scholarly journals Profiling cellular diversity in sponges informs animal cell type and nervous system evolution

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob M. Musser ◽  
Klaske J. Schippers ◽  
Michael Nickel ◽  
Giulia Mizzon ◽  
Andrea B. Kohn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Animal Cell ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Immune Functions ◽  
Cell Type ◽  
Ciliary Beating ◽  
Distinct Cell ◽  
Nervous System Evolution ◽  
Metazoan Cell

AbstractThe evolutionary origin of metazoan cell types such as neurons, muscles, digestive, and immune cells, remains unsolved. Using whole-body single-cell RNA sequencing in a sponge, an animal without nervous system and musculature, we identify 18 distinct cell types comprising four major families. This includes nitric-oxide sensitive contractile cells, digestive cells active in macropinocytosis, and a family of amoeboid-neuroid cells involved in innate immunity. We uncover ‘presynaptic’ genes in an amoeboid-neuroid cell type, and ‘postsynaptic’ genes in digestive choanocytes, suggesting asymmetric and targeted communication. Corroborating this, long neurite-like extensions from neuroid cells directly contact and enwrap choanocyte microvillar collars. Our data indicate a link between neuroid and immune functions in sponges, and suggest that a primordial neuro-immune system cleared intruders and controlled ciliary beating for feeding.

scholarly journals Cell type-specific modulation of healthspan by Forkhead family transcription factors in the nervous system

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (8) ◽  
pp. e2011491118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ekin Bolukbasi ◽  
Nathaniel S. Woodling ◽  
Dobril K. Ivanov ◽  
Jennifer Adcott ◽  
Andrea Foley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Transcription Factors ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Growth Factor Signaling ◽  
Cell Type ◽  
Model Of Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Distinct Cell ◽  
Evolutionarily Conserved ◽  
Cell Type Specific ◽  
Specific Mapping

Reduced activity of insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling (IIS) increases healthy lifespan among diverse animal species. Downstream of IIS, multiple evolutionarily conserved transcription factors (TFs) are required; however, distinct TFs are likely responsible for these effects in different tissues. Here we have asked which TFs can extend healthy lifespan within distinct cell types of the adult nervous system in Drosophila. Starting from published single-cell transcriptomic data, we report that forkhead (FKH) is endogenously expressed in neurons, whereas forkhead-box-O (FOXO) is expressed in glial cells. Accordingly, we find that neuronal FKH and glial FOXO exert independent prolongevity effects. We have further explored the role of neuronal FKH in a model of Alzheimer’s disease-associated neuronal dysfunction, where we find that increased neuronal FKH preserves behavioral function and reduces ubiquitinated protein aggregation. Finally, using transcriptomic profiling, we identify Atg17, a member of the Atg1 autophagy initiation family, as one FKH-dependent target whose neuronal overexpression is sufficient to extend healthy lifespan. Taken together, our results underscore the importance of cell type-specific mapping of TF activity to preserve healthy function with age.

scholarly journals Acoel single-cell transcriptomics: cell type analysis of a deep branching bilaterian

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jules Duruz ◽  
Cyrielle Kaltenrieder ◽  
Peter Ladurner ◽  
Rémy Bruggmann ◽  
Pedro Martìnez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Cell ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Marker Genes ◽  
Specific Marker ◽  
Cell Type ◽  
Distinct Cell ◽  
Organ Systems ◽  
Major Cell Type ◽  
Different Cell Types

Abstract Bilaterian animals display a wide variety of cell types, organized into defined anatomical structures and organ systems, which are mostly absent in pre-bilaterian animals. Xenacoelomorpha are an early-branching bilaterian phylum displaying an apparently relatively simple anatomical organization that have greatly diverged from other bilaterian clades. In this study, we use whole-body single-cell transcriptomics on the acoel Isodiametra pulchra to identify and characterize different cell types. Our analysis identifies the existence of ten major cell type categories in acoels all contributing to main biological functions of the organism: metabolism, locomotion and movements, behavior, defense and development. Interestingly, while most cell clusters express core fate markers shared with other animal clades, we also describe a surprisingly large number of clade-specific marker genes, suggesting the emergence of clade-specific common molecular machineries functioning in distinct cell types. Together, these results provide novel insight into the evolution of bilaterian cell types and open the door to a better understanding of the origins of the bilaterian body plan and their constitutive cell types.

