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ArticleOptimizing seaweed biomass production—A two kelp solution(Springer, 2024-07-02)Interest in farming kelps has grown beyond using kelp for food, feed or biofuels. There is considerable interest in generating biomass from seaweed for use in bioplastics and other products that would substitute for petroleum-derived products. For these uses to be viable, large amounts of biomass are needed. Very large kelp farms can be expensive to build and maintain, leading to the need to optimize the biomass per unit area. Although close spacing of growlines can lead to poor growth, a viable approach may be to grow two species of kelps together: one that hangs down and one that is buoyant, growing up. This system would increase the spacing in three dimensions. In Alaska, Saccharina latissima is commonly grown hanging down from longlines. One of the buoyant Alaskan kelps is Nereocystis luetkeana. Because there are commercial uses for wild-harvested Nereocystis in Alaska, we undertook a preliminary trial in Kodiak, Alaska, that grew both Saccharina and Nereocystis in the same longline array. Closely spaced lines were seeded the first week of February 2023 and set at 3 m below the surface. The arrays were harvested in late June 2023. Total yields were greatest on the combined arrays, followed by the Nereocystis only and Saccharina only arrays. Despite having 45% fewer grow-lines, the total yield of the Nereocystis on the combined arrays was statistically similar to the Nereocystis only arrays. These results may have significance for large scale macroalgal production.
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ArticleFrom pipette to palette: Bridging science and art at MBoC(American Society for Cell Biology, 2024-05-28)Science and art evoke two different worlds, with science thought of as objective and data driven, and art as subjective and expressive. Yet the practice and process of science and art bear many similarities. Both are centered on observation and description, and both involve experimentation to achieve tangible results. Molecular Biology of the Cell (MBoC) has recently initiated a project to bridge the worlds of science and art to generate a series of cover images for the journal.
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ArticleAnnelid adult cell type diversity and their pluripotent cellular origins(Nature Research, 2024-04-12)Many annelids can regenerate missing body parts or reproduce asexually, generating all cell types in adult stages. However, the putative adult stem cell populations involved in these processes, and the diversity of cell types generated by them, are still unknown. To address this, we recover 75,218 single cell transcriptomes of the highly regenerative and asexually-reproducing annelid Pristina leidyi. Our results uncover a rich cell type diversity including annelid specific types as well as novel types. Moreover, we characterise transcription factors and gene networks that are expressed specifically in these populations. Finally, we uncover a broadly abundant cluster of putative stem cells with a pluripotent signature. This population expresses well-known stem cell markers such as vasa, piwi and nanos homologues, but also shows heterogeneous expression of differentiated cell markers and their transcription factors. We find conserved expression of pluripotency regulators, including multiple chromatin remodelling and epigenetic factors, in piwi+ cells. Finally, lineage reconstruction analyses reveal computational differentiation trajectories from piwi+ cells to diverse adult types. Our data reveal the cell type diversity of adult annelids by single cell transcriptomics and suggest that a piwi+ cell population with a pluripotent stem cell signature is associated with adult cell type differentiation.
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ArticleManaging offshore multi-use settings: use of conceptual mapping to reduce uncertainty of co-locating seaweed aquaculture and wind farms(Elsevier, 2024-04-12)The offshore Multi-use Setting (MUS) is a concept that aims to co-locate marine industrial activities, including wind farms and aquaculture. MUS is considered an innovative approach to promoting efficiency in space and resource use whilst contributing global policy priorities. However, the impacts of MUS development across social, economic, and environmental domains are uncertain, hindering the commercialisation of the concept. In this study, we initially demonstrate the potential consequences of co-locating seaweed aquaculture and a wind farm as a step towards MUS. Using a hypothetical case study and modified Delphi methodology, 14 subject matter experts predicted potential outcomes across social and environmental objectives. Five Cognitive maps and impact tables of 58 potential consequences were generated based on experts' perspective on co-locating seaweed aquaculture and a wind farm. The findings highlight the potential to exasperate pressures in the area, including those already attributed to wind farm operations, such as species mortality and stakeholder conflict. However, it may also enhance social-ecological conditions, such as resource provisioning and promoting habitat functionality in the region, through the addition of seaweed aquaculture. The cognitive maps demonstrate the complexity of managing MUS implementation, where high degree of variability and uncertainty about the outcomes is present. The findings of this study provide the vital entry point to performing further integrative assessment and modelling approaches, such as probabilistic analysis and simulations, in support of MUS decision-making. The research also strongly recommends alternative strategies in the pursuit of combining seaweed production and wind farms to avoid significant financial (among many other) trade-offs and risks. More broadly, we have found that our approach's ability to visually represent a complex situation while considering multiple objectives could be immensely valuable for other bioeconomy innovations or nature-based solutions. It helps mitigate the potential for expensive investments without a comprehensive evaluation of the associated risks and negative impacts, as necessitated by the principles of sustainability in decision-making.
