311121, China
| | - Peng-Fei Xu
- Women's Hospital and Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou310058, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Marlétaz F, Couloux A, Poulain J, Labadie K, Da Silva C, Mangenot S, Noel B, Poustka AJ, Dru P, Pegueroles C, Borra M, Lowe EK, Lhomond G, Besnardeau L, Le Gras S, Ye T, Gavriouchkina D, Russo R, Costa C, Zito F, Anello L, Nicosia A, Ragusa MA, Pascual M, Molina MD, Chessel A, Di Carlo M, Turon X, Copley RR, Exposito JY, Martinez P, Cavalieri V, Ben Tabou de Leon S, Croce J, Oliveri P, Matranga V, Di Bernardo M, Morales J, Cormier P, Geneviève AM, Aury JM, Barbe V, Wincker P, Arnone MI, Gache C, Lepage T. Analysis of the P. lividus sea urchin genome highlights contrasting trends of genomic and regulatory evolution in deuterostomes. CELL GENOMICS 2023; 3:100295. [PMID: 37082140 PMCID: PMC10112332 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2023.100295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Revised: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
Sea urchins are emblematic models in developmental biology and display several characteristics that set them apart from other deuterostomes. To uncover the genomic cues that may underlie these specificities, we generated a chromosome-scale genome assembly for the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus and an extensive gene expression and epigenetic profiles of its embryonic development. We found that, unlike vertebrates, sea urchins retained ancestral chromosomal linkages but underwent very fast intrachromosomal gene order mixing. We identified a burst of gene duplication in the echinoid lineage and showed that some of these expanded genes have been recruited in novel structures (water vascular system, Aristotle's lantern, and skeletogenic micromere lineage). Finally, we identified gene-regulatory modules conserved between sea urchins and chordates. Our results suggest that gene-regulatory networks controlling development can be conserved despite extensive gene order rearrangement.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ferdinand Marlétaz
- Center for Life’s Origin & Evolution, Department of Genetics, Evolution, & Environment, University College London, WC1 6BT London, UK
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut de Biologie François Jacob, Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique, CNRS, Université Évry, Université Paris-Saclay, 91057 Évry, France
- Genoscope, Institut de Biologie François-Jacob, Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique (CEA), Université Paris-Saclay, Évry, France
| | - Arnaud Couloux
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut de Biologie François Jacob, Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique, CNRS, Université Évry, Université Paris-Saclay, 91057 Évry, France
| | - Julie Poulain
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut de Biologie François Jacob, Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique, CNRS, Université Évry, Université Paris-Saclay, 91057 Évry, France
| | - Karine Labadie
- Genoscope, Institut de Biologie François-Jacob, Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique (CEA), Université Paris-Saclay, Évry, France
| | - Corinne Da Silva
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut de Biologie François Jacob, Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique, CNRS, Université Évry, Université Paris-Saclay, 91057 Évry, France
| | - Sophie Mangenot
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut de Biologie François Jacob, Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique, CNRS, Université Évry, Université Paris-Saclay, 91057 Évry, France
| | - Benjamin Noel
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut de Biologie François Jacob, Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique, CNRS, Université Évry, Université Paris-Saclay, 91057 Évry, France
| | - Albert J. Poustka
- Evolution and Development Group, Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Genetik, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Dahlem Center for Genome Research and Medical Systems Biology (Environmental and Phylogenomics Group), 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Philippe Dru
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer (LBDV), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
| | - Cinta Pegueroles
- Institute for Research on Biodiversity (IRBio), Department of Genetics, Microbiology, and Statistics, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marco Borra
- Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy
| | - Elijah K. Lowe
- Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy
| | - Guy Lhomond
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer (LBDV), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
| | - Lydia Besnardeau
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer (LBDV), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
| | - Stéphanie Le Gras
- Plateforme GenomEast, IGBMC, CNRS UMR7104, INSERM U1258, Université de Strasbourg, 67404 Illirch Cedex, France
| | - Tao Ye
- Plateforme GenomEast, IGBMC, CNRS UMR7104, INSERM U1258, Université de Strasbourg, 67404 Illirch Cedex, France
| | - Daria Gavriouchkina
- Molecular Genetics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, 904-0495 Onna-son, Japan
| | - Roberta Russo
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto per la Ricerca e l’Innovazione Biomedica (IRIB), 90146 Palermo, Italy
| | - Caterina Costa
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto per la Ricerca e l’Innovazione Biomedica (IRIB), 90146 Palermo, Italy
| | - Francesca Zito
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto per la Ricerca e l’Innovazione Biomedica (IRIB), 90146 Palermo, Italy
| | - Letizia Anello
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto per la Ricerca e l’Innovazione Biomedica (IRIB), 90146 Palermo, Italy
| | - Aldo Nicosia
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto per la Ricerca e l’Innovazione Biomedica (IRIB), 90146 Palermo, Italy
| | - Maria Antonietta Ragusa
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Marta Pascual
- Institute for Research on Biodiversity (IRBio), Department of Genetics, Microbiology, and Statistics, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - M. Dolores Molina
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia, i Estadística, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut Biology Valrose, Université Côte d’Azur, 06108 Nice Cedex 2, France
| | - Aline Chessel
- Institut Biology Valrose, Université Côte d’Azur, 06108 Nice Cedex 2, France
| | - Marta Di Carlo
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (CNR), 90146 Palermo, Italy
| | - Xavier Turon
- Department of Marine Ecology, Centre d’Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB, CSIC), 17300 Blanes, Spain
| | - Richard R. Copley
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer (LBDV), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
| | - Jean-Yves Exposito
- Laboratoire de Biologie Tissulaire et d’Ingénierie Thérapeutique (LBTI), UMR CNRS 5305, Institut de Biologie et Chimie des Protéines, Université Lyon 1, 69367 Lyon, France
| | - Pedro Martinez
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia, i Estadística, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut Català de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Vincenzo Cavalieri
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Smadar Ben Tabou de Leon
- Department of Marine Biology, Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, 31095 Haifa, Israel
| | - Jenifer Croce
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer (LBDV), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
| | - Paola Oliveri
- Center for Life’s Origin & Evolution, Department of Genetics, Evolution, & Environment, University College London, WC1 6BT London, UK
| | - Valeria Matranga
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto per la Ricerca e l’Innovazione Biomedica (IRIB), 90146 Palermo, Italy
| | - Maria Di Bernardo
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Farmacologia Traslazionale, 90146 Palermo, Italy
| | - Julia Morales
- Integrative Biology of Marine Models (LBI2M), Station Biologique de Roscoff, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, 29680 Roscoff, France
| | - Patrick Cormier
- Integrative Biology of Marine Models (LBI2M), Station Biologique de Roscoff, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, 29680 Roscoff, France
| | - Anne-Marie Geneviève
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins, BIOM, 66650 Banyuls/Mer, France
| | - Jean Marc Aury
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut de Biologie François Jacob, Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique, CNRS, Université Évry, Université Paris-Saclay, 91057 Évry, France
| | - Valérie Barbe
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut de Biologie François Jacob, Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique, CNRS, Université Évry, Université Paris-Saclay, 91057 Évry, France
| | - Patrick Wincker
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut de Biologie François Jacob, Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique, CNRS, Université Évry, Université Paris-Saclay, 91057 Évry, France
| | - Maria Ina Arnone
- Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy
| | - Christian Gache
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer (LBDV), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
| | - Thierry Lepage
- Institut Biology Valrose, Université Côte d’Azur, 06108 Nice Cedex 2, France
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Spurrell M, Oulhen N, Foster S, Perillo M, Wessel G. Gene regulatory divergence amongst echinoderms underlies appearance of pigment cells in sea urchin development. Dev Biol 2023; 494:13-25. [PMID: 36519720 PMCID: PMC9870932 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Larvae of the sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, have pigmented migratory cells implicated in immune defense and gut patterning. The transcription factor SpGcm activates the expression of many pigment cell-specific genes, including those involved in pigment biosynthesis (SpPks1 and SpFmo3) and immune related genes (e.g. SpMif5). Despite the importance of this cell type in sea urchins, pigmented cells are absent in larvae of the sea star, Patiria miniata. In this study, we tested the premises that sea stars lack genes to synthesize echinochrome pigment, that the genes are present but are not expressed in the larvae, or rather that the homologous gene expression does not contribute to echinochrome synthesis. Our results show that orthologs of sea urchin pigment cell-specific genes (PmPks1, PmFmo3-1 and PmMifL1-2) are present in the sea star genome and expressed in the larvae. Although no cell lineage homologous to migratory sea urchin pigment cells is present, dynamic gene activation accomplishes a similar spatial and temporal expression profile. The mechanisms regulating the expression of these genes, though, is highly divergent. In sea stars, PmGcm lacks the central role in pigment gene expression since it is not expressed in PmPks1 and PmFmo3-1-positive cells, and knockdown of Gcm does not abrogate pigment gene expression. Pigment genes are instead expressed in the coelomic mesoderm early in development before later being expressed in the ectoderm. These findings were supported by in situ RNA hybridization and comparative scRNA-seq analyses. We conclude that simply the coexpression of Pks1 and Fmo3 orthologs in cells of the sea star is not sufficient to underlie the emergence of the larval pigment cell in the sea urchin.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maxwell Spurrell
- Brown University, Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Nathalie Oulhen
- Brown University, Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Stephany Foster
- Brown University, Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Margherita Perillo
- Brown University, Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Gary Wessel
- Brown University, Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry, Providence, RI, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Truchado-García M, Perry KJ, Cavodeassi F, Kenny NJ, Henry JQ, Grande C. A Small Change With a Twist Ending: A Single Residue in EGF-CFC Drives Bilaterian Asymmetry. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 40:6947033. [PMID: 36537201 PMCID: PMC9907556 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac270] [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: 10/01/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Asymmetries are essential for proper organization and function of organ systems. Genetic studies in bilaterians have shown signaling through the Nodal/Smad2 pathway plays a key, conserved role in the establishment of body asymmetries. Although the main molecular players in the network for the establishment of left-right asymmetry (LRA) have been deeply described in deuterostomes, little is known about the regulation of Nodal signaling in spiralians. Here, we identified orthologs of the egf-cfc gene, a master regulator of the Nodal pathway in vertebrates, in several invertebrate species, which includes the first evidence of its presence in non-deuterostomes. Our functional experiments indicate that despite being present, egf-cfc does not play a role in the establishment of LRA in gastropods. However, experiments in zebrafish suggest that a single amino acid mutation in the egf-cfc gene in at least the common ancestor of chordates was the necessary step to induce a gain of function in LRA regulation. This study shows that the egf-cfc gene likely appeared in the ancestors of deuterostomes and "protostomes", before being adopted as a mechanism to regulate the Nodal pathway and the establishment of LRA in some lineages of deuterostomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kimberly J Perry
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Florencia Cavodeassi
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain,Institute of Medical and Biomedical Education, St George's University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE, United Kingdom
| | - Nathan J Kenny
- Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, United Kingdom,Department of Biochemistry (Te Tari Matū Koiora), University of Otago, Dunedin, (Aotearoa) New Zealand
