1
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Kidner RQ, Goldstone EB, Laidemitt MR, Sanchez MC, Gerdt C, Brokaw LP, Ros-Rocher N, Morris J, Davidson WS, Gerdt JP. Lipids from a snail host regulate the multicellular behavior of a predator of parasitic schistosomes. iScience 2024; 27:110724. [PMID: 39280608 PMCID: PMC11399711 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110724] [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: 04/06/2024] [Revised: 06/28/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 09/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Transmission of vector-borne diseases can be slowed by symbionts within the secondary hosts that spread disease. Snails spread schistosomiasis, and the snail symbiont Capsaspora owczarzaki kills schistosome larvae. In studying how Capsaspora colonizes its host snail, we discovered that Capsaspora responded to its host by forming multicellular aggregates. We elucidated the chemical cue for aggregation: hemolymph phosphatidylcholines (PCs). Furthermore, we uncovered that Capsaspora cells aggregate to different degrees in sera from different host snails-and these responses correlate with serum concentrations of PCs. Therefore, Capsaspora senses a host factor that can indicate the identity and physiological state of its host. Since cellular aggregation controls microbial motility, feeding, and immune evasion, this response within host tissue may be important for colonization. If so, snail serum PC and Capsaspora aggregation will be molecular and cellular markers to discern which conditions will favor the colonization of snails (and potential exclusion of schistosomes) by Capsaspora.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ria Q Kidner
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | | | - Martina R Laidemitt
- Department of Biology, Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Parasite Division, Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Melissa C Sanchez
- Department of Biology, Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Parasite Division, Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Catherine Gerdt
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Lorin P Brokaw
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Núria Ros-Rocher
- Department of Cell Biology and Infection and Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris-Cité, CNRS UMR3691, 25-28 Rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Jamie Morris
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati OH 45237, USA
| | - W Sean Davidson
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati OH 45237, USA
| | - Joseph P Gerdt
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
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2
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Ansel M, Ramachandran K, Dey G, Brunet T. Origin and evolution of microvilli. Biol Cell 2024:e2400054. [PMID: 39233537 DOI: 10.1111/boc.202400054] [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: 05/17/2024] [Revised: 07/31/2024] [Accepted: 08/13/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND INFORMATION Microvilli are finger-like, straight, and stable cellular protrusions that are filled with F-actin and present a stereotypical length. They are present in a broad range of cell types across the animal tree of life and mediate several fundamental functions, including nutrient absorption, photosensation, and mechanosensation. Therefore, understanding the origin and evolution of microvilli is key to reconstructing the evolution of animal cellular form and function. Here, we review the current state of knowledge on microvilli evolution and perform a bioinformatic survey of the conservation of genes encoding microvillar proteins in animals and their unicellular relatives. RESULTS We first present a detailed description of mammalian microvilli based on two well-studied examples, the brush border microvilli of enterocytes and the stereocilia of hair cells. We also survey the broader diversity of microvilli and discuss similarities and differences between microvilli and filopodia. Based on our bioinformatic survey coupled with carefully reconstructed molecular phylogenies, we reconstitute the order of evolutionary appearance of microvillar proteins. We document the stepwise evolutionary assembly of the "molecular microvillar toolkit" with notable bursts of innovation at two key nodes: the last common filozoan ancestor (correlated with the evolution of microvilli distinct from filopodia) and the last common choanozoan ancestor (correlated with the emergence of inter-microvillar adhesions). CONCLUSION AND SIGNIFICANCE We conclude with a scenario for the evolution of microvilli from filopodia-like ancestral structures in unicellular precursors of animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mylan Ansel
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris-Cité, CNRS UMR3691, Evolutionary Cell Biology and Evolution of Morphogenesis Unit, Paris, France
- Cell Biology and Biophysics, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
- Master BioSciences, Département de Biologie, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Kaustubh Ramachandran
- Cell Biology and Biophysics, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Gautam Dey
- Cell Biology and Biophysics, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thibaut Brunet
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris-Cité, CNRS UMR3691, Evolutionary Cell Biology and Evolution of Morphogenesis Unit, Paris, France
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3