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ArticleSea cucumbers: an emerging system in evo-devo(BMC, 2024-02-17)A challenge for evolutionary developmental (evo-devo) biology is to expand the breadth of research organisms used to investigate how animal diversity has evolved through changes in embryonic development. New experimental systems should couple a relevant phylogenetic position with available molecular tools and genomic resources. As a phylum of the sister group to chordates, echinoderms extensively contributed to our knowledge of embryonic patterning, organ development and cell-type evolution. Echinoderms display a variety of larval forms with diverse shapes, making them a suitable group to compare the evolution of embryonic developmental strategies. However, because of the laboratory accessibility and the already available techniques, most studies focus on sea urchins and sea stars mainly. As a comparative approach, the field would benefit from including information on other members of this group, like the sea cucumbers (holothuroids), for which little is known on the molecular basis of their development. Here, we review the spawning and culture methods, the available morphological and molecular information, and the current state of genomic and transcriptomic resources on sea cucumbers. With the goal of making this system accessible to the broader community, we discuss how sea cucumber embryos and larvae can be a powerful system to address the open questions in evo-devo, including understanding the origins of bilaterian structures.
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ArticleInjury-induced cooperation of InhibinβA and JunB is essential for cell proliferation in Xenopus tadpole tail regeneration(Nature Research, 2024-02-14)In animal species that have the capability of regenerating tissues and limbs, cell proliferation is enhanced after wound healing and is essential for the reconstruction of injured tissue. Although the ability to induce cell proliferation is a common feature of such species, the molecular mechanisms that regulate the transition from wound healing to regenerative cell proliferation remain unclear. Here, we show that upon injury, InhibinβA and JunB cooperatively function for this transition during Xenopus tadpole tail regeneration. We found that the expression of inhibin subunit beta A (inhba) and junB proto-oncogene (junb) is induced by injury-activated TGF-β/Smad and MEK/ERK signaling in regenerating tails. Similarly to junb knockout (KO) tadpoles, inhba KO tadpoles show a delay in tail regeneration, and inhba/junb double KO (DKO) tadpoles exhibit severe impairment of tail regeneration compared with either inhba KO or junb KO tadpoles. Importantly, this impairment is associated with a significant reduction of cell proliferation in regenerating tissue. Moreover, JunB regulates tail regeneration via FGF signaling, while InhibinβA likely acts through different mechanisms. These results demonstrate that the cooperation of injury-induced InhibinβA and JunB is critical for regenerative cell proliferation, which is necessary for re-outgrowth of regenerating Xenopus tadpole tails.
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ArticleExcess phosphoserine-129 α-Synuclein induces synaptic vesicle trafficking and declustering defects at a Vertebrate Synapse(American Society for Cell Biology, 2023-11-22)α-Synuclein is a presynaptic protein that regulates synaptic vesicle (SV) trafficking. In Parkinson’s disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), α-synuclein aberrantly accumulates throughout neurons, including at synapses. During neuronal activity, α-synuclein is reversibly phosphorylated at serine 129 (pS129). While pS129 comprises ∼4% of total α-synuclein under physiological conditions, it dramatically increases in PD and DLB brains. The impacts of excess pS129 on synaptic function are currently unknown. We show here that compared with wild-type (WT) α-synuclein, pS129 exhibits increased binding and oligomerization on synaptic membranes and enhanced vesicle “microclustering” in vitro. Moreover, when acutely injected into lamprey reticulospinal axons, excess pS129 α-synuclein robustly localized to synapses and disrupted SV trafficking in an activity-dependent manner, as assessed by ultrastructural analysis. Specifically, pS129 caused a declustering and dispersion of SVs away from the synaptic vicinity, leading to a significant loss of total synaptic membrane. Live imaging further revealed altered SV cycling, as well as microclusters of recently endocytosed SVs moving away from synapses. Thus, excess pS129 caused an activity-dependent inhibition of SV trafficking via altered vesicle clustering/reclustering. This work suggests that accumulation of pS129 at synapses in diseases like PD and DLB could have profound effects on SV dynamics.
