Faculty Sponsor
Dr. Frank W. Smith
Faculty Sponsor College
College of Arts and Sciences
Faculty Sponsor Department
Biology
Location
SOARS Virtual Conference
Presentation Website
https://unfsoars.domains.unf.edu/2021/posters/investigating-the-roles-of-the-canonical-wnt-and-notch-signaling-pathways-in-establishment-of-the-tardigrade-anteroposterior-axis/
Keywords
SOARS (Conference) (2021 : University of North Florida) – Archives; SOARS (Conference) (2021 : University of North Florida) – Posters; University of North Florida -- Students -- Research – Posters; University of North Florida. Office of Undergraduate Research; University of North Florida. Graduate School; College students – Research -- Florida – Jacksonville – Posters; University of North Florida – Undergraduates -- Research – Posters; University of North Florida. Department of Biology -- Research – Posters; Honorable Mention Award
Abstract
Honorable Mention Winner
The canonical Wnt (cWnt) signaling pathway plays a prominent role in establishing the anteroposterior (AP) body axis in many bilaterians. Later, this pathway typically interacts with the Notch signaling pathway to regulate posterior growth, a process that intercalates a relatively large mid-trunk region to the AP axis of many bilaterians. Tardigrades have lost posterior growth and the mid-trunk region that develops by this process. Therefore, we aimed to determine the roles, if any, of the cWnt and Notch signaling pathways during establishment of the highly compact AP axis in the tardigrade Hypsibius exemplaris. Gene expression of orthologs of wnt2, wnt4, and wnt16, which code for cWnt signaling ligands, are restricted to posterior regions during the earliest stage of AP axis establishment. However, unlike in many bilaterians, Notch and Delta, components of the Notch signaling pathway, are not expressed in a posterior domain immediately after establishment of the AP axis in H. exemplaris. These results argue against a role of the Notch signaling pathway in regulating growth of the AP axis in Tardigrada. Instead, our data are consistent with a role of Notch signaling in regulating nervous system development. We present a model in which the compact body plan of tardigrades evolved by conservation of the AP axis establishment function of the cWnt signaling pathway, with loss of the later acting posterior growth functions of the cWnt and Notch signaling pathways. Therefore, the AP establishment role of the cWnt signaling pathway may establish the entire AP axis in Tardigrada.
Included in
Investigating the roles of the canonical Wnt and Notch signaling pathways in establishment of the tardigrade anteroposterior axis
SOARS Virtual Conference
Honorable Mention Winner
The canonical Wnt (cWnt) signaling pathway plays a prominent role in establishing the anteroposterior (AP) body axis in many bilaterians. Later, this pathway typically interacts with the Notch signaling pathway to regulate posterior growth, a process that intercalates a relatively large mid-trunk region to the AP axis of many bilaterians. Tardigrades have lost posterior growth and the mid-trunk region that develops by this process. Therefore, we aimed to determine the roles, if any, of the cWnt and Notch signaling pathways during establishment of the highly compact AP axis in the tardigrade Hypsibius exemplaris. Gene expression of orthologs of wnt2, wnt4, and wnt16, which code for cWnt signaling ligands, are restricted to posterior regions during the earliest stage of AP axis establishment. However, unlike in many bilaterians, Notch and Delta, components of the Notch signaling pathway, are not expressed in a posterior domain immediately after establishment of the AP axis in H. exemplaris. These results argue against a role of the Notch signaling pathway in regulating growth of the AP axis in Tardigrada. Instead, our data are consistent with a role of Notch signaling in regulating nervous system development. We present a model in which the compact body plan of tardigrades evolved by conservation of the AP axis establishment function of the cWnt signaling pathway, with loss of the later acting posterior growth functions of the cWnt and Notch signaling pathways. Therefore, the AP establishment role of the cWnt signaling pathway may establish the entire AP axis in Tardigrada.
https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/soars/2021/spring_2021/74