scholarly journals The Fish Family Poeciliidae as a Model to Study the Evolution and Diversification of Regenerative Capacity in Vertebrates

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Safian ◽  
Geert F. Wiegertjes ◽  
Bart J. A. Pollux
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Reproductive Traits ◽  
Model System ◽  
Animal Kingdom ◽  
Regenerative Capacity ◽  
Fish Family ◽  
Fin Regeneration ◽  
New Model ◽  
Fish Fins ◽  
Livebearing Fish

The capacity of regenerating a new structure after losing an old one is a major challenge in the animal kingdom. Fish have emerged as an interesting model to study regeneration due to their high and diverse regenerative capacity. To date, most efforts have focused on revealing the mechanisms underlying fin regeneration, but information on why and how this capacity evolves remains incomplete. Here, we propose the livebearing fish family Poeciliidae as a promising new model system to study the evolution of fin regeneration. First, we review the current state of knowledge on the evolution of regeneration in the animal kingdom, with a special emphasis on fish fins. Second, we summarize recent advances in our understanding of the mechanisms behind fin regeneration in fish. Third, we discuss potential evolutionary pressures that may modulate the regenerative capacity of fish fins and propose three new theories for how natural and sexual selection can lead to the evolution of fin regeneration: (1) signaling-driven fin regeneration, (2) predation-driven fin regeneration, and (3) matrotrophy-suppressed fin regeneration. Finally, we argue that fish from the family Poeciliidae are an excellent model system to test these theories, because they comprise of a large variety of species in a well-defined phylogenetic framework that inhabit very different environments and display remarkable variation in reproductive traits, allowing for comparative studies of fin regeneration among closely related species, among populations within species or among individuals within populations. This new model system has the potential to shed new light on the underlying genetic and molecular mechanisms driving the evolution and diversification of regeneration in vertebrates.

scholarly journals The Association of an SNP in the EXOC4 Gene and Reproductive Traits Suggests Its Use as a Breeding Marker in Pigs

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 521
Author(s):  
Yingting He ◽  
Xiaofeng Zhou ◽  
Rongrong Zheng ◽  
Yao Jiang ◽  
Zhixiang Yao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Fragment Length Polymorphism ◽  
Regulatory Element ◽  
Reproductive Traits ◽  
Specific Sequence ◽  
Litter Weight ◽  
Potential Binding ◽  
Pcr Rflp ◽  
Teat Number ◽  
Myeloid Zinc Finger

In mammals, the exocyst complex component 4 (EXOC4) gene has often been reported to be involved in vesicle transport. The SNP rs81471943 (C/T) is located in the intron of porcine EXOC4, while six quantitative trait loci (QTL) within 5–10 Mb around EXOC4 are associated with ovary weight, teat number, total offspring born alive, and corpus luteum number. However, the molecular mechanisms between EXOC4 and the reproductive performance of pigs remains to be elucidated. In this study, rs81471943 was genotyped from a total of 994 Duroc sows, and the genotype and allele frequency of SNP rs81471943 (C/T) were statistically analyzed. Then, the associations between SNP rs81471943 and four reproductive traits, including number of piglets born alive (NBA), litter weight at birth (LWB), number of piglets weaned (NW), and litter weight at weaning (LWW), were determined. Sanger sequencing and PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) were utilized to identify the rs81471943 genotype. We found that the genotype frequency of CC was significantly higher than that of CT and TT, and CC was the most frequent genotype for NBA, LWB, NW, and LWW. Moreover, 5′-deletion and luciferase assays identified a positive transcription regulatory element in the EXOC4 promoter. After exploring the EXOC4 promoter, SNP −1781G/A linked with SNP rs81471943 (C/T) were identified by analysis of the transcription activity of the haplotypes, and SNP −1781 G/A may influence the potential binding of P53, E26 transformation specific sequence -like 1 transcription factor (ELK1), and myeloid zinc finger 1 (MZF1). These findings provide useful information for identifying a molecular marker of EXOC4-assisted selection in pig breeding.

scholarly journals Observation of direct vibrational excitation in gas-surface collisions of CO with Au(111): a new model system for surface dynamics

2013 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 1863-1867 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Schäfer ◽  
Nils Bartels ◽  
Kai Golibrzuch ◽  
Christof Bartels ◽  
Hansjochen Köckert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vibrational Excitation ◽  
Model System ◽  
Surface Dynamics ◽  
New Model

A proliferation gradient between proximal and msxb-expressing distal blastema directs zebrafish fin regeneration

Development ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 129 (11) ◽  
pp. 2607-2617 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Nechiporuk ◽  
Mark T. Keating
Keyword(s):  
High Rate ◽  
Proliferating Cells ◽  
Homogeneous Population ◽  
Fin Regeneration ◽  
New Model ◽  
Blastema Formation ◽  
Phosphohistone H3 ◽  
Slow Cycling ◽  
Early Regeneration ◽  
Regeneration Blastema