scholarly journals Acoel single-cell transcriptomics: cell-type analysis of a deep branching bilaterian

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jules Duruz ◽  
Cyrielle Kaltenrieder ◽  
Peter Ladurner ◽  
Rémy Bruggmann ◽  
Pedro Martìnez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Cell ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Marker Genes ◽  
Specific Marker ◽  
Cell Type ◽  
Distinct Cell ◽  
Organ Systems ◽  
Major Cell Type ◽  
Different Cell Types

AbstractBilaterian animals display a wide variety of cell types, organized into defined anatomical structures and organ systems, which are mostly absent in pre-bilaterian animals. Xenacoelomorpha are an early-branching bilaterian phylum displaying an apparently relatively simple anatomical organization that have greatly diverged from other bilaterian clades. In this study, we use whole-body single-cell transcriptomics on the acoel Isodiametra pulchra to identify and characterize different cell types. Our analysis identifies the existence of ten major cell-type categories in acoels all contributing to main biological functions of the organism: metabolism, locomotion and movements, behavior, defense and development. Interestingly, while most cell clusters express core fate markers shared with other animal clades, we also describe a surprisingly large number of clade-specific marker genes, suggesting the emergence of clade-specific common molecular machineries functioning in distinct cell types. Together, these results provide novel insight into the evolution of bilaterian cell-types and open the door to a better understanding of the origins of the bilaterian body plan and their constitutive cell types.

scholarly journals MicroRNAs Instruct and Maintain Cell Type Diversity in the Nervous System

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norjin Zolboot ◽  
Jessica X. Du ◽  
Federico Zampa ◽  
Giordano Lippi
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Regulation Of Gene Expression ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Neural Progenitor ◽  
Cell Type ◽  
Mrna Targets ◽  
Distinct Cell ◽  
Wide Range

Characterizing the diverse cell types that make up the nervous system is essential for understanding how the nervous system is structured and ultimately how it functions. The astonishing range of cellular diversity found in the nervous system emerges from a small pool of neural progenitor cells. These progenitors and their neuronal progeny proceed through sequential gene expression programs to produce different cell lineages and acquire distinct cell fates. These gene expression programs must be tightly regulated in order for the cells to achieve and maintain the proper differentiated state, remain functional throughout life, and avoid cell death. Disruption of developmental programs is associated with a wide range of abnormalities in brain structure and function, further indicating that elucidating their contribution to cellular diversity will be key to understanding brain health. A growing body of evidence suggests that tight regulation of developmental genes requires post-transcriptional regulation of the transcriptome by microRNAs (miRNAs). miRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that function by binding to mRNA targets containing complementary sequences and repressing their translation into protein, thereby providing a layer of precise spatial and temporal control over gene expression. Moreover, the expression profiles and targets of miRNAs show great specificity for distinct cell types, brain regions and developmental stages, suggesting that they are an important parameter of cell type identity. Here, we provide an overview of miRNAs that are critically involved in establishing neural cell identities, focusing on how miRNA-mediated regulation of gene expression modulates neural progenitor expansion, cell fate determination, cell migration, neuronal and glial subtype specification, and finally cell maintenance and survival.

scholarly journals A nervous system-specific subnuclear organelle in Caenorhabditis elegans

Genetics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 217 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth Pham ◽  
Neda Masoudi ◽  
Eduardo Leyva-Díaz ◽  
Oliver Hobert
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Homeobox Gene ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Nuclear Bodies ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Cell Type ◽  
Cell Type Specificity ◽  
Splicing Speckles ◽  
Polycomb Bodies

