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Minowa A, Senna Garraffoni AR. Seek and you shall find: new species of the rare genus Ornamentula (Gastrotricha: Chaetonotida) and first record outside of type-locality. Zoologia 2021. [DOI: 10.3897/zoologia.38.e56781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Ornamentula
Kisielewski, 1991 is a monospecific genus in Order Chaetonotida. The sole species, O. paraensis Kisielewsk, 1991, is a semiplanktonic gastrotrich found in a single pond in the Amazon region of Brazil. Herein we describe a new species of the genus Ornamentula, collected in a small urban lagoon in the Atlantic Forest of southeast Brazil. Ornamentula miyazakiisp. nov. resembles O. paraensis, but it shows differences in the ornamented trunk scales and spinal spines distribution, sufficient to proposte it as it’s a new species.
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Guidetti EB, Campos A, Batistão AR, Silva ATD, Bilatto CG, Salgado KA, Araújo TQ, Garraffoni ARS. Gastrotrichs and tardigrades in a remnant of Atlantic Forest (Serra do Japi, SP, Brazil). Biota Neotrop 2021. [DOI: 10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2020-1165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Abstract: Serra do Japi, located in the southeast of São Paulo State, is considered a priority area for conservation, as it houses original Atlantic Forest cover remains. Despite the significant number of studies about vertebrates and invertebrates that were carried out in this region, the meiofauna biodiversity is completely unknown. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate for the first time freshwater Gastrotricha and limnoterrestrial Tardigrada in Serra do Japi Biological Reserve. Samples of sediments, periphyton and floating vegetation in reservoirs and natural lagoons, and mosses growing on native and non-native tree trunks were collected in May 2019. At least five gastrotrichs morphotypes were identified and three of them were formally described: Chaetonotus acanthocephalus, C. dadayi (first record in Brazil), and Heterolepidoderma mariae (first record outside the type locality). In regards to tardigrades, twelve morphotypes were identified and four of them were formally described: Pseudechiniscus juanitae, Minibiotus cf. acontistus, Echiniscus dreyfusi and Itaquascon umbellinae (last two species reported for the first time outside the type locality). This study reinforces that meiofaunal diversity and distribution have been underestimated, even in one of the five largest hotspots in the world.
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Balsamo M, Artois T, Smith JPS, Todaro MA, Guidi L, Leander BS, Van Steenkiste NWL. The curious and neglected soft-bodied meiofauna: Rouphozoa (Gastrotricha and Platyhelminthes). Hydrobiologia 2020; 847:2613-2644. [PMID: 33551466 PMCID: PMC7864459 DOI: 10.1007/s10750-020-04287-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Gastrotricha and Platyhelminthes form a clade called Rouphozoa. Representatives of both taxa are main components of meiofaunal communities, but their role in the trophic ecology of marine and freshwater communities is not sufficiently studied. Traditional collection methods for meiofauna are optimized for Ecdysozoa, and include the use of fixatives or flotation techniques that are unsuitable for the preservation and identification of soft-bodied meiofauna. As a result, rouphozoans are usually underestimated in conventional biodiversity surveys and ecological studies. Here, we give an updated outline of their diversity and taxonomy, with some phylogenetic considerations. We describe successfully tested techniques for their recovery and study, and emphasize current knowledge on the ecology, distribution and dispersal of freshwater gastrotrichs and microturbellarians. We also discuss the opportunities and pitfalls of (meta)barcoding studies as a means of overcoming the taxonomic impediment. Finally, we discuss the importance of rouphozoans in aquatic ecosystems and provide future research directions to fill in crucial gaps in the biology of these organisms needed for understanding their basic role in the ecology of benthos and their place in the trophic networks linking micro-, meio- and macrofauna of freshwater ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Balsamo
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino, Urbino, Italy
| | - Tom Artois
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | | | - M Antonio Todaro
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena-Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Loretta Guidi
