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Coubris C, Duchatelet L, Dupont S, Mallefet J. A brittle star is born: Ontogeny of luminous capabilities in Amphiura filiformis. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298185. [PMID: 38466680 PMCID: PMC10927081 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Bioluminescence is the production of visible light by living organisms thanks to a chemical reaction, implying the oxidation of a substrate called luciferin catalyzed by an enzyme, the luciferase. The luminous brittle star Amphiura filiformis depends on coelenterazine (i.e., the most widespread luciferin in marine ecosystems) and a luciferase homologous to the cnidarian Renilla luciferase to produce blue flashes in the arm's spine. Only a few studies have focused on the ontogenic apparitions of bioluminescence in marine organisms. Like most ophiuroids, A. filiformis displays planktonic ophiopluteus larvae for which the ability to produce light was not investigated. This study aims to document the apparition of the luminous capabilities of this species during its ontogenic development, from the egg to settlement. Through biochemical assays, pharmacological stimulation, and Renilla-like luciferase immunohistological detection across different developing stages, we pointed out the emergence of the luminous capabilities after the ophiopluteus larval metamorphosis into a juvenile. In conclusion, we demonstrated that the larval pelagic stage of A. filiformis is not bioluminescent compared to juveniles and adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constance Coubris
- Marine Biology Laboratory, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Laurent Duchatelet
- Marine Biology Laboratory, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Sam Dupont
- Department of Biological & Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Fiskebäckskil, Sweden
- IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories, Radioecology Laboratory, Monaco City, Monaco
| | - Jérôme Mallefet
- Marine Biology Laboratory, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
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Czarkwiani A, Dylus DV, Carballo L, Oliveri P. FGF signalling plays similar roles in development and regeneration of the skeleton in the brittle star Amphiura filiformis. Development 2021; 148:dev180760. [PMID: 34042967 PMCID: PMC8180256 DOI: 10.1242/dev.180760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Regeneration as an adult developmental process is in many aspects similar to embryonic development. Although many studies point out similarities and differences, no large-scale, direct and functional comparative analyses between development and regeneration of a specific cell type or structure in one animal exist. Here, we use the brittle star Amphiura filiformis to characterise the role of the FGF signalling pathway during skeletal development in embryos and arm regeneration. In both processes, we find ligands expressed in ectodermal cells that flank underlying skeletal mesenchymal cells, which express the receptors. Perturbation of FGF signalling showed inhibited skeleton formation in both embryogenesis and regeneration, without affecting other key developmental processes. Differential transcriptome analysis finds mostly differentiation genes rather than transcription factors to be downregulated in both contexts. Moreover, comparative gene analysis allowed us to discover brittle star-specific differentiation genes. In conclusion, our results show that the FGF pathway is crucial for skeletogenesis in the brittle star, as in other deuterostomes, and provide evidence for the re-deployment of a developmental gene regulatory module during regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Czarkwiani
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - David V. Dylus
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Centre for Mathematics, Physics and Engineering in the Life Sciences and Experimental Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Luisana Carballo
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Paola Oliveri
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Centre for Life's Origin and Evolution (CLOE), University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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3
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Piovani L, Czarkwiani A, Ferrario C, Sugni M, Oliveri P. Ultrastructural and molecular analysis of the origin and differentiation of cells mediating brittle star skeletal regeneration. BMC Biol 2021; 19:9. [PMID: 33461552 PMCID: PMC7814545 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-00937-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Regeneration is the ability to re-grow body parts or tissues after trauma, and it is widespread across metazoans. Cells involved in regeneration can arise from a pool of undifferentiated proliferative cells or be recruited from pre-existing differentiated tissues. Both mechanisms have been described in different phyla; however, the cellular and molecular mechanisms employed by different animals to restore lost tissues as well as the source of cells involved in regeneration remain largely unknown. Echinoderms are a clade of deuterostome invertebrates that show striking larval and adult regenerative abilities in all extant classes. Here, we use the brittle star Amphiura filiformis to investigate the origin and differentiation of cells involved in skeletal regeneration using a combination of microscopy techniques and molecular markers. RESULTS Our ultrastructural analyses at different regenerative stages identify a population of morphologically undifferentiated cells which appear in close contact with the proliferating epithelium of the regenerating aboral coelomic cavity. These cells express skeletogenic