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Phillips JE, Pan D. The Hippo kinase cascade regulates a contractile cell behavior and cell density in a close unicellular relative of animals. eLife 2024; 12:RP90818. [PMID: 38517944 PMCID: PMC10959527 DOI: 10.7554/elife.90818] [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] [Indexed: 03/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The genomes of close unicellular relatives of animals encode orthologs of many genes that regulate animal development. However, little is known about the function of such genes in unicellular organisms or the evolutionary process by which these genes came to function in multicellular development. The Hippo pathway, which regulates cell proliferation and tissue size in animals, is present in some of the closest unicellular relatives of animals, including the amoeboid organism Capsaspora owczarzaki. We previously showed that the Capsaspora ortholog of the Hippo pathway nuclear effector Yorkie/YAP/TAZ (coYki) regulates actin dynamics and the three-dimensional morphology of Capsaspora cell aggregates, but is dispensable for cell proliferation control (Phillips et al., 2022). However, the function of upstream Hippo pathway components, and whether and how they regulate coYki in Capsaspora, remained unknown. Here, we analyze the function of the upstream Hippo pathway kinases coHpo and coWts in Capsaspora by generating mutant lines for each gene. Loss of either kinase results in increased nuclear localization of coYki, indicating an ancient, premetazoan origin of this Hippo pathway regulatory mechanism. Strikingly, we find that loss of either kinase causes a contractile cell behavior and increased density of cell packing within Capsaspora aggregates. We further show that this increased cell density is not due to differences in proliferation, but rather actomyosin-dependent changes in the multicellular architecture of aggregates. Given its well-established role in cell density-regulated proliferation in animals, the increased density of cell packing in coHpo and coWts mutants suggests a shared and possibly ancient and conserved function of the Hippo pathway in cell density control. Together, these results implicate cytoskeletal regulation but not proliferation as an ancestral function of the Hippo pathway kinase cascade and uncover a novel role for Hippo signaling in regulating cell density in a proliferation-independent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan E Phillips
- Department of Physiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
| | - Duojia Pan
- Department of Physiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
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4
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Kidner RQ, Goldstone EB, Laidemitt MR, Sanchez MC, Gerdt C, Brokaw LP, Ros-Rocher N, Morris J, Davidson WS, Gerdt JP. Host lipids regulate multicellular behavior of a predator of a human pathogen. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.31.578218. [PMID: 38352462 PMCID: PMC10862850 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.31.578218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
As symbionts of animals, microbial eukaryotes benefit and harm their hosts in myriad ways. A model microeukaryote (Capsaspora owczarzaki) is a symbiont of Biomphalaria glabrata snails and may prevent transmission of parasitic schistosomes from snails to humans. However, it is unclear which host factors determine Capsaspora's ability to colonize snails. Here, we discovered that Capsaspora forms multicellular aggregates when exposed to snail hemolymph. We identified a molecular cue for aggregation: a hemolymph-derived phosphatidylcholine, which becomes elevated in schistosome-infected snails. Therefore, Capsaspora aggregation may be a response to the physiological state of its host, and it may determine its ability to colonize snails and exclude parasitic schistosomes. Furthermore, Capsaspora is an evolutionary model organism whose aggregation may be ancestral to animals. This discovery, that a prevalent lipid induces Capsaspora multicellularity, suggests that this aggregation phenotype may be ancient. Additionally, the specific lipid will be a useful tool for further aggregation studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ria Q Kidner
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | | | - Martina R Laidemitt
- Department of Biology, Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Parasite Division, Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, USA
| | - Melissa C Sanchez
- Department of Biology, Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Parasite Division, Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, USA
| | - Catherine Gerdt
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Lorin P Brokaw
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Núria Ros-Rocher
- Department of Functional Genomics and Evolution, Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology and Infection and Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris-Cité, CNRS UMR3691, 25-28 Rue du Docteur Roux, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Jamie Morris
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati OH 45237, USA
| | - W Sean Davidson
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati OH 45237, USA
| | - Joseph P Gerdt
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
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5
