1
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Schnitzler CE, Chang ES, Waletich J, Quiroga-Artigas G, Wong WY, Nguyen AD, Barreira SN, Doonan LB, Gonzalez P, Koren S, Gahan JM, Sanders SM, Bradshaw B, DuBuc TQ, Febrimarsa, de Jong D, Nawrocki EP, Larson A, Klasfeld S, Gornik SG, Moreland RT, Wolfsberg TG, Phillippy AM, Mullikin JC, Simakov O, Cartwright P, Nicotra M, Frank U, Baxevanis AD. The genome of the colonial hydroid Hydractinia reveals that their stem cells use a toolkit of evolutionarily shared genes with all animals. Genome Res 2024; 34:498-513. [PMID: 38508693 PMCID: PMC11067881 DOI: 10.1101/gr.278382.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Hydractinia is a colonial marine hydroid that shows remarkable biological properties, including the capacity to regenerate its entire body throughout its lifetime, a process made possible by its adult migratory stem cells, known as i-cells. Here, we provide an in-depth characterization of the genomic structure and gene content of two Hydractinia species, Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus and Hydractinia echinata, placing them in a comparative evolutionary framework with other cnidarian genomes. We also generated and annotated a single-cell transcriptomic atlas for adult male H. symbiolongicarpus and identified cell-type markers for all major cell types, including key i-cell markers. Orthology analyses based on the markers revealed that Hydractinia's i-cells are highly enriched in genes that are widely shared amongst animals, a striking finding given that Hydractinia has a higher proportion of phylum-specific genes than any of the other 41 animals in our orthology analysis. These results indicate that Hydractinia's stem cells and early progenitor cells may use a toolkit shared with all animals, making it a promising model organism for future exploration of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. The genomic and transcriptomic resources for Hydractinia presented here will enable further studies of their regenerative capacity, colonial morphology, and ability to distinguish self from nonself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine E Schnitzler
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, Florida 32080, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA
| | - E Sally Chang
- Division of Intramural Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Justin Waletich
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, Florida 32080, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA
| | - Gonzalo Quiroga-Artigas
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, Florida 32080, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA
- Centre de Recherche en Biologie cellulaire de Montpellier (CRBM), Université de Montpellier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 34293 Montpellier CEDEX 05, France
| | - Wai Yee Wong
- Department for Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Anh-Dao Nguyen
- Division of Intramural Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Sofia N Barreira
- Division of Intramural Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Liam B Doonan
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, College of Science and Engineering, University of Galway, Galway H91 W2TY, Ireland
| | - Paul Gonzalez
- Division of Intramural Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Sergey Koren
- Division of Intramural Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - James M Gahan
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, College of Science and Engineering, University of Galway, Galway H91 W2TY, Ireland
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, United Kingdom
| | - Steven M Sanders
- Department of Surgery, Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
- Pittsburgh Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
| | - Brian Bradshaw
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, College of Science and Engineering, University of Galway, Galway H91 W2TY, Ireland
| | - Timothy Q DuBuc
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, College of Science and Engineering, University of Galway, Galway H91 W2TY, Ireland
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081, USA
| | - Febrimarsa
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, College of Science and Engineering, University of Galway, Galway H91 W2TY, Ireland
- Pharmaceutical Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta, Jawa Tengah 57169, Indonesia
| | - Danielle de Jong
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, Florida 32080, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA
| | - Eric P Nawrocki
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Alexandra Larson
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, Florida 32080, USA
| | - Samantha Klasfeld
- Division of Intramural Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Sebastian G Gornik
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, College of Science and Engineering, University of Galway, Galway H91 W2TY, Ireland
- Center for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - R Travis Moreland
- Division of Intramural Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Tyra G Wolfsberg
- Division of Intramural Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Adam M Phillippy
- Division of Intramural Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - James C Mullikin
- Division of Intramural Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
- NIH Intramural Sequencing Center, Rockville, Maryland 20852, USA
| | - Oleg Simakov
- Department for Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Paulyn Cartwright
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, USA
| | - Matthew Nicotra
- Department of Surgery, Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
- Pittsburgh Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
| | - Uri Frank
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, College of Science and Engineering, University of Galway, Galway H91 W2TY, Ireland
| | - Andreas D Baxevanis
- Division of Intramural Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA;
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2
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Salinas-Saavedra M. SABER-FISH in Hydractinia. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2784:77-85. [PMID: 38502479 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3766-1_5] [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: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
In situ hybridization allows the detection of nucleic acid sequences in fixed cells and tissues. The gelatinous nature of cnidarians and Hydractinia demands extensive and exhausting protocols to detect RNA transcripts with traditional methods (e.g., colorimetric in situ hybridization). Signal amplification by exchange reaction (SABER) fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) enables simplifying and multiplex imaging of RNA targets in a rapid and cost-effective manner. In one enzymatic reaction, SABER-FISH uses a strand-displacing polymerase and catalytic DNA hairpin to generate FISH probes with adjustable signal amplification, allowing highly sensitive detection of nucleic acids and reducing the number of required probes. Here I describe the methodology to detect transcripts within the cells of Hydractinia by SABER-FISH in whole-mount samples.
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3
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Fridrich A, Salinas-Saaverda M, Kozlolvski I, Surm JM, Chrysostomou E, Tripathi AM, Frank U, Moran Y. An ancient pan-cnidarian microRNA regulates stinging capsule biogenesis in Nematostella vectensis. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113072. [PMID: 37676763 PMCID: PMC10548089 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
An ancient evolutionary innovation of a novel cell type, the stinging cell (cnidocyte), appeared >600 million years ago in the phylum Cnidaria (sea anemones, corals, hydroids, and jellyfish). A complex bursting nano-injector of venom, the cnidocyst, is embedded in cnidocytes and enables cnidarians to paralyze their prey and predators, contributing to this phylum's evolutionary success. In this work, we show that post-transcriptional regulation by a pan-cnidarian microRNA, miR-2022, is essential for biogenesis of these cells in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. By manipulation of miR-2022 levels in a transgenic reporter line of cnidocytes, followed by transcriptomics, single-cell data analysis, prey paralysis assays, and cell sorting of transgenic cnidocytes, we reveal that miR-2022 enables cnidocyte biogenesis in Nematostella, while exhibiting a conserved expression domain with its targets in cnidocytes of other cnidarian species. Thus, here we revealed a functional basis to the conservation of one of nature's most ancient microRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arie Fridrich
- Department of Ecology Evolution and Behavior, Faculty of Science, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel; Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
| | | | - Itamar Kozlolvski
- Department of Ecology Evolution and Behavior, Faculty of Science, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Joachim M Surm
- Department of Ecology Evolution and Behavior, Faculty of Science, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | | | - Abhinandan M Tripathi
- Department of Ecology Evolution and Behavior, Faculty of Science, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Uri Frank
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Yehu Moran
- Department of Ecology Evolution and Behavior, Faculty of Science, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
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4
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Schnitzler CE, Chang ES, Waletich J, Quiroga-Artigas G, Wong WY, Nguyen AD, Barreira SN, Doonan L, Gonzalez P, Koren S, Gahan JM, Sanders SM, Bradshaw B, DuBuc TQ, Febrimarsa, de Jong D, Nawrocki EP, Larson A, Klasfeld S, Gornik SG, Moreland RT, Wolfsberg TG, Phillippy AM, Mullikin JC, Simakov O, Cartwright P, Nicotra M, Frank U, Baxevanis AD. The genome of the colonial hydroid Hydractinia reveals their stem cells utilize a toolkit of evolutionarily shared genes with all animals. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.25.554815. [PMID: 37786714 PMCID: PMC10541594 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.25.554815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Hydractinia is a colonial marine hydroid that exhibits remarkable biological properties, including the capacity to regenerate its entire body throughout its lifetime, a process made possible by its adult migratory stem cells, known as i-cells. Here, we provide an in-depth characterization of the genomic structure and gene content of two Hydractinia species, H. symbiolongicarpus and H. echinata, placing them in a comparative evolutionary framework with other cnidarian genomes. We also generated and annotated a single-cell transcriptomic atlas for adult male H. symbiolongicarpus and identified cell type markers for all major cell types, including key i-cell markers. Orthology analyses based on the markers revealed that Hydractinia's i-cells are highly enriched in genes that are widely shared amongst animals, a striking finding given that Hydractinia has a higher proportion of phylum-specific genes than any of the other 41 animals in our orthology analysis. These results indicate that Hydractinia's stem cells and early progenitor cells may use a toolkit shared with all animals, making it a promising model organism for future exploration of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. The genomic and transcriptomic resources for Hydractinia presented here will enable further studies of their regenerative capacity, colonial morphology, and ability to distinguish self from non-self.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine E Schnitzler
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL 32080, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - E Sally Chang
- Division of Intramural Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Justin Waletich
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL 32080, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Gonzalo Quiroga-Artigas
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL 32080, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Centre de Recherche en Biologie cellulaire de Montpellier (CRBM), Université de Montpellier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 34293 Montpellier CEDEX 05, France
| | - Wai Yee Wong
- Department of Molecular Evolution and Development, Faculty of Life Science, University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Anh-Dao Nguyen
- Division of Intramural Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sofia N Barreira
- Division of Intramural Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Liam Doonan
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, College of Science and Engineering, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Paul Gonzalez
- Division of Intramural Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sergey Koren
- Division of Intramural Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - James M Gahan
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, College of Science and Engineering, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Steven M Sanders
- Department of Surgery, Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
- Pittsburgh Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Brian Bradshaw
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, College of Science and Engineering, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Timothy Q DuBuc
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, College of Science and Engineering, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
- Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA 19081, USA
| | - Febrimarsa
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, College of Science and Engineering, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Danielle de Jong
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL 32080, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Eric P Nawrocki
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Alexandra Larson
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL 32080, USA
