Transcriptome profiling of Trichoplax adhaerens highlights its digestive epithelium and a rich set of genes for fast electrogenic and slow neuromodulatory cellular signaling

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuen Yan Wong ◽  
Phuong Le ◽  
Wassim Elkhatib ◽  
Thomas Piekut ◽  
Adriano Senatore
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Intracellular Signaling ◽  
Cellular Signaling ◽  
Hydrolytic Enzymes ◽  
Regulatory Peptides ◽  
Transcriptome Profiling ◽  
Protein Domain ◽  
Trichoplax Adhaerens ◽  
Interaction Domains ◽  
And Behavior

Abstract Background Trichoplax adhaerens is a fascinating early-diverging animal that lacks a nervous system and synapses, and yet is capable of directed motile feeding behavior culminating in the external digestion of microorganisms by secreted hydrolytic enzymes. The mechanisms by which Trichoplax cells communicate with each other to coordinate their activity and behavior is unclear, though recent studies have suggested that secreted regulatory peptides might be involved.Results Here, we generated a high quality mRNA transcriptome of Trichoplax adhaerens , and predicted secreted proteins to identify gene homologues for digestion, development, immunity, cell adhesion, and peptide signaling. Detailed annotation of the expressed Trichoplax gene set also identified a nearly complete set of electrogenic genes involved in fast neural signalling, plus a set of 665 G-protein coupled receptors that in the nervous system integrate with fast signalling machinery to modulate cellular excitability. Furthermore, Trichoplax expresses an array of genes involved in intracellular signaling, including the key effector enzymes protein kinases A and C that functionally link fast and slow cellular signaling. Also identified were nearly complete sets of pre- and post-synaptic scaffolding genes, most encoding appropriate protein domain architectures. Notably, the Trichoplax proteome was found to bear slightly reduced counts of synaptic protein interaction domains such as PDZ, SH3 and C2 compared to other animals, but abundance of these domains did not appear to predict the presence of synapses in early-diverging groups.Conclusions Despite its apparent cellular and morphological simplicity, Trichoplax expresses a rich set of genes involved in complex animal traits. The transcriptome presented here adds a valuable additional resource for molecular studies on Trichoplax genes, exemplified by our ability to clone cDNAs for nine full-length acid sensing ion channel proteins with almost perfect matches with their corresponding transcriptome sequences.

Neural system-enriched gene expression: relationship to biological pathways and neurological diseases

2004 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianhua Zhang ◽  
Amy Moseley ◽  
Anil G. Jegga ◽  
Ashima Gupta ◽  
David P. Witte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Intracellular Signaling ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Gene List ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
System Structure ◽  
Psychiatric Disease ◽  
And Function

To understand the commitment of the genome to nervous system differentiation and function, we sought to compare nervous system gene expression to that of a wide variety of other tissues by gene expression database construction and mining. Gene expression profiles of 10 different adult nervous tissues were compared with that of 72 other tissues. Using ANOVA, we identified 1,361 genes whose expression was higher in the nervous system than other organs and, separately, 600 genes whose expression was at least threefold higher in one or more regions of the nervous system compared with their median expression across all organs. Of the 600 genes, 381 overlapped with the 1,361-gene list. Limited in situ gene expression analysis confirmed that identified genes did represent nervous system-enriched gene expression, and we therefore sought to evaluate the validity and significance of these top-ranked nervous system genes using known gene literature and gene ontology categorization criteria. Diverse functional categories were present in the 381 genes, including genes involved in intracellular signaling, cytoskeleton structure and function, enzymes, RNA metabolism and transcription, membrane proteins, as well as cell differentiation, death, proliferation, and division. We searched existing public sites and identified 110 known genes related to mental retardation, neurological disease, and neurodegeneration. Twenty-one of the 381 genes were within the 110-gene list, compared with a random expectation of 5. This suggests that the 381 genes provide a candidate set for further analyses in neurological and psychiatric disease studies and that as a field, we are as yet, far from a large-scale understanding of the genes that are critical for nervous system structure and function. Together, our data indicate the power of profiling an individual biologic system in a multisystem context to gain insight into the genomic basis of its structure and function.

scholarly journals Roles of Drosophila Hox Genes in the Assembly of Neuromuscular Networks and Behavior

2022 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rohit Joshi ◽  
Rashmi Sipani ◽  
Asif Bakshi
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Motor Neuron ◽  
Hox Genes ◽  
Neural Circuitry ◽  
Neuron Morphology ◽  
Developing Region ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Anterior Posterior