| | - Jonathan Q Henry
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801,The Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543
| | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Foster S, Oulhen N, Fresques T, Zaki H, Wessel G. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis of early sea star development. Development 2022; 149:dev200982. [PMID: 36399063 PMCID: PMC9845752 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Echinoderms represent a broad phylum with many tractable features to test evolutionary changes and constraints. Here, we present a single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis of early development in the sea star Patiria miniata, to complement the recent analysis of two sea urchin species. We identified 20 cell states across six developmental stages from 8 hpf to mid-gastrula stage, using the analysis of 25,703 cells. The clusters were assigned cell states based on known marker gene expression and by in situ RNA hybridization. We found that early (morula, 8-14 hpf) and late (blastula-to-mid-gastrula) cell states are transcriptionally distinct. Cells surrounding the blastopore undergo rapid cell state changes that include endomesoderm diversification. Of particular import to understanding germ cell specification is that we never see Nodal pathway members within Nanos/Vasa-positive cells in the region known to give rise to the primordial germ cells (PGCs). The results from this work contrast the results of PGC specification in the sea urchin, and the dataset presented here enables deeper comparative studies in tractable developmental models for testing a variety of developmental mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephany Foster
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology & Biochemistry Division of BioMedicine, Brown University,Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Nathalie Oulhen
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology & Biochemistry Division of BioMedicine, Brown University,Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Tara Fresques
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology & Biochemistry Division of BioMedicine, Brown University,Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Hossam Zaki
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology & Biochemistry Division of BioMedicine, Brown University,Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Gary Wessel
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology & Biochemistry Division of BioMedicine, Brown University,Providence, RI 02912, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Tacconi S, Augello S, Persano F, Sbarigia C, Carata E, Leporatti S, Fidaleo M, Dini L. Amino-functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles (NH 2-MSiNPs) impair the embryonic development of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2022; 95:103956. [PMID: 35963553 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2022.103956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Nanoparticles have found use in a wide range of applications, mainly as carriers of active biomolecules. It is thus necessary to assess their toxicity for human health, as well as for the environment, on which there is still a gap of knowledge. In this work, sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus, a widely used model for embryotoxicity and spermiotoxicity, has been used to assess potential detrimental effects of amino-functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles (NH2-MSiNPs) on embryonic development. Specifically, gametes quality, embryogenesis morphological and timing alterations, and cellular stress markers, such as mitochondrial functionality, were assessed in presence of different concentrations of NH2-MSiNPs in filtered seawater (FSW). Furthermore, dorsal-ventral axis development and skeletogenesis were characterized by microscopy imaging and gene expression analysis. NH2-MSiNPs determined a strong reduction in the egg fertilization rate. Consequently, the presence of NH2-MSiNPs resulted detrimental in P. lividus embryonic development, with severe morphological alterations correlated with an increased embryos mortality. Finally, NH2-MSiNPs treatment was responsible for other toxic effects, such as reduced mitochondrial function and skeletogenesis alterations, according to the reduced mineralization sites in the endoskeleton formation and the related genes altered expression. Taken together, these results suggest the potential toxic effects of NH2-MSiNPs on the marine ecosystem, with consequences for the development and reproduction of its organisms. Despite their promising potential as carriers of biomolecules, it is pivotal to consider that their uncontrolled use may result harmful to the environment and, consequently, to living organisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Tacconi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, University of Rome Sapienza, 00185 Rome, Italy.
| | - Simone Augello
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, University of Rome Sapienza, 00185 Rome, Italy.
| | - Francesca Persano
- University of Salento, Department of Mathematics and Physics, 73100 Lecce, Italy; CNR Nanotec-Istituto di Nanotecnologia, 73100 Lecce, Italy.
| | - Carolina Sbarigia
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, University of Rome Sapienza, 00185 Rome, Italy.
| | - Elisabetta Carata
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy.
| | | | - Marco Fidaleo
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, University of Rome Sapienza, 00185 Rome, Italy; CNIS Research Center for Nanotechnology Applied to Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.
| | - Luciana Dini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, University of Rome Sapienza, 00185 Rome, Italy; CNIS Research Center for Nanotechnology Applied to Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Baba T, Miyahara C, Yamanaka A, Kitazawa C. Revealing the cells fated to form the cell mass in embryos of temnopleurid sea urchins. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART B, MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2022; 338:254-269. [PMID: 35255188 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.23126] [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: 08/21/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Larvae of temnopleurid sea urchins form a cell mass (CM) instead of an amniotic cavity on the left side at the early developmental stage for formation of the adult rudiment. However, the cell lineage and the mechanisms that form the CM are still unknown. We analyzed the potential to form a CM in partial embryos resulting from microsurgeries, using two temnopleurid species, Mespilia globulus (L.) and Temnopleurus toreumaticus (Leske). CM formation was completed 28-34 h after fertilization at 24°C, corresponding to the period from the late prism to the two-armed pluteus larval stages in both species. In the case of specimens dissected horizontally during the mesenchyme blastula to prism stages, the CM was formed in partial embryos containing enough of the an2 region, a part of the precursor cells that differentiate the ectoderm. The proportion of specimens with a CM was higher in T. toreumaticus than in M. globulus. Additionally, all larvae derived from half embryos obtained from dissection along the animal-vegetal axis at the mesenchyme blastula stage formed the CM. Transplantation of a stained animal or vegetal hemisphere at the 16-cell stage into a nonstained vegetal or animal embryo indicated that the CM derives from the animal half. Exogastrulae vegetalized by lithium chloride treatment did not form the CM. These results indicate that the CM formation is dependent not only on the an2 region but also on signals from the vegetal region after the mesenchyme blastula stage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tomomi Baba
- Biological Institute, Faculty of Education, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Chisato Miyahara
- Biological Institute, Faculty of Education, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Akira Yamanaka
- Department of Biology & Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science and Technology for Innovation, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Chisato Kitazawa
- Biological Institute, Faculty of Education, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
- Social System Analysis, The Graduate School of East Asian Studies, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Sun JJ, Sun ZH, Wei JL, Ding J, Song J, Chang YQ. Identification and functional analysis of foxl2 and nodal in sea cucumber, Apostichopus japonicus. Gene Expr Patterns 2022; 44:119245. [PMID: 35381371 DOI: 10.1016/j.gep.2022.119245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus) is an important mariculture species in China. To date, the mechanisms of sex determination and differentiation in sea cucumber remain unclear. Identifying sex-specific molecular markers is an effective method for revealing the genetic basis of sex determination and sex differentiation. In this study, foxl2 and nodal homologous genes were identified in A. japonicus. Foxl2 exhibited dynamic and sexually dimorphic expression patterns in the gonads, with prominent expression in the ovaries and minimal expression in the testis according to real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) study. As nodal was specifically expressed in the ovary, it could serve as an ovary-specific marker in sea cucumber. Additionally, knockdown of foxl2 or nodal using RNA interference (RNAi) led to the down-regulation of piwi, germ cell-less, and dmrt1, suggesting that foxl2 and nodal may play important roles in gonad maintenance of sea cucumber. Overall, this study adds to our understanding of the roles of foxl2 and nodal in the gonadal development of A. japonicus, which provides further insight into the mechanisms of sea cucumber sex determination and differentiation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan-Juan Sun
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture & Stock Enhancement in North China's Sea, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Zhi-Hui Sun
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture & Stock Enhancement in North China's Sea, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Jin-Liang Wei
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture & Stock Enhancement in North China's Sea, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Jun Ding
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture & Stock Enhancement in North China's Sea, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Jian Song
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture & Stock Enhancement in North China's Sea, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Ya-Qing Chang
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture & Stock Enhancement in North China's Sea, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
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]
|
14
|
Watanabe K, Yasui Y, Kurose Y, Fujii M, Yamamoto T, Sakamoto N, Awazu A. Partial exogastrulation due to apical‐basal polarity of F‐actin distribution disruption in sea urchin embryo by omeprazole. Genes Cells 2022; 27:392-408. [PMID: 35347809 PMCID: PMC9325501 DOI: 10.1111/gtc.12934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kaichi Watanabe
- Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Higashi‐Hiroshima Japan
| | - Yuhei Yasui
- Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Higashi‐Hiroshima Japan
| | - Yuta Kurose
- Department of Mathematical and Life Sciences Graduate School of Science, Hiroshima University, Higashi‐Hiroshima Japan
| | - Masashi Fujii
- Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Higashi‐Hiroshima Japan
| | - Takashi Yamamoto
- Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Higashi‐Hiroshima Japan
| | - Naoaki Sakamoto
- Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Higashi‐Hiroshima Japan
| | - Akinori Awazu
- Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Higashi‐Hiroshima Japan
- Research Center for the Mathematics on Chromatin Live Dynamics Hiroshima University, Higashi‐Hiroshima Hiroshima Japan
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Martino C, Chianese T, Chiarelli R, Roccheri MC, Scudiero R. Toxicological Impact of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) on the Reproduction and Development of Aquatic Organisms Using Sea Urchins as Biological Models. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052876. [PMID: 35270017 PMCID: PMC8911218 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The growing presence of lanthanides in the environment has drawn the attention of the scientific community on their safety and toxicity. The sources of lanthanides in the environment include diagnostic medicine, electronic devices, permanent magnets, etc. Their exponential use and the poor management of waste disposal raise serious concerns about the quality and safety of the ecosystems at a global level. This review focused on the impact of lanthanides in marine organisms on reproductive fitness, fertilization and embryonic development, using the sea urchin as a biological model system. Scientific evidence shows that exposure to lanthanides triggers a wide variety of toxic insults, including reproductive performance, fertilization, redox metabolism, embryogenesis, and regulation of embryonic gene expression. This was thoroughly demonstrated for gadolinium, the most widely used lanthanide in diagnostic medicine, whose uptake in sea urchin embryos occurs in a time- and concentration-dependent manner, correlates with decreased calcium absorption and primarily affects skeletal growth, with incorrect regulation of the skeletal gene regulatory network. The results collected on sea urchin embryos demonstrate a variable sensitivity of the early life stages of different species, highlighting the importance of testing the effects of pollution in different species. The accumulation of lanthanides and their emerging negative effects make risk assessment and consequent legislative intervention on their disposal mandatory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Martino
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Building 16, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (C.M.); (R.C.); (M.C.R.)
