Metazoan Phyla Research Articles

Role of mucous cells in the defence system of the cnidarian Actinia equina (Linnaeus, 1758): The keystone of evolution

AbstractCnidarians are the first phylum of metazoans to exhibit a functional mucus layer. In evolution, mucous cells perform the classical secretory function of mucus and act as sentinels for external insults, particularly in mammals. However, this topic has not been much analysed in the lower metazoans. This study aims to investigate the role of mucous cells in Actinia equina (Anthozoa, Hexacorallia) (Linnaeus, 1758) by using confocal microscopy and bioinformatics. The results show colocalization of Toll‐like receptor 2 (TLR2) and Mucin2 (MUC2) on these cells, suggesting a crosstalk between defence response and mucus secretion in cnidarians. Furthermore, the presence of TLR2 on the surface of mucous cells suggests their involvement in host defence responses, as occurs in vertebrates. Moreover, through in silico analysis, we confirmed the presence of orthologous genes for the tested antibodies, providing additional evidence to support our results from an evolutionary perspective. These data suggest that mucous cells play a defensive role throughout evolution, helping us understand how these cells have developed and adapted across phylogenesis. This information also provides new insights into the defensive strategies of invertebrates and clarifies their evolutionary history.

The Evolution of NLR Inflammasome and Its Mediated Pyroptosis in Metazoa.

Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor (NLR) inflammasomes are multiprotein signaling platforms that control the inflammatory response and coordinate antimicrobial defense. In the present study, the distribution of NLR, Caspase-1, and gasdermin (GSDM) homologues and their structural characteristics and evolutionary relationships were systematically analyzed in metazoa according to the genomes of species. In invertebrates, there were only NLRC and/or NLRD presented from sponge to amphioxus, and according to the evolutionary tree, NLR from sponge located in the most primitive position. Caspase-1 existed in some metazoan phyla (Brachiopoda, Ectoprocta, Arthropoda, Mollusca, Annelia, Nematoda, Platyelminthes, Coelenterate, and Porifera) and its activation sites were relatively conserved. The amino acid sequences and three-dimensional structures of N-terminal CARD/Death domain of NLR and Caspase-1 were similar in species from sponge to human. NLR and Caspase-1 co-existed in species of Brachiopoda, Mollusca, Annelia, Coelenterate, and Porifera. There was only GSDME or PJVK found in some phyla of invertebrates and their cleavage sites were conserved (DxxD). And it was predicted that the NLR inflammasome in inducing pyroptosis could occur in species of Brachiopoda, Mollusca, Annelia, and Coelenterate. These studies indicated that NLR inflammasome emerged early in sponges of metazoa, and NLR inflammasome in inducing pyroptosis first appeared in Coelenterate, suggesting that inflammasome and its mediated pyroptosis had existed in the early stage of metazoa, but they had been lost in many species during evolution.

Simple Porifera holobiont reveals complex interactions between the host, an archaeon, a bacterium, and a phage.

The basal metazoan phylum, Porifera (sponges), is increasingly used as a model to investigate ecological and evolutionary features of microbe-animal symbioses. However, sponges often host complex microbiomes, which has hampered our understanding of their interactions with their microbial symbionts. Here, we describe the discovery and characterisation of the simplest sponge holobiont reported to date, consisting of the deep-sea glass sponge Aphrocalistes beatrix and two newly described microbial symbionts: an autotrophic ammonia-oxidising archaeon and a bacterial heterotroph. Omics analyses and metabolic modelling revealed the dependency of the ammonia-oxidising archaea on sponge-derived ammonia to drive primary production, which in turn supports the bacterium's growth by providing the dicarboxylate fumarate. Furthermore, virus-mediated archaeal lysis appears crucial to overcome the bacterium's vitamin B12 auxotrophy. These findings reveal that the exchange of vitamin B12 and dicarboxylate may be evolutionarily conserved features of symbiosis as they can also be found in interactions between free-living marine bacteria, and between microbes and plants or diatoms.