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ArticlePVC pellet leachates affect adult immune system and embryonic development but not reproductive capacity in the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus(Elsevier, 2023-10-10)Microplastic pollution is a major concern of our age, eliciting a range of effects on organisms including during embryonic development. Plastic preproduction pellets stunt the development of sea urchins through the leaching of teratogenic compounds. However, the effect of these leachates on adult sea urchins and their fertility is unknown. Here we investigate the effect of PVC leachates on the capacity to produce normal embryos, and demonstrate that adults kept in contaminated water still produce viable offspring. However, we observe a cumulative negative effect by continued exposure to highly polluted water: adult animals had lower counts and disturbed morphological profiles of immune cells, were under increased oxidative stress, and produced embryos less tolerant of contaminated environments. Our findings suggest that even in highly polluted areas, sea urchins are fertile, but that sublethal effects seen in the adults may lead to transgenerational effects that reduce developmental robustness of the embryos.
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ArticleExploring the effect of age on the reproductive and stress physiology of octopus bimaculoides using dermal hormones(MDPI, 2023-10-06)Our goal was to validate the use of dermal swabs to evaluate both reproductive and stress physiology in the California two-spot octopus, Octopus bimaculoides. Our objectives were to (1) use dermal swabs to evaluate glucocorticoids and reproductive hormones of O. bimaculoides; (2) determine the influence of life stage on hormone production (glucocorticoids in all individuals; testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone in females; and testosterone in males) of reproductive (n = 4) and senescent (n = 8) individuals to determine the effect of age on hormonal patterns; and (3) determine whether these hormones change significantly in response to an acute stressor. For the stress test, individuals were first swabbed for a baseline and then chased around the aquarium with a net for 5 min. Afterward, individuals were swabbed for 2 h at 15 min intervals to compare to the pre-stress test swab. Reproductive individuals responded to the stressor with a 2-fold increase in dermal cortisol concentrations at 15 and 90 min. Six of the eight senescent individuals did not produce a 2-fold increase in dermal cortisol concentrations. Reproductive individuals had significantly higher sex hormone concentrations compared to senescent individuals (progesterone and estradiol measured in females, and testosterone for both sexes). After the stressor, only reproductive males produced a 2-fold increase in dermal testosterone concentrations, while sex hormones in females showed no change. The stress hormone cortisol was significantly higher in senescent than in reproductive individuals, independent of sex. Dermal corticosterone concentrations were highest in senescent females followed by senescent males, and lowest in reproductive individuals regardless of sex. Dermal swabs provide an effective and noninvasive means for evaluating octopus hormones. Application of these indicators may be imperative as cephalopods are more commonly cultured in captivity for experimentation, display, and consumption.
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ArticleFunctional dissection and assembly of a small, newly evolved, W chromosome-specific genomic region of the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis(Public Library of Science, 2023-10-08)Genetic triggers for sex determination are frequently co-inherited with other linked genes that may also influence one or more sex-specific phenotypes. To better understand how sex-limited regions evolve and function, we studied a small W chromosome-specific region of the frog Xenopus laevis that contains only three genes (dm-w, scan-w, ccdc69-w) and that drives female differentiation. Using gene editing, we found that the sex-determining function of this region requires dm-w but that scan-w and ccdc69-w are not essential for viability, female development, or fertility. Analysis of mesonephros+gonad transcriptomes during sexual differentiation illustrates masculinization of the dm-w knockout transcriptome, and identifies mostly non-overlapping sets of differentially expressed genes in separate knockout lines for each of these three W-specific gene compared to wildtype sisters. Capture sequencing of almost all Xenopus species and PCR surveys indicate that the female-determining function of dm-w is present in only a subset of species that carry this gene. These findings map out a dynamic evolutionary history of a newly evolved W chromosome-specific genomic region, whose components have distinctive functions that frequently degraded during Xenopus diversification, and evidence the evolutionary consequences of recombination suppression.