| | - Teresa Chianese
- Department of Biology, University Federico II, Via Cintia 21, 80126 Napoli, Italy;
| | - Roberto Chiarelli
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Building 16, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (C.M.); (R.C.); (M.C.R.)
| | - Maria Carmela Roccheri
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Building 16, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (C.M.); (R.C.); (M.C.R.)
| | - Rosaria Scudiero
- Department of Biology, University Federico II, Via Cintia 21, 80126 Napoli, Italy;
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Abstract
This review reports recent findings on the specification and patterning of neurons that establish the larval nervous system of the sea urchin embryo. Neurons originate in three regions of the embryo. Perturbation analyses enabled construction of gene regulatory networks controlling the several neural cell types. Many of the mechanisms described reflect shared features of all metazoans and others are conserved among deuterostomes. This nervous system with a very small number of neurons supports the feeding and swimming behaviors of the larva until metamorphosis when an adult nervous system replaces that system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David R McClay
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Massri AJ, Greenstreet L, Afanassiev A, Berrio A, Wray GA, Schiebinger G, McClay DR. Developmental single-cell transcriptomics in the Lytechinus variegatus sea urchin embryo. Development 2021; 148:271986. [PMID: 34463740 DOI: 10.1242/dev.198614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Using scRNA-seq coupled with computational approaches, we studied transcriptional changes in cell states of sea urchin embryos during development to the larval stage. Eighteen closely spaced time points were taken during the first 24 h of development of Lytechinus variegatus (Lv). Developmental trajectories were constructed using Waddington-OT, a computational approach to 'stitch' together developmental time points. Skeletogenic and primordial germ cell trajectories diverged early in cleavage. Ectodermal progenitors were distinct from other lineages by the 6th cleavage, although a small percentage of ectoderm cells briefly co-expressed endoderm markers that indicated an early ecto-endoderm cell state, likely in cells originating from the equatorial region of the egg. Endomesoderm cells also originated at the 6th cleavage and this state persisted for more than two cleavages, then diverged into distinct endoderm and mesoderm fates asynchronously, with some cells retaining an intermediate specification status until gastrulation. Seventy-nine out of 80 genes (99%) examined, and included in published developmental gene regulatory networks (dGRNs), are present in the Lv-scRNA-seq dataset and are expressed in the correct lineages in which the dGRN circuits operate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abdull J Massri
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Laura Greenstreet
- Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, 121-1984 Mathematics Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2, Canada
| | - Anton Afanassiev
- Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, 121-1984 Mathematics Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2, Canada
| | | | - Gregory A Wray
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Geoffrey Schiebinger
- Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, 121-1984 Mathematics Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2, Canada
| | - David R McClay
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Xing C, Pan R, Hu G, Liu X, Wang Y, Li G. Pitx controls amphioxus asymmetric morphogenesis by promoting left-side development and repressing right-side formation. BMC Biol 2021; 19:166. [PMID: 34416880 PMCID: PMC8377849 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01095-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Left-right (LR) asymmetry is an essential feature of bilateral animals. Studies in vertebrates show that LR asymmetry formation comprises three major steps: symmetry breaking, asymmetric gene expression, and LR morphogenesis. Although much progress has been made in the first two events, mechanisms underlying asymmetric morphogenesis remain largely unknown due to the complex developmental processes deployed by vertebrate organs. Results We here addressed this question by studying Pitx gene function in the basal chordate amphioxus whose asymmetric organogenesis, unlike that in vertebrates, occurs essentially in situ and does not rely on cell migration. Pitx null mutation in amphioxus causes loss of all left-sided organs and incomplete ectopic formation of all right-sided organs on the left side, whereas Pitx partial loss-of-function leads to milder phenotypes with only some LR organs lost or ectopically formed. At the N1 to N3 stages, Pitx expression is gradually expanded from the dorsal anterior domain to surrounding regions. This leads to activation of genes like Lhx3 and/or Prop1 and Pit, which are essential for left-side organs, and downregulation of genes like Hex and/or Nkx2.1 and FoxE4, which are required for right-side organs to form ectopically on the left side. In Pitx mutants, the left-side expressed genes are not activated, while the right-side genes fail to decrease expression on the left side. In contrast, in embryos overexpressing Pitx genes, the left-side genes are induced ectopically on the right side, and the right-side genes are inhibited. Several Pitx binding sites are identified in the upstream sequences of the left-side and right-side genes which are essential for activation of the former and repression of the latter by Pitx. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that (1) Pitx is a major (although not the only) determinant of asymmetric morphogenesis in amphioxus, (2) the development of different LR organs have distinct requirements for Pitx activity, and (3) Pitx controls amphioxus LR morphogenesis probably through inducing left-side organs and inhibiting right-side organs directly. These findings show much more dependence of LR organogenesis on Pitx in amphioxus than in vertebrates. They also provide insight into the molecular developmental mechanism of some vertebrate LR organs like the lungs and atria, since they show a right-isomerism phenotype in Pitx2 knockout mice like right-sided organs in Pitx mutant amphioxus. Our results also explain why some organs like the adenohypophysis are asymmetrically located in amphioxus but symmetrically positioned in vertebrates. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-021-01095-0.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chaofan Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiangan District, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Rongrong Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiangan District, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Guangwei Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiangan District, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, School of Marine Science and Fisheries, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, 222005, China
| | - Xian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiangan District, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Yiquan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiangan District, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Guang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiangan District, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Albarano L, Zupo V, Caramiello D, Toscanesi M, Trifuoggi M, Guida M, Libralato G, Costantini M. Sub-Chronic Effects of Slight PAH- and PCB-Contaminated Mesocosms in Paracentrotus lividus Lmk: A Multi-Endpoint Approach and De Novo Transcriptomic. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22136674. [PMID: 34206685 PMCID: PMC8268688 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22136674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Sediment pollution is a major issue in coastal areas, potentially endangering human health and the marine environments. We investigated the short-term sublethal effects of sediments contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus for two months. Spiking occurred at concentrations below threshold limit values permitted by the law (TLVPAHs = 900 µg/L, TLVPCBs = 8 µg/L, Legislative Italian Decree 173/2016). A multi-endpoint approach was adopted, considering both adults (mortality, bioaccumulation and gonadal index) and embryos (embryotoxicity, genotoxicity and de novo transcriptome assembly). The slight concentrations of PAHs and PCBs added to the mesocosms were observed to readily compartmentalize in adults, resulting below the detection limits just one week after their addition. Reconstructed sediment and seawater, as negative controls, did not affect sea urchins. PAH- and PCB-spiked mesocosms were observed to impair P. lividus at various endpoints, including bioaccumulation and embryo development (mainly PAHs) and genotoxicity (PAHs and PCBs). In particular, genotoxicity tests revealed that PAHs and PCBs affected the development of P. lividus embryos deriving from exposed adults. Negative effects were also detected by generating a de novo transcriptome assembly and its annotation, as well as by real-time qPCR performed to identify genes differentially expressed in adults exposed to the two contaminants. The effects on sea urchins (both adults and embryos) at background concentrations of PAHs and PCBs below TLV suggest a need for further investigations on the impact of slight concentrations of such contaminants on marine biota.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Albarano
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Marine Biotechnology, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy; (L.A.); (G.L.)
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant’Angelo, Via Cinthia 21, 80126 Naples, Italy;
| | - Valerio Zupo
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Marine Biotechnology, Villa Dohrn, Punta San Pietro, 80077 Naples, Italy;
| | - Davide Caramiello
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Research Infrastructures for Marine Biological Resources, Marine Organisms Core Facility, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy;
| | - Maria Toscanesi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte S. Angelo, Via Cintia, 80126 Naples, Italy; (M.T.); (M.T.)
| | - Marco Trifuoggi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte S. Angelo, Via Cintia, 80126 Naples, Italy; (M.T.); (M.T.)
| | - Marco Guida
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant’Angelo, Via Cinthia 21, 80126 Naples, Italy;
| | - Giovanni Libralato
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Marine Biotechnology, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy; (L.A.); (G.L.)
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant’Angelo, Via Cinthia 21, 80126 Naples, Italy;
| | - Maria Costantini
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Marine Biotechnology, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy; (L.A.); (G.L.)