| | - Samantha Klasfeld
- Division of Intramural Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sebastian G Gornik
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, College of Science and Engineering, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
- Centre for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - R Travis Moreland
- Division of Intramural Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Tyra G Wolfsberg
- Division of Intramural Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Adam M Phillippy
- Division of Intramural Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - James C Mullikin
- Division of Intramural Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- NIH Intramural Sequencing Center, Rockville, MD 20852, USA
| | - Oleg Simakov
- Department of Molecular Evolution and Development, Faculty of Life Science, University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Paulyn Cartwright
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Matthew Nicotra
- Department of Surgery, Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
- Pittsburgh Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Uri Frank
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, College of Science and Engineering, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Andreas D Baxevanis
- Division of Intramural Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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5
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Gahan JM, Cartwright P, Nicotra ML, Schnitzler CE, Steinmetz PRH, Juliano CE. Cnidofest 2022: hot topics in cnidarian research. EvoDevo 2023; 14:13. [PMID: 37620964 PMCID: PMC10463417 DOI: 10.1186/s13227-023-00217-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The second annual Cnidarian Model Systems Meeting, aka "Cnidofest", took place in Davis, California from 7 to 10th of September, 2022. The meeting brought together scientists using cnidarians to study molecular and cellular biology, development and regeneration, evo-devo, neurobiology, symbiosis, physiology, and comparative genomics. The diversity of topics and species represented in presentations highlighted the importance and versatility of cnidarians in addressing a wide variety of biological questions. In keeping with the spirit of the first meeting (and its predecessor, Hydroidfest), almost 75% of oral presentations were given by early career researchers (i.e., graduate students and postdocs). In this review, we present research highlights from the meeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Gahan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
- Michael Sars Centre, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgt. 55, 5008, Bergen, Norway
| | - Paulyn Cartwright
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA
| | - Matthew L Nicotra
- Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
- Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Christine E Schnitzler
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience and Department of Biology, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL, 32080, USA
| | | | - Celina E Juliano
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
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6
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Febrimarsa, Gornik SG, Barreira SN, Salinas‐Saavedra M, Schnitzler CE, Baxevanis AD, Frank U. Randomly incorporated genomic N6-methyldeoxyadenosine delays zygotic transcription initiation in a cnidarian. EMBO J 2023; 42:e112934. [PMID: 37708295 PMCID: PMC10390872 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2022112934] [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: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
N6-methyldeoxyadenosine (6mA) is a chemical alteration of DNA, observed across all realms of life. Although the functions of 6mA are well understood in bacteria and protists, its roles in animal genomes have been controversial. We show that 6mA randomly accumulates in early embryos of the cnidarian Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus, with a peak at the 16-cell stage followed by clearance to background levels two cell cycles later, at the 64-cell stage-the embryonic stage at which zygotic genome activation occurs in this animal. Knocking down Alkbh1, a putative initiator of animal 6mA clearance, resulted in higher levels of 6mA at the 64-cell stage and a delay in the initiation of zygotic transcription. Our data are consistent with 6mA originating from recycled nucleotides of degraded m6A-marked maternal RNA postfertilization. Therefore, while 6mA does not function as an epigenetic mark in Hydractinia, its random incorporation into the early embryonic genome inhibits transcription. In turn, Alkbh1 functions as a genomic 6mA "cleaner," facilitating timely zygotic genome activation. Given the random nature of genomic 6mA accumulation and its ability to interfere with gene expression, defects in 6mA clearance may represent a hitherto unknown cause of various pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Febrimarsa
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, School of Biological and Chemical SciencesUniversity of GalwayGalwayRepublic of Ireland
| | - Sebastian G Gornik
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, School of Biological and Chemical SciencesUniversity of GalwayGalwayRepublic of Ireland
- Present address:
Centre for Organismal StudiesHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Sofia N Barreira
- Computational and Statistical Genomics Branch, Division of Intramural ResearchNational Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Miguel Salinas‐Saavedra
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, School of Biological and Chemical SciencesUniversity of GalwayGalwayRepublic of Ireland
| | - Christine E Schnitzler
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine BioscienceUniversity of FloridaSt. AugustineFLUSA
- Department of BiologyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFLUSA
| | - Andreas D Baxevanis
- Computational and Statistical Genomics Branch, Division of Intramural ResearchNational Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Uri Frank
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, School of Biological and Chemical SciencesUniversity of GalwayGalwayRepublic of Ireland
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7
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Ayers TN, Nicotra ML, Lee MT. Parallels and contrasts between the cnidarian and bilaterian maternal-to-zygotic transition are revealed in Hydractinia embryos. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010845. [PMID: 37440598 PMCID: PMC10368294 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Embryogenesis requires coordinated gene regulatory activities early on that establish the trajectory of subsequent development, during a period called the maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT). The MZT comprises transcriptional activation of the embryonic genome and post-transcriptional regulation of egg-inherited maternal mRNA. Investigation into the MZT in animals has focused almost exclusively on bilaterians, which include all classical models such as flies, worms, sea urchin, and vertebrates, thus limiting our capacity to understand the gene regulatory paradigms uniting the MZT across all animals. Here, we elucidate the MZT of a non-bilaterian, the cnidarian Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus. Using parallel poly(A)-selected and non poly(A)-dependent RNA-seq approaches, we find that the Hydractinia MZT is composed of regulatory activities similar to many bilaterians, including cytoplasmic readenylation of maternally contributed mRNA, delayed genome activation, and separate phases of maternal mRNA deadenylation and degradation that likely depend on both maternally and zygotically encoded clearance factors, including microRNAs. But we also observe massive upregulation of histone genes and an expanded repertoire of predicted H4K20 methyltransferases, aspects thus far particular to the Hydractinia MZT and potentially underlying a novel mode of early embryonic chromatin regulation. Thus, similar regulatory strategies with taxon-specific elaboration underlie the MZT in both bilaterian and non-bilaterian embryos, providing insight into how an essential developmental transition may have arisen in ancestral animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor N. Ayers
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Matthew L. Nicotra
- Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Miler T. Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, United States of America
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8
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Salinas-Saavedra M, Krasovec G, Horkan HR, Baxevanis AD, Frank U. Senescence-induced cellular reprogramming drives cnidarian whole-body regeneration. Cell Rep 2023:112687. [PMID: 37392741 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell fate stability is essential to maintaining "law and order" in complex animals. However, high stability comes at the cost of reduced plasticity and, by extension, poor regenerative ability. This evolutionary trade-off has resulted in most modern animals being rather simple and regenerative or complex and non-regenerative. The mechanisms mediating cellular plasticity and allowing for regeneration remain unknown. We show that signals emitted by senescent cells can destabilize the differentiated state of neighboring somatic cells, reprogramming them into stem cells that are capable of driving whole-body regeneration in the cnidarian Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus. Pharmacological or genetic inhibition of senescence prevents reprogramming and regeneration. Conversely, induction of transient ectopic senescence in a regenerative context results in supernumerary stem cells and faster regeneration. We propose that senescence signaling is an ancient mechanism mediating cellular plasticity. Understanding the senescence environment that promotes cellular reprogramming could provide an avenue to enhance regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Salinas-Saavedra
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Gabriel Krasovec
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Helen R Horkan
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Andreas D Baxevanis
- Computational and Statistical Genomics Branch, Division of Intramural Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Uri Frank
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland.
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9
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Hu S, Chen S, Zeng H, Ruan X, Lin X, Vlashi R, Zhou C, Wang H, Chen G. Ap-2β regulates cranial osteogenic potential via the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Dev Biol 2023; 501:S0012-1606(23)00114-8. [PMID: 37355029 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2023.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
The skull is a fundamental bone that protects the development of brain and consists of several bony elements, such as the frontal and parietal bones. Frontal bone exhibited superior in osteogenic potential and regeneration of cranial defects compared to parietal bone. However, how this regional difference is regulated remains largely unknown. In this study, we identified an Ap-2β transcriptional factor with a higher expression in frontal bone, but its molecular function in osteoblasts needs to be elucidated. We found that Ap-2β knockdown in preosteoblasts leads to reduced proliferation, increased cell death and impaired differentiation. Through RNA-seq analysis, we found that Ap-2β influences multiple signaling pathways including the Wnt pathway, and overexpression of Ap-2β showed increased nuclear β-catenin and its target genes expressions in osteoblasts. Pharmacological activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling using LiCl treatment cannot rescue the reduced luciferase activities of the β-catenin/TCF/LEF reporter in Ap-2β knockdown preosteoblasts. Besides, transient expression of Ap-2β via the lentivirus system could sufficiently rescue the inferior osteogenic potential in parietal osteoblasts, while Ap-2β knockdown in frontal osteoblasts resulted in reduced osteoblast activity, reduced active β-catenin and target genes expressions. Taken together, our data demonstrated that Ap-2β modulates osteoblast proliferation and differentiation through the regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and plays an important role in regulating regional osteogenic potential in frontal and parietal bone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujie Hu
- Department of Biopharmacy, College of Life Science and Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Silkworm Bioreactor and Biomedicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, China
| | - Sisi Chen
- Department of Biopharmacy, College of Life Science and Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Silkworm Bioreactor and Biomedicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, China
| | - Haozu Zeng
- Department of Biopharmacy, College of Life Science and Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Silkworm Bioreactor and Biomedicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, China
| | - Xinyi Ruan
- Department of Biopharmacy, College of Life Science and Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Silkworm Bioreactor and Biomedicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, China
| | - Xinyi Lin
- Department of Biopharmacy, College of Life Science and Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Silkworm Bioreactor and Biomedicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, China
| | - Rexhina Vlashi
- Department of Biopharmacy, College of Life Science and Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Silkworm Bioreactor and Biomedicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, China
| | - Chenhe Zhou
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, PR China
| | - Haidong Wang
- Department of Orthopedics, Jiaxing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiaxing, 314001, China.
| | - Guiqian Chen
- Department of Biopharmacy, College of Life Science and Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Silkworm Bioreactor and Biomedicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, China.