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino, Urbino, Italy
| | - Brian S Leander
- Departments of Botany and Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Guidi L, Garraffoni ARS, Semprucci F, Balsamo M. Spermatozoa ultrastructure, spermatogenesis and reproductive system of Acanthodasys australis (Gastrotricha, Macrodasyida). ZOOL ANZ 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2020.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Fromm B, Tosar JP, Aguilera F, Friedländer MR, Bachmann L, Hejnol A. Evolutionary Implications of the microRNA- and piRNA Complement of Lepidodermella squamata (Gastrotricha). Noncoding RNA 2019; 5:E19. [PMID: 30813358 PMCID: PMC6468455 DOI: 10.3390/ncrna5010019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastrotrichs-'hairy bellies'-are microscopic free-living animals inhabiting marine and freshwater habitats. Based on morphological and early molecular analyses, gastrotrichs were placed close to nematodes, but recent phylogenomic analyses have suggested their close relationship to flatworms (Platyhelminthes) within Spiralia. Small non-coding RNA data on e.g., microRNAs (miRNAs) and PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNA) may help to resolve this long-standing question. MiRNAs are short post-transcriptional gene regulators that together with piRNAs play key roles in development. In a 'multi-omics' approach we here used small-RNA sequencing, available transcriptome and genomic data to unravel the miRNA- and piRNA complements along with the RNAi (RNA interference) protein machinery of Lepidodermella squamata (Gastrotricha, Chaetonotida). We identified 52 miRNA genes representing 35 highly conserved miRNA families specific to Eumetazoa, Bilateria, Protostomia, and Spiralia, respectively, with overall high similarities to platyhelminth miRNA complements. In addition, we found four large piRNA clusters that also resemble flatworm piRNAs but not those earlier described for nematodes. Congruently, transcriptomic annotation revealed that the Lepidodermella protein machinery is highly similar to flatworms, too. Taken together, miRNA, piRNA, and protein data support a close relationship of gastrotrichs and flatworms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bastian Fromm
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, S-10691 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Juan Pablo Tosar
- Functional Genomics Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay.
- Nuclear Research Center, Faculty of Science, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay.
| | - Felipe Aguilera
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160_C, Concepción 3349001, Chile.
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, 5006 Bergen, Norway.
| | - Marc R Friedländer
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, S-10691 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Lutz Bachmann
- Research group Frontiers in Evolutionary Zoology, Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, 0318 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Andreas Hejnol
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, 5006 Bergen, Norway.
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Minowa AK, Garraffoni AR. A new species of Haltidytes Remane, 1936 (Gastrotricha: Chaetonotida: Dasydytidae) from an urban lagoon in Brazil with a phylogenetic reconstruction of the genus based on morphological data. ZOOL ANZ 2017; 269:100-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2017.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Garraffoni ARS, Balsamo M. Is the ubiquitous distribution real for marine gastrotrichs? Detection of areas of endemism using Parsimony Analysis of Endemicity (PAE). P BIOL SOC WASH 2017. [DOI: 10.2988/17-00011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- André R. S. Garraffoni
- (ARSG) Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, 13083-970, Campinas, SP, Brazil,
| | - Maria Balsamo
- (MB) Dipartimento di Scienze Biomolecolari, Campus Scientifico, Via Ca' le Suore, 2, Urbino, Italy
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Kånneby
- (TK) Department of Zoology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 50007, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden,
| | - James J. Kirk
- (JJK) 12775 S. Maple Grove Rd., Molalla, Oregon, U.S.A. 97038
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Affiliation(s)
| | - M. Antonio Todaro
- (MAT) Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università di Modena-Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Lucia Cesaroni
- (LG, LC, MB) Dipartimento di Scienze Biomolecolari, Università di Urbino ‘Carlo Bo', Italy,