The Evolution and Biological Activity of Metazoan Mixed Lineage Kinase Domain-Like Protein (MLKL).

In mammals, mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL) is the executor of necroptosis. MLKL comprises an N-terminal domain (NTD), which alone suffices to trigger necroptosis by forming pores in the plasma membrane, and a C-terminal domain that inhibits the NTD activity. Evolutionarily, MLKL is poorly conserved in animals and not found in Protostomia. Although MLKL orthologs exist in invertebrate Deuterostomia, the biological activity of invertebrate MLKL is unknown. Herein, we examined 34 metazoan phyla and detected MLKL not only in Deuterostomia but also in Protostomia (Rotifera). The Rotifera MLKL exhibited low identities with non-Rotifera MLKL but shared relatively high identities with non-metazoan MLKL. In invertebrates, MLKL formed two phylogenetic clades, one of which was represented by Rotifera. In vertebrates, MLKL expression was tissue-specific and generally rich in immune organs. When expressed in human cells, the MLKL-NTD of Rotifera, Echinodermata, Urochordata, and Cephalochordata induced strong necroptosis. The necroptotic activity of Rotifera MLKL depended on a number of conserved residues. Together these findings provided new insights into the evolution of MLKL in Metazoa and revealed the biological activity of invertebrate MLKL.

Biodiversity of multi-trophic biological communities within riverine sediments impacted by PAHs contamination and land use changes

River ecosystems currently face a significant threat of degradation and loss of biodiversity resulting from continuous emissions of persistent organic pollutants and human activities. In this study, multi-trophic communities were assessed using DNA metabarcoding in a relatively stable riverine sediment compartment to investigate the biodiversity dynamics in the Beiluo River, followed by an evaluation of their response to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and land use changes. A total of 48 bacterial phyla, 4 fungal phyla, 4 protist phyla, 9 algal phyla, 31 metazoan phyla, and 12 orders of fish were identified. The total concentration of PAHs in the Beiluo River sediments ranged from 25.95 to 1141.35 ng/g, with low molecular weight PAHs constituting the highest proportion (68.67%), followed by medium (22.19%) and high (9.14%) molecular weight PAHs. Notably, in contrast to lower trophic level aquatic communities such as bacteria, algae, and metazoans, PAHs exhibited a significant inhibitory effect on fish. Furthermore, the diversity of aquatic communities displayed obvious heterogeneity across distinct land use groups. A high proportion of cultivated land reduced the biodiversity of fish communities but increased that of metazoans. Conversely, an elevated proportion of built-up land reduced metazoan biodiversity, while simultaneously enhancing that of fungi and bacteria. Generally, land use changes exert both indirect and direct effects on aquatic communities. The direct effects primarily influence the abundance of aquatic communities rather than their diversity. Nevertheless, PAHs pollution may have limited potential to disrupt community structures through complex species interactions, as the hub species identified in the co-occurrence network did not align with those significantly affected by PAHs. This study indicates the potential of PAHs and land use changes to cause biodiversity losses. However, it also highlights the possibility of mitigating these negative effects in riverine sediments through optimal land use management and the promotion of enhanced species interactions.

Evolutionary origin and distribution of leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptors in insects

Leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptors (LGRs) are crucial for animal growth and development. They were categorized into four types (A, B, C1, and C2) based on their sequence and domain structures. Despite the widespread distribution of LGRs across bilaterians, a thorough investigation of their distribution and evolutionary history remains elusive. Recent studies insect LGRs, especially the emergence of type C2 LGRs in various hemimetabolous insects, had prompted our study to address these problems. Initially, we traced the origins of LGRs by exploiting data from 99 species spanning 11 metazoan phyla, and discovered that type A and B LGRs originated from sponges, while type C LGRs originated from cnidarians. Subsequently, through comprehensive genomic and transcriptomic analyses across 565 species across 25 orders of insects, we found that both type A and C1 LGRs divided into two gene clusters. These clusters can be traced back to basal Insecta and an early ancestor of the Arthropoda, respectively. Furthermore, the absence of type B LGRs in wingless insects suggests a role in wing development, while the absence of type C2 LGRs in holometabolous insects hints at novel functions unrelated to insect metamorphosis. According to the origin of LGRs and the investigation of LGRs in insects, we speculated that type A and B LGRs appeared first among four types of LGRs, type A evolved into type C LGRs later, and type A and C1 LGRs independently duplicated during the evolutionary process. This study provides a more comprehensive view of the evolution of LGR genes than previously available, and sheds light on the evolutionary history and significance of LGRs in insect biology.