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Glaviano F, Ruocco N, Somma E, De Rosa G, Campani V, Ametrano P, Caramiello D, Costantini M, Zupo V. Two Benthic Diatoms, Nanofrustulum shiloi and Striatella unipunctata, Encapsulated in Alginate Beads, Influence the Reproductive Efficiency of Paracentrotus lividus by Modulating the Gene Expression. Mar Drugs 2021; 19:md19040230. [PMID: 33920652 PMCID: PMC8074093 DOI: 10.3390/md19040230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Physiological effects of algal metabolites is a key step for the isolation of interesting bioactive compounds. Invertebrate grazers may be fed on live diatoms or dried, pelletized, and added to compound feeds. Any method may reveal some shortcomings, due to the leaking of wound-activated compounds in the water prior to ingestion. For this reason, encapsulation may represent an important step of bioassay-guided fractionation, because it may assure timely preservation of the active compounds. Here we test the effects of the inclusion in alginate (biocompatible and non-toxic delivery system) matrices to produce beads containing two benthic diatoms for sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus feeding. In particular, we compared the effects of a diatom whose influence on P. lividus was known (Nanofrustulum shiloi) and those of a diatom suspected to be harmful to marine invertebrates, because it is often present in blooms (Striatella unipunctata). Dried N. shiloi and S. unipunctata were offered for one month after encapsulation in alginate hydrogel beads and the larvae produced by sea urchins were checked for viability and malformations. The results indicated that N. shiloi, already known for its toxigenic effects on sea urchin larvae, fully conserved its activity after inclusion in alginate beads. On the whole, benthic diatoms affected the embryogenesis of P. lividus, altering the expression of several genes involved in stress response, development, skeletogenesis and detoxification processes. Interactomic analysis suggested that both diatoms activated a similar stress response pathway, through the up-regulation of hsp60, hsp70, NF-κB, 14-3-3 ε and MDR1 genes. This research also demonstrates that the inclusion in alginate beads may represent a feasible technique to isolate diatom-derived bioactive compounds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Glaviano
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy; (F.G.); (N.R.); (E.S.); (P.A.)
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant’Angelo, Via Cinthia 21, 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Nadia Ruocco
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy; (F.G.); (N.R.); (E.S.); (P.A.)
| | - Emanuele Somma
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy; (F.G.); (N.R.); (E.S.); (P.A.)
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Giuseppe De Rosa
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (G.D.R.); (V.C.)
| | - Virginia Campani
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (G.D.R.); (V.C.)
| | - Pasquale Ametrano
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy; (F.G.); (N.R.); (E.S.); (P.A.)
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant’Angelo, Via Cinthia 21, 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Davide Caramiello
- Department of Research Infrastructures for Marine Biological Resources, Marine Organisms Core Facility, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy;
| | - Maria Costantini
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy; (F.G.); (N.R.); (E.S.); (P.A.)
- Correspondence: (M.C.); (V.Z.); Tel.: +39-081-583-3315 (M.C.); Fax: +39-081-764-1355 (M.C.)
| | - Valerio Zupo
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy; (F.G.); (N.R.); (E.S.); (P.A.)
- Correspondence: (M.C.); (V.Z.); Tel.: +39-081-583-3315 (M.C.); Fax: +39-081-764-1355 (M.C.)
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Pieplow A, Dastaw M, Sakuma T, Sakamoto N, Yamamoto T, Yajima M, Oulhen N, Wessel GM. CRISPR-Cas9 editing of non-coding genomic loci as a means of controlling gene expression in the sea urchin. Dev Biol 2021; 472:85-97. [PMID: 33482173 PMCID: PMC7956150 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We seek to manipulate gene function here through CRISPR-Cas9 editing of cis-regulatory sequences, rather than the more typical mutation of coding regions. This approach would minimize secondary effects of cellular responses to nonsense mediated decay pathways or to mutant protein products by premature stops. This strategy also allows for reducing gene activity in cases where a complete gene knockout would result in lethality, and it can be applied to the rapid identification of key regulatory sites essential for gene expression. We tested this strategy here with genes of known function as a proof of concept, and then applied it to examine the upstream genomic region of the germline gene Nanos2 in the sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. We first used CRISPR-Cas9 to target established genomic cis-regulatory regions of the skeletogenic cell transcription factor, Alx1, and the TGF-β signaling ligand, Nodal, which produce obvious developmental defects when altered in sea urchin embryos. Importantly, mutation of cis-activator sites (Alx1) and cis-repressor sites (Nodal) result in the predicted decreased and increased transcriptional output, respectively. Upon identification of efficient gRNAs by genomic mutations, we then used the same validated gRNAs to target a deadCas9-VP64 transcriptional activator to increase Nodal transcription directly. Finally, we paired these new methodologies with a more traditional, GFP reporter construct approach to further our understanding of the transcriptional regulation of Nanos2, a key gene required for germ cell identity in S. purpuratus. With a series of reporter assays, upstream Cas9-promoter targeted mutagenesis, coupled with qPCR and in situ RNA hybridization, we concluded that the promoter of Nanos2 drives strong mRNA expression in the sea urchin embryo, indicating that its primordial germ cell (PGC)-specific restriction may rely instead on post-transcriptional regulation. Overall, we present a proof-of-principle tool-kit of Cas9-mediated manipulations of promoter regions that should be applicable in most cells and embryos for which CRISPR-Cas9 is employed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alice Pieplow
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - Meseret Dastaw
- Ethiopian Biotechnology Institute, Addis Ababa University, NBH1, 4killo King George VI St, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Tetsushi Sakuma
- Division of Integrated Sciences for Life, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, 739-8526, Japan
| | - Naoaki Sakamoto
- Division of Integrated Sciences for Life, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, 739-8526, Japan
| | - Takashi Yamamoto
- Division of Integrated Sciences for Life, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, 739-8526, Japan
| | - Mamiko Yajima
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - Nathalie Oulhen
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - Gary M Wessel
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Bardhan A, Deiters A, Ettensohn CA. Conditional gene knockdowns in sea urchins using caged morpholinos. Dev Biol 2021; 475:21-29. [PMID: 33684434 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Echinoderms are important experimental models for analyzing embryonic development, but a lack of spatial and temporal control over gene perturbations has hindered developmental studies using these animals. Morpholino antisense oligonucleotides (MOs) have been used successfully by the echinoderm research community for almost two decades, and MOs remain the most widely used tool for acute gene knockdowns in these organisms. Echinoderm embryos develop externally and are optically transparent, making them ideally-suited to many light-based approaches for analyzing and manipulating development. Studies using zebrafish embryos have demonstrated the effectiveness of photoactivatable (caged) MOs for conditional gene knockdowns. Here we show that caged MOs, synthesized using nucleobase-caged monomers, provide light-regulated control over gene expression in sea urchin embryos. Our work provides the first robust approach for conditional gene silencing in this prominent model system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anirban Bardhan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Alexander Deiters
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Charles A Ettensohn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Abstract
Cardiac development is a complex developmental process that is initiated soon after gastrulation, as two sets of precardiac mesodermal precursors are symmetrically located and subsequently fused at the embryonic midline forming the cardiac straight tube. Thereafter, the cardiac straight tube invariably bends to the right, configuring the first sign of morphological left–right asymmetry and soon thereafter the atrial and ventricular chambers are formed, expanded and progressively septated. As a consequence of all these morphogenetic processes, the fetal heart acquired a four-chambered structure having distinct inlet and outlet connections and a specialized conduction system capable of directing the electrical impulse within the fully formed heart. Over the last decades, our understanding of the morphogenetic, cellular, and molecular pathways involved in cardiac development has exponentially grown. Multiples aspects of the initial discoveries during heart formation has served as guiding tools to understand the etiology of cardiac congenital anomalies and adult cardiac pathology, as well as to enlighten novels approaches to heal the damaged heart. In this review we provide an overview of the complex cellular and molecular pathways driving heart morphogenesis and how those discoveries have provided new roads into the genetic, clinical and therapeutic management of the diseased hearts.
Collapse
|
24
|
Masullo T, Biondo G, Natale MD, Tagliavia M, Bennici CD, Musco M, Ragusa MA, Costa S, Cuttitta A, Nicosia A. Gene Expression Changes after Parental Exposure to Metals in the Sea Urchin Affect Timing of Genetic Programme of Embryo Development. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10020103. [PMID: 33535713 PMCID: PMC7912929 DOI: 10.3390/biology10020103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
It is widely accepted that phenotypic traits can be modulated at the epigenetic level so that some conditions can affect the progeny of exposed individuals. To assess if the exposure of adult animals could result in effects on the offspring, the Mediterranean sea urchin and its well-characterized gene regulatory networks (GRNs) was chosen as a model. Adult animals were exposed to known concentrations of zinc and cadmium (both individually and in combination) for 10 days, and the resulting embryos were followed during the development. The oxidative stress occurring in parental gonads, embryo phenotypes and mortality, and the expression level of a set of selected genes, including members of the skeletogenic and endodermal GRNs, were evaluated. Increased oxidative stress at F0, high rates of developmental aberration with impaired gastrulation, in association to deregulation of genes involved in skeletogenesis (dri, hex, sm50, p16, p19, msp130), endodermal specification (foxa, hox11/13b, wnt8) and epigenetic regulation (kat2A, hdac1, ehmt2, phf8 and UBE2a) occurred either at 24 or 48 hpf. Results strongly indicate that exposure to environmental pollutants can affect not only directly challenged animals but also their progeny (at least F1), influencing optimal timing of genetic programme of embryo development, resulting in an overall impairment of developmental success.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana Masullo
- Institute for Studies on the Mediterranean-National Research Council (ISMED-CNR), Detached Unit of Palermo, Via Filippo Parlatore 65, 90145 Palermo, Italy; (T.M.); (M.D.N.); (C.D.B.); (M.M.)
| | - Girolama Biondo
- Institute for Anthropic Impacts and Sustainability in Marine Environment-National Research Council (IAS-CNR), Detached Unit of Capo Granitola, Via del mare 3, 91021 Campobello di Mazara, Italy;
| | - Marilena Di Natale
- Institute for Studies on the Mediterranean-National Research Council (ISMED-CNR), Detached Unit of Palermo, Via Filippo Parlatore 65, 90145 Palermo, Italy; (T.M.); (M.D.N.); (C.D.B.); (M.M.)