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10
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Kon-Nanjo K, Kon T, Horkan HR, Steele RE, Cartwright P, Frank U, Simakov O. Chromosome-level genome assembly of Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2023; 13:jkad107. [PMID: 37294738 PMCID: PMC10411563 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkad107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus is a pioneering model organism for stem cell biology, being one of only a few animals with adult pluripotent stem cells (known as i-cells). However, the unavailability of a chromosome-level genome assembly has hindered a comprehensive understanding of global gene regulatory mechanisms underlying the function and evolution of i-cells. Here, we report the first chromosome-level genome assembly of H. symbiolongicarpus (HSymV2.0) using PacBio HiFi long-read sequencing and Hi-C scaffolding. The final assembly is 483 Mb in total length with 15 chromosomes representing 99.8% of the assembly. Repetitive sequences were found to account for 296 Mb (61%) of the total genome; we provide evidence for at least two periods of repeat expansion in the past. A total of 25,825 protein-coding genes were predicted in this assembly, which include 93.1% of the metazoan Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs (BUSCO) gene set. 92.8% (23,971 genes) of the predicted proteins were functionally annotated. The H. symbiolongicarpus genome showed a high degree of macrosynteny conservation with the Hydra vulgaris genome. This chromosome-level genome assembly of H. symbiolongicarpus will be an invaluable resource for the research community that enhances broad biological studies on this unique model organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koto Kon-Nanjo
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Tetsuo Kon
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Helen R Horkan
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Galway, Galway H91W2TY, Ireland
| | - Robert E Steele
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-1700, USA
| | - Paulyn Cartwright
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Uri Frank
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Galway, Galway H91W2TY, Ireland
| | - Oleg Simakov
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1030, Austria
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11
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Ayers TN, Nicotra ML, Lee MT. Parallels and contrasts between the cnidarian and bilaterian maternal-to-zygotic transition are revealed in Hydractinia embryos. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.09.540083. [PMID: 37214839 PMCID: PMC10197650 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.09.540083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Embryogenesis requires coordinated gene regulatory activities early on that establish the trajectory of subsequent development, during a period called the maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT). The MZT comprises transcriptional activation of the embryonic genome and post-transcriptional regulation of egg-inherited maternal mRNA. Investigation into the MZT in animals has focused almost exclusively on bilaterians, which include all classical models such as flies, worms, sea urchin, and vertebrates, thus limiting our capacity to understand the gene regulatory paradigms uniting the MZT across all animals. Here, we elucidate the MZT of a non-bilaterian, the cnidarian Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus . Using parallel poly(A)-selected and non poly(A)-dependent RNA-seq approaches, we find that the Hydractinia MZT is composed of regulatory activities analogous to many bilaterians, including cytoplasmic readenylation of maternally contributed mRNA, delayed genome activation, and separate phases of maternal mRNA deadenylation and degradation that likely depend on both maternally and zygotically encoded clearance factors, including microRNAs. But we also observe massive upregulation of histone genes and an expanded repertoire of predicted H4K20 methyltransferases, aspects thus far unique to the Hydractinia MZT and potentially underlying a novel mode of early embryonic chromatin regulation. Thus, similar regulatory strategies with taxon-specific elaboration underlie the MZT in both bilaterian and non-bilaterian embryos, providing insight into how an essential developmental transition may have arisen in ancestral animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor N. Ayers
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA 15213 U.S.A
| | - Matthew L. Nicotra
- Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 U.S.A
| | - Miler T. Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA 15213 U.S.A
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12
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Holstein TW. The Hydra stem cell system - Revisited. Cells Dev 2023; 174:203846. [PMID: 37121433 DOI: 10.1016/j.cdev.2023.203846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Cnidarians are >600 million years old and are considered the sister group of Bilateria based on numerous molecular phylogenetic studies. Apart from Hydra, the genomes of all major clades of Cnidaria have been uncovered (e.g. Aurelia, Clytia, Nematostella and Acropora) and they reveal a remarkable completeness of the metazoan genomic toolbox. Of particular interest is Hydra, a model system of aging research, regenerative biology, and stem cell biology. With the knowledge gained from scRNA research, it is now possible to characterize the expression profiles of all cell types with great precision. In functional studies, our picture of the Hydra stem cell biology has changed, and we are in the process of obtaining a clear picture of the homeostasis and properties of the different stem cell populations. Even though Hydra is often compared to plant systems, the new data on germline and regeneration, but also on the dynamics and plasticity of the nervous system, show that Hydra with its simple body plan represents in a nutshell the prototype of an animal with stem cell lineages, whose properties correspond in many ways to Bilateria. This review provides an overview of the four stem cell lineages, the two epithelial lineages that constitute the ectoderm and the endoderm, as well as the multipotent somatic interstitial lineage (MPSC) and the germline stem cell lineage (GSC), also known as the interstitial cells of Hydra.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W Holstein
- Heidelberg University, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), Molecular Evolution and Genomics, Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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13
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Rusin LY. Evolution of homology: From archetype towards a holistic concept of cell type. J Morphol 2023; 284:e21569. [PMID: 36789784 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
The concept of homology lies in the heart of comparative biological science. The distinction between homology as structure and analogy as function has shaped the evolutionary paradigm for a century and formed the axis of comparative anatomy and embryology, which accept the identity of structure as a ground measure of relatedness. The advent of single-cell genomics overturned the classical view of cell homology by establishing a backbone regulatory identity of cell types, the basic biological units bridging the molecular and phenotypic dimensions, to reveal that the cell is the most flexible unit of living matter and that many approaches of classical biology need to be revised to understand evolution and diversity at the cellular level. The emerging theory of cell types explicitly decouples cell identity from phenotype, essentially allowing for the divergence of evolutionarily related morphotypes beyond recognition, as well as it decouples ontogenetic cell lineage from cell-type phylogeny, whereby explicating that cell types can share common descent regardless of their structure, function or developmental origin. The article succinctly summarizes current progress and opinion in this field and formulates a more generalistic view of biological cell types as avatars, transient or terminal cell states deployed in a continuum of states by the developmental programme of one and the same omnipotent cell, capable of changing or combining identities with distinct evolutionary histories or inventing ad hoc identities that never existed in evolution or development. It highlights how the new logic grounded in the regulatory nature of cell identity transforms the concepts of cell homology and phenotypic stability, suggesting that cellular evolution is inherently and massively network-like, with one-to-one homologies being rather uncommon and restricted to shallower levels of the animal tree of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonid Y Rusin
- Laboratory for Mathematic Methods and Models in Bioinformatics, Institute for Information Transmission Problems (Kharkevich Institute), Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- EvoGenome Analytics LLC, Odintsovo, Moscow Region, Russia
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14
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Varley Á, Horkan HR, McMahon ET, Krasovec G, Frank U. Pluripotent, germ cell competent adult stem cells underlie cnidarian regenerative ability and clonal growth. Curr Biol 2023; 33:1883-1892.e3. [PMID: 37028430 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.03.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023]
Abstract
In most animals, pluripotency is irreversibly lost post gastrulation. By this stage, all embryonic cells have already committed either to one of the somatic lineages (ectoderm, endoderm, or mesoderm) or to the germline. The lack of pluripotent cells in adult life may be linked to organismal aging. Cnidarians (corals and jellyfish) are an early branch of animals that do not succumb to age, but the developmental potential of their adult stem cells remains unclear. Here, we show that adult stem cells in the cnidarian Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus (known as i-cells) are pluripotent. We transplanted single i-cells from transgenic fluorescent donors to wild-type recipients and followed them in vivo in the translucent animals. Single engrafted i-cells self-renewed and contributed to all somatic lineages and gamete production, co-existing with and eventually displacing the allogeneic recipient's cells. Hence, a fully functional, sexually competent individual can derive from a single adult i-cell. Pluripotent i-cells enable regenerative, plant-like clonal growth in these animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Áine Varley
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Galway, Galway H91W2TY, Ireland
| | - Helen R Horkan
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Galway, Galway H91W2TY, Ireland
| | - Emma T McMahon
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Galway, Galway H91W2TY, Ireland
| | - Gabriel Krasovec
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Galway, Galway H91W2TY, Ireland
| | - Uri Frank
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Galway, Galway H91W2TY, Ireland.