Tracking of Ubiquitin Signaling through 3.5 Billion Years of Combinatorial Conjugation.

Ubiquitination is an evolutionary, ancient system of post-translational modification of proteins that occurs through a cascade involving ubiquitin activation, transfer, and conjugation. The maturation of this system has followed two main pathways. The first is the conservation of a universal structural fold of ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like proteins, which are present in both Archaea and Bacteria, as well as in multicellular Eukaryotes. The second is the rise of the complexity of the superfamily of ligases, which conjugate ubiquitin-like proteins to substrates, in terms of an increase in the number of enzyme variants, greater variation in structural organization, and the diversification of their catalytic domains. Here, we examine the diversity of the ubiquitination system among different organisms, assessing the variety and conservation of the key domains of the ubiquitination enzymes and ubiquitin itself. Our data show that E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes of metazoan phyla are highly conservative, whereas the homology of E3 ubiquitin ligases with human orthologues gradually decreases depending on "molecular clock" timing and evolutionary distance. Surprisingly, Chordata and Echinodermata, which diverged over 0.5 billion years ago during the Cambrian explosion, share almost the same homology with humans in the amino acid sequences of E3 ligases but not in their adaptor proteins. These observations may suggest that, firstly, the E2 superfamily already existed in its current form in the last common metazoan ancestor and was generally not affected by purifying selection in metazoans. Secondly, it may indicate convergent evolution of the ubiquitination system and highlight E3 adaptor proteins as the "upper deck" of the ubiquitination system, which plays a crucial role in chordate evolution.

Assessing patterns of metazoans in the global ocean using environmental DNA.

Documenting large-scale patterns of animals in the ocean and determining the drivers of these patterns is needed for conservation efforts given the unprecedented rates of change occurring within marine ecosystems. We used existing datasets from two global expeditions, Tara Oceans and Malaspina, that circumnavigated the oceans and sampled down to 4000 m to assess metazoans from environmental DNA (eDNA) extracted from seawater. We describe patterns of taxonomic richness within metazoan phyla and orders based on metabarcoding and infer the relative abundance of phyla using metagenome datasets, and relate these data to environmental variables. Arthropods had the greatest taxonomic richness of metazoan phyla at the surface, while cnidarians had the greatest richness in pelagic zones. Half of the marine metazoan eDNA from metagenome datasets was from arthropods, followed by cnidarians and nematodes. We found that mean surface temperature and primary productivity were positively related to metazoan taxonomic richness. Our findings concur with existing knowledge that temperature and primary productivity are important drivers of taxonomic richness for specific taxa at the ocean's surface, but these correlations are less evident in the deep ocean. Massive sequencing of eDNA can improve understanding of animal distributions, particularly for the deep ocean where sampling is challenging.

Pervasive conservation of intron number and other genetic elements revealed by a chromosome-level genomic assembly of the hyper-polymorphic nematode Caenorhabditis brenneri.