Hox genes have been known for specifying the anterior-posterior axis (AP) in bilaterian body plans. Studies in vertebrates have shown their importance in developing region-specific neural circuitry and diversifying motor neuron pools. In Drosophila, they are instrumental for segment-specific neurogenesis and myogenesis early in development. Their robust expression in differentiated neurons implied their role in assembling region-specific neuromuscular networks. In the last decade, studies in Drosophila have unequivocally established that Hox genes go beyond their conventional functions of generating cellular diversity along the AP axis of the developing central nervous system. These roles range from establishing and maintaining the neuromuscular networks to controlling their function by regulating the motor neuron morphology and neurophysiology, thereby directly impacting the behavior. Here we summarize the limited knowledge on the role of Drosophila Hox genes in the assembly of region-specific neuromuscular networks and their effect on associated behavior.

scholarly journals Ubiquitin-dependent regulation of a conserved DMRT protein controls sexually dimorphic synaptic connectivity and behavior

eLife ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily A Bayer ◽  
Rebecca C Stecky ◽  
Lauren Neal ◽  
Phinikoula S Katsamba ◽  
Goran Ahlsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Specific Protein ◽  
Protein Stabilization ◽  
Protein Domain ◽  
Synaptic Connectivity ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Posttranslational Regulation ◽  
Neuronal Function ◽  
Related Transcription Factor ◽  
Sex Specificity ◽  
And Behavior

Sex-specific synaptic connectivity is beginning to emerge as a remarkable, but little explored feature of animal brains. We describe here a novel mechanism that promotes sexually dimorphic neuronal function and synaptic connectivity in the nervous system of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We demonstrate that a phylogenetically conserved, but previously uncharacterized Doublesex/Mab-3 related transcription factor (DMRT), dmd-4, is expressed in two classes of sex-shared phasmid neurons specifically in hermaphrodites but not in males. We find dmd-4 to promote hermaphrodite-specific synaptic connectivity and neuronal function of phasmid sensory neurons. Sex-specificity of DMD-4 function is conferred by a novel mode of posttranslational regulation that involves sex-specific protein stabilization through ubiquitin binding to a phylogenetically conserved but previously unstudied protein domain, the DMA domain. A human DMRT homolog of DMD-4 is controlled in a similar manner, indicating that our findings may have implications for the control of sexual differentiation in other animals as well.

Plasticity: Cells, Circuits, Brains, and Behavior

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia S. Churchland ◽  
Terrence J. Sejnowski
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Synaptic Plasticity ◽  
Classical Conditioning ◽  
Neuronal Plasticity ◽  
Neural Mechanism ◽  
Synaptic Strength ◽  
Physical Mechanisms ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Brain

This chapter examines the physical mechanisms in nervous systems in order to elucidate the structural bases and functional principles of synaptic plasticity. Neuroscientific research on plasticity can be divided into four main streams: the neural mechanism for relatively simple kinds of plasticity, such as classical conditioning or habituation; anatomical and physiological studies of temporal lobe structures, including the hippocampus and the amygdala; study of the development of the visual system; and the relation between the animal's genes and the development of its nervous system. The chapter first considers the role of the mammalian hippocampus in learning and memory before discussing Donald Hebb's views on synaptic plasticity. It then explores the mechanisms underlying neuronal plasticity and those that decrease synaptic strength, the relevance of time with respect to plasticity, and the occurrence of plasticity during the development of the nervous system. It also describes modules, modularity, and networks in the brain.

Yoga Therapy on Cognitive Function in Neurodevelopmental Disorders

2020 ◽  
pp. 143-160
Author(s):  
Artchoudane Soccalingam ◽  
Meena Ramanathan ◽  
Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorders ◽  
Body Awareness ◽  
Yoga Therapy ◽  
Breath Awareness ◽  
Major Factors ◽  
Sensory Processes ◽  
And Behavior

Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are birth imperfections that cause dysfunction in cognitive and sensory processes and impairment in motor function, communication, and behavior. The major factors responsible for increasing incidence of NDDs are genetic, psychosocial, and excessive use of drugs. Yoga alleviates neurological problems and NDDs. Asana is a physical movement with breath awareness that facilitates the development of body awareness, concentration, and memory and provides vital energy for children with neurodevelopmental disability. Yoga therapy improves sensory coordination and motor imitations that enable persons with cognitive disabilities to make meaningful response by the integration of senses and functions of central nervous system.

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