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15
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XY sex determination in a cnidarian. BMC Biol 2023; 21:32. [PMID: 36782149 PMCID: PMC9926710 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01532-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sex determination occurs across animal species, but most of our knowledge about its mechanisms comes from only a handful of bilaterian taxa. This limits our ability to infer the evolutionary history of sex determination within animals. RESULTS In this study, we generated a linkage map of the genome of the colonial cnidarian Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus and used it to demonstrate that this species has an XX/XY sex determination system. We demonstrate that the X and Y chromosomes have pseudoautosomal and non-recombining regions. We then use the linkage map and a method based on the depth of sequencing coverage to identify genes encoded in the non-recombining region and show that many of them have male gonad-specific expression. In addition, we demonstrate that recombination rates are enhanced in the female genome and that the haploid chromosome number in Hydractinia is n = 15. CONCLUSIONS These findings establish Hydractinia as a tractable non-bilaterian model system for the study of sex determination and the evolution of sex chromosomes.
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16
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A chromosome-scale epigenetic map of the Hydra genome reveals conserved regulators of cell state. Genome Res 2023; 33:283-298. [PMID: 36639202 PMCID: PMC10069465 DOI: 10.1101/gr.277040.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The epithelial and interstitial stem cells of the freshwater polyp Hydra are the best-characterized stem cell systems in any cnidarian, providing valuable insight into cell type evolution and the origin of stemness in animals. However, little is known about the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms that determine how these stem cells are maintained and how they give rise to their diverse differentiated progeny. To address such questions, a thorough understanding of transcriptional regulation in Hydra is needed. To this end, we generated extensive new resources for characterizing transcriptional regulation in Hydra, including new genome assemblies for Hydra oligactis and the AEP strain of Hydra vulgaris, an updated whole-animal single-cell RNA-seq atlas, and genome-wide maps of chromatin interactions, chromatin accessibility, sequence conservation, and histone modifications. These data revealed the existence of large kilobase-scale chromatin interaction domains in the Hydra genome that contain transcriptionally coregulated genes. We also uncovered the transcriptomic profiles of two previously molecularly uncharacterized cell types: isorhiza-type nematocytes and somatic gonad ectoderm. Finally, we identified novel candidate regulators of cell type-specific transcription, several of which have likely been conserved at least since the divergence of Hydra and the jellyfish Clytia hemisphaerica more than 400 million years ago.
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17
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López-Nandam EH, Albright R, Hanson EA, Sheets EA, Palumbi SR. Mutations in coral soma and sperm imply lifelong stem cell renewal and cell lineage selection. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20221766. [PMID: 36651044 PMCID: PMC9846893 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
In many animals, the germline differentiates early in embryogenesis, so only mutations that accumulate in germ cells are inherited by offspring. Exceptions to this developmental process may indicate other mechanisms have evolved to limit the effects of deleterious mutation accumulation. Stony corals are animals that can live for hundreds of years and have been thought to produce gametes from somatic tissue. To clarify conflicting evidence about germline-soma distinction in corals, we sequenced high coverage, full genomes with technical replicates for parent coral branches and their sperm pools. We identified post-embryonic single nucleotide variants (SNVs) unique to each parent branch, then checked if each SNV was shared by the respective sperm pool. Twenty-six per cent of post-embryonic SNVs were shared by the sperm and 74% were not. We also identified germline SNVs, those that were present in the sperm but not in the parent. These data suggest that self-renewing stem cells differentiate into germ and soma throughout the adult life of the colony, with SNV rates and patterns differing markedly in stem, soma and germ lineages. In addition to informing the evolution of germlines in metazoans, these insights inform how corals may generate adaptive diversity necessary in the face of global climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elora H. López-Nandam
- Biology Department, Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950 USA
- Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability Science, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA
| | - Rebecca Albright
- Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability Science, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA
| | - Erik A. Hanson
- Biology Department, Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950 USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Sheets
- Biology Department, Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950 USA
| | - Stephen R. Palumbi
- Biology Department, Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950 USA
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18
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Single-cell dissociation of the model cnidarian sea anemone Exaiptasia diaphana. STAR Protoc 2022; 3:101897. [PMID: 36595962 PMCID: PMC9723469 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2022.101897] [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: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The sea anemone Exaiptasia diaphana (Aiptasia) is a versatile model in studying cellular mechanisms that govern cnidarian-Symbiodiniaceae symbiosis, the foundation of coral reef ecosystems. Here, we provide a protocol to efficiently dissociate adult Aiptasia tissue into a single-cell suspension using enzymatic digestion. We detail steps including washing animals, dissociating tissue with pronase digestion, and evaluating dissociated single cells using fluorescence imaging. This procedure can be applied to other cnidarians, including coral polyps. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Jinkerson et al. (2022).1.
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19
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siRNA-mediated gene knockdown via electroporation in hydrozoan jellyfish embryos. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16049. [PMID: 36180523 PMCID: PMC9525680 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20476-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
As the sister group to bilaterians, cnidarians stand in a unique phylogenetic position that provides insight into evolutionary aspects of animal development, physiology, and behavior. While cnidarians are classified into two types, sessile polyps and free-swimming medusae, most studies at the cellular and molecular levels have been conducted on representative polyp-type cnidarians and have focused on establishing techniques of genetic manipulation. Recently, gene knockdown by delivery of short hairpin RNAs into eggs via electroporation has been introduced in two polyp-type cnidarians, Nematostella vectensis and Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus, enabling systematic loss-of-function experiments. By contrast, current methods of genetic manipulation for most medusa-type cnidarians, or jellyfish, are quite limited, except for Clytia hemisphaerica, and reliable techniques are required to interrogate function of specific genes in different jellyfish species. Here, we present a method to knock down target genes by delivering small interfering RNA (siRNA) into fertilized eggs via electroporation, using the hydrozoan jellyfish, Clytia hemisphaerica and Cladonema paciificum. We show that siRNAs targeting endogenous GFP1 and Wnt3 in Clytia efficiently knock down gene expression and result in known planula phenotypes: loss of green fluorescence and defects in axial patterning, respectively. We also successfully knock down endogenous Wnt3 in Cladonema by siRNA electroporation, which circumvents the technical difficulty of microinjecting small eggs. Wnt3 knockdown in Cladonema causes gene expression changes in axial markers, suggesting a conserved Wnt/β-catenin-mediated pathway that controls axial polarity during embryogenesis. Our gene-targeting siRNA electroporation method is applicable to other animals, including and beyond jellyfish species, and will facilitate the investigation and understanding of myriad aspects of animal development.
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20
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Quiroga-Artigas G, de Jong D, Schnitzler CE. GNL3 is an evolutionarily conserved stem cell gene influencing cell proliferation, animal growth and regeneration in the hydrozoan Hydractinia. Open Biol 2022; 12:220120. [PMID: 36069077 PMCID: PMC9449814 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.220120] [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] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Nucleostemin (NS) is a vertebrate gene preferentially expressed in stem and cancer cells, which acts to regulate cell cycle progression, genome stability and ribosome biogenesis. NS and its paralogous gene, GNL3-like (GNL3L), arose in the vertebrate clade after a duplication event from their orthologous gene, G protein Nucleolar 3 (GNL3). Research on invertebrate GNL3, however, has been limited. To gain a greater understanding of the evolution and functions of the GNL3 gene, we have performed studies in the hydrozoan cnidarian Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus, a colonial hydroid that continuously generates pluripotent stem cells throughout its life cycle and presents impressive regenerative abilities. We show that Hydractinia GNL3 is expressed in stem and germline cells. The knockdown of GNL3 reduces the number of mitotic and S-phase cells in Hydractinia larvae of different ages. Genome editing of Hydractinia GNL3 via CRISPR/Cas9 resulted in colonies with reduced growth rates, polyps with impaired regeneration capabilities, gonadal morphological defects, and low sperm motility. Collectively, our study shows that GNL3 is an evolutionarily conserved stem cell and germline gene involved in cell proliferation, animal growth, regeneration and sexual reproduction in Hydractinia, and sheds new light into the evolution of GNL3 and of stem cell systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Quiroga-Artigas
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St Augustine, FL 32080, USA
| | - Danielle de Jong
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St Augustine, FL 32080, USA
| | - Christine E Schnitzler
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St Augustine, FL 32080, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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21
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A Krüppel-like factor is required for development and regeneration of germline and yolk cells from somatic stem cells in planarians. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001472. [PMID: 35839223 PMCID: PMC9286257 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexually reproducing animals segregate their germline from their soma. In addition to gamete-producing gonads, planarian and parasitic flatworm reproduction relies on yolk cell–generating accessory reproductive organs (vitellaria) supporting development of yolkless oocytes. Despite the importance of vitellaria for flatworm reproduction (and parasite transmission), little is known about this unique evolutionary innovation. Here, we examine reproductive system development in the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea, in which pluripotent stem cells generate both somatic and germ cell lineages. We show that a homolog of the pluripotency factor Klf4 is expressed in primordial germ cells (PGCs), presumptive germline stem cells (GSCs), and yolk cell progenitors. Knockdown of this klf4-like (klf4l) gene results in animals that fail to specify or maintain germ cells; surprisingly, they also fail to maintain yolk cells. We find that yolk cells display germ cell–like attributes and that vitellaria are structurally analogous to gonads. In addition to identifying a new proliferative cell population in planarians (yolk cell progenitors) and defining its niche, our work provides evidence supporting the hypothesis that flatworm germ cells and yolk cells share a common evolutionary origin.