marker genes, such as the transcription factor alx1 and the differentiation genes c-lectin and msp130L, and display a gradient of morphological differentiation from the aboral coelomic cavity towards the epidermis. Cells closer to the epidermis, which are in contact with developing spicules, have the morphology of mature skeletal cells (sclerocytes), and express several skeletogenic transcription factors and differentiation genes. Moreover, as regeneration progresses, sclerocytes show a different combinatorial expression of genes in various skeletal elements. CONCLUSIONS We hypothesize that sclerocyte precursors originate from the epithelium of the proliferating aboral coelomic cavity. As these cells migrate towards the epidermis, they differentiate and start secreting spicules. Moreover, our study shows that molecular and cellular processes involved in skeletal regeneration resemble those used during skeletal development, hinting at a possible conservation of developmental programmes during adult regeneration. Finally, we highlight that many genes involved in echinoderm skeletogenesis also play a role in vertebrate skeleton formation, suggesting a possible common origin of the deuterostome endoskeleton pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Piovani
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria, 2, 20133, Milan, Italy
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
- Center for Life Origins and Evolution, University College London, London, UK
| | - Anna Czarkwiani
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
- Present Address: DFG-Center for Regenerative Therapies Technische Universität Dresden (CRTD), Dresden, Germany
| | - Cinzia Ferrario
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria, 2, 20133, Milan, Italy
- Center for Complexity and Biosystems, Department of Physics, University of Milan, Via Celoria, 16, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Michela Sugni
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria, 2, 20133, Milan, Italy.
- Center for Complexity and Biosystems, Department of Physics, University of Milan, Via Celoria, 16, 20133, Milan, Italy.
- GAIA 2050 Center, Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria, 2, 20133, Milan, Italy.
| | - Paola Oliveri
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK.
- Center for Life Origins and Evolution, University College London, London, UK.
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Goodheart JA, Minsky G, Brynjegard-Bialik MN, Drummond MS, Munoz JD, Fallon TR, Schultz DT, Weng JK, Torres E, Oakley TH. Laboratory culture of the California Sea Firefly Vargula tsujii (Ostracoda: Cypridinidae): Developing a model system for the evolution of marine bioluminescence. Sci Rep 2020; 10:10443. [PMID: 32591605 PMCID: PMC7320024 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67209-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioluminescence, or the production of light by living organisms via chemical reaction, is widespread across Metazoa. Laboratory culture of bioluminescent organisms from diverse taxonomic groups is important for determining the biosynthetic pathways of bioluminescent substrates, which may lead to new tools for biotechnology and biomedicine. Some bioluminescent groups may be cultured, including some cnidarians, ctenophores, and brittle stars, but those use luminescent substrates (luciferins) obtained from their diets, and therefore are not informative for determination of the biosynthetic pathways of the luciferins. Other groups, including terrestrial fireflies, do synthesize their own luciferin, but culturing them is difficult and the biosynthetic pathway for firefly luciferin remains unclear. An additional independent origin of endogenous bioluminescence is found within ostracods from the family Cypridinidae, which use their luminescence for defense and, in Caribbean species, for courtship displays. Here, we report the first complete life cycle of a luminous ostracod (Vargula tsujii Kornicker & Baker, 1977, the California Sea Firefly) in the laboratory. We also describe the late-stage embryogenesis of Vargula tsujii and discuss the size classes of instar development. We find embryogenesis in V. tsujii ranges from 25–38 days, and this species appears to have five instar stages, consistent with ontogeny in other cypridinid lineages. We estimate a complete life cycle at 3–4 months. We also present the first complete mitochondrial genome for Vargula tsujii. Bringing a luminous ostracod into laboratory culture sets the stage for many potential avenues of study, including learning the biosynthetic pathway of cypridinid luciferin and genomic manipulation of an autogenic bioluminescent system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Goodheart
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.,Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Geetanjali Minsky
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Mira N Brynjegard-Bialik
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Michael S Drummond
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - J David Munoz
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, CA, 90032-8201, USA
| | - Timothy R Fallon
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.,Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.,Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Darrin T Schultz
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA, 95060, USA.,Department of Biomolecular Engineering and Bioinformatics, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 96060, USA
| | - Jing-Ke Weng
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.,Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Elizabeth Torres
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, CA, 90032-8201, USA
| | - Todd H Oakley
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.