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Phillips JE, Pan D. The Hippo kinase cascade regulates a contractile cell behavior and cell density in a close unicellular relative of animals. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.07.25.550562. [PMID: 37546755 PMCID: PMC10402117 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.25.550562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
The genomes of close unicellular relatives of animals encode orthologs of many genes that regulate animal development. However, little is known about the function of such genes in unicellular organisms or the evolutionary process by which these genes came to function in multicellular development. The Hippo pathway, which regulates cell proliferation and tissue size in animals, is present in some of the closest unicellular relatives of animals, including the amoeboid organism Capsaspora owczarzaki. We previously showed that the Capsaspora ortholog of the Hippo pathway nuclear effector Yorkie/YAP/TAZ (coYki) regulates actin dynamics and the three-dimensional morphology of Capsaspora cell aggregates, but is dispensable for cell proliferation control (Phillips et al., 2022). However, the function of upstream Hippo pathway components, and whether and how they regulate coYki in Capsaspora, remained unknown. Here, we analyze the function of the upstream Hippo pathway kinases coHpo and coWts in Capsaspora by generating mutant lines for each gene. Loss of either kinase results in increased nuclear localization of coYki, indicating an ancient, premetazoan origin of this Hippo pathway regulatory mechanism. Strikingly, we find that loss of either kinase causes a contractile cell behavior and increased density of cell packing within Capsaspora aggregates. We further show that this increased cell density is not due to differences in proliferation, but rather actomyosin-dependent changes in the multicellular architecture of aggregates. Given its well-established role in cell density-regulated proliferation in animals, the increased density of cell packing in coHpo and coWts mutants suggests a shared and possibly ancient and conserved function of the Hippo pathway in cell density control. Together, these results implicate cytoskeletal regulation but not proliferation as an ancestral function of the Hippo pathway kinase cascade and uncover a novel role for Hippo signaling in regulating cell density in a proliferation-independent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan E Phillips
- Department of Physiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
| | - Duojia Pan
- Department of Physiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
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6
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Agarwal P, Cadart C, Fort L, Gahan J, Greenspan L, Juan T, Kameneva P, Miao Y. Pathway to Independence: the future of developmental biology. Development 2023; 150:dev202360. [PMID: 37812057 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
In 2022, Development launched its Pathway to Independence (PI) Programme, aimed at supporting postdocs as they transition to their first independent position. We selected eight talented researchers as the first cohort of PI Fellows. In this article, each of our Fellows provides their perspective on the future of their field. Together, they paint an exciting picture of the current state of and open questions in developmental biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priti Agarwal
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Clotilde Cadart
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
| | - Loic Fort
- Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 465 21st Avenue South, U 3200 MRB III, Nashville, TN 37240-7935, USA
| | - James Gahan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Leah Greenspan
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Thomas Juan
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, D-61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Polina Kameneva
- The Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 23, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Yuchuan Miao
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School and Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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7
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Ruiz-Trillo I, Kin K, Casacuberta E. The Origin of Metazoan Multicellularity: A Potential Microbial Black Swan Event. Annu Rev Microbiol 2023; 77:499-516. [PMID: 37406343 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-032421-120023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of animals from their unicellular ancestors is a major evolutionary event. Thanks to the study of diverse close unicellular relatives of animals, we now have a better grasp of what the unicellular ancestor of animals was like. However, it is unclear how that unicellular ancestor of animals became the first animals. To explain this transition, two popular theories, the choanoblastaea and the synzoospore, have been proposed. We will revise and expose the flaws in these two theories while showing that, due to the limits of our current knowledge, the origin of animals is a biological black swan event. As such, the origin of animals defies retrospective explanations. Therefore, we should be extra careful not to fall for confirmation biases based on few data and, instead, embrace this uncertainty and be open to alternative scenarios. With the aim to broaden the potential explanations on how animals emerged, we here propose two novel and alternative scenarios. In any case, to find the answer to how animals evolved, additional data will be required, as will the hunt for microscopic creatures that are closely related to animals but have not yet been sampled and studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iñaki Ruiz-Trillo