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22
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Venom system variation and the division of labor in the colonial hydrozoan Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus. Toxicon X 2022; 14:100113. [PMID: 35287376 PMCID: PMC8917316 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxcx.2022.100113] [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: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cnidarians (jellyfish, hydroids, sea anemones, and corals) possess a unique method for venom production, maintenance, and deployment through a decentralized system composed of different types of venom-filled stinging structures called nematocysts. In many species, nematocyst types are distributed heterogeneously across functionally distinct tissues. This has led to a prediction that different nematocyst types contain specific venom components. The colonial hydrozoan, Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus, is an ideal system to study the functional distribution of nematocyst types and their venoms, given that they display a division of labor through functionally distinct polyps within the colony. Here, we characterized the composition and distribution of nematocysts (cnidome) in the different polyp types and show that the feeding polyp (gastrozooid) has a distinct cnidome compared to the reproductive (gonozooid) and predatory polyp (dactylozooid). We generated a nematocyst-specific reporter line to track nematocyst development (nematogenesis) in H. symbiolongicarpus, and were able to confirm that nematogenesis primarily occurs in the mid-region of the gastrozooid and throughout stolons (tubes of epithelia that connect the polyps in the colony). This reporter line enabled us to isolate a nematocyst-specific lineage of cells for de novo transcriptome assembly, annotate venom-like genes (VLGs) and determine differential expression (DE) across polyp types. We show that a majority of VLGs are upregulated in gastrozooids, consistent with it being the primary site of active nematogenesis. However, despite gastrozooids producing more nematocysts, we found a number of VLGs significantly upregulated in dactylozooids, suggesting that these VLGs may be important for prey-capture. Our transgenic Hydractinia reporter line provides an opportunity to explore the complex interplay between venom composition, nematocyst diversity, and ecological partitioning in a colonial hydrozoan that displays a division of labor. Functionally specific polyp types in Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus have distinct cnidomes. We present a nematocyst-targeted transgenic line for H. symbiolongicarpus, showcasing active areas of nematogenesis. 105 venom-like genes (VLGs) were annotated from an assembled nematocyst-enriched transcriptome. Several VLGs were significantly upregulated in feeding polyps, consistent with being a site of active nematogenesis. Differential expression analysis suggests that different polyp types express distinct combinations of VLGs.
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23
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Chrysostomou E, Febrimarsa, DuBuc T, Frank U. Gene Manipulation in Hydractinia. METHODS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (CLIFTON, N.J.) 2022; 2450:419-436. [PMID: 35359321 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2172-1_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The ability to regenerate lost body parts is irregularly distributed among animals, with substantial differences in regenerative potential between and within metazoan phyla. It is widely believed that regenerative animal clades inherited some aspects of their capacity to regenerate from their common ancestors but have also evolved new mechanisms that are not shared with other regenerative animals. Therefore, to gain a broad understanding of animal regenerative mechanisms and evolution, a broad sampling approach is necessary. Unfortunately, only few regenerative animals have been established as laboratory models with protocols for functional gene studies. Here, we describe the methods to establish transgenic individuals of the marine cnidarian Hydractinia. We also provide methods for transient gene expression manipulation without modifying the genome of the animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Chrysostomou
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Febrimarsa
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Timothy DuBuc
- Biology Department, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA, USA
| | - Uri Frank
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland.
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24
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Chrysostomou E, Flici H, Gornik SG, Salinas-Saavedra M, Gahan JM, McMahon ET, Thompson K, Hanley S, Kilcoyne M, Schnitzler CE, Gonzalez P, Baxevanis AD, Frank U. A cellular and molecular analysis of SoxB-driven neurogenesis in a cnidarian. eLife 2022; 11:78793. [PMID: 35608899 PMCID: PMC9173746 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurogenesis is the generation of neurons from stem cells, a process that is regulated by SoxB transcription factors (TFs) in many animals. Although the roles of these TFs are well understood in bilaterians, how their neural function evolved is unclear. Here, we use Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus, a member of the early-branching phylum Cnidaria, to provide insight into this question. Using a combination of mRNA in situ hybridization, transgenesis, gene knockdown, transcriptomics, and in vivo imaging, we provide a comprehensive molecular and cellular analysis of neurogenesis during embryogenesis, homeostasis, and regeneration in this animal. We show that SoxB genes act sequentially at least in some cases. Stem cells expressing Piwi1 and Soxb1, which have broad developmental potential, become neural progenitors that express Soxb2 before differentiating into mature neural cells. Knockdown of SoxB genes resulted in complex defects in embryonic neurogenesis. Hydractinia neural cells differentiate while migrating from the aboral to the oral end of the animal, but it is unclear whether migration per se or exposure to different microenvironments is the main driver of their fate determination. Our data constitute a rich resource for studies aiming at addressing this question, which is at the heart of understanding the origin and development of animal nervous systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Chrysostomou
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland GalwayGalwayIreland
| | - Hakima Flici
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland GalwayGalwayIreland
| | - Sebastian G Gornik
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland GalwayGalwayIreland
| | - Miguel Salinas-Saavedra
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland GalwayGalwayIreland
| | - James M Gahan
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland GalwayGalwayIreland
| | - Emma T McMahon
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland GalwayGalwayIreland
| | - Kerry Thompson
- Centre for Microscopy and Imaging, Discipline of Anatomy, National University of Ireland, GalwayGalwayIreland
| | - Shirley Hanley
- National Centre for Biomedical Engineering Science, National University of Ireland, GalwayGalwayIreland
| | - Michelle Kilcoyne
- Carbohydrate Signalling Group, Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland GalwayGalwayIreland
| | - Christine E Schnitzler
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of FloridaSt. Augustine, FloridaUnited States,Department of Biology, University of FloridaGainesville, FloridaUnited States
| | - Paul Gonzalez
- Computational and Statistical Genomics Branch, Division of Intramural Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesda, MarylandUnited States
| | - Andreas D Baxevanis
- Computational and Statistical Genomics Branch, Division of Intramural Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesda, MarylandUnited States
| | - Uri Frank
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland GalwayGalwayIreland
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25
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Gopal S, Amran A, Elton A, Ng L, Pocock R. A somatic proteoglycan controls Notch-directed germ cell fate. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6708. [PMID: 34795288 PMCID: PMC8602670 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27039-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Communication between the soma and germline optimizes germ cell fate programs. Notch receptors are key determinants of germ cell fate but how somatic signals direct Notch-dependent germ cell behavior is undefined. Here we demonstrate that SDN-1 (syndecan-1), a somatic transmembrane proteoglycan, controls expression of the GLP-1 (germline proliferation-1) Notch receptor in the Caenorhabditis elegans germline. We find that SDN-1 control of a somatic TRP calcium channel governs calcium-dependent binding of an AP-2 transcription factor (APTF-2) to the glp-1 promoter. Hence, SDN-1 signaling promotes GLP-1 expression and mitotic germ cell fate. Together, these data reveal SDN-1 as a putative communication nexus between the germline and its somatic environment to control germ cell fate decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Gopal
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia.
| | - Aqilah Amran
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3800 Australia
| | - Andre Elton
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3800 Australia
| | - Leelee Ng
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3800 Australia
| | - Roger Pocock
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia.