Abstract We describe here phase-separated subnuclear organelles in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, which we term NUN (NUclear Nervous system-specific) bodies. Unlike other previously described subnuclear organelles, NUN bodies are highly cell type specific. In fully mature animals, 4–10 NUN bodies are observed exclusively in the nucleus of neuronal, glial and neuron-like cells, but not in other somatic cell types. Based on co-localization and genetic loss of function studies, NUN bodies are not related to other previously described subnuclear organelles, such as nucleoli, splicing speckles, paraspeckles, Polycomb bodies, promyelocytic leukemia bodies, gems, stress-induced nuclear bodies, or clastosomes. NUN bodies form immediately after cell cycle exit, before other signs of overt neuronal differentiation and are unaffected by the genetic elimination of transcription factors that control many other aspects of neuronal identity. In one unusual neuron class, the canal-associated neurons, NUN bodies remodel during larval development, and this remodeling depends on the Prd-type homeobox gene ceh-10. In conclusion, we have characterized here a novel subnuclear organelle whose cell type specificity poses the intriguing question of what biochemical process in the nucleus makes all nervous system-associated cells different from cells outside the nervous system.

scholarly journals Renal cell markers: lighthouses for managing renal diseases

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shivangi Agarwal ◽  
Yashwanth R Sudhini ◽  
Onur K Polat ◽  
Jochen Reiser ◽  
Mehmet Mete Altintas
Keyword(s):  
High Efficiency ◽  
Imaging Techniques ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Renal Diseases ◽  
Cell Type ◽  
Cell Markers ◽  
Urine Production

Kidneys, one of the vital organs in our body, are responsible for maintaining whole-body homeostasis. The complexity of renal function (e.g., filtration, reabsorption, fluid and electrolyte regulation, urine production) demands diversity not only at the level of cell types but also in their overall distribution and structural framework within the kidney. To gain an in-depth molecular-level understanding of the renal system, it is imperative to discern the components of kidney and the types of cells residing in each of the sub-regions. Recent developments in labeling, tracing, and imaging techniques enabled us to mark, monitor and identify these cells in vivo with high efficiency in a minimally invasive manner. In this review, we have summarized different cell types, specific markers that are uniquely associated with those cell types, and their distribution in kidney, which altogether make kidneys so special and different. Cellular sorting based on the presence of certain proteins on the cell surface allowed for assignment of multiple markers for each cell type. However, different studies using different techniques have found contradictions in the cell-type specific markers. Thus, the term "cell marker" might be imprecise and sub-optimal, leading to uncertainty when interpreting the data. Therefore, we strongly believe that there is an unmet need to define the best cell markers for a cell type. Although, the compendium of renal-selective marker proteins presented in this review is a resource that may be useful to the researchers, we acknowledge that the list may not be necessarily exhaustive.

scholarly journals Independent glial subtypes delay development and extend healthy lifespan upon reduced insulin-PI3K signalling

BMC Biology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathaniel S. Woodling ◽  
Arjunan Rajasingam ◽  
Lucy J. Minkley ◽  
Alberto Rizzo ◽  
Linda Partridge
Keyword(s):  
Glial Cell ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Developmental Timing ◽  
Cell Type ◽  
Specific Effects ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Distinct Cell ◽  
Pi3k Signalling ◽  
Cell Type Specific

Abstract Background The increasing age of global populations highlights the urgent need to understand the biological underpinnings of ageing. To this end, inhibition of the insulin/insulin-like signalling (IIS) pathway can extend healthy lifespan in diverse animal species, but with trade-offs including delayed development. It is possible that distinct cell types underlie effects on development and ageing; cell-type-specific strategies could therefore potentially avoid negative trade-offs when targeting diseases of ageing, including prevalent neurodegenerative diseases. The highly conserved diversity of neuronal and non-neuronal (glial) cell types in the Drosophila nervous system makes it an attractive system to address this possibility. We have thus investigated whether IIS in distinct glial cell populations differentially modulates development and lifespan in Drosophila. Results We report here that glia-specific IIS inhibition, using several genetic means, delays development while extending healthy lifespan. The effects on lifespan can be recapitulated by adult-onset IIS inhibition, whereas developmental IIS inhibition is dispensable for modulation of lifespan. Notably, the effects we observe on both lifespan and development act through the PI3K branch of the IIS pathway and are dependent on the transcription factor FOXO. Finally, IIS inhibition in several glial subtypes can delay development without extending lifespan, whereas the same manipulations in astrocyte-like glia alone are sufficient to extend lifespan without altering developmental timing. Conclusions These findings reveal a role for distinct glial subpopulations in the organism-wide modulation of development and lifespan, with IIS in astrocyte-like glia contributing to lifespan modulation but not to developmental timing. Our results enable a more complete picture of the cell-type-specific effects of the IIS network, a pathway whose evolutionary conservation in humans make it tractable for therapeutic interventions. Our findings therefore underscore the necessity for cell-type-specific strategies to optimise interventions for the diseases of ageing.