| | - Maria Balsamo
- (LG, LC, MB) Dipartimento di Scienze Biomolecolari, Università di Urbino ‘Carlo Bo', Italy,
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Garraffoni ARS, Araújo TQ, Lourenço AP, Guidi L, Balsamo M. A new genus and new species of freshwater Chaetonotidae (Gastrotricha: Chaetonotida) from Brazil with phylogenetic position inferred from nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences. SYST BIODIVERS 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/14772000.2016.1214189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- André R. S. Garraffoni
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Caixa Postal 6109, 13083-970, Campinas, SP, Brazil
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Campus JK, Rodovia BR-367, 39100-000, Diamantina, MG, Brazil
| | - Thiago Q. Araújo
- Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Anete P. Lourenço
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Campus JK, Rodovia BR-367, 39100-000, Diamantina, MG, Brazil
| | - Loretta Guidi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomolecolari, Campus Scientifico, Via Ca’ le Suore, 2, Urbino, Italy
| | - Maria Balsamo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomolecolari, Campus Scientifico, Via Ca’ le Suore, 2, Urbino, Italy
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Ma Y, Gao M, Liu D. Preventing High Fat Diet-induced Obesity and Improving Insulin Sensitivity through Neuregulin 4 Gene Transfer. Sci Rep 2016; 6:26242. [PMID: 27184920 DOI: 10.1038/srep26242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2016] [Accepted: 04/29/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuregulin 4 (NRG4), an epidermal growth factor-like signaling molecule, plays an important role in cell-to-cell communication during tissue development. Its function to regulate energy metabolism has recently been reported. This current study was designed to assess the preventive and therapeutic effects of NRG4 overexpression on high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity. Using the hydrodynamic gene transfer method, we demonstrate that Nrg4 gene transfer in mice suppressed the development of diet-induced obesity, but did not affect pre-existing adiposity and body weight in obese mice. Nrg4 gene transfer curbed HFD-induced hepatic steatosis by inhibiting lipogenesis and PPARγ-mediated lipid storage. Concurrently, overexpression of NRG4 reduced chronic inflammation in both preventive and treatment studies, evidenced by lower mRNA levels of macrophage marker genes including F4/80, Cd68, Cd11b, Cd11c, and macrophage chemokine Mcp1, resulting in improved insulin sensitivity. Collectively, these results demonstrate that overexpression of the Nrg4 gene by hydrodynamic gene delivery prevents HFD-induced weight gain and fatty liver, alleviates obesity-induced chronic inflammation and insulin resistance, and supports the health benefits of NRG4 in managing obesity and obesity-associated metabolic disorders.
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Kolicka M, Dabert M, Dabert J, Kånneby T, Kisielewski J. Bifidochaetus, a new Arctic genus of freshwater Chaetonotida (Gastrotricha) from Spitsbergen revealed by an integrative taxonomic approach. INVERTEBR SYST 2016. [DOI: 10.1071/is16001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Gastrotricha is a cosmopolitan phylum of aquatic and semi-terrestrial invertebrates that comprises ~820 described species. To date, freshwater gastrotrichs have not been the subject of faunistic or taxonomic research in the polar regions. In this paper, we present the first species-level description of a freshwater gastrotrich from the Arctic (Svalbard Archipelago). Evidence from morphology, morphometry and molecular analyses reveals that the species represents a new genus in Chaetonotidae: Bifidochaetus arcticus, gen. et sp. nov. Taking into consideration many morphological similarities to Chaetonotus (Primochaetus) veronicae Kånneby, 2013 we propose to include C. (P.) veronicae in the newly established genus under the new combination Bifidochaetus veronicae (Kånneby, 2013), comb. nov. In the phylogenetic analysis based on nuclear 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I sequence data, B. arcticus, gen. et sp. nov. is nested within the family Chaetonotidae, as the sister group to the genus Lepidochaetus Kisielewski, 1991. In this paper we also present new taxonomic characters useful for gastrotrich taxonomy: the pharynx-to-intestine length ratio (I) and the spine bifurcation ratio (B).
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