- Department of Earth and Marine Science (DiSTeM), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 20, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Marcello Tagliavia
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation-National Research Council-(IRIB-CNR), Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy;
| | - Carmelo Daniele Bennici
- Institute for Studies on the Mediterranean-National Research Council (ISMED-CNR), Detached Unit of Palermo, Via Filippo Parlatore 65, 90145 Palermo, Italy; (T.M.); (M.D.N.); (C.D.B.); (M.M.)
| | - Marianna Musco
- Institute for Studies on the Mediterranean-National Research Council (ISMED-CNR), Detached Unit of Palermo, Via Filippo Parlatore 65, 90145 Palermo, Italy; (T.M.); (M.D.N.); (C.D.B.); (M.M.)
| | - Maria Antonietta Ragusa
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Ed. 16, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (M.A.R.); (S.C.)
| | - Salvatore Costa
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Ed. 16, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (M.A.R.); (S.C.)
| | - Angela Cuttitta
- Institute for Studies on the Mediterranean-National Research Council (ISMED-CNR), Detached Unit of Palermo, Via Filippo Parlatore 65, 90145 Palermo, Italy; (T.M.); (M.D.N.); (C.D.B.); (M.M.)
- Correspondence: (A.C.); (A.N.)
| | - Aldo Nicosia
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation-National Research Council-(IRIB-CNR), Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy;
- Correspondence: (A.C.); (A.N.)
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Larouche‐Bilodeau C, Guilbeault‐Mayers X, Cameron CB. Filter feeding, deviations from bilateral symmetry, developmental noise, and heterochrony of hemichordate and cephalochordate gills. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:13544-13554. [PMID: 33304558 PMCID: PMC7713955 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
We measured gill slit fluctuating asymmetry (FA), a measure of developmental noise, in adults of three invertebrate deuterostomes with different feeding modes: the cephalochordate Branchiostoma floridae (an obligate filter feeder), the enteropneusts Protoglossus graveolens (a facultative filter feeder/deposit feeder) and Saccoglossus bromophenolosus (a deposit feeder). FA was substantially and significantly low in B. floridae and P. graveolens and high in S. bromophenolosus. Our results suggest that the gills of species that have experienced a relaxation of the filter feeding trait exhibit elevated FA. We found that the timing of development of the secondary collagenous gill bars, compared to the primary gill bars, was highly variable in P. graveolens but not the other two species, demonstrating an independence of gill FA from gill bar heterochrony. We also discovered the occasional ectopic expression of a second set of paired gills posterior to the first set of gills in the enteropneusts and that these were more common in S. bromophenolosus. Moreover, our finding that gill slits in enteropneusts exhibit bilateral symmetry suggests that the left-sidedness of larval cephalochordate gills, and the directional asymmetry of Cambrian stylophoran echinoderm fossil gills, evolved independently from a bilaterally symmetrical ancestor.
Collapse
|
26
|
Rahman T, Zhang H, Fan J, Wan LQ. Cell chirality in cardiovascular development and disease. APL Bioeng 2020; 4:031503. [PMID: 32903894 PMCID: PMC7449703 DOI: 10.1063/5.0014424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The cardiovascular system demonstrates left-right (LR) asymmetry: most notably, the LR asymmetric looping of the bilaterally symmetric linear heart tube. Similarly, the orientation of the aortic arch is asymmetric as well. Perturbations to the asymmetry have been associated with several congenital heart malformations and vascular disorders. The source of the asymmetry, however, is not clear. Cell chirality, a recently discovered and intrinsic LR asymmetric cellular morphological property, has been implicated in the heart looping and vascular barrier function. In this paper, we summarize recent advances in the field of cell chirality and describe various approaches developed for studying cell chirality at multi- and single-cell levels. We also examine research progress in asymmetric cardiovascular development and associated malformations. Finally, we review evidence connecting cell chirality to cardiac looping and vascular permeability and provide thoughts on future research directions for cell chirality in the context of cardiovascular development and disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tasnif Rahman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180, USA
| | - Haokang Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180, USA
| | - Jie Fan
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
Li Y, Omori A, Flores RL, Satterfield S, Nguyen C, Ota T, Tsurugaya T, Ikuta T, Ikeo K, Kikuchi M, Leong JCK, Reich A, Hao M, Wan W, Dong Y, Ren Y, Zhang S, Zeng T, Uesaka M, Uchida Y, Li X, Shibata TF, Bino T, Ogawa K, Shigenobu S, Kondo M, Wang F, Chen L, Wessel G, Saiga H, Cameron RA, Livingston B, Bradham C, Wang W, Irie N. Genomic insights of body plan transitions from bilateral to pentameral symmetry in Echinoderms. Commun Biol 2020; 3:371. [PMID: 32651448 PMCID: PMC7351957 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-1091-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Echinoderms are an exceptional group of bilaterians that develop pentameral adult symmetry from a bilaterally symmetric larva. However, the genetic basis in evolution and development of this unique transformation remains to be clarified. Here we report newly sequenced genomes, developmental transcriptomes, and proteomes of diverse echinoderms including the green sea urchin (L. variegatus), a sea cucumber (A. japonicus), and with particular emphasis on a sister group of the earliest-diverged echinoderms, the feather star (A. japonica). We learned that the last common ancestor of echinoderms retained a well-organized Hox cluster reminiscent of the hemichordate, and had gene sets involved in endoskeleton development. Further, unlike in other animal groups, the most conserved developmental stages were not at the body plan establishing phase, and genes normally involved in bilaterality appear to function in pentameric axis development. These results enhance our understanding of the divergence of protostomes and deuterostomes almost 500 Mya. Li et al. investigate the evolution and genetic basis of the adult pentameral body plan in echinoderms using genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data. They determine that the last common ancestor of echinoderms contained an organized Hox cluster and endoskeleton genes, and suggest that cooption of bilateral development genes was involved in evolution of the pentameric body plan.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yongxin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Akihito Omori
- Sado Island Center for Ecological Sustainability, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Rachel L Flores
- Dept. of Biological Sciences, California State Univesity, Long Beach, CA, USA
| | - Sheri Satterfield
- Dept. of Biological Sciences, California State Univesity, Long Beach, CA, USA
| | - Christine Nguyen
- Dept. of Biological Sciences, California State Univesity, Long Beach, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Tetsuro Ikuta
- Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Kanagawa, Japan.,Tokyo Metropolitan University, Yokosuka, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | | | - Jason C K Leong
- Dept. of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Adrian Reich
- Providence Institute of Molecular Oogenesis, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Meng Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Wenting Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Yang Dong
- Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
| | - Yaondong Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Si Zhang
- Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Tao Zeng
- Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Masahiro Uesaka
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR), Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Yui Uchida
- Dept. of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Universal Biology Institute, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Xueyan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Tomoko F Shibata
- Dept. of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takahiro Bino
- NIBB Core Research Facilities, National Institute of Basic Biology, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
| | - Kota Ogawa
- Faculty of Social and Cultural Studies, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Shuji Shigenobu
- NIBB Core Research Facilities, National Institute of Basic Biology, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
| | - Mariko Kondo
- Dept. of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Fayou Wang
- Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Luonan Chen
- Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Systems Biology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Gary Wessel
- Providence Institute of Molecular Oogenesis, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Hidetoshi Saiga
- Tokyo Metropolitan University, Yokosuka, Tokyo, Japan.,Dept. of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Chuo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - R Andrew Cameron
- Beckman Institute, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Brian Livingston
- Dept. of Biological Sciences, California State Univesity, Long Beach, CA, USA
| | | | - Wen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China. .,School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China.
