Notochordal Signals Establish Phylogenetic Identity of the Teleost Spine.

Curr Biol

Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA.

Published: July 2020

The spine is a defining feature of the vertebrate body plan. However, broad differences in vertebral structures and morphogenetic strategies occur across vertebrate groups, clouding the homology between their developmental programs. Analysis of a zebrafish mutant, spondo, whose spine is dysmorphic, prompted us to reconstruct paleontological evidence, highlighting specific transitions during teleost spine evolution. Interestingly, the spondo mutant recapitulates characteristics present in basal fishes, not found in extant teleosts. Further analysis of the mutation implicated the teleost-specific notochord protein, Calymmin, as a key regulator of spine patterning in zebrafish. The mutation in cmn results in loss of notochord sheath segmentation, altering osteoblast migration to the developing spine, and increasing sensitivity to somitogenesis defects associated with congenital scoliosis in amniotes. These data suggest that signals from the notochord define the evolutionary identity of the spine and demonstrate how simple shifts in development can revert traits canalized for about 250 million years.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8159021PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.05.037DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

teleost spine
8
spine
7
notochordal signals
4
signals establish
4
establish phylogenetic
4
phylogenetic identity
4
identity teleost
4
spine spine
4
spine defining
4
defining feature
4

Similar Publications

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!