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Wang Y, Zhou S, Liu T, Chen M, Zhang X. De novo transcriptome analysis of stressed blood clam (Anadara broughtonii) and identification of genes associated with hemoglobin. Genes Genomics 2019; 42:189-202. [PMID: 31797313 DOI: 10.1007/s13258-019-00887-7] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Blood clam (Anadara broughtonii) is a commercially important marine bivalve characterised by the red blood. Recently, the clams have been subjected to severe resource recession. Multiple environmental stressors are indispensable for the recession. OBJECTIVE We aimed to investigate the transcriptome information of blood clam under environmental stressors. METHODS Paired-end Illumina HiSeq™ 2500 sequencing technology was employed for cDNA library construction and Illumina sequencing. Several public databases were introduced for gene annotation, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database was used for pathways analyses. The Open Reading Frame of annotated hemoglobin (Hb) was predicted and validated by DNAMAN 6.0 and NCBI BLASTx, respectively. RESULTS A total of 242,919 transcripts were generated, 116,264 unigenes were subsequently assembled with an average length of 747 base pairs, and 33,776 unigenes were successfully annotated. Gene Ontology (GO) categories indicated that the terms of cellular processes, metabolic processes, cell, cell part, binding, and catalytic activity were dominant. KEGG pathway analyses suggested ribosome, oxytocin, focal adhesion, Ras, and PI3K-Akt were the largest signaling pathway groups, and many presented pathways (Ras, Rap1, and MAPK, etc.) were related to apoptosis, immune and stress response. In addition, a total of 19,306 potential simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were detected in 15,852 sequences. Six hemoglobin-related genes with complete conserved domain sequences were identified and 3 of them were predicted as HbI, HbIIα, and HbIIβ. CONCLUSION This study provides transcriptome responses to multiple environmental stressors in blood clams and would provide interesting hints for further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, People's Republic of China
| | - Shanshan Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, People's Republic of China
| | - Tianyu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, People's Republic of China
| | - Muyan Chen
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiumei Zhang
- National Engineering Research Center for Marine Aquaculture, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, 316004, People's Republic of China.
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Sun Z, Zhang J, Zhang W, Chang Y. Gonadal transcriptomic analysis and identification of candidate sex-related genes in Mesocentrotus nudus. Gene 2019; 698:72-81. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2019.02.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Revised: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Delroisse J, Duchatelet L, Flammang P, Mallefet J. De novo transcriptome analyses provide insights into opsin-based photoreception in the lanternshark Etmopterus spinax. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0209767. [PMID: 30596723 PMCID: PMC6312339 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The velvet belly lanternshark (Etmopterus spinax) is a small deep-sea shark commonly found in the Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. This bioluminescent species is able to emit a blue-green ventral glow used in counter-illumination camouflage, mainly. In this study, paired-end Illumina HiSeqTM technology has been employed to generate transcriptome data from eye and ventral skin tissues of the lanternshark. About 64 and 49 million Illumina reads were generated from skin and eye tissues respectively. The assembly allowed us to predict 119,749 total unigenes including 94,569 for the skin transcriptome and 94,365 for the eye transcriptome while 74,753 were commonly found in both transcriptomes. A taxonomy filtering was applied to extract a reference transcriptome containing 104,390 unigenes among which 38,836 showed significant similarities to known sequences in NCBI non-redundant protein sequences database. Around 58% of the annotated unigenes match with predicted genes from the Elephant shark (Callorhinchus milii) genome. The transcriptome completeness has been evaluated by successfully capturing around 98% of orthologous genes of the « Core eukaryotic gene dataset » within the E. spinax reference transcriptome. We identified potential "light-interacting toolkit" genes including multiple genes related to ocular and extraocular light perception processes such as opsins, phototransduction actors or crystallins. Comparative gene expression analysis reveals eye-specific expression of opsins, ciliary phototransduction actors, crystallins and vertebrate retinoid pathway actors. In particular, mRNAs from a single rhodopsin gene and its potentially associated peropsin were detected in the eye transcriptome, only, confirming a monochromatic vision of the lanternshark. Encephalopsin mRNAs were mainly detected in the ventral skin transcriptome. In parallel, immunolocalization of the encephalopsin within the ventral skin of the shark suggests a functional relation with the photophores, i.e. epidermal light-producing organs. We hypothesize that extraocular photoreception might be involved in the bioluminescence control possibly acting on the shutter opening and/or the photocyte activity itself. The newly generated reference transcriptome provides a valuable resource for further understanding of the shark biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme Delroisse