| | - Naoki Irie
- Dept. of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. .,Universal Biology Institute, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Kozmikova I, Kozmik Z. Wnt/β-catenin signaling is an evolutionarily conserved determinant of chordate dorsal organizer. eLife 2020; 9:56817. [PMID: 32452768 PMCID: PMC7292647 DOI: 10.7554/elife.56817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Deciphering the mechanisms of axis formation in amphioxus is a key step to understanding the evolution of chordate body plan. The current view is that Nodal signaling is the only factor promoting the dorsal axis specification in the amphioxus, whereas Wnt/β-catenin signaling plays no role in this process. Here, we re-examined the role of Wnt/βcatenin signaling in the dorsal/ventral patterning of amphioxus embryo. We demonstrated that the spatial activity of Wnt/β-catenin signaling is located in presumptive dorsal cells from cleavage to gastrula stage, and provided functional evidence that Wnt/β-catenin signaling is necessary for the specification of dorsal cell fate in a stage-dependent manner. Microinjection of Wnt8 and Wnt11 mRNA induced ectopic dorsal axis in neurulae and larvae. Finally, we demonstrated that Nodal and Wnt/β-catenin signaling cooperate to promote the dorsal-specific gene expression in amphioxus gastrula. Our study reveals high evolutionary conservation of dorsal organizer formation in the chordate lineage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Iryna Kozmikova
- Laboratory of Transcriptional Regulation, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Zbynek Kozmik
- Laboratory of Transcriptional Regulation, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Petri ND. Evolutionary Diversity of the Mechanisms Providing the Establishment of Left-Right Asymmetry in Metazoans. Russ J Dev Biol 2020. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062360420020058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
|
30
|
Hogan JD, Keenan JL, Luo L, Ibn-Salem J, Lamba A, Schatzberg D, Piacentino ML, Zuch DT, Core AB, Blumberg C, Timmermann B, Grau JH, Speranza E, Andrade-Navarro MA, Irie N, Poustka AJ, Bradham CA. The developmental transcriptome for Lytechinus variegatus exhibits temporally punctuated gene expression changes. Dev Biol 2019; 460:139-154. [PMID: 31816285 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Embryonic development is arguably the most complex process an organism undergoes during its lifetime, and understanding this complexity is best approached with a systems-level perspective. The sea urchin has become a highly valuable model organism for understanding developmental specification, morphogenesis, and evolution. As a non-chordate deuterostome, the sea urchin occupies an important evolutionary niche between protostomes and vertebrates. Lytechinus variegatus (Lv) is an Atlantic species that has been well studied, and which has provided important insights into signal transduction, patterning, and morphogenetic changes during embryonic and larval development. The Pacific species, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus (Sp), is another well-studied sea urchin, particularly for gene regulatory networks (GRNs) and cis-regulatory analyses. A well-annotated genome and transcriptome for Sp are available, but similar resources have not been developed for Lv. Here, we provide an analysis of the Lv transcriptome at 11 timepoints during embryonic and larval development. Temporal analysis suggests that the gene regulatory networks that underlie specification are well-conserved among sea urchin species. We show that the major transitions in variation of embryonic transcription divide the developmental time series into four distinct, temporally sequential phases. Our work shows that sea urchin development occurs via sequential intervals of relatively stable gene expression states that are punctuated by abrupt transitions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John D Hogan
- Program in Bioinformatics, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Lingqi Luo
- Program in Bioinformatics, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jonas Ibn-Salem
- Evolution and Development Group, Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany; Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Arjun Lamba
- Biology Department, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Michael L Piacentino
- Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Biochemistry, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniel T Zuch
- Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Biochemistry, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Amanda B Core
- Biology Department, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Bernd Timmermann
- Sequencing Core Facility, Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - José Horacio Grau
- Dahlem Centre for Genome Research and Medical Systems Biology, Environmental and Phylogenomics Group, Berlin, Germany; Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Berlin, Germany
| | - Emily Speranza
- Program in Bioinformatics, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Naoki Irie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Albert J Poustka
- Evolution and Development Group, Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany; Dahlem Centre for Genome Research and Medical Systems Biology, Environmental and Phylogenomics Group, Berlin, Germany
| | - Cynthia A Bradham
- Program in Bioinformatics, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA; Biology Department, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA; Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Biochemistry, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Zhang H, Chen S, Shang C, Wu X, Wang Y, Li G. Interplay between Lefty and Nodal signaling is essential for the organizer and axial formation in amphioxus embryos. Dev Biol 2019; 456:63-73. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Revised: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
|
32
|
Abstract
Gastrulation is arguably the most important evolutionary innovation in the animal kingdom. This process provides the basic embryonic architecture, an inner layer separated from an outer layer, from which all animal forms arise. An extraordinarily simple and elegant process of gastrulation is observed in the sea urchin embryo. The cells participating in sea urchin gastrulation are specified early during cleavage. One outcome of that specification is the expression of transcription factors that control each of the many subsequent morphogenetic changes. The first of these movements is an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of skeletogenic mesenchyme cells, then EMT of pigment cell progenitors. Shortly thereafter, invagination of the archenteron occurs. At the end of archenteron extension, a second wave of EMT occurs to release immune cells into the blastocoel and primordial germ cells that will home to the coelomic pouches. The archenteron then remodels to establish the three parts of the gut, and at the anterior end, the gut fuses with the stomodaeum to form the through-gut. As part of the anterior remodeling, mesodermal coelomic pouches bud off the lateral sides of the archenteron tip. Multiple cell biological processes conduct each of these movements and in some cases the upstream transcription factors controlling this process have been identified. Remarkably, each event seamlessly occurs at the right time to orchestrate formation of the primitive body plan. This review covers progress toward understanding many of the molecular mechanisms underlying this sequence of morphogenetic events.
Collapse
|
33
|
Kasahara M, Kobayashi C, Yamanaka A, Kitazawa C. Regeneration of the cell mass in larvae of temnopleurid sea urchins. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2019; 332:245-257. [PMID: 31532079 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Revised: 06/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Mechanisms of cell mass (CM) formation were analyzed by microsurgery in two temnopleurid sea urchins, Mespilia globulus and Temnopleurus toreumaticus. The CM in temnopleurids is formed at the early larval stage from the left ectodermal invagination, and with the hydrocoel derived from the mesoderm, forms an adult rudiment. After serial removal of the CM, it was strongly regenerated until its attachment to the hydrocoel, with the same timing as in control larvae. Embryos that had the tip of the archenteron or the coelomic pouches removed formed a CM in the normal manner. Removal of the CM plus the left somatocoel or the hydrocoel allowed CM regeneration with and without adult rudiment formation. A transplanted CM enlarged autonomously but did not contribute to adult rudiment formation, and larvae formed a new CM. Our observations suggest that the hydrocoel recognizes its distance from the CM to induce the growth of the CM and controls the normal timing of adult rudiment formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mami Kasahara
- Biological Institute, Faculty of Education, Biological Institute, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Chiaki Kobayashi
- Biological Institute, Faculty of Education, Biological Institute, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Akira Yamanaka
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan.,Department of Biology, Graduate School of Sciences and Technology for Innovation, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Chisato Kitazawa
- Biological Institute, Faculty of Education, Biological Institute, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan.,Social System Analysis, The Graduate School of East Asian Studies, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Levin M, Pietak AM, Bischof J. Planarian regeneration as a model of anatomical homeostasis: Recent progress in biophysical and computational approaches. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2019; 87:125-144. [PMID: 29635019 PMCID: PMC6234102 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2018.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2018] [Revised: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Planarian behavior, physiology, and pattern control offer profound lessons for regenerative medicine, evolutionary biology, morphogenetic engineering, robotics, and unconventional computation. Despite recent advances in the molecular genetics of stem cell differentiation, this model organism's remarkable anatomical homeostasis provokes us with truly fundamental puzzles about the origin of large-scale shape and its relationship to the genome. In this review article, we first highlight several deep mysteries about planarian regeneration in the context of the current paradigm in this field. We then review recent progress in understanding of the physiological control of an endogenous, bioelectric pattern memory that guides regeneration, and how modulating this memory can permanently alter the flatworm's target morphology. Finally, we focus on computational approaches that complement reductive pathway analysis with synthetic, systems-level understanding of morphological decision-making. We analyze existing models of planarian pattern control and highlight recent successes and remaining knowledge gaps in this interdisciplinary frontier field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, United States; Biology Department, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, United States.
| | - Alexis M Pietak
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, United States
| | - Johanna Bischof
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, United States; Biology Department, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, United States
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Molina MD, Gache C, Lepage T. Expression of exogenous mRNAs to study gene function in echinoderm embryos. Methods Cell Biol 2019; 151:239-282. [PMID: 30948011 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2018.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
With the completion of the genome sequencing projects, a new challenge for developmental biologists is to assign a function to the thousands of genes identified. Expression of exogenous mRNAs is a powerful, versatile and rapid technique that can be used to study gene function during development of the sea urchin. This chapter describes how this technique can be used to analyze gene function in echinoderm embryos, how it can be combined with cell transplantation to perform mosaic analysis and how it can be applied to identify downstream targets genes of transcription factors and signaling pathways. We describe specific examples of the use of overexpression of mRNA to analyze gene function, mention the benefits and current limitations of the technique and emphasize the importance of using different controls to assess the specificity of the effects observed. Finally, this chapter details the different steps, vectors and protocols for in vitro production of mRNA and phenotypic analysis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Christian Gache
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Observatoire Océanologique de Villefranche sur Mer, UMR7009 CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Thierry Lepage
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, INSERM, iBV, Nice, France.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Montague TG, Gagnon JA, Schier AF. Conserved regulation of Nodal-mediated left-right patterning in zebrafish and mouse. Development 2018; 145:dev.171090. [PMID: 30446628 DOI: 10.1242/dev.171090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Nodal is the major effector of left-right axis development. In mice, Nodal forms heterodimers with Gdf1 and is inhibited by Cerl2/Dand5 at the node, and by Lefty1 in the lateral plate mesoderm (LPM). Studies in zebrafish have suggested some parallels, but also differences, between left-right patterning in mouse and zebrafish. To address these discrepancies, we generated single and double zebrafish mutants for southpaw (spaw, the Nodal ortholog), dand5 and lefty1, and performed biochemical and activity assays with Spaw and Vg1/Gdf3 (the Gdf1 ortholog). Contrary to previous findings, spaw mutants failed to initiate spaw expression in the LPM, and asymmetric heart looping was absent, similar to mouse Nodal mutants. In blastoderm assays, Vg1 and Spaw were interdependent for target gene induction, and contrary to previous results, formed heterodimers. Loss of Dand5 or Lefty1 caused bilateral spaw expression, similar to mouse mutants, and Lefty1 was replaceable with a uniform Nodal signaling inhibitor. Collectively, these results indicate that Dand5 activity biases Spaw-Vg1 heterodimer activity to the left, Spaw around Kupffer's vesicle induces the expression of spaw in the LPM and global Nodal inhibition maintains the left bias of Spaw activity, demonstrating conservation between zebrafish and mouse mechanisms of left-right patterning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tessa G Montague