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ArticleThe FMRF-NH2 gated sodium channel of Biomphalaria glabrata: Localization and expression following infection by Schistosoma mansoni(Public Library of Science, 2023-06-23)The neglected tropical disease schistosomiasis impacts over 700 million people globally. Schistosoma mansoni, the trematode parasite that causes the most common type of schistosomiasis, requires planorbid pond snails of the genus Biomphalaria to support its larval development and transformation to the cercarial form that can infect humans. A greater understanding of neural signaling systems that are specific to the Biomphalaria intermediate host could lead to novel strategies for parasite or snail control. This study examined a Biomphalaria glabrata neural channel that is gated by the neuropeptide FMRF-NH2. The Biomphalaria glabrata FMRF-NH2 gated sodium channel (Bgl-FaNaC) amino acid sequence was highly conserved with FaNaCs found in related gastropods, especially the planorbid Planorbella trivolvis (91% sequence identity). In common with the P. trivolvis FaNaC, the B. glabrata channel exhibited a low affinity (EC50: 3 x 10−4 M) and high specificity for the FMRF-NH2 agonist. Its expression in the central nervous system, detected with immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, was widespread, with the protein localized mainly to neuronal fibers and the mRNA confined to cell bodies. Colocalization of the Bgl-FaNaC message with its FMRF-NH2 agonist precursor occurred in some neurons associated with male mating behavior. At the mRNA level, Bgl-FaNaC expression was decreased at 20 and 35 days post infection (dpi) by S. mansoni. Increased expression of the transcript encoding the FMRF-NH2 agonist at 35 dpi was proposed to reflect a compensatory response to decreased receptor levels. Altered FMRF-NH2 signaling could be vital for parasite proliferation in its intermediate host and may therefore present innovative opportunities for snail control.
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ArticleComparison of blastema formation after injury in two cephalopod species(Caltech Library, 2023-09-19)Regeneration is the ability to functionally replace significant amounts of lost tissue or whole appendages like arms, limbs or tentacles. The amount of tissue that can be regenerated varies among species, but regeneration is found in both invertebrate and vertebrate animals. Cephalopods have been broadly reported in the literature to regenerate their arms. There are over 800 species of Cephalopod; however, regeneration has only been documented in the literature in a few species (1). Here we compare arm regeneration in two species of cephalopod, the Octopus bimaculoides and the hummingbird bobtail squid Euprymna berryi.
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ArticleStructure and optical anisotropy of spider scales and silk: the use of chromaticity and azimuth colors to optically characterize complex biological structures(MDPI, 2023-06-20)Herein, we give an overview of several less explored structural and optical characterization techniques useful for biomaterials. New insights into the structure of natural fibers such as spider silk can be gained with minimal sample preparation. Electromagnetic radiation (EMR) over a broad range of wavelengths (from X-ray to THz) provides information of the structure of the material at correspondingly different length scales (nm-to-mm). When the sample features, such as the alignment of certain fibers, cannot be characterized optically, polarization analysis of the optical images can provide further information on feature alignment. The 3D complexity of biological samples necessitates that there be feature measurements and characterization over a large range of length scales. We discuss the issue of characterizing complex shapes by analysis of the link between the color and structure of spider scales and silk. For example, it is shown that the green-blue color of a spider scale is dominated by the chitin slab’s Fabry–Pérot-type reflectivity rather than the surface nanostructure. The use of a chromaticity plot simplifies complex spectra and enables quantification of the apparent colors. All the experimental data presented herein are used to support the discussion on the structure–color link in the characterization of materials.
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ArticleEditorial: Regeneration from cells to limbs: past, present, and future(Frontiers Media, 2023-06-14)Since the early 20th century, scientific interest in regeneration has steadily increased, fueled by hopes of applying basic knowledge of regeneration in complex living systems to clinical problems. Yet, partly because of the inherent complexity of the concept itself -- which covers everything from structural repair in unicellular forms to functional restitution of organs and appendices -- and partly as a consequence of historical contingencies in the development of the field, limited success has been achieved thus far in developing a unified framework for interpreting regeneration. Voluminous, world-class research on various aspects is ongoing, yet organizing a cohesive, interdisciplinary research community centered on regeneration is also an outstanding challenge, as evidenced by the fact that, at present, no dedicated journal for reporting research on animal regeneration even exists. Thus, the Editors welcomed the venue of Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology for this Research Topic, which offered a platform on which contributions from experimental biologists could meet those from historians and philosophers of science concerned with the epistemological aspects and sociocultural contexts of experimental work. The impetus for this way of thinking was a challenge from the then-President of the James S. McDonnell Foundation, Dr. Susan Fitzpatrick., who in 2019 asked the leaders of several working groups at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts to “think differently” about regeneration: for instance, at various biological levels, across the animal kingdom, and in its philosophical and historical dimensions1. This challenge eventually led to the idea of bringing together research papers exploring regeneration along these intersecting lines. A defining feature of some of the papers in this Research Topic, therefore, is direct collaborations between biologists, historians, and philosophers of science, working together to provide wider and deeper perspectives on the multiplicity of animal models for studying regeneration, research questions in regenerative biology, and the contexts and changes through time that have been associated with these models and research programs.