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26
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Yan J, Buer H, Wang YP, Zhula G, Bai YE. Transcriptomic Time-Series Analyses of Gene Expression Profile During Zygotic Embryo Development in Picea mongolica. Front Genet 2021; 12:738649. [PMID: 34659359 PMCID: PMC8513737 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.738649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Zygotic embryogenesis is a critical process during seed development in gymnosperms. However, knowledge on the genome-wide transcriptional activation that guides this process in conifers is limited, especially in Picea mongolica. This tree species is endemic to semiarid habitats of Inner Mongolia in China. To extend what is known about the molecular events underpinning its zygotic embryogenesis, comparative transcriptomic analyses of gene expression in zygotic embryos were performed by RNA sequencing in P. mongolica. Our results showed that most changes in transcript levels occurred in the early embryonic pattering determination and formation of mature embryos. Transcripts related to embryogenic competence, cell division pattern, hormones, and stress response genes were identified during embryogenesis. Auxin is essential for early embryo patterning and pre-cotyledon embryonic formation. However, ABA is a major regulator of embryo maturation. Moreover, we found that methylation-related gene expression is associated with activation of early-stage embryos, late embryogenesis abundant proteins, and storage/energy-related genes with late and mature embryos. Furthermore, network analysis revealed stage-specific and multistage gene expression clusters during embryogenesis. WOX, MYB, AP2, and HLH transcription factors seem more relevant to embryogenesis in different stages. Our results provide large-scale and comprehensive transcriptome data for embryo development in P. mongolica. These data will lay a foundation for the protection and utilization of P. mongolica resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Yan
- Institute of Forest Tree Genetic Breeding, Forestry College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China.,Life Science of College, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Ha Buer
- Institute of Forest Tree Genetic Breeding, Forestry College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
| | - Ya Ping Wang
- Institute of Forest Tree Genetic Breeding, Forestry College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
| | - Gegen Zhula
- Institute of Forest Tree Genetic Breeding, Forestry College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
| | - Yu E Bai
- Institute of Forest Tree Genetic Breeding, Forestry College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
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27
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Gao Y, Park HJ, Traulsen A, Pichugin Y. Evolution of irreversible somatic differentiation. eLife 2021; 10:66711. [PMID: 34643506 PMCID: PMC8514237 DOI: 10.7554/elife.66711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A key innovation emerging in complex animals is irreversible somatic differentiation: daughters of a vegetative cell perform a vegetative function as well, thus, forming a somatic lineage that can no longer be directly involved in reproduction. Primitive species use a different strategy: vegetative and reproductive tasks are separated in time rather than in space. Starting from such a strategy, how is it possible to evolve life forms which use some of their cells exclusively for vegetative functions? Here, we develop an evolutionary model of development of a simple multicellular organism and find that three components are necessary for the evolution of irreversible somatic differentiation: (i) costly cell differentiation, (ii) vegetative cells that significantly improve the organism’s performance even if present in small numbers, and (iii) large enough organism size. Our findings demonstrate how an egalitarian development typical for loose cell colonies can evolve into germ-soma differentiation dominating metazoans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanxiao Gao
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
| | - Hye Jin Park
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany.,Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics, Pohang, Republic of Korea.,Department of Physics, POSTECH, Pohang, Republic of Korea
| | - Arne Traulsen
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
| | - Yuriy Pichugin
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
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28
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Rinkevich B, Ballarin L, Martinez P, Somorjai I, Ben-Hamo O, Borisenko I, Berezikov E, Ereskovsky A, Gazave E, Khnykin D, Manni L, Petukhova O, Rosner A, Röttinger E, Spagnuolo A, Sugni M, Tiozzo S, Hobmayer B. A pan-metazoan concept for adult stem cells: the wobbling Penrose landscape. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 97:299-325. [PMID: 34617397 PMCID: PMC9292022 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Adult stem cells (ASCs) in vertebrates and model invertebrates (e.g. Drosophila melanogaster) are typically long‐lived, lineage‐restricted, clonogenic and quiescent cells with somatic descendants and tissue/organ‐restricted activities. Such ASCs are mostly rare, morphologically undifferentiated, and undergo asymmetric cell division. Characterized by ‘stemness’ gene expression, they can regulate tissue/organ homeostasis, repair and regeneration. By contrast, analysis of other animal phyla shows that ASCs emerge at different life stages, present both differentiated and undifferentiated phenotypes, and may possess amoeboid movement. Usually pluri/totipotent, they may express germ‐cell markers, but often lack germ‐line sequestering, and typically do not reside in discrete niches. ASCs may constitute up to 40% of animal cells, and participate in a range of biological phenomena, from whole‐body regeneration, dormancy, and agametic asexual reproduction, to indeterminate growth. They are considered legitimate units of selection. Conceptualizing this divergence, we present an alternative stemness metaphor to the Waddington landscape: the ‘wobbling Penrose’ landscape. Here, totipotent ASCs adopt ascending/descending courses of an ‘Escherian stairwell’, in a lifelong totipotency pathway. ASCs may also travel along lower stemness echelons to reach fully differentiated states. However, from any starting state, cells can change their stemness status, underscoring their dynamic cellular potencies. Thus, vertebrate ASCs may reflect just one metazoan ASC archetype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baruch Rinkevich
- Israel Oceanographic & Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, POB 9753, Tel Shikmona, Haifa, 3109701, Israel
| | - Loriano Ballarin
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, Padova, 35121, Italy
| | - Pedro Martinez
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, Barcelona, 08028, Spain.,Institut Català de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Passeig Lluís Companys 23, Barcelona, 08010, Spain
| | - Ildiko Somorjai
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9ST, Scotland, UK
| | - Oshrat Ben-Hamo
- Israel Oceanographic & Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, POB 9753, Tel Shikmona, Haifa, 3109701, Israel
| | - Ilya Borisenko
- Department of Embryology, Faculty of Biology, Saint-Petersburg State University, University Embankment, 7/9, Saint-Petersburg, 199034, Russia
| | - Eugene Berezikov
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, Groningen, 9713 AV, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander Ereskovsky
- Department of Embryology, Faculty of Biology, Saint-Petersburg State University, University Embankment, 7/9, Saint-Petersburg, 199034, Russia.,Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie marine et continentale (IMBE), Aix Marseille University, CNRS, IRD, Avignon University, Jardin du Pharo, 58 Boulevard Charles Livon, Marseille, 13007, France.,Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Ulitsa Vavilova, 26, Moscow, 119334, Russia
| | - Eve Gazave
- Université de Paris, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, Paris, F-75006, France
| | - Denis Khnykin
- Department of Pathology, Oslo University Hospital, Bygg 19, Gaustad Sykehus, Sognsvannsveien 21, Oslo, 0188, Norway
| | - Lucia Manni
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, Padova, 35121, Italy
| | - Olga Petukhova
- Collection of Vertebrate Cell Cultures, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tikhoretsky Ave. 4, St. Petersburg, 194064, Russia
| | - Amalia Rosner
- Israel Oceanographic & Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, POB 9753, Tel Shikmona, Haifa, 3109701, Israel
| | - Eric Röttinger
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, INSERM, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging, Nice (IRCAN), Nice, 06107, France.,Université Côte d'Azur, Federative Research Institute - Marine Resources (IFR MARRES), 28 Avenue de Valrose, Nice, 06103, France
| | - Antonietta Spagnuolo
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Naples, 80121, Italy
| | - Michela Sugni
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy (ESP), Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Stefano Tiozzo
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer (LBDV), 06234 Villefranche-sur-Mer, Villefranche sur Mer, Cedex, France
| | - Bert Hobmayer
- Institute of Zoology and Center for Molecular Biosciences, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstr, Innsbruck, 256020, Austria
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29
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Evolution via somatic genetic variation in modular species. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 36:1083-1092. [PMID: 34538501 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2021] [Revised: 08/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Somatic genetic variation (SoGV) may play a consequential yet underappreciated role in long-lived, modular species among plants, animals, and fungi. Recent genomic data identified two levels of genetic heterogeneity, between cell lines and between modules, that are subject to multilevel selection. Because SoGV can transfer into gametes when germlines are sequestered late in ontogeny (plants, algae, and fungi and some basal animals), sexual and asexual processes provide interdependent routes of mutational input and impact the accumulation of genetic load and molecular evolution rates of the integrated asexual/sexual life cycle. Avenues for future research include possible fitness effects of SoGV, the identification and implications of multilevel selection, and modeling of asexual selective sweeps using approaches from tumor evolution.
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30
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Presnell JS, Browne WE. Krüppel-like factor gene function in the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi assessed by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing. Development 2021; 148:272041. [PMID: 34373891 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The Krüppel-like factor (Klf) gene family encodes transcription factors that play an important role in the regulation of stem cell proliferation, cell differentiation and development in bilaterians. Although Klf genes have been shown to specify functionally various cell types in non-bilaterian animals, their role in early-diverging animal lineages has not been assessed. Thus, the ancestral activity of these transcription factors in animal development is not well understood. The ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi has emerged as an important non-bilaterian model system for understanding early animal evolution. Here, we characterize the expression and functional role of Klf genes during M. leidyi embryogenesis. Zygotic Klf gene function was assessed with both CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing and splice-blocking morpholino oligonucleotide knockdown approaches. Abrogation of zygotic Klf expression during M. leidyi embryogenesis resulted in abnormal development of several organs, including the pharynx, tentacle bulbs and apical organ. Our data suggest an ancient role for Klf genes in regulating endodermal patterning, possibly through regulation of cell proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason S Presnell
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Cox Science Center, 1301 Memorial Drive, Miami, FL 33146, USA
| | - William E Browne
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Cox Science Center, 1301 Memorial Drive, Miami, FL 33146, USA
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31