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain;
- ICREA, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Koryu Kin
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Elena Casacuberta
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain;
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8
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Jirsová D, Wideman JG. Evolution: Divergent trajectories predate the origins of animals and fungi. Curr Biol 2022; 32:R1242-R1244. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.09.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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9
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Phillips JE, Santos M, Konchwala M, Xing C, Pan D. Genome editing in the unicellular holozoan Capsaspora owczarzaki suggests a premetazoan role for the Hippo pathway in multicellular morphogenesis. eLife 2022; 11:e77598. [PMID: 35659869 PMCID: PMC9170242 DOI: 10.7554/elife.77598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal development is mediated by a surprisingly small set of canonical signaling pathways such as Wnt, Hedgehog, TGF-beta, Notch, and Hippo pathways. Although once thought to be present only in animals, recent genome sequencing has revealed components of these pathways in the closest unicellular relatives of animals. These findings raise questions about the ancestral functions of these developmental pathways and their potential role in the emergence of animal multicellularity. Here, we provide the first functional characterization of any of these developmental pathways in unicellular organisms by developing techniques for genetic manipulation in Capsaspora owczarzaki, a close unicellular relative of animals that displays aggregative multicellularity. We then use these tools to characterize the Capsaspora ortholog of the Hippo signaling nuclear effector YAP/TAZ/Yorkie (coYki), a key regulator of tissue size in animals. In contrast to what might be expected based on studies in animals, we show that coYki is dispensable for cell proliferation but regulates cytoskeletal dynamics and the three-dimensional (3D) shape of multicellular structures. We further demonstrate that the cytoskeletal abnormalities of individual coYki mutant cells underlie the abnormal 3D shape of coYki mutant aggregates. Taken together, these findings implicate an ancestral role for the Hippo pathway in cytoskeletal dynamics and multicellular morphogenesis predating the origin of animal multicellularity, which was co-opted during evolution to regulate cell proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan E Phillips
- Department of Physiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
| | - Maribel Santos
- Department of Physiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
| | - Mohammed Konchwala
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth & Development, Departments of Bioinformatics and Clinical Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
| | - Chao Xing
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth & Development, Departments of Bioinformatics and Clinical Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
| | - Duojia Pan
- Department of Physiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
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10
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Urrutia A, Mitsi K, Foster R, Ross S, Carr M, Ward GM, van Aerle R, Marigomez I, Leger MM, Ruiz-Trillo I, Feist SW, Bass D. Txikispora philomaios n. sp., n. g., a Micro-Eukaryotic Pathogen of Amphipods, Reveals Parasitism and Hidden Diversity in Class Filasterea. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2021; 69:e12875. [PMID: 34726818 DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
This study provides a morphological, ultrastructural, and phylogenetic characterization of a novel micro-eukaryotic parasite (2.3-2.6 µm) infecting amphipod genera Echinogammarus and Orchestia. Longitudinal studies across two years revealed that infection prevalence peaked in late April and May, reaching 64% in Echinogammarus sp. and 15% in Orchestia sp., but was seldom detected during the rest of the year. The parasite infected predominantly haemolymph, connective tissue, tegument, and gonad, although hepatopancreas and nervous tissue were affected in heavier infections, eliciting melanization and granuloma formation. Cell division occurred inside walled parasitic cysts, often within host haemocytes, resulting in haemolymph congestion. Small subunit (18S) rRNA gene phylogenies including related environmental sequences placed the novel parasite as a highly divergent lineage within Class Filasterea, which together with Choanoflagellatea represent the closest protistan relatives of Metazoa. We describe the new parasite as Txikispora philomaios n. sp. n. g., the first confirmed parasitic filasterean lineage, which otherwise comprises four free-living flagellates and a rarely observed endosymbiont of snails. Lineage-specific PCR probing of other hosts and surrounding environments only detected T. philomaios in the platyhelminth Procerodes sp. We expand the known diversity of Filasterea by targeted searches of metagenomic datasets, resulting in 13 previously unknown lineages from environmental samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ander Urrutia