- University of Mons (UMONS), Research Institute for Biosciences, Biology of Marine Organisms and Biomimetics, Mons, Belgium
| | - Laurent Duchatelet
- Catholic University of Louvain (UCLouvain), Earth and Life Institute, Marine Biology Laboratory, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Patrick Flammang
- University of Mons (UMONS), Research Institute for Biosciences, Biology of Marine Organisms and Biomimetics, Mons, Belgium
| | - Jérôme Mallefet
- Catholic University of Louvain (UCLouvain), Earth and Life Institute, Marine Biology Laboratory, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
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8
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Zandawala M, Moghul I, Yañez Guerra LA, Delroisse J, Abylkassimova N, Hugall AF, O'Hara TD, Elphick MR. Discovery of novel representatives of bilaterian neuropeptide families and reconstruction of neuropeptide precursor evolution in ophiuroid echinoderms. Open Biol 2018; 7:rsob.170129. [PMID: 28878039 PMCID: PMC5627052 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.170129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [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: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 07/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropeptides are a diverse class of intercellular signalling molecules that mediate neuronal regulation of many physiological and behavioural processes. Recent advances in genome/transcriptome sequencing are enabling identification of neuropeptide precursor proteins in species from a growing variety of animal taxa, providing new insights into the evolution of neuropeptide signalling. Here, detailed analysis of transcriptome sequence data from three brittle star species, Ophionotus victoriae, Amphiura filiformis and Ophiopsila aranea, has enabled the first comprehensive identification of neuropeptide precursors in the class Ophiuroidea of the phylum Echinodermata. Representatives of over 30 bilaterian neuropeptide precursor families were identified, some of which occur as paralogues. Furthermore, homologues of endothelin/CCHamide, eclosion hormone, neuropeptide-F/Y and nucleobinin/nesfatin were discovered here in a deuterostome/echinoderm for the first time. The majority of ophiuroid neuropeptide precursors contain a single copy of a neuropeptide, but several precursors comprise multiple copies of identical or non-identical, but structurally related, neuropeptides. Here, we performed an unprecedented investigation of the evolution of neuropeptide copy number over a period of approximately 270 Myr by analysing sequence data from over 50 ophiuroid species, with reference to a robust phylogeny. Our analysis indicates that the composition of neuropeptide ‘cocktails’ is functionally important, but with plasticity over long evolutionary time scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meet Zandawala
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Ismail Moghul
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Luis Alfonso Yañez Guerra
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Jérôme Delroisse
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Nikara Abylkassimova
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Andrew F Hugall
- Museums Victoria, GPO Box 666, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia
| | - Timothy D O'Hara
- Museums Victoria, GPO Box 666, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia
| | - Maurice R Elphick
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
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9
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Delroisse J, Ullrich-lüter E, Blaue S, Eeckhaut I, Flammang P, Mallefet J. Fine structure of the luminous spines and luciferase detection in the brittle star Amphiura filiformis. ZOOL ANZ 2017; 269:1-12. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2017.05.001] [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: 02/06/2023]
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10
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Delroisse J, Ullrich-Lüter E, Blaue S, Ortega-Martinez O, Eeckhaut I, Flammang P, Mallefet J. A puzzling homology: a brittle star using a putative cnidarian-type luciferase for bioluminescence. Open Biol 2017; 7:rsob.160300. [PMID: 28381628 PMCID: PMC5413902 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.160300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [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: 10/30/2016] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Bioluminescence relies on the oxidation of a luciferin substrate catalysed by a luciferase enzyme. Luciferins and luciferases are generic terms used to describe a large variety of substrates and enzymes. Whereas luciferins can be shared by phylogenetically distant organisms which feed on organisms producing them, luciferases have been thought to be lineage-specific enzymes. Numerous light emission systems would then have co-emerged independently along the tree of life resulting in a plethora of non-homologous luciferases. Here, we identify for the first time a candidate luciferase of a luminous echinoderm, the ophiuroid Amphiura filiformis Phylogenomic analyses identified the brittle star predicted luciferase as homologous to the luciferase of the sea pansy Renilla (Cnidaria), contradicting with the traditional viewpoint according to which luciferases would generally be of convergent origins. The similarity between the Renilla and Amphiura luciferases allowed us to detect the latter using anti-Renilla luciferase antibodies. Luciferase expression was specifically localized in the spines which were demonstrated to be the bioluminescent organs in vivo However, enzymes homologous to the Renilla luciferase but unable to trigger light emission were also identified in non-luminous echinoderms and metazoans. Our findings strongly indicate that those enzymes, belonging to the haloalkane dehalogenase family, might then have been convergently co-opted into luciferases in cnidarians and echinoderms. In these two benthic suspension-feeding species, similar ecological pressures would constitute strong selective forces for the functional shift of these enzymes and the emergence of bioluminescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme Delroisse