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Huene AL, Chen T, Nicotra ML. New binding specificities evolve via point mutation in an invertebrate allorecognition gene. iScience 2021; 24:102811. [PMID: 34296075 PMCID: PMC8282982 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Many organisms use genetic self-recognition systems to distinguish themselves from conspecifics. In the cnidarian, Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus, self-recognition is partially controlled by allorecognition 2 (Alr2). Alr2 encodes a highly polymorphic transmembrane protein that discriminates self from nonself by binding in trans to other Alr2 proteins with identical or similar sequences. Here, we focused on the N-terminal domain of Alr2, which can determine its binding specificity. We pair ancestral sequence reconstruction and experimental assays to show that amino acid substitutions can create sequences with novel binding specificities either directly (via one mutation) or via sequential mutations and intermediates with relaxed specificities. We also show that one side of the domain has experienced positive selection and likely forms the binding interface. Our results provide direct evidence that point mutations can generate Alr2 proteins with novel binding specificities. This provides a plausible mechanism for the generation and maintenance of functional variation in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aidan L. Huene
- Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
- Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Traci Chen
- Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Matthew L. Nicotra
- Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
- Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
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32
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Srivastava M. Beyond Casual Resemblances: Rigorous Frameworks for Comparing Regeneration Across Species. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 2021; 37:415-440. [PMID: 34288710 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-120319-114716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The majority of animal phyla have species that can regenerate. Comparing regeneration across animals can reconstruct the molecular and cellular evolutionary history of this process. Recent studies have revealed some similarity in regeneration mechanisms, but rigorous comparative methods are needed to assess whether these resemblances are ancestral pathways (homology) or are the result of convergent evolution (homoplasy). This review aims to provide a framework for comparing regeneration across animals, focusing on gene regulatory networks (GRNs), which are substrates for assessing process homology. The homology of the wound-induced activation of Wnt signaling and of adult stem cells are discussed as examples of ongoing studies of regeneration that enable comparisons in a GRN framework. Expanding the study of regeneration GRNs in currently studied species and broadening taxonomic sampling for these approaches will identify processes that are unifying principles of regeneration biology across animals. These insights are important both for evolutionary studies of regeneration and for human regenerative medicine. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology, Volume 37 is October 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansi Srivastava
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA;
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33
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Raz AA, Yamashita YM. Molding immortality from a plastic germline. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2021; 73:1-8. [PMID: 34091218 PMCID: PMC9255434 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2021.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Germ cells are uniquely capable of maintaining cellular immortality, allowing them to give rise to new individuals in generation after generation. Recent studies have identified that the germline state is plastic, with frequent interconversion between germline differentiation states and across the germline/soma border. Therefore, features that grant germline immortality must be inducible, with other cells undergoing some form of rejuvenation to a germline state. In this review, we summarize the breadth of our current interpretations of germline plasticity and the ways in which these fate conversion events can aid our understanding of the underlying hallmarks of germline immortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelie A Raz
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Yukiko M Yamashita
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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34
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Rosner A, Armengaud J, Ballarin L, Barnay-Verdier S, Cima F, Coelho AV, Domart-Coulon I, Drobne D, Genevière AM, Jemec Kokalj A, Kotlarska E, Lyons DM, Mass T, Paz G, Pazdro K, Perić L, Ramšak A, Rakers S, Rinkevich B, Spagnuolo A, Sugni M, Cambier S. Stem cells of aquatic invertebrates as an advanced tool for assessing ecotoxicological impacts. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 771:144565. [PMID: 33736145 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Environmental stressors are assessed through methods that quantify their impacts on a wide range of metrics including species density, growth rates, reproduction, behaviour and physiology, as on host-pathogen interactions and immunocompetence. Environmental stress may induce additional sublethal effects, like mutations and epigenetic signatures affecting offspring via germline mediated transgenerational inheritance, shaping phenotypic plasticity, increasing disease susceptibility, tissue pathologies, changes in social behaviour and biological invasions. The growing diversity of pollutants released into aquatic environments requires the development of a reliable, standardised and 3R (replacement, reduction and refinement of animals in research) compliant in vitro toolbox. The tools have to be in line with REACH regulation 1907/2006/EC, aiming to improve strategies for potential ecotoxicological risks assessment and monitoring of chemicals threatening human health and aquatic environments. Aquatic invertebrates' adult stem cells (ASCs) are numerous and can be pluripotent, as illustrated by high regeneration ability documented in many of these taxa. This is of further importance as in many aquatic invertebrate taxa, ASCs are able to differentiate into germ cells. Here we propose that ASCs from key aquatic invertebrates may be harnessed for applicable and standardised new tests in ecotoxicology. As part of this approach, a battery of modern techniques and endpoints are proposed to be tested for their ability to correctly identify environmental stresses posed by emerging contaminants in aquatic environments. Consequently, we briefly describe the current status of the available toxicity testing and biota-based monitoring strategies in aquatic environmental ecotoxicology and highlight some of the associated open issues such as replicability, consistency and reliability in the outcomes, for understanding and assessing the impacts of various chemicals on organisms and on the entire aquatic environment. Following this, we describe the benefits of aquatic invertebrate ASC-based tools for better addressing ecotoxicological questions, along with the current obstacles and possible overhaul approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amalia Rosner
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, P.O. Box 8030, Tel Shikmona, Haifa 3108001, Israel.
| | - Jean Armengaud
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, INRAE, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé (DMTS), SPI, F-30200 Bagnols-sur-Cèze, France.
| | - Loriano Ballarin
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35121 Padova, Italy.
| | - Stéphanie Barnay-Verdier
- Sorbonne Université; CNRS, INSERM, Université Côte d'Azur, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging Nice, F-06107 Nice, France.
| | - Francesca Cima
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35121 Padova, Italy.
| | - Ana Varela Coelho
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal.
| | - Isabelle Domart-Coulon
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Microorganism Communication and Adaptation Molecules MCAM, Paris F-75005, France.
| | - Damjana Drobne
- University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, Večna pot 111,D, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Anne-Marie Genevière
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Integrative Biology of Marine Organisms, BIOM, F-6650 Banyuls-sur-mer, France.
| | - Anita Jemec Kokalj
- University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, Večna pot 111,D, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Ewa Kotlarska
- Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland.
| | - Daniel Mark Lyons
- Center for Marine Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, G. Paliaga 5, HR-52210 Rovinj, Croatia.
| | - Tali Mass
- Marine Biology Department, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, 199 Aba Khoushy Ave, University of Haifa, 3498838, Israel.
| | - Guy Paz
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, P.O. Box 8030, Tel Shikmona, Haifa 3108001, Israel.
| | - Ksenia Pazdro
- Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland
| | - Lorena Perić
- Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Laboratory for Aquaculture and Pathology of Aquaculture Organisms, Bijenička cesta 54, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Andreja Ramšak
- National Institute of Biology, Marine Biology Station, Fornače 41, 6330 Piran, Slovenia.
| | | | - Baruch Rinkevich
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, P.O. Box 8030, Tel Shikmona, Haifa 3108001, Israel.
| | - Antonietta Spagnuolo
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy.
| | - Michela Sugni
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milano, Italy.
| | - Sébastien Cambier
- Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, 5, avenue des Hauts-Fourneaux, L-4362 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.
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35
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Parisi MG, Grimaldi A, Baranzini N, La Corte C, Dara M, Parrinello D, Cammarata M. Mesoglea Extracellular Matrix Reorganization during Regenerative Process in Anemonia viridis (Forskål, 1775). Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:5971. [PMID: 34073146 PMCID: PMC8198993 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22115971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Given the anatomical simplicity and the extraordinary ability to regenerate missing parts of the body, Cnidaria represent an excellent model for the study of the mechanisms regulating regenerative processes. They possess the mesoglea, an amorphous and practically acellular extracellular matrix (ECM) located between the epidermis and the gastrodermis of the body and tentacles and consists of the same molecules present in the ECM of vertebrates, such as collagen, laminin, fibronectin and proteoglycans. This feature makes cnidarians anthozoans valid models for understanding the ECM role during regenerative processes. Indeed, it is now clear that its role in animal tissues is not just tissue support, but instead plays a key role during wound healing and tissue regeneration. This study aims to explore regenerative events after tentacle amputation in the Mediterranean anemone Anemonia viridis, focusing in detail on the reorganization of the ECM mesoglea. In this context, both enzymatic, biometric and histological experiments reveal how this gelatinous connective layer plays a fundamental role in the correct restoration of the original structures by modifying its consistency and stiffness. Indeed, through the deposition of collagen I, it might act as a scaffold and as a guide for the reconstruction of missing tissues and parts, such as amputated tentacles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Giovanna Parisi
- Marine Immunobiology Laboratory, Department of Earth and Sea Sciences, University of Palermo, 90123 Palermo, Italy; (C.L.C.); (M.D.); (D.P.); (M.C.)
| | - Annalisa Grimaldi
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, University of Insubria, Via Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, Italy;
| | - Nicolò Baranzini
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, University of Insubria, Via Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, Italy;
| | - Claudia La Corte
- Marine Immunobiology Laboratory, Department of Earth and Sea Sciences, University of Palermo, 90123 Palermo, Italy; (C.L.C.); (M.D.); (D.P.); (M.C.)
| | - Mariano Dara
- Marine Immunobiology Laboratory, Department of Earth and Sea Sciences, University of Palermo, 90123 Palermo, Italy; (C.L.C.); (M.D.); (D.P.); (M.C.)
| | - Daniela Parrinello
- Marine Immunobiology Laboratory, Department of Earth and Sea Sciences, University of Palermo, 90123 Palermo, Italy; (C.L.C.); (M.D.); (D.P.); (M.C.)
| | - Matteo Cammarata
- Marine Immunobiology Laboratory, Department of Earth and Sea Sciences, University of Palermo, 90123 Palermo, Italy; (C.L.C.); (M.D.); (D.P.); (M.C.)