Previous studies of zebrafish fin regeneration led to the notion that the regeneration blastema is a homogeneous population of proliferating cells. Here, we show that the blastema consists of two components with markedly distinct proliferation properties. During early blastema formation, proliferating cells are evenly distributed. At the onset of regenerative outgrowth, however, blastemal cells are partitioned into two domains. Proximal blastemal cells proliferate at a high rate, shifting from a median G2 of more than 6 hours to approximately 1 hour. By contrast, the most distal blastemal cells do not proliferate. There is a gradient of proliferation between these extremes. Using bromodeoxyuridine incorporation and anti-phosphohistone H3 labeling, we find a 50-fold difference in proliferation across the gradient that extends approximately 50 μm, or ten cell diameters. We show that during early regeneration, proliferating blastemal cells express msxb, a homeodomain transcriptional repressor. While msxb is widely expressed among proliferating cells during blastema formation, its expression becomes restricted to a small number of non-proliferating, distal blastemal cells during regenerative outgrowth. Bromodeoxyuridine pulse-chase experiments show that distal and proximal blastemal cells are formed from proliferating, msxb-positive blastemal cells, not from preexisting slow-cycling cells. These data support the idea that blastema formation results from dedifferentiation of intraray mesenchymal cells. Based on these findings, we propose a new model of zebrafish fin regeneration in which the function of non-proliferating, msxb-expressing, distal blastemal cells is to specify the boundary of proliferation and provide direction for regenerative outgrowth.

scholarly journals Regeneration, Plasticity, and Induced Molecular Programs in Adult Zebrafish Brain

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehmet Ilyas Cosacak ◽  
Christos Papadimitriou ◽  
Caghan Kizil
Keyword(s):  
Neural Plasticity ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Clinical Settings ◽  
Regenerative Capacity ◽  
Zebrafish Brain ◽  
Aquatic Vertebrates ◽  
Neural Stem Progenitor Cells ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Regenerative Therapies ◽  
The Brain

Regenerative capacity of the brain is a variable trait within animals. Aquatic vertebrates such as zebrafish have widespread ability to renew their brains upon damage, while mammals have—if not none—very limited overall regenerative competence. Underlying cause of such a disparity is not fully evident; however, one of the reasons could be activation of peculiar molecular programs, which might have specific roles after injury or damage, by the organisms that regenerate. If this hypothesis is correct, then there must be genes and pathways that (a) are expressed only after injury or damage in tissues, (b) are biologically and functionally relevant to restoration of neural tissue, and (c) are not detected in regenerating organisms. Presence of such programs might circumvent the initial detrimental effects of the damage and subsequently set up the stage for tissue redevelopment to take place by modulating the plasticity of the neural stem/progenitor cells. Additionally, if transferable, those “molecular mechanisms of regeneration” could open up new avenues for regenerative therapies of humans in clinical settings. This review focuses on the recent studies addressing injury/damage-induced molecular programs in zebrafish brain, underscoring the possibility of the presence of genes that could be used as biomarkers of neural plasticity and regeneration.

Nanofaceted Platinum Surfaces:  A New Model System for Nanoparticle Catalysts

2005 ◽  
Vol 109 (49) ◽  
pp. 23543-23549 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladimir Komanicky ◽  
Andreas Menzel ◽  
Kee-Chul Chang ◽  
Hoydoo You
Keyword(s):  
Model System ◽  
New Model ◽  
Nanoparticle Catalysts ◽  
Platinum Surfaces

scholarly journals It Cuts Both Ways: An Annelid Model System for the Study of Regeneration in the Laboratory and in the Classroom

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronica G. Martinez Acosta ◽  
Fausto Arellano-Carbajal ◽  
Kathy Gillen ◽  
Kay A. Tweeten ◽  
Eduardo E. Zattara
Keyword(s):  
Wound Healing ◽  
Developmental Process ◽  
Recovery Of Function ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Model System ◽  
Regenerative Capacity ◽  
Closely Related Species ◽  
Complete Replacement ◽  
Successful Recovery ◽  
The Individual

The mechanisms supporting regeneration and successful recovery of function have fascinated scientists and the general public for quite some time, with the earliest description of regeneration occurring in the 8th century BC through the Greek mythological story of Prometheus. While most animals demonstrate the capacity for wound-healing, the ability to initiate a developmental process that leads to a partial or complete replacement of a lost structure varies widely among animal taxa. Variation also occurs within single species based on the nature and location of the wound and the developmental stage or age of the individual. Comparative studies of cellular and molecular changes that occur both during, and following, wound healing may point to conserved genomic pathways among animals of different regenerative capacity. Such insights could revolutionize studies within the field of regenerative medicine. In this review, we focus on several closely related species of Lumbriculus (Clitellata: Lumbriculidae), as we present a case for revisiting the use of an annelid model system for the study of regeneration. We hope that this review will provide a primer to Lumbriculus biology not only for regeneration researchers but also for STEM teachers and their students.

scholarly journals DNA methylation regulates transcriptional homeostasis of algal endosymbiosis in the coral modelAiptasia

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Li ◽  
Yi Jin Liew ◽  
Guoxin Cui ◽  
Maha J Cziesielski ◽  
Noura Zahran ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Model System ◽  
Epigenetic Mechanism ◽  
Symbiotic Relationship ◽  
Epigenetic Mechanisms ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Spurious Transcription ◽  
Coral Reef Ecosystems

The symbiotic relationship between cnidarians and dinoflagellates is the cornerstone of coral reef ecosystems. Although research is focusing on the molecular mechanisms underlying this symbiosis, the role of epigenetic mechanisms, which have been implicated in transcriptional regulation and acclimation to environmental change, is unknown. To assess the role of DNA methylation in the cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis, we analyzed genome-wide CpG methylation, histone associations, and transcriptomic states of symbiotic and aposymbiotic anemones in the model systemAiptasia. We find methylated genes are marked by histone H3K36me3 and show significant reduction of spurious transcription and transcriptional noise, revealing a role of DNA methylation in the maintenance of transcriptional homeostasis. Changes in DNA methylation and expression show enrichment for symbiosis-related processes such as immunity, apoptosis, phagocytosis recognition and phagosome formation, and unveil intricate interactions between the underlying pathways. Our results demonstrate that DNA methylation provides an epigenetic mechanism of transcriptional homeostasis during symbiosis.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document