With within-species genetic diversity estimates that span the gambit of that seen across the entirety of animals, the Caenorhabditis genus of nematodes holds unique potential to provide insights into how population size and reproductive strategies influence gene and genome organization and evolution. Our study focuses on Caenorhabditis brenneri, currently known as one of the most genetically diverse nematodes within its genus and metazoan phyla. Here, we present a high-quality gapless genome assembly and annotation for C. brenneri, revealing a common nematode chromosome arrangement characterized by gene-dense central regions and repeat rich peripheral parts. Comparison of C. brenneri with other nematodes from the 'Elegans' group revealed conserved macrosynteny but a lack of microsynteny, characterized by frequent rearrangements and low correlation iof orthogroup sizes, indicative of high rates of gene turnover. We also assessed genome organization within corresponding syntenic blocks in selfing and outcrossing species, affirming that selfing species predominantly experience loss of both genes and intergenic DNA. Comparison of gene structures revealed strikingly small number of shared introns across species, yet consistent distributions of intron number and length, regardless of population size or reproductive mode, suggesting that their evolutionary dynamics are primarily reflective of functional constraints. Our study provides valuable insights into genome evolution and expands the nematode genome resources with the highly genetically diverse C. brenneri, facilitating research into various aspects of nematode biology and evolutionary processes.

Unveiling the hidden viromes across the animal tree of life: insights from a taxonomic classification pipeline applied to invertebrates of 31 metazoan phyla.

Invertebrates constitute the majority of animal species on Earth, including most disease-causing agents or vectors, with more diverse viromes when compared to vertebrates. Recent advancements in high-throughput sequencing have significantly expanded our understanding of invertebrate viruses, yet this knowledge remains biased toward a few well-studied animal lineages. In this study, we analyze invertebrate DNA and RNA viromes for 31 phyla using 417 publicly available RNA-Seq data sets from diverse environments in the marine-terrestrial and marine-freshwater gradients. This study aims to (i) estimate virome compositions at the family level for the first time across the animal tree of life, including the first exploration of the virome in several phyla, (ii) quantify the diversity of invertebrate viromes and characterize the structure of invertebrate-virus infection networks, and (iii) investigate host phylum and habitat influence on virome differences. Results showed that a set of few viral families of eukaryotes, comprising Retroviridae, Flaviviridae, and several families of giant DNA viruses, were ubiquitous and highly abundant. Nevertheless, some differences emerged between phyla, revealing for instance a less diverse virome in Ctenophora compared to the other animal phyla. Compositional analysis of the viromes showed that the host phylum explained over five times more variance in composition than its habitat. Moreover, significant similarities were observed between the viromes of some phylogenetically related phyla, which could highlight the influence of co-evolution in shaping invertebrate viromes.IMPORTANCEThis study significantly enhances our understanding of the global animal virome by characterizing the viromes of previously unexamined invertebrate lineages from a large number of animal phyla. It showcases the great diversity of viromes within each phylum and investigates the role of habitat shaping animal viral communities. Furthermore, our research identifies dominant virus families in invertebrates and distinguishes phyla with analogous viromes. This study sets the road toward a deeper understanding of the virome across the animal tree of life.

An evolutionary mechanism to assimilate new nutrient sensors into the mTORC1 pathway

Animals sense and respond to nutrient availability in their environments, a task coordinated in part by the mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway. mTORC1 regulates growth in response to nutrients and, in mammals, senses specific amino acids through specialized sensors that bind the GATOR1/2 signaling hub. Given that animals can occupy diverse niches, we hypothesized that the pathway might evolve distinct sensors in different metazoan phyla. Whether such customization occurs, and how the mTORC1 pathway might capture new inputs, is unknown. Here, we identify the Drosophila melanogaster protein Unmet expectations (CG11596) as a species-restricted methionine sensor that directly binds the fly GATOR2 complex in a fashion antagonized by S-adenosylmethionine (SAM). We find that in Dipterans GATOR2 rapidly evolved the capacity to bind Unmet and to thereby repurpose a previously independent methyltransferase as a SAM sensor. Thus, the modular architecture of the mTORC1 pathway allows it to co-opt preexisting enzymes to expand its nutrient sensing capabilities, revealing a mechanism for conferring evolvability on an otherwise conserved system.

New insight into the global record of the Ediacaran tubular morphotype: a common solution to early multicellularity.