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36
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Amiel AR, Michel V, Carvalho JE, Shkreli M, Petit C, Röttinger E. [The sea anemone Nematostella vectensis, an emerging model for biomedical research: Mechano-sensitivity, extreme regeneration and longevity]. Med Sci (Paris) 2021; 37:167-177. [PMID: 33591260 DOI: 10.1051/medsci/2020282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Nematostella has fascinating features such as whole-body regeneration, the absence of signs of aging and importantly, the absence of age-related diseases. Easy to culture and spawn, this little sea anemone in spite of its "simple" aspect, displays interesting morphological characteristics similar to vertebrates and an unexpected similarity in gene content/genome organization. Importantly, the scientific community working on Nematostella is developing a variety of functional genomics tools that enable scientists to use this anemone in the field of regenerative medicine, longevity and mecano-sensory diseases. As a complementary research model to vertebrates, this marine invertebrate is emerging and promising to dig deeper into those fields of research in an integrative manner (entire organism) and provides new opportunities for scientists to lift specific barriers that can be encountered with other commonly used animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aldine R Amiel
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Inserm - Institut de Recherche sur le Cancer et le Vieillissement (IRCAN), 06107 Nice, France - Université Côte d'Azur - Institut fédératif de recherche - ressources marines, 06107 Nice, France
| | - Vincent Michel
- Institut de l'audition, Institut Pasteur, Inserm UMRS 1120, 75012 Paris, France
| | - João E Carvalho
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Inserm - Institut de Recherche sur le Cancer et le Vieillissement (IRCAN), 06107 Nice, France - Université Côte d'Azur - Institut fédératif de recherche - ressources marines, 06107 Nice, France
| | - Marina Shkreli
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Inserm - Institut de Recherche sur le Cancer et le Vieillissement (IRCAN), 06107 Nice, France
| | - Christine Petit
- Institut de l'audition, Institut Pasteur, Inserm UMRS 1120, 75012 Paris, France - Collège de France, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Eric Röttinger
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Inserm - Institut de Recherche sur le Cancer et le Vieillissement (IRCAN), 06107 Nice, France - Université Côte d'Azur - Institut fédératif de recherche - ressources marines, 06107 Nice, France
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37
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Koutsouveli V, Cárdenas P, Santodomingo N, Marina A, Morato E, Rapp HT, Riesgo A. The Molecular Machinery of Gametogenesis in Geodia Demosponges (Porifera): Evolutionary Origins of a Conserved Toolkit across Animals. Mol Biol Evol 2020; 37:3485-3506. [PMID: 32929503 PMCID: PMC7743902 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
All animals are capable of undergoing gametogenesis. The ability of forming haploid cells from diploid cells through meiosis and recombination appeared early in eukaryotes, whereas further gamete differentiation is mostly a metazoan signature. Morphologically, the gametogenic process presents many similarities across animal taxa, but little is known about its conservation at the molecular level. Porifera are the earliest divergent animals and therefore are an ideal phylum to understand evolution of the gametogenic toolkits. Although sponge gametogenesis is well known at the histological level, the molecular toolkits for gamete production are largely unknown. Our goal was to identify the genes and their expression levels which regulate oogenesis and spermatogenesis in five gonochoristic and oviparous species of the genus Geodia, using both RNAseq and proteomic analyses. In the early stages of both female and male gametogenesis, genes involved in germ cell fate and cell-renewal were upregulated. Then, molecular signals involved in retinoic acid pathway could trigger the meiotic processes. During later stages of oogenesis, female sponges expressed genes involved in cell growth, vitellogenesis, and extracellular matrix reassembly, which are conserved elements of oocyte maturation in Metazoa. Likewise, in spermatogenesis, genes regulating the whole meiotic cycle, chromatin compaction, and flagellum axoneme formation, that are common across Metazoa were overexpressed in the sponges. Finally, molecular signals possibly related to sperm capacitation were identified during late stages of spermatogenesis for the first time in Porifera. In conclusion, the activated molecular toolkit during gametogenesis in sponges was remarkably similar to that deployed during gametogenesis in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasiliki Koutsouveli
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum of London, London, United Kingdom
- Pharmacognosy, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, BMC, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Paco Cárdenas
- Pharmacognosy, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, BMC, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Nadiezhda Santodomingo
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anabel Marina
- Servicio de Proteómica, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBMSO), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) and Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Esperanza Morato
- Servicio de Proteómica, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBMSO), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) and Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Hans Tore Rapp
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Ana Riesgo
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum of London, London, United Kingdom
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38
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Sinigaglia C, Peron S, Eichelbrenner J, Chevalier S, Steger J, Barreau C, Houliston E, Leclère L. Pattern regulation in a regenerating jellyfish. eLife 2020; 9:e54868. [PMID: 32894220 PMCID: PMC7524552 DOI: 10.7554/elife.54868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Jellyfish, with their tetraradial symmetry, offer a novel paradigm for addressing patterning mechanisms during regeneration. Here we show that an interplay between mechanical forces, cell migration and proliferation allows jellyfish fragments to regain shape and functionality rapidly, notably by efficient restoration of the central feeding organ (manubrium). Fragmentation first triggers actomyosin-powered remodeling that restores body umbrella shape, causing radial smooth muscle fibers to converge around 'hubs' which serve as positional landmarks. Stabilization of these hubs, and associated expression of Wnt6, depends on the configuration of the adjoining muscle fiber 'spokes'. Stabilized hubs presage the site of the manubrium blastema, whose growth is Wnt/β-catenin dependent and fueled by both cell proliferation and long-range cell recruitment. Manubrium morphogenesis is modulated by its connections with the gastrovascular canal system. We conclude that body patterning in regenerating jellyfish emerges mainly from local interactions, triggered and directed by the remodeling process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Sinigaglia
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer (LBDV)Villefranche-sur-merFrance
| | - Sophie Peron
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer (LBDV)Villefranche-sur-merFrance
| | - Jeanne Eichelbrenner
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer (LBDV)Villefranche-sur-merFrance
| | - Sandra Chevalier
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer (LBDV)Villefranche-sur-merFrance
| | - Julia Steger
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer (LBDV)Villefranche-sur-merFrance
| | - Carine Barreau
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer (LBDV)Villefranche-sur-merFrance
| | - Evelyn Houliston
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer (LBDV)Villefranche-sur-merFrance
| | - Lucas Leclère
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer (LBDV)Villefranche-sur-merFrance
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39
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Gene knockdown via electroporation of short hairpin RNAs in embryos of the marine hydroid Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus. Sci Rep 2020; 10:12806. [PMID: 32732955 PMCID: PMC7393174 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69489-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Analyzing gene function in a broad range of research organisms is crucial for understanding the biological functions of genes and their evolution. Recent studies have shown that short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) can induce gene-specific knockdowns in two cnidarian species. We have developed a detailed, straightforward, and scalable method to deliver shRNAs into fertilized eggs of the hydrozoan cnidarian Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus via electroporation, yielding effective gene-targeted knockdowns that can last throughout embryogenesis. Our electroporation protocol allows for the transfection of shRNAs into hundreds of fertilized H. symbiolongicarpus eggs simultaneously with minimal embryo death and no long-term harmful consequences on the developing animals. We show RT-qPCR and detailed phenotypic evidence of our method successfully inducing effective knockdowns of an exogenous gene (eGFP) and an endogenous gene (Nanos2), as well as knockdown confirmation by RT-qPCR of two other endogenous genes. We also provide visual confirmation of successful shRNA transfection inside embryos through electroporation. Our detailed protocol for electroporation of shRNAs in H. symbiolongicarpus embryos constitutes an important experimental resource for the hydrozoan community while also serving as a successful model for the development of similar methods for interrogating gene function in other marine invertebrates.
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40
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Jessus C, Munro C, Houliston E. Managing the Oocyte Meiotic Arrest-Lessons from Frogs and Jellyfish. Cells 2020; 9:E1150. [PMID: 32392797 PMCID: PMC7290932 DOI: 10.3390/cells9051150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 05/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
During oocyte development, meiosis arrests in prophase of the first division for a remarkably prolonged period firstly during oocyte growth, and then when awaiting the appropriate hormonal signals for egg release. This prophase arrest is finally unlocked when locally produced maturation initiation hormones (MIHs) trigger entry into M-phase. Here, we assess the current knowledge of the successive cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for keeping meiotic progression on hold. We focus on two model organisms, the amphibian Xenopus laevis, and the hydrozoan jellyfish Clytia hemisphaerica. Conserved mechanisms govern the initial meiotic programme of the oocyte prior to oocyte growth and also, much later, the onset of mitotic divisions, via activation of two key kinase systems: Cdk1-Cyclin B/Gwl (MPF) for M-phase activation and Mos-MAPkinase to orchestrate polar body formation and cytostatic (CSF) arrest. In contrast, maintenance of the prophase state of the fully-grown oocyte is assured by highly specific mechanisms, reflecting enormous variation between species in MIHs, MIH receptors and their immediate downstream signalling response. Convergence of multiple signalling pathway components to promote MPF activation in some oocytes, including Xenopus, is likely a heritage of the complex evolutionary history of spawning regulation, but also helps ensure a robust and reliable mechanism for gamete production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Jessus
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, LBD - IBPS, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Catriona Munro
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer (LBDV), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 06230 Villefranche-sur-mer, France;
- Inserm, Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, Collège de France, PSL Research University, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Evelyn Houliston
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer (LBDV), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 06230 Villefranche-sur-mer, France;
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41
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Frank U, Nicotra ML, Schnitzler CE. The colonial cnidarian Hydractinia. EvoDevo 2020; 11:7. [PMID: 32226598 PMCID: PMC7098123 DOI: 10.1186/s13227-020-00151-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Hydractinia, a genus of colonial marine cnidarians, has been used as a model organism for developmental biology and comparative immunology for over a century. It was this animal where stem cells and germ cells were first studied. However, protocols for efficient genetic engineering have only recently been established by a small but interactive community of researchers. The animal grows well in the lab, spawns daily, and its relatively short life cycle allows genetic studies. The availability of genomic tools and resources opens further opportunities for research using this animal. Its accessibility to experimental manipulation, growth- and cellular-plasticity, regenerative ability, and resistance to aging and cancer place Hydractinia as an emerging model for research in many biological and environmental disciplines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uri Frank
- 1Centre for Chromosome Biology, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Matthew L Nicotra
- 2Departments of Surgery and Immunology, Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine, Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 USA
| | - Christine E Schnitzler
- 3Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL 320803 USA.,4Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 USA
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