- International Centre of Excellence for Aquatic Animal Health, Centre for Environment, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), Barrack Road, Weymouth, DT4 8UB, UK.,Cell Biology in Environmental Toxicology Research Group, Department of Zoology and Animal Cell Biology (Faculty of Science and Technology), Research Centre for Experimental Marine Biology and Biotechnology (PiE), University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Areatza Pasealekua z/g, Plentzia, 48620, Basque Country, Spain
| | - Konstantina Mitsi
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, Barcelona, 08003, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Rachel Foster
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Stuart Ross
- International Centre of Excellence for Aquatic Animal Health, Centre for Environment, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), Barrack Road, Weymouth, DT4 8UB, UK
| | - Martin Carr
- School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield, HD1 3DH, UK
| | - Georgia M Ward
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Ronny van Aerle
- International Centre of Excellence for Aquatic Animal Health, Centre for Environment, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), Barrack Road, Weymouth, DT4 8UB, UK
| | - Ionan Marigomez
- Cell Biology in Environmental Toxicology Research Group, Department of Zoology and Animal Cell Biology (Faculty of Science and Technology), Research Centre for Experimental Marine Biology and Biotechnology (PiE), University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Areatza Pasealekua z/g, Plentzia, 48620, Basque Country, Spain
| | - Michelle M Leger
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, Barcelona, 08003, Catalonia, Spain.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Centre for Comparative Genomics and evolutionary Bioinformatics, Sir Charles Tupper Medical Building, Dalhousie University, 5850 College Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Iñaki Ruiz-Trillo
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, Barcelona, 08003, Catalonia, Spain.,Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, 08028, Catalonia, Spain.,ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, Barcelona, 08010, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Stephen W Feist
- International Centre of Excellence for Aquatic Animal Health, Centre for Environment, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), Barrack Road, Weymouth, DT4 8UB, UK
| | - David Bass
- International Centre of Excellence for Aquatic Animal Health, Centre for Environment, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), Barrack Road, Weymouth, DT4 8UB, UK.,Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK
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11
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Kożyczkowska A, Najle SR, Ocaña-Pallarès E, Aresté C, Shabardina V, Ara PS, Ruiz-Trillo I, Casacuberta E. Stable transfection in protist Corallochytriumlimacisporum identifies novel cellular features among unicellular animals relatives. Curr Biol 2021; 31:4104-4110.e5. [PMID: 34293333 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.06.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The evolutionary path from protists to multicellular animals remains a mystery. Recent work on the genomes of several unicellular relatives of animals has shaped our understanding of the genetic changes that may have occurred in this transition.1-3 However, the specific cellular modifications that took place to accommodate these changes remain unclear. To address this, we need to compare metazoan cells with those of their extant relatives, which are choanoflagellates, filastereans, ichthyosporeans, and corallochytreans/pluriformeans. Interestingly, these lineages display a range of developmental patterns potentially homologous to animal ones. Genetic tools have already been established in three of those lineages.4-7 However, there are no genetic tools available for Corallochytrea. We here report the development of stable transfection in the corallochytrean Corallochytrium limacisporum. Using these tools, we discern previously unknown biological features of C. limacisporum. In particular, we identify two different paths for cell division-binary fission and coenocytic growth-that reveal a non-linear life cycle. Additionally, we found that C. limacisporum is binucleate for most of its life cycle, and that, contrary to what happens in most eukaryotes, nuclear division is decoupled from cellular division. Moreover, its actin cytoskeleton shares characteristics with both fungal and animal cells. The establishment of these tools in C. limacisporum fills an important gap in the unicellular relatives of animals, opening up new avenues of research to elucidate the specific cellular changes that occurred in the evolution of animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Kożyczkowska
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Sebastián R Najle
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Eduard Ocaña-Pallarès
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Cristina Aresté
- Department of Cell Death and Proliferation, IIBB-CSIC, IDIBAPS, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Victoria Shabardina
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Patricia S Ara
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Iñaki Ruiz-Trillo
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 645, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; ICREA, Passeig Lluís Companys 23, 08010, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Elena Casacuberta
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
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12