- Research Institute for Biosciences, Biology of Marine Organisms and Biomimetics, University of Mons - UMONS, 23 Place du Parc, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Esther Ullrich-Lüter
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Invalidenstr. 43, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefanie Blaue
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Invalidenstr. 43, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Olga Ortega-Martinez
- Department of Marine Science, The Sven Lovén Centre for Marine Sciences - Kristineberg, University of Gothenburg, 45178 Fiskebäckskil, Sweden
| | - Igor Eeckhaut
- Research Institute for Biosciences, Biology of Marine Organisms and Biomimetics, University of Mons - UMONS, 23 Place du Parc, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Patrick Flammang
- Research Institute for Biosciences, Biology of Marine Organisms and Biomimetics, University of Mons - UMONS, 23 Place du Parc, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Jérôme Mallefet
- Marine Biology Laboratory, Université Catholique de Louvain, ELI, 3 Place Croix du Sud L7.04.06, 1348 Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
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11
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Demeuldre M, Hennebert E, Bonneel M, Lengerer B, Van Dyck S, Wattiez R, Ladurner P, Flammang P. Mechanical adaptability of sea cucumber Cuvierian tubules involves a mutable collagenous tissue. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 220:2108-2119. [PMID: 28373597 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.145706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Despite their soft body and slow motion, sea cucumbers present a low predation rate, reflecting the presence of efficient defence systems. For instance, members of the family Holothuriidae rely on Cuvierian tubules for their defence. These tubules are normally stored in the posterior coelomic cavity of the animal, but when the sea cucumber is threatened by a potential predator, they are expelled through the cloacal aperture, elongate, become sticky and entangle and immobilise the predator in a matter of seconds. The mechanical properties (extensibility, tensile strength, stiffness and toughness) of quiescent (i.e. in the body cavity) and elongated (i.e. after expulsion) Cuvierian tubules were investigated in the species Holothuria forskali using traction tests. Important mechanical differences were measured between the two types of tubules, reflecting adaptability to their operating mode: to ease elongation, quiescent tubules present a low resistance to extension, while elongated tubules present a high toughness to resist tractions generated by the predator. We demonstrate that a mutable collagenous tissue (MCT) is involved in the functioning of these organs: (1) some mechanical properties of Cuvierian tubules are modified by incubation in a cell-disrupting solution; (2) the connective tissue layer encloses juxtaligamental-like cells, a cell type present in all MCTs; and (3) tensilin, a MCT stiffening protein, was localised inside these cells. Cuvierian tubules thus appear to enclose a new type of MCT which shows irreversible stiffening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélanie Demeuldre
- University of Mons, Research Institute for Biosciences, Biology of Marine Organisms and Biomimetics, Mons 7000, Belgium
| | - Elise Hennebert
- University of Mons, Research Institute for Biosciences, Biology of Marine Organisms and Biomimetics, Mons 7000, Belgium.,University of Mons, Research Institute for Biosciences, Laboratory of Cell Biology, Mons 7000, Belgium
| | - Marie Bonneel
- University of Mons, Research Institute for Biosciences, Biology of Marine Organisms and Biomimetics, Mons 7000, Belgium
| | - Birgit Lengerer
- University of Innsbruck, Institute of Zoology and Center for Molecular Biosciences, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Séverine Van Dyck
- University of Mons, Research Institute for Biosciences, Biology of Marine Organisms and Biomimetics, Mons 7000, Belgium
| | - Ruddy Wattiez
- University of Mons, Research Institute for Biosciences, Laboratory of Proteomics and Microbiology, Mons 7000, Belgium
| | - Peter Ladurner
- University of Innsbruck, Institute of Zoology and Center for Molecular Biosciences, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Patrick Flammang
- University of Mons, Research Institute for Biosciences, Biology of Marine Organisms and Biomimetics, Mons 7000, Belgium