Functional morphology of the platyhelminth nervous system

Parasitology ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 113 (S1) ◽  
pp. S47-S72 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. W. Halton ◽  
M. K. S. Gustafsson
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Sense Organ ◽  
Neuronal Cell ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Target Cells ◽  
Life Styles ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Paracrine Secretion ◽  
Nervous System Evolution ◽  
Neuronal Vesicles

SUMMARYAs the most primitive metazoan phylum, the Platyhelminthes occupies a unique position in nervous system evolution. Centrally, their nervous system consists of an archaic brain from which emanate one or more pairs of longitudinal nerve cords connected by commissures; peripherally, a diverse arrangement of nerve plexuses of varying complexity innervate the subsurface epithelial and muscle layers, and in the parasitic taxa they are most prominent in the musculature of the attachment organs and egg-forming apparatus. There is a range of neuronal-cell types, the majority being multi- and bipolar. The flatworm neuron is highly secretory and contains a heterogeneity of vesicular inclusions, dominated by densecored vesicles, whose contents may be released synaptically or by paracrine secretion for presumed delivery to target cells via the extracellular matrix. A wide range of sense organ types is present in flatworms, irrespective of life-styles. The repertoire of neuronal substances identified cytochemically includes all of the major candidate transmitters known in vertebrates. Two groups of native flatworm neuropeptides have been sequenced, neuropeptide F and FMRFamide-related peptides (FaRPs), and immunoreactivities for these have been localised in dense-cored neuronal vesicles in representatives of all major fiatworm groups. There is evidence of co-localisation of peptidergic and cholinergic elements; serotoninergic components generally occupy a separate set of neurons. The actions of neuronal substances in flatworms are largely undetermined, but FaRPs and 5-HT are known to be myoactive in all of the major groups, and there is immuno-cytochemical evidence that they have a role in the mechanism of egg assembly.

CHANGES IN ADENOHYPOPHYSEAL CYTOLOGY AND NUCLEIC ACID CONTENT IN THE RAT 32 DAYS AFTER BILATERAL ADRENALECTOMY AND THE CHRONIC INJECTION OF CORTISOL

1967 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 947-956 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob Kraicer ◽  
Marc Herlant ◽  
Pierre Duclos
Keyword(s):  
Cell Types ◽  
Bilateral Adrenalectomy ◽  
Synthetic Activity ◽  
Nucleic Acid Content ◽  
Cell Type ◽  
Cytological Evidence ◽  
Histological Techniques ◽  
Dna And Rna ◽  
Distinct Cell ◽  
Chronic Injection

Control, adrenalectomized, and cortisol-treated rats were maintained under rigidly controlled conditions, and the adenohypophyses were examined histologically with two staining procedures which differentiate six distinct cell types. Only one cell type demonstrated cytological evidence of increased synthetic activity 32 days after adrenalectomy (the changes were, however, minimal) and decreased synthetic activity following the chronic injection of cortisol. This cell type, which we designate as the corticotroph, would be classed as a chromophobe (no stainable granules) with use of standard histological techniques, but is, in fact, as Herlant's Tetrachrome demonstrates, a distinct acidophilic cell type different from the prolactin cell and the somatotroph. The determination of adenohypophyseal DNA and RNA revealed no evidence of increased protein synthetic activity following bilateral adrenalectomy, but did reveal evidence of decreased protein synthetic activity following the chronic injection of cortisol.

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