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ArticleMolecular determinants for cold adaptation in an Antarctic Na+/K+-ATPase(National Academy of Sciences, 2023-10-02)Enzymes from ectotherms living in chronically cold environments have evolved structural innovations to overcome the effects of temperature on catalysis. Cold adaptation of soluble enzymes is driven by changes within their primary structure or the aqueous milieu. For membrane-embedded enzymes, like the Na+/K+-ATPase, the situation is different because changes to the lipid bilayer in which they operate may also be relevant. Although much attention has been focused on thermal adaptation within lipid bilayers, relatively little is known about the contribution of structural changes within membrane-bound enzymes themselves. The identification of specific mutations that confer temperature compensation is complicated by the presence of neutral mutations, which can be more numerous. In the present study, we identified specific amino acids in a Na+/K+-ATPase from an Antarctic octopus that underlie cold resistance. Our approach was to generate chimeras between an Antarctic clone and a temperate ortholog and then study their temperature sensitivities in Xenopus oocytes using an electrophysiological approach. We identified 12 positions in the Antarctic Na+/K+-ATPase that, when transferred to the temperate ortholog, were sufficient to confer cold tolerance. Furthermore, although all 12 Antarctic mutations were required for the full phenotype, a single leucine in the third transmembrane segment (M3) imparted most of it. Mutations that confer cold resistance are mostly in transmembrane segments, at positions that face the lipid bilayer. We propose that the interface between a transmembrane enzyme and the lipid bilayer is a critical determinant of temperature sensitivity and, accordingly, has been a prime evolutionary target for thermal adaptation.
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ArticleSAT013 characterization of CRISPR/Cas9 induced RXR isotype mutants n Xenopus Laevis(Oxford University Press, 2023-10-05)Retinoid-X receptors (RXRs) occupy a unique position in the nuclear receptor (NR) superfamily. While some actions of the highly conserved RXRs may be independent, RXRs most often are heterodimer partners for several NRs that regulate development, reproduction and metabolism. As such, environmental chemicals interfering with the activity of RXRs and their partners may have significant deleterious effects on human health, often in developmental window, cell-type, and gene selective ways. The frog Xenopus has long served as an excellent model for studying vertebrate development including thyroid hormone action, and recent advances in genome editing have greatly enhanced its utility for investigating basic cell and organismal biology as well as human disease processes. To determine isotype specific roles in response to natural and synthetic ligands as well as candidate environmental chemicals interacting with RXRs in vivo, we created targeted germline mutations in the Xenopus tropicalis RXRα (rxra), RXRβ (rxrb), and RXRγ (rxrg) genes. For CRISPR/Cas9 mediated genome editing, guide RNAs were designed to target sequences just prior to or within the first RXR DNA binding domains. We raised all three RXR homozygous null mutants up to and through metamorphosis. The rxrb and rxrg homozygous null mutants completed metamorphosis and allowed us to establish adult null lines, but the rxra homozygous null mutants die at metamorphic climax, reminiscent of the thyroid hormone receptor (thra/thrb) double mutants. Some rxra mutant froglets also lack forearms or have forelimb defects, implying a role for rxra in RA mediated forelimb specification. The X. tropicalis rxrg homozygous null mutants show a trend toward an increased rate of metamorphosis versus matched wild-type controls, with significantly elevated tshb gene expression as newly metamorphosed froglets suggesting impaired negative feedback by TH. Significantly altered opsin gene expression in the froglet eye was also observed in rxrg mutant retinas: elevated short wave opsins opn1sw1 and opn1sw2 and sharply reduced long wave opsin opn1lw. This elevated tshb and opn1sw1 expression is highly similar to what is found in mouse rxrg null mutants; thus RXRγ action in the eye and pituitary appears to be highly conserved between mammals and amphibians. The establishment of these new RXR isotype mutant specific lines will support the expanded use of Xenopus to study basic biology and environmental toxicology involving TR-RXR and other NR-RXR partnerships.
