Insights from Amphioxus into the Evolution of Vertebrate Cartilage
Author Information
Author(s): Daniel Meulemans, Marianne Bronner-Fraser
Primary Institution: California Institute of Technology
Hypothesis
How and when did neural crest cells acquire the ability to form cellular cartilage, a unique feature of vertebrates?
Conclusion
The study suggests that neural crest-derived cartilage evolved through the cooption of genes that originally functioned in mesodermal tissues.
Supporting Evidence
- Amphioxus does not co-express all or most vertebrate chondrogenic network genes, indicating a unique evolutionary path for vertebrate cartilage.
- Most amphioxus genes involved in cartilage formation are expressed in mesodermal derivatives, suggesting a primitive origin.
- The study highlights the importance of gene cooption in the evolution of the neural crest and cartilage.
Takeaway
This study looks at how a small sea creature called amphioxus helps us understand how vertebrates developed cartilage. It shows that the genes for making cartilage came from other tissues in early animals.
Methodology
The expression of 11 amphioxus orthologs of genes involved in neural crest chondrogenesis was examined in embryos and larvae.
Limitations
The study does not provide evidence of a complete vertebrate-like chondrogenic program in amphioxus tissues.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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