The evolutionary history of Brachyury genes in Hydrozoa involves duplications, divergence, and neofunctionalization

Abstract

Brachyury, a member of T-box gene family, is widely known for its major role in mesoderm specification in bilaterians. It is also present in non-bilaterian metazoans, such as cnidarians, where it acts as a component of an axial patterning system. In this study, we present a phylogenetic analysis of Brachyury genes within phylum Cnidaria, investigate differential expression and address a functional framework of Brachyury paralogs in hydrozoan Dynamena pumila. Our analysis indicates two duplication events of Brachyury within the cnidarian lineage. The first duplication likely appeared in the medusozoan ancestor, resulting in two copies in medusozoans, while the second duplication arose in the hydrozoan ancestor, resulting in three copies in hydrozoans. Brachyury1 and 2 display a conservative expression pattern marking the oral pole of the body axis in D. pumila. On the contrary, Brachyury3 expression was detected in scattered presumably nerve cells of the D. pumila larva. Pharmacological modulations indicated that Brachyury3 is not under regulation of cWnt signaling in contrast to the other two Brachyury genes. Divergence in expression patterns and regulation suggest neofunctionalization of Brachyury3 in hydrozoans.