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ArticlePhotoreceptor disc incisures form as an adaptive mechanism ensuring the completion of disc enclosure(eLife Sciences Publications, 2023-07-14)The first steps of vision take place within a stack of tightly packed disc-shaped membranes, or ‘discs’, located in the outer segment compartment of photoreceptor cells. In rod photoreceptors, discs are enclosed inside the outer segment and contain deep indentations in their rims called ‘incisures’. The presence of incisures has been documented in a variety of species, yet their role remains elusive. In this study, we combined traditional electron microscopy with three-dimensional electron tomography to demonstrate that incisures are formed only after discs become completely enclosed. We also observed that, at the earliest stage of their formation, discs are not round as typically depicted but rather are highly irregular in shape and resemble expanding lamellipodia. Using genetically manipulated mice and frogs and measuring outer segment protein abundances by quantitative mass spectrometry, we further found that incisure size is determined by the molar ratio between peripherin-2, a disc rim protein critical for the process of disc enclosure, and rhodopsin, the major structural component of disc membranes. While a high perpherin-2 to rhodopsin ratio causes an increase in incisure size and structural complexity, a low ratio precludes incisure formation. Based on these data, we propose a model whereby normal rods express a modest excess of peripherin-2 over the amount required for complete disc enclosure in order to ensure that this important step of disc formation is accomplished. Once the disc is enclosed, the excess peripherin-2 incorporates into the rim to form an incisure.
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ArticleLongfin squid reproductive behaviours and spawning withstand wind farm pile driving noise(Oxford University Press, 2023-07-28)Pile driving noise is an intense, repetitive, far-reaching sound that is increasing in many coastal habitats as the offshore wind energy industry expands globally. There is concern for its impacts on keystone species and vital fisheries taxa such as squids. In controlled laboratory conditions, we investigated whether exposure to pile driving noise from offshore wind farm construction altered reproductive behaviours in the short-lived semelparous species Doryteuthis pealeii. Pile driving noise had no significant effects on the occurrence rates of agonistic behaviours, mate guarding, mating, and egg laying, compared with silent control trials. The results contrast starkly with behavioural response rates of the same squid species during feeding and shoaling. The data suggest that squid reproductive behaviours may be resilient to this increasingly pervasive environmental stressor, and that behavioural context guides responses to windfarm noise for this invertebrate taxon. While some non-reproductive behaviours can clearly be disturbed, the results show that species with limited opportunity to reproduce can tolerate intense stressors to secure reproductive success.
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ArticleMolecular mechanisms of tubulogenesis revealed in the sea star hydro-vascular organ(Nature Research, 2023-05-09)A fundamental goal in the organogenesis field is to understand how cells organize into tubular shapes. Toward this aim, we have established the hydro-vascular organ in the sea star Patiria miniata as a model for tubulogenesis. In this animal, bilateral tubes grow out from the tip of the developing gut, and precisely extend to specific sites in the larva. This growth involves cell migration coupled with mitosis in distinct zones. Cell proliferation requires FGF signaling, whereas the three-dimensional orientation of the organ depends on Wnt signaling. Specification and maintenance of tube cell fate requires Delta/Notch signaling. Moreover, we identify target genes of the FGF pathway that contribute to tube morphology, revealing molecular mechanisms for tube outgrowth. Finally, we report that FGF activates the Six1/2 transcription factor, which serves as an evolutionarily ancient regulator of branching morphogenesis. This study uncovers distinct mechanisms of tubulogenesis in vivo and we propose that cellular dynamics in the sea star hydro-vascular organ represents a key comparison for understanding the evolution of vertebrate organs.
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ArticleCephalopod-omics: emerging fields and technologies in cephalopod biology(Oxford University Press, 2023-06-27)Few animal groups can claim the level of wonder that cephalopods instill in the minds of researchers and the general public. Much of cephalopod biology, however, remains unexplored: the largest invertebrate brain, difficult husbandry conditions, and complex (meta-)genomes, among many other things, have hindered progress in addressing key questions. However, recent technological advancements in sequencing, imaging, and genetic manipulation have opened new avenues for exploring the biology of these extraordinary animals. The cephalopod molecular biology community is thus experiencing a large influx of researchers, emerging from different fields, accelerating the pace of research in this clade. In the first post-pandemic event at the Cephalopod International Advisory Council (CIAC) conference in April 2022, over 40 participants from all over the world met and discussed key challenges and perspectives for current cephalopod molecular biology and evolution. Our particular focus was on the fields of comparative and regulatory genomics, gene manipulation, single-cell transcriptomics, metagenomics, and microbial interactions. This article is a result of this joint effort, summarizing the latest insights from these emerging fields, their bottlenecks, and potential solutions. The article highlights the interdisciplinary nature of the cephalopod-omics community and provides an emphasis on continuous consolidation of efforts and collaboration in this rapidly evolving field.