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Gaitán-Espitia JD, Hofmann GE. Gene expression profiling during the embryo-to-larva transition in the giant red sea urchin Mesocentrotus franciscanus. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:2798-2811. [PMID: 28428870 PMCID: PMC5395446 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [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: 01/16/2017] [Revised: 01/20/2017] [Accepted: 02/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
In echinoderms, major morphological transitions during early development are attributed to different genetic interactions and changes in global expression patterns that shape the regulatory program for the specification of embryonic territories. In order more thoroughly to understand these biological and molecular processes, we examined the transcriptome structure and expression profiles during the embryo‐to‐larva transition of a keystone species, the giant red sea urchin Mesocentrotus franciscanus. Using a de novo assembly approach, we obtained 176,885 transcripts from which 60,439 (34%) had significant alignments to known proteins. From these transcripts, ~80% were functionally annotated allowing the identification of ~2,600 functional, structural, and regulatory genes involved in developmental process. Analysis of expression profiles between gastrula and pluteus stages of M. franciscanus revealed 791 differentially expressed genes with 251 GO overrepresented terms. For gastrula, up‐regulated GO terms were mainly linked to cell differentiation and signal transduction involved in cell cycle checkpoints. In the pluteus stage, major GO terms were associated with phosphoprotein phosphatase activity, muscle contraction, and olfactory behavior, among others. Our evolutionary comparative analysis revealed that several of these genes and functional pathways are highly conserved among echinoids, holothuroids, and ophiuroids.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gretchen E Hofmann
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology University of California Santa Barbara CA USA
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Gaitán-Espitia JD, Sánchez R, Bruning P, Cárdenas L. Functional insights into the testis transcriptome of the edible sea urchin Loxechinus albus. Sci Rep 2016; 6:36516. [PMID: 27805042 PMCID: PMC5090362 DOI: 10.1038/srep36516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2016] [Accepted: 10/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The edible sea urchin Loxechinus albus (Molina, 1782) is a keystone species in the littoral benthic systems of the Pacific coast of South America. The international demand for high-quality gonads of this echinoderm has led to an extensive exploitation and decline of its natural populations. Consequently, a more thorough understanding of L. albus gonad development and gametogenesis could provide valuable resources for aquaculture applications, management, conservation and studies about the evolution of functional and structural pathways that underlie the reproductive toolkit of marine invertebrates. Using a high-throughput sequencing technology, we explored the male gonad transcriptome of this highly fecund sea urchin. Through a de novo assembly approach we obtained 42,530 transcripts of which 15,544 (36.6%) had significant alignments to known proteins in public databases. From these transcripts, approximately 73% were functionally annotated allowing the identification of several candidate genes that are likely to play a central role in developmental processes, nutrient reservoir activity, sexual reproduction, gamete generation, meiosis, sex differentiation, sperm motility, male courtship behavior and fertilization. Additionally, comparisons with the male gonad transcriptomes of other echinoderms revealed several conserved orthologous genes, suggesting that similar functional and structural pathways underlie the reproductive development in this group and other marine invertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Diego Gaitán-Espitia
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Casilla 567 Valdivia, Chile
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, GPO Box 1538, Hobart 7001, TAS, Australia
| | - Roland Sánchez
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Casilla 567 Valdivia, Chile
| | - Paulina Bruning
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Casilla 567 Valdivia, Chile
| | - Leyla Cárdenas
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Casilla 567 Valdivia, Chile
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Delroisse J, Mallefet J, Flammang P. De Novo Adult Transcriptomes of Two European Brittle Stars: Spotlight on Opsin-Based Photoreception. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0152988. [PMID: 27119739 PMCID: PMC4847921 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0152988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2015] [Accepted: 03/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Next generation sequencing (NGS) technology allows to obtain a deeper and more complete view of transcriptomes. For non-model or emerging model marine organisms, NGS technologies offer a great opportunity for rapid access to genetic information. In this study, paired-end Illumina HiSeqTM technology has been employed to analyse transcriptomes from the arm tissues of two European brittle star species, Amphiura filiformis and Ophiopsila aranea. About 48 million Illumina reads were generated and 136,387 total unigenes were predicted from A. filiformis arm tissues. For O. aranea arm tissues, about 47 million reads were generated and 123,324 total unigenes were obtained. Twenty-four percent of the total unigenes from A. filiformis show significant matches with sequences present in reference online databases, whereas, for O. aranea, this percentage