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Arthur AL, Crawford A, Houdusse A, Titus MA. VASP-mediated actin dynamics activate and recruit a filopodia myosin. eLife 2021; 10:68082. [PMID: 34042588 PMCID: PMC8352590 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Filopodia are thin, actin-based structures that cells use to interact with their environments. Filopodia initiation requires a suite of conserved proteins but the mechanism remains poorly understood. The actin polymerase VASP and a MyTH-FERM (MF) myosin, DdMyo7 in amoeba, are essential for filopodia initiation. DdMyo7 is localized to dynamic regions of the actin-rich cortex. Analysis of VASP mutants and treatment of cells with anti-actin drugs shows that myosin recruitment and activation in Dictyostelium requires localized VASP-dependent actin polymerization. Targeting of DdMyo7 to the cortex alone is not sufficient for filopodia initiation; VASP activity is also required. The actin regulator locally produces a cortical actin network that activates myosin and together they shape the actin network to promote extension of parallel bundles of actin during filopodia formation. This work reveals how filopodia initiation requires close collaboration between an actin-binding protein, the state of the actin cytoskeleton and MF myosin activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley L Arthur
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States
| | - Amy Crawford
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States
| | - Anne Houdusse
- Structural Motility, Institut Curie, Paris Université Sciences et Lettres, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Margaret A Titus
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States
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13
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Ros-Rocher N, Pérez-Posada A, Leger MM, Ruiz-Trillo I. The origin of animals: an ancestral reconstruction of the unicellular-to-multicellular transition. Open Biol 2021; 11:200359. [PMID: 33622103 PMCID: PMC8061703 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.200359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
How animals evolved from a single-celled ancestor, transitioning from a unicellular lifestyle to a coordinated multicellular entity, remains a fascinating question. Key events in this transition involved the emergence of processes related to cell adhesion, cell–cell communication and gene regulation. To understand how these capacities evolved, we need to reconstruct the features of both the last common multicellular ancestor of animals and the last unicellular ancestor of animals. In this review, we summarize recent advances in the characterization of these ancestors, inferred by comparative genomic analyses between the earliest branching animals and those radiating later, and between animals and their closest unicellular relatives. We also provide an updated hypothesis regarding the transition to animal multicellularity, which was likely gradual and involved the use of gene regulatory mechanisms in the emergence of early developmental and morphogenetic plans. Finally, we discuss some new avenues of research that will complement these studies in the coming years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Núria Ros-Rocher
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Alberto Pérez-Posada
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo (CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide), Carretera de Utrera Km 1, 41013 Sevilla, Andalusia, Spain
| | - Michelle M Leger
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Iñaki Ruiz-Trillo
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat, Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,ICREA, Passeig Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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14
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Ruiz-Trillo I, de Mendoza A. Towards understanding the origin of animal development. Development 2020; 147:147/23/dev192575. [PMID: 33272929 DOI: 10.1242/dev.192575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Almost all animals undergo embryonic development, going from a single-celled zygote to a complex multicellular adult. We know that the patterning and morphogenetic processes involved in development are deeply conserved within the animal kingdom. However, the origins of these developmental processes are just beginning to be unveiled. Here, we focus on how the protist lineages sister to animals are reshaping our view of animal development. Most intriguingly, many of these protistan lineages display transient multicellular structures, which are governed by similar morphogenetic and gene regulatory processes as animal development. We discuss here two potential alternative scenarios to explain the origin of animal embryonic development: either it originated concomitantly at the onset of animals or it evolved from morphogenetic processes already present in their unicellular ancestors. We propose that an integrative study of several unicellular taxa closely related to animals will allow a more refined picture of how the last common ancestor of animals underwent embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iñaki Ruiz-Trillo
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain .,Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat, Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.,ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alex de Mendoza
- Queen Mary University of London, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, London E1 4DQ, UK