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - James A Gagnon
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Alexander F Schier
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA .,Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.,FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.,Biozentrum, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Wei L, Xu F, Wang Y, Cai Z, Yu W, He C, Jiang Q, Xu X, Guo W, Wang X. The Molecular Differentiation of Anatomically Paired Left and Right Mantles of the Pacific Oyster Crassostrea gigas. MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2018; 20:425-435. [PMID: 29594756 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-018-9806-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Left-right (L-R) asymmetry is controlled by gene regulation pathways for the L-R axis, and in vertebrates, the gene Pitx2 in TGF-β signaling pathway plays important roles in the asymmetrical formation of organs. However, less is known about the asymmetries of anatomically identical paired organs, as well as the transcriptional regulation mechanism of the gene Pitx in invertebrates. Here, we report the molecular biological differences between the left and right mantles of an invertebrate, the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas, and propose one possible mechanism underlying those differences. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis indicated that the paired organs showed different gene expression patterns, suggesting possible functional differences in shell formation, pheromone signaling, nerve conduction, the stress response, and other physiological processes. RNA-seq and real-time qPCR analysis indicated high right-side expression of the Pitx homolog (cgPitx) in oyster mantle, supporting a conserved role for Pitx in controlling asymmetry. Methylation-dependent restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (MethylRAD) identified a methylation site in the promoter region of cgPitx and showed significantly different methylation levels between the left and right mantles. This is the first report, to our knowledge, of such a difference in methylation in spiralians, and it was further confirmed in 18 other individuals by using a pyrosequencing assay. The miRNome analysis and the TGF-β receptor/Smad inhibition experiment further supported that several genes in TGF-β signaling pathway may be related with the L/R asymmetry of oyster mantles. These results suggested that the molecular differentiation of the oyster's paired left and right mantles is significant, TGF-β signaling pathway could be involved in establishing or maintaining the asymmetry, and the cgPitx gene as one of genes in this pathway; the different methylation levels in its promoter regions between L/R mantles was the one of possible mechanisms regulating the left-right functional differentiation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lei Wei
- School of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai, 264025, China
| | - Fei Xu
- Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China
| | - Yuzhi Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Zhongqiang Cai
- Changdao Enhancement and Experiment Station, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Changdao, 265800, China
| | - Wenchao Yu
- School of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai, 264025, China
| | - Cheng He
- School of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai, 264025, China
| | - Qiuyun Jiang
- School of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai, 264025, China
| | - Xiqiang Xu
- Qingdao OE Biotechnology Company Limited, Qingdao, 266101, China
| | - Wen Guo
- Marine Biology Institute of Shandong Province, Qingdao, 266104, China
| | - Xiaotong Wang
- School of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai, 264025, China.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
A Requirement for Zic2 in the Regulation of Nodal Expression Underlies the Establishment of Left-Sided Identity. Sci Rep 2018; 8:10439. [PMID: 29992973 PMCID: PMC6041270 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-28714-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
ZIC2 mutation is known to cause holoprosencephaly (HPE). A subset of ZIC2 HPE probands harbour cardiovascular and visceral anomalies suggestive of laterality defects. 3D-imaging of novel mouse Zic2 mutants uncovers, in addition to HPE, laterality defects in lungs, heart, vasculature and viscera. A strong bias towards right isomerism indicates a failure to establish left identity in the lateral plate mesoderm (LPM), a phenotype that cannot be explained simply by the defective ciliogenesis previously noted in Zic2 mutants. Gene expression analysis showed that the left-determining NODAL-dependent signalling cascade fails to be activated in the LPM, and that the expression of Nodal at the node, which normally triggers this event, is itself defective in these embryos. Analysis of ChiP-seq data, in vitro transcriptional assays and mutagenesis reveals a requirement for a low-affinity ZIC2 binding site for the activation of the Nodal enhancer HBE, which is normally active in node precursor cells. These data show that ZIC2 is required for correct Nodal expression at the node and suggest a model in which ZIC2 acts at different levels to establish LR asymmetry, promoting both the production of the signal that induces left side identity and the morphogenesis of the cilia that bias its distribution.
Collapse
|
39
|
Collins MM, Maischein HM, Dufourcq P, Charpentier M, Blader P, Stainier DY. Pitx2c orchestrates embryonic axis extension via mesendodermal cell migration. eLife 2018; 7:34880. [PMID: 29952749 PMCID: PMC6023614 DOI: 10.7554/elife.34880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pitx2c, a homeodomain transcription factor, is classically known for its left-right patterning role. However, an early wave of pitx2 expression occurs at the onset of gastrulation in several species, indicating a possible earlier role that remains relatively unexplored. Here we show that in zebrafish, maternal-zygotic (MZ) pitx2c mutants exhibit a shortened body axis indicative of convergence and extension (CE) defects. Live imaging reveals that MZpitx2c mutants display less persistent mesendodermal migration during late stages of gastrulation. Transplant data indicate that Pitx2c functions cell non-autonomously to regulate this cell behavior by modulating cell shape and protrusive activity. Using transcriptomic analyses and candidate gene approaches, we identify transcriptional changes in components of the chemokine-ECM-integrin dependent mesendodermal migration network. Together, our results define pathways downstream of Pitx2c that are required during early embryogenesis and reveal novel functions for Pitx2c as a regulator of morphogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michelle M Collins
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Hans-Martin Maischein
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Pascale Dufourcq
- Centre de Biologie du Développement, Centre de Biologie Intégrative, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier, CNRS, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Patrick Blader
- Centre de Biologie du Développement, Centre de Biologie Intégrative, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier, CNRS, Toulouse, France
| | - Didier Yr Stainier
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Suzuki H, Yaguchi S. Transforming growth factor-β signal regulates gut bending in the sea urchin embryo. Dev Growth Differ 2018; 60:216-225. [PMID: 29878318 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Revised: 03/17/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
During gastrulation, one of the most important morphogenetic events in sea urchin embryogenesis, the gut bends toward the ventral side to form an open mouth. Although the involvement of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signals in the cell-fate specification of the ectoderm and endoderm along the dorsal-ventral axis has been well reported, it remains unclear what controls the morphogenetic behavior of gut bending. Here, using two sea urchin species, Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus and Temnopleurus reevesii, we show that TGF-β signals are required for gut bending toward the ventral side. To search for the common morphogenetic cue in these two species, we initially confirmed the expression patterns of the dorsal-ventral regulatory TGF-β members, nodal, lefty, bmp2/4, and chordin, in T. reevesii because these factors are appropriate candidates to investigate the cue that starts gut bending, although genetic information about the body axes is entirely lacking in this species. Based on their expression patterns and a functional analysis of Nodal, the dorsal-ventral axis formation of T. reevesii is likely regulated by these TGF-β members, as in other sea urchins. When the Alk4/5/7 signal was inhibited by its specific inhibitor, SB431542, before the late gastrula stage of T. reevesii, the gut was extended straight toward the anterior tip region, although the ectodermal dorsal-ventral polarity was normal. By contrast, H. pulcherrimus gut bending was sensitive to SB431542 until the prism stage. These data clearly indicate that gut bending is commonly dependent on a TGF-β signal in sea urchins, but the timing of the response varies in different species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haruka Suzuki
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Shimoda, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Yaguchi
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Shimoda, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Abstract
TGF-β family ligands function in inducing and patterning many tissues of the early vertebrate embryonic body plan. Nodal signaling is essential for the specification of mesendodermal tissues and the concurrent cellular movements of gastrulation. Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling patterns tissues along the dorsal-ventral axis and simultaneously directs the cell movements of convergence and extension. After gastrulation, a second wave of Nodal signaling breaks the symmetry between the left and right sides of the embryo. During these processes, elaborate regulatory feedback between TGF-β ligands and their antagonists direct the proper specification and patterning of embryonic tissues. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of the function and regulation of TGF-β family signaling in these processes. Although we cover principles that are involved in the development of all vertebrate embryos, we focus specifically on three popular model organisms: the mouse Mus musculus, the African clawed frog of the genus Xenopus, and the zebrafish Danio rerio, highlighting the similarities and differences between these species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Zinski
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6058
| | - Benjamin Tajer
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6058
| | - Mary C Mullins
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6058
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Kasahara M, Kobayashi C, Sakaguchi C, Miyahara C, Yamanaka A, Kitazawa C. Effects of Nodal inhibition on development of temnopleurid sea urchins. Evol Dev 2018; 20:91-99. [PMID: 29806731 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Adult rudiment formation in some temnopleurids begins with the formation of a cell mass that is pinched off the left ectoderm in early larval development. The cell mass forms the adult rudiment with the left coelomic pouch of the mesodermal region. However, details of the mechanisms to establish position of the cell mass are still unknown. We analyzed the inhibiting effect of Nodal, a factor for morphogenesis of the oral region and right side, for location of the cell mass, in four temnopleurids. Pulse inhibition, at least 5 min inhibition, during coelomic pouch formation allowed a cell mass to form on both sides, whereas treatments after that period did not. These results indicate that Nodal signaling controls the oral-aboral axis before gastrulation and then affects the position of the cell mass and adult rudiment up to coelomic pouch formation. They also indicate that the position of the adult rudiment under Nodal signaling pathways is conserved in temnopleurids, as adult rudiment formation is dependent on the cell mass.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mami Kasahara
- Biological Institute, Faculty of Education, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Chiaki Kobayashi
- Biological Institute, Faculty of Education, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Chikara Sakaguchi
- Biological Institute, Faculty of Education, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Chisato Miyahara
- Biological Institute, Faculty of Education, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Akira Yamanaka
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biology and Chemistry, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan.,Department of Biology, Graduate School of Sciences and Technology for Innovation, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Chisato Kitazawa
- Biological Institute, Faculty of Education, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan.,Social System Analysis, The Graduate School of East Asian Studies, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Lanza AR, Seaver EC. An organizing role for the TGF-β signaling pathway in axes formation of the annelid Capitella teleta. Dev Biol 2018; 435:26-40. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2018.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Revised: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