amounts to 23%. In both species, around 50% of the predicted annotated unigenes were significantly similar to transcripts from the purple sea urchin, the closest species to date that has undergone complete genome sequencing and annotation. GO, COG and KEGG analyses were performed on predicted brittle star unigenes. We focused our analyses on the phototransduction actors involved in light perception. Firstly, two new echinoderm opsins were identified in O. aranea: one rhabdomeric opsin (homologous to vertebrate melanopsin) and one RGR opsin. The RGR-opsin is supposed to be involved in retinal regeneration while the r-opsin is suspected to play a role in visual-like behaviour. Secondly, potential phototransduction actors were identified in both transcriptomes using the fly (rhabdomeric) and mammal (ciliary) classical phototransduction pathways as references. Finally, the sensitivity of O.aranea to monochromatic light was investigated to complement data available for A. filiformis. The presence of microlens-like structures at the surface of dorsal arm plate of O. aranea could potentially explain phototactic behaviour differences between the two species. The results confirm (i) the ability of these brittle stars to perceive light using opsin-based photoreception, (ii) suggest the co-occurrence of both rhabdomeric and ciliary photoreceptors, and (iii) emphasise the complexity of light perception in this echinoderm class.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme Delroisse
- School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jérôme Mallefet
- Catholic University of Louvain-La-Neuve, Marine Biology Laboratory, Place croix du Sud, Louvain-La-Neuve–Belgium
| | - Patrick Flammang
- University of Mons—UMONS, Research Institute for Biosciences, Biology of Marine Organisms and Biomimetics, Mons, Belgium
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D'Aniello S, Delroisse J, Valero-Gracia A, Lowe EK, Byrne M, Cannon JT, Halanych KM, Elphick MR, Mallefet J, Kaul-Strehlow S, Lowe CJ, Flammang P, Ullrich-Lüter E, Wanninger A, Arnone MI. Opsin evolution in the Ambulacraria. Mar Genomics 2015; 24 Pt 2:177-83. [PMID: 26472700 DOI: 10.1016/j.margen.2015.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2015] [Revised: 10/02/2015] [Accepted: 10/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Opsins--G-protein coupled receptors involved in photoreception--have been extensively studied in the animal kingdom. The present work provides new insights into opsin-based photoreception and photoreceptor cell evolution with a first analysis of opsin sequence data for a major deuterostome clade, the Ambulacraria. Systematic data analysis, including for the first time hemichordate opsin sequences and an expanded echinoderm dataset, led to a robust opsin phylogeny for this cornerstone superphylum. Multiple genomic and transcriptomic resources were surveyed to cover each class of Hemichordata and Echinodermata. In total, 119 ambulacrarian opsin sequences were found, 22 new sequences in hemichordates and 97 in echinoderms (including 67 new sequences). We framed the ambulacrarian opsin repertoire within eumetazoan diversity by including selected reference opsins from non-ambulacrarians. Our findings corroborate the presence of all major ancestral bilaterian opsin groups in Ambulacraria. Furthermore, we identified two opsin groups specific to echinoderms. In conclusion, a molecular phylogenetic framework for investigating light-perception and photobiological behaviors in marine deuterostomes has been obtained.
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Affiliation(s)
- S D'Aniello
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy.
| | - J Delroisse
- Biology of Marine Organisms and Biomimetics, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Avenue du Champs de Mars 6, 7000 Mons, Belgium; School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - A Valero-Gracia
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy
| | - E K Lowe
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy; BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - M Byrne
- Schools of Medical and Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - J T Cannon
- Department of Biological Sciences and Molette Biology Laboratory for Environmental and Climate Change Studies, Auburn University, Auburn, USA; Department of Zoology, Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet, Stockholm, Sweden; Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA
| | - K M Halanych
- Department of Biological Sciences and Molette Biology Laboratory for Environmental and Climate Change Studies, Auburn University, Auburn, USA
| | - M R Elphick
- School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - J Mallefet
- Laboratory of Marine Biology, Earth and Life Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Place Croix du Sud 3, bt L7.06.04, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - S Kaul-Strehlow
- Department of Molecular Evolution and Development, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - C J Lowe
- Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
| | - P Flammang
- Biology of Marine Organisms and Biomimetics, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Avenue du Champs de Mars 6, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - E Ullrich-Lüter
- Museum fuer Naturkunde Berlin, Invalidenstr 43, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - A Wanninger
- Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - M I Arnone
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy
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