The tubular morphogroup is a common component of Earth's first complex, multicellular communities-the Ediacaran biota-and offers valuable insight into biological traits that are fundamental to animal life because they have intriguing links to metazoan phyla and are highly abundant in Ediacaran ecosystems. Biomineral tubes (e.g. Cloudina) are well described from the Nama assemblage (~550-538 Myr), yielding a relatively detailed understanding of this subset of the morphogroup. Conversely, the non-biomineral tubular taxa of the Nama assemblage, as well as of the older White Sea assemblage (~560-550 Myr), are poorly understood. As a result, the variability of characters that define non-biomineral tubular organisms is unknown and their diversity dynamics throughout the terminal Ediacaran are unconstrained. To test hypotheses related to the diversity, morphological variability and temporal distribution of non-biomineral tubes, a comprehensive database of non-biomineral Ediacaran tubular taxa was compiled. Results demonstrate previously unrecognized morphological disparity in the non-biomineral tubular morphogroup and reveal that it comprises a higher number of genera than all other non-tubular morphogroups in the White Sea and the Nama. Thus, it illustrates that a tubular form dominated Ediacaran ecosystems for considerably longer than previously appreciated and, importantly, was the most common solution to early multicellularity.

Capturing drifting species and molecules—Lessons learned from integrated approaches to assess marine metazoan diversity in highly dynamic waters

AbstractMarine community diversity surveys require a reliable assessment to estimate ecosystem functions and their dynamics. For these, non‐invasive environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding is increasingly applied in zoological studies to complement or even replace traditional morphological identification methods. However, uncertainties remain about the accuracy of the diversity detected with eDNA to capture the actual diversity in the field. Here, we validate the reliability of eDNA metabarcoding in identifying metazoan biodiversity in highly dynamic marine waters of the North Sea. We analyzed biodiversity from water (eDNA) and zooplankton samples with cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) and 18S rRNA (18S) metabarcoding at Helgoland Roads and validated the optimal molecular resolution by morphological and molecular zooplankton identification (metabarcoding) with the result of merely a few false‐negative detections. eDNA and zooplankton metabarcoding resolved 354 species from all major and in total 16 metazoan phyla. This molecular genetic species inventory overlapped by 95.9% (COI) and 81.9% (18S) with published inventories of local, morphologically identified species, among them neozoa and rediscovered species. Even though half of all species were detected by both eDNA and zooplankton metabarcoding, the methods differed significantly in their detected diversity. eDNA metabarcoding performed very well in cnidarians and annelids, whereas zooplankton metabarcoding identified higher numbers of fish and malacostraca. Species assemblages significantly differed between the individual sampling events and the cumulative number of identified species increased steadily over the sampling period and did not reach saturation. About a third of the species were detected only once while a core community of 22 species was identified continuously. Our study confirms eDNA metabarcoding to be a powerful tool to identify and analyze North Sea fauna in highly dynamic waters and we recommend investing in high sampling efforts by repetitive sampling and replication using at least 0.45 μm filters to increase filtration volume.

Left-Right Reversal Recurrently Evolved Regardless of Diaphanous-Related Formin Gene Duplication or Loss in Snails.

Bilateria exhibit whole-body handedness in internal structure. This left-right polarity is evolutionarily conserved with virtually no reversed extant lineage, except in molluscan Gastropoda. Phylogenetically independent snail groups contain both clockwise-coiled (dextral) and counterclockwise-coiled (sinistral) taxa that are reversed from each other in bilateral handedness as well as in coiling direction. Within freshwater Hygrophila, Lymnaea with derived dextrality have diaphanous related formin (diaph) gene duplicates, while basal sinistral groups possess one diaph gene. In terrestrial Stylommatophora, dextral Bradybaena also have diaph duplicates. Defective maternal expression of one of those duplicates gives rise to sinistral hatchlings in Lymnaea and handedness-mixed broods in Bradybaena, through polarity change in spiral cleavage of embryos. These findings led to the hypothesis that diaph duplication was crucial for the evolution of dextrality by reversal. The present study discovered that diaph duplication independently occurred four times and its duplicate became lost twice in gastropods. The dextrality of Bradybaena represents the ancestral handedness conserved across gastropods, unlike the derived dextrality of Lymnaea. Sinistral lineages recurrently evolved by reversal regardless of whether diaph had been duplicated. Amongst the seven formin gene subfamilies, diaph has most thoroughly been conserved across eukaryotes of the 14 metazoan phyla and choanoflagellate. Severe embryonic mortalities resulting from insufficient expression of the duplicate in both of Bradybaena and Lymnaea also support that diaph duplicates bare general roles for cytoskeletal dynamics other than controlling spiralian handedness. Our study rules out the possibility that diaph duplication or loss played a primary role for reversal evolution.