|
44
|
Soukup V, Kozmik Z. The Bmp signaling pathway regulates development of left-right asymmetry in amphioxus. Dev Biol 2018; 434:164-174. [PMID: 29224891 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Revised: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 12/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Establishment of asymmetry along the left-right (LR) body axis in vertebrates requires interplay between Nodal and Bmp signaling pathways. In the basal chordate amphioxus, the left-sided activity of the Nodal signaling has been attributed to the asymmetric morphogenesis of paraxial structures and pharyngeal organs, however the role of Bmp signaling in LR asymmetry establishment has not been addressed to date. Here, we show that Bmp signaling is necessary for the development of LR asymmetric morphogenesis of amphioxus larvae through regulation of Nodal signaling. Loss of Bmp signaling results in loss of the left-sided expression of Nodal, Gdf1/3, Lefty and Pitx and in gain of ectopic expression of Cerberus on the left side. As a consequence, the larvae display loss of the offset arrangement of axial structures, loss of the left-sided pharyngeal organs including the mouth, and ectopic development of the right-sided organs on the left side. Bmp inhibition thus phenocopies inhibition of Nodal signaling and results in the right isomerism. We conclude that Bmp and Nodal pathways act in concert to specify the left side and that Bmp signaling plays a fundamental role during LR development in amphioxus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Soukup
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Videnska 1083, 14220 Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Zbynek Kozmik
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Videnska 1083, 14220 Prague, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Fresques TM, Wessel GM. Nodal induces sequential restriction of germ cell factors during primordial germ cell specification. Development 2018; 145:dev155663. [PMID: 29358213 PMCID: PMC5825842 DOI: 10.1242/dev.155663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Specification of the germ cell lineage is required for sexual reproduction in animals. The mechanism of germ cell specification varies among animals but roughly clusters into either inherited or inductive mechanisms. The inductive mechanism, the use of cell-cell interactions for germ cell specification, appears to be the ancestral mechanism in animal phylogeny, yet the pathways responsible for this process are only recently surfacing. Here, we show that germ cell factors in the sea star initially are present broadly, then become restricted dorsally and then in the left side of the embryo where the germ cells form a posterior enterocoel. We find that Nodal signaling is required for the restriction of two germ cell factors, Nanos and Vasa, during the early development of this animal. We learned that Nodal inhibits germ cell factor accumulation in three ways including: inhibition of specific transcription, degradation of specific mRNAs and inhibition of tissue morphogenesis. These results document a signaling mechanism required for the sequential restriction of germ cell factors, which causes a specific set of embryonic cells to become the primordial germ cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tara M Fresques
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, 185 Meeting St., Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Gary M Wessel
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, 185 Meeting St., Providence, RI 02912, USA
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Martino C, Costa C, Roccheri MC, Koop D, Scudiero R, Byrne M. Gadolinium perturbs expression of skeletogenic genes, calcium uptake and larval development in phylogenetically distant sea urchin species. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2018; 194:57-66. [PMID: 29156215 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2017.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Revised: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/09/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Chelates of Gadolinium (Gd), a lanthanide metal, are employed as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging and are released into the aquatic environment where they are an emerging contaminant. We studied the effects of environmentally relevant Gd concentrations on the development of two phylogenetically and geographically distant sea urchin species: the Mediterranean Paracentrotus lividus and the Australian Heliocidaris tuberculata. We found a general delay of embryo development at 24h post-fertilization, and a strong inhibition of skeleton growth at 48h. Total Gd and Ca content in the larvae showed a time- and concentration-dependent increase in Gd, in parallel with a reduction in Ca. To investigate the impact of Gd on the expression of genes involved in the regulation of skeletogenesis, we performed comparative RT-PCR analysis and found a misregulation of several genes involved in the skeletogenic and left-right axis specification gene regulatory networks. Species-specific differences in the biomineralization response were evident, likely due to differences in the skeletal framework of the larvae and the amount of biomineral produced. Our results highlight the hazard of Gd for marine organisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Martino
- Dipartimento Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Ed. 16, 90128, Palermo, Italy; Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Biomedicina e Immunologia Molecolare "Alberto Monroy", Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146, Palermo, Italy.
| | - Caterina Costa
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Biomedicina e Immunologia Molecolare "Alberto Monroy", Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146, Palermo, Italy
| | - Maria Carmela Roccheri
- Dipartimento Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Ed. 16, 90128, Palermo, Italy
| | - Demian Koop
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, F13, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Rosaria Scudiero
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Napoli Federico II, via Mezzocannone 8, 80134, Napoli, Italy
| | - Maria Byrne
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, F13, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Signore IA, Palma K, Concha ML. Nodal signalling and asymmetry of the nervous system. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 371:rstb.2015.0401. [PMID: 27821531 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of Nodal signalling in nervous system asymmetry is still poorly understood. Here, we review and discuss how asymmetric Nodal signalling controls the ontogeny of nervous system asymmetry using a comparative developmental perspective. A detailed analysis of asymmetry in ascidians and fishes reveals a critical context-dependency of Nodal function and emphasizes that bilaterally paired and midline-unpaired structures/organs behave as different entities. We propose a conceptual framework to dissect the developmental function of Nodal as asymmetry inducer and laterality modulator in the nervous system, which can be used to study other types of body and visceral organ asymmetries. Using insights from developmental biology, we also present novel evolutionary hypotheses on how Nodal led the evolution of directional asymmetry in the brain, with a particular focus on the epithalamus. We intend this paper to provide a synthesis on how Nodal signalling controls left-right asymmetry of the nervous system.This article is part of the themed issue 'Provocative questions in left-right asymmetry'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Iskra A Signore
- Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, PO Box 70031, Santiago, Chile.,Biomedical Neuroscience Institute, Independencia 1027, Santiago, Chile
| | - Karina Palma
- Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, PO Box 70031, Santiago, Chile.,Biomedical Neuroscience Institute, Independencia 1027, Santiago, Chile
| | - Miguel L Concha
- Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, PO Box 70031, Santiago, Chile .,Biomedical Neuroscience Institute, Independencia 1027, Santiago, Chile.,Center for Geroscience, Brain Health and Metabolism, Santiago, Chile
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
McDowell G, Rajadurai S, Levin M. From cytoskeletal dynamics to organ asymmetry: a nonlinear, regulative pathway underlies left-right patterning. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 371:rstb.2015.0409. [PMID: 27821521 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Consistent left-right (LR) asymmetry is a fundamental aspect of the bodyplan across phyla, and errors of laterality form an important class of human birth defects. Its molecular underpinning was first discovered as a sequential pathway of left- and right-sided gene expression that controlled positioning of the heart and visceral organs. Recent data have revised this picture in two important ways. First, the physical origin of chirality has been identified; cytoskeletal dynamics underlie the asymmetry of single-cell behaviour and patterning of the LR axis. Second, the pathway is not linear: early disruptions that alter the normal sidedness of upstream asymmetric genes do not necessarily induce defects in the laterality of the downstream genes or in organ situs Thus, the LR pathway is a unique example of two fascinating aspects of biology: the interplay of physics and genetics in establishing large-scale anatomy, and regulative (shape-homeostatic) pathways that correct molecular and anatomical errors over time. Here, we review aspects of asymmetry from its intracellular, cytoplasmic origins to the recently uncovered ability of the LR control circuitry to achieve correct gene expression and morphology despite reversals of key 'determinant' genes. We provide novel functional data, in Xenopus laevis, on conserved elements of the cytoskeleton that drive asymmetry, and comparatively analyse it together with previously published results in the field. Our new observations and meta-analysis demonstrate that despite aberrant expression of upstream regulatory genes, embryos can progressively normalize transcriptional cascades and anatomical outcomes. LR patterning can thus serve as a paradigm of how subcellular physics and gene expression cooperate to achieve developmental robustness of a body axis.This article is part of the themed issue 'Provocative questions in left-right asymmetry'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gary McDowell
- Biology Department, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155-4243, USA.,Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155-4243, USA
| | - Suvithan Rajadurai
- Biology Department, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155-4243, USA.,Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155-4243, USA
| | - Michael Levin
- Biology Department, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155-4243, USA .,Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155-4243, USA
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Martín-Durán JM, Vellutini BC, Hejnol A. Embryonic chirality and the evolution of spiralian left-right asymmetries. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 371:rstb.2015.0411. [PMID: 27821523 PMCID: PMC5104510 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The group Spiralia includes species with one of the most significant cases of left–right asymmetries in animals: the coiling of the shell of gastropod molluscs (snails). In this animal group, an early event of embryonic chirality controlled by cytoskeleton dynamics and the subsequent differential activation of the genes nodal and Pitx determine the left–right axis of snails, and thus the direction of coiling of the shell. Despite progressive advances in our understanding of left–right axis specification in molluscs, little is known about left–right development in other spiralian taxa. Here, we identify and characterize the expression of nodal and Pitx orthologues in three different spiralian animals—the brachiopod Novocrania anomala, the annelid Owenia fusiformis and the nemertean Lineus ruber—and demonstrate embryonic chirality in the biradial-cleaving spiralian embryo of the bryozoan Membranipora membranacea. We show asymmetric expression of nodal and Pitx in the brachiopod and annelid, respectively, and symmetric expression of Pitx in the nemertean. Our findings indicate that early embryonic chirality is widespread and independent of the cleavage programme in the Spiralia. Additionally, our study illuminates the evolution of nodal and Pitx signalling by demonstrating embryonic asymmetric expression in lineages without obvious adult left–right asymmetries. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Provocative questions in left–right asymmetry’.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José M Martín-Durán
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgate 55, Bergen, 5006, Norway
| | - Bruno C Vellutini
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgate 55, Bergen, 5006, Norway
| | - Andreas Hejnol
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgate 55, Bergen, 5006, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Sasaki H, Kominami T. Relation of Nodal
expression to the specification of the dorsal-ventral axis and tissue patterning in the starfish Patiria pectinifera. Dev Growth Differ 2017; 59:724-740. [DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Revised: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 09/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Sasaki
- Department of Chemistry and Biology; Graduate School of Science and Engineering; Ehime University; Matsuyama 790-8577 Japan
- Oita Marine Palace Aquarium “UMITAMAGO”; Takasaki-yama-shita-kaigan Oita 870-0802 Japan
| | - Tetsuya Kominami
- Department of Chemistry and Biology; Graduate School of Science and Engineering; Ehime University; Matsuyama 790-8577 Japan
| |
Collapse
|