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15
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Miller WT. Temperature sensitivities of metazoan and pre-metazoan Src kinases. Biochem Biophys Rep 2020; 23:100775. [PMID: 32566764 PMCID: PMC7298416 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2020.100775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Homologous enzymes from different species display functional characteristics that correlate with the physiological and environmental temperatures encountered by the organisms. In this study, we have investigated the temperature sensitivity of the nonreceptor tyrosine kinase Src. We compared the temperature dependencies of c-Src and two Src kinases from single-celled eukaryotes, the choanoflagellate Monosiga brevicollis and the filasterean Capsaspora owczarzaki. Metazoan c-Src exhibits temperature sensitivity, with high activity at 30 °C and 37 °C. This sensitivity is driven by changes in substrate binding as well as maximal velocity, and it is dependent on the amino acid sequence surrounding tyrosine in the substrate. When tested with a peptide that displays temperature-dependent phosphorylation by c-Src, the enzymatic rates for the unicellular Src kinases show much less variation over the temperatures tested. The data demonstrate that unicellular Src kinases are temperature compensated relative to metazoan c-Src, consistent with an evolutionary adaptation to their environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- W. Todd Miller
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Northport, NY, 11768, USA
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16
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Pérez-Posada A, Dudin O, Ocaña-Pallarès E, Ruiz-Trillo I, Ondracka A. Cell cycle transcriptomics of Capsaspora provides insights into the evolution of cyclin-CDK machinery. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008584. [PMID: 32176685 PMCID: PMC7098662 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Progression through the cell cycle in eukaryotes is regulated on multiple levels. The main driver of the cell cycle progression is the periodic activity of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) complexes. In parallel, transcription during the cell cycle is regulated by a transcriptional program that ensures the just-in-time gene expression. Many core cell cycle regulators are widely conserved in eukaryotes, among them cyclins and CDKs; however, periodic transcriptional programs are divergent between distantly related species. In addition, many otherwise conserved cell cycle regulators have been lost and independently evolved in yeast, a widely used model organism for cell cycle research. For a better understanding of the evolution of the cell cycle regulation in opisthokonts, we investigated the transcriptional program during the cell cycle of the filasterean Capsaspora owczarzaki, a unicellular species closely related to animals. We developed a protocol for cell cycle synchronization in Capsaspora cultures and assessed gene expression over time across the entire cell cycle. We identified a set of 801 periodic genes that grouped into five clusters of expression over time. Comparison with datasets from other eukaryotes revealed that the periodic transcriptional program of Capsaspora is most similar to that of animal cells. We found that orthologues of cyclin A, B and E are expressed at the same cell cycle stages as in human cells and in the same temporal order. However, in contrast to human cells where these cyclins interact with multiple CDKs, Capsaspora cyclins likely interact with a single ancestral CDK1-3. Thus, the Capsaspora cyclin-CDK system could represent an intermediate state in the evolution of animal-like cyclin-CDK regulation. Overall, our results demonstrate that Capsaspora could be a useful unicellular model system for animal cell cycle regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Pérez-Posada
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Omaya Dudin
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Eduard Ocaña-Pallarès
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Iñaki Ruiz-Trillo
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- ICREA, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Andrej Ondracka
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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17
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Genetic tool development in marine protists: emerging model organisms for experimental cell biology. Nat Methods 2020; 17:481-494. [PMID: 32251396 PMCID: PMC7200600 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-020-0796-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Diverse microbial ecosystems underpin life in the sea. Among these microbes are many unicellular eukaryotes that span the diversity of the eukaryotic tree of life. However, genetic tractability has been limited to a few species, which do not represent eukaryotic diversity or environmentally relevant taxa. Here, we report on the development of genetic tools in a range of protists primarily from marine environments. We present evidence for foreign DNA delivery and expression in 13 species never before transformed and for advancement of tools for eight other species, as well as potential reasons for why transformation of yet another 17 species tested was not achieved. Our resource in genetic manipulation will provide insights into the ancestral eukaryotic lifeforms, general eukaryote cell biology, protein diversification and the evolution of cellular pathways.
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18
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Southworth J, Armitage P, Fallon B, Dawson H, Bryk J, Carr M. Patterns of Ancestral Animal Codon Usage Bias Revealed through Holozoan Protists. Mol Biol Evol 2019; 35:2499-2511. [PMID: 30169693 PMCID: PMC6188563 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msy157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Choanoflagellates and filastereans are the closest known single celled relatives of Metazoa within Holozoa and provide insight into how animals evolved from their unicellular ancestors. Codon usage bias has been extensively studied in metazoans, with both natural selection and mutation pressure playing important roles in different species. The disparate nature of metazoan codon usage patterns prevents the reconstruction of ancestral traits. However, traits conserved across holozoan protists highlight characteristics in the unicellular ancestors of Metazoa. Presented here are the patterns of codon usage in the choanoflagellates Monosiga brevicollis and Salpingoeca rosetta, as well as the filasterean Capsaspora owczarzaki. Codon usage is shown to be remarkably conserved. Highly biased genes preferentially use GC-ending codons, however there is limited evidence this is driven by local mutation pressure. The analyses presented provide strong evidence that natural selection, for both translational accuracy and efficiency, dominates codon usage bias in holozoan protists. In particular, the signature of selection for translational accuracy can be detected even in the most weakly biased genes. Biased codon usage is shown to have coevolved with the tRNA species, with optimal codons showing complementary binding to the highest copy number tRNA genes. Furthermore, tRNA modification is shown to be a common feature for amino acids with higher levels of degeneracy and highly biased genes show a strong preference for using modified tRNAs in translation. The translationally optimal codons defined here will be of benefit to future transgenics work in holozoan protists, as their use should maximise protein yields from edited transgenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jade Southworth
- Department of Biological and Geographical Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Armitage
- Department of Biological and Geographical Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, United Kingdom
| | - Brandon Fallon
- Department of Biological and Geographical Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, United Kingdom
| | - Holly Dawson
- Department of Biological and Geographical Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, United Kingdom
| | - Jaroslaw Bryk
- Department of Biological and Geographical Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Carr
- Department of Biological and Geographical Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, United Kingdom
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19
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Abstract
Recent advances in both phylogenetic comparisons and the development of experimentally tractable organisms, in the growing field of evolutionary cell biology, pave the way for gaining a molecular understanding of the development of multicellularity in the animal lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret A Titus
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | - Holly V Goodson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA.
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20
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Booth DS, Szmidt-Middleton H, King N. Transfection of choanoflagellates illuminates their cell biology and the ancestry of animal septins. Mol Biol Cell 2018; 29:3026-3038. [PMID: 30281390 PMCID: PMC6333174 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e18-08-0514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Revised: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
As the closest living relatives of animals, choanoflagellates offer unique insights into animal origins and core mechanisms underlying animal cell biology. However, unlike traditional model organisms, such as yeast, flies, and worms, choanoflagellates have been refractory to DNA delivery methods for expressing foreign genes. Here we report a robust method for expressing transgenes in the choanoflagellate Salpingoeca rosetta, overcoming barriers that have previously hampered DNA delivery and expression. To demonstrate how this method accelerates the study of S. rosetta cell biology, we engineered a panel of fluorescent protein markers that illuminate key features of choanoflagellate cells. We then investigated the localization of choanoflagellate septins, a family of GTP-binding cytoskeletal proteins that are hypothesized to regulate multicellular rosette development in S. rosetta. Fluorescently tagged septins localized to the basal poles of S. rosetta single cells and rosettes in a pattern resembling septin localization in animal epithelia. The establishment of transfection in S. rosetta and its application to the study of septins represent critical advances in the use of S. rosetta as an experimental model for investigating choanoflagellate cell biology, core mechanisms underlying animal cell biology, and the origin of animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S. Booth
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Heather Szmidt-Middleton
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Nicole King
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
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