CGLRs are a diverse family of pattern recognition receptors in innate immunity

Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) is an enzyme in human cells that controls an immune response to cytosolic DNA. Upon binding DNA, cGAS synthesizes a nucleotide signal 2'3'-cGAMP that activates STING-dependent downstream immunity. Here, we discover that cGAS-like receptors (cGLRs) constitute a major family of pattern recognition receptors in innate immunity. Building on recent analysis in Drosophila, we identify >3,000 cGLRs present in nearly all metazoan phyla. A forward biochemical screening of 150 animal cGLRs reveals a conserved mechanism of signaling including response to dsDNA and dsRNA ligands and synthesis of isomers of the nucleotide signals cGAMP, c-UMP-AMP, and c-di-AMP. Combining structural biology and invivo analysis in coral and oyster animals, we explain how synthesis of distinct nucleotide signals enables cells to control discrete cGLR-STING signaling pathways. Our results reveal cGLRs as a widespread family of pattern recognition receptors and establish molecular rules that govern nucleotide signaling in animal immunity.

The compact genome of the sponge Oopsacas minuta (Hexactinellida) is lacking key metazoan core genes

BackgroundExplaining the emergence of the hallmarks of bilaterians is a central focus of evolutionary developmental biology—evodevo—and evolutionary genomics. For this purpose, we must both expand and also refine our knowledge of non-bilaterian genomes, especially by studying early branching animals, in particular those in the metazoan phylum Porifera.ResultsWe present a comprehensive analysis of the first whole genome of a glass sponge, Oopsacas minuta, a member of the Hexactinellida. Studying this class of sponge is evolutionary relevant because it differs from the three other Porifera classes in terms of development, tissue organization, ecology, and physiology. Although O. minuta does not exhibit drastic body simplifications, its genome is among the smallest of animal genomes sequenced so far, and surprisingly lacks several metazoan core genes (including Wnt and several key transcription factors). Our study also provides the complete genome of a symbiotic Archaea dominating the associated microbial community: a new Thaumarchaeota species.ConclusionsThe genome of the glass sponge O. minuta differs from all other available sponge genomes by its compactness and smaller number of encoded proteins. The unexpected loss of numerous genes previously considered ancestral and pivotal for metazoan morphogenetic processes most likely reflects the peculiar syncytial tissue organization in this group. Our work further documents the importance of convergence during animal evolution, with multiple convergent evolution of septate-like junctions, electrical-signaling and multiciliated cells in metazoans.

On the origin and evolution of RNA editing in metazoans.

Extensive adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) editing of nuclear-transcribed mRNAs is the hallmark of metazoan transcriptional regulation. Here, by profiling the RNA editomes of 22 species that cover major groups of Holozoa, we provide substantial evidence supporting A-to-I mRNA editing as a regulatory innovation originating in the last common ancestor of extant metazoans. This ancient biochemistry process is preserved in most extant metazoan phyla and primarily targets endogenous double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) formed by evolutionarily young repeats. We also find intermolecular pairing of sense-antisense transcripts as an important mechanism for forming dsRNA substrates for A-to-I editing in some but not all lineages. Likewise, recoding editing is rarely shared across lineages but preferentially targets genes involved in neural and cytoskeleton systems in bilaterians. We conclude that metazoan A-to-I editing might first emerge as a safeguard mechanism against repeat-derived dsRNA and was later co-opted into diverse biological processes due to its mutagenic nature.

Fibrous or Prismatic? A Comparison of the Lamello-Fibrillar Nacre in Early Cambrian and Modern Lophotrochozoans.

The Precambrian-Cambrian interval saw the first appearance of disparate modern metazoan phyla equipped with a wide array of mineralized exo- and endo-skeletons. However, the current knowledge of this remarkable metazoan skeletonization bio-event and its environmental interactions is limited because uncertainties have persisted in determining the mineralogy, microstructure, and hierarchical complexity of these earliest animal skeletons. This study characterizes in detail a previously poorly understood fibrous microstructure-the lamello-fibrillar (LF) nacre-in early Cambrian mollusk and hyolith shells and compares it with shell microstructures in modern counterparts (coleoid cuttlebones and serpulid tubes). This comparative study highlights key differences in the LF nacre amongst different lophotrochozoan groups in terms of mineralogical compositions and architectural organization of crystals. The results demonstrate that the LF nacre is a microstructural motif confined to the Mollusca. This study demonstrates that similar fibrous microstructure in Cambrian mollusks and hyoliths actually represent a primitive type of prismatic microstructure constituted of calcitic prisms. Revision of these fibrous microstructures in Cambrian fossils demonstrates that calcitic shells are prevalent in the so-called aragonite sea of the earliest Cambrian. This has important implications for understanding the relationship between seawater chemistry and skeletal mineralogy at the time when skeletons were first acquired by early lophotrochozoan biomineralizers.

Existence Of A Latent Developmental Program: Revisiting The Universal Genome Model Of Evolution Of Metazoa

Abstract In 2007, I published a hypothesis about mechanisms of evolution of large taxonomic groups of the Kingdom Animalia, which was based on advances in paleontology genome analysis, genetics and embryology that are difficult to understand within Darwinian intuition. According to this model that I called a Universal Genome hypothesis: (a) the Universal Genome that encodes major developmental programs essential for various phyla of Metazoa emerged in a unicellular or a primitive multicellular common ancestral organism shortly before the Cambrian period; (b) The Metazoan phyla, all having similar gene sets, are nonetheless very morphologically distinct because each utilize specific combinations of developmental programs. A highly counterintuitive prediction of this idea, which strictly dissociates it from the classical evolutionary model, is that latent developmental programs should exist in genomes of lower Metazoan taxa. These latent programs control the development of organs and other morphologies that would emerge in evolutionary higher taxa. Potentially such programs could be activated by mutations or application of signaling molecules, and thus be revealed in lower taxa. A paper on the embryology of fins published in the Cell journal provides an evidence for existence of such a latent developmental program. Here I comment of this discovery and its implication in our understanding of evolution.

Reversible shifts between interstitial and epibenthic habitats in evolutionary history: Molecular phylogeny of the marine flatworm family Boniniidae (Platyhelminthes: Polycladida: Cotylea) with descriptions of two new species.

Tiny animals in various metazoan phyla inhabit the interstices between sand and/or gravel grains, and adaptive traits in their body plan, such as simplification and size reduction, have attracted research attention. Several possible explanations of how such animals colonized interstitial habitats have been proposed, but their adaptation to this environment has generally been regarded as irreversible. However, the actual evolutionary transitions are not well understood in almost all taxa. In the present study, we show reversible evolutionary shifts from interstitial to epibenthic habitats in the lineage of the polyclad flatworm genus Boninia. In addition, we establish two new species of this genus found from different microhabitats on a single beach in Okinawa Island, Japan: (i) the interstitial species Boninia uru sp. nov. from gravelly sediments and (ii) the epibenthic species Boninia yambarensis sp. nov. from rock undersurfaces. Our observations suggest that rigid microhabitat segregation exists between these two species. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on the partial 18S and 28S rDNA sequences of the new Boninia species and four other congeners, for which molecular sequences were available in public databases [Boninia antillara (epibenthic), Boninia divae (epibenthic), Boninia neotethydis (interstitial), and an unidentified Boninia sp. (habitat indeterminate)], revealed that the two interstitial species (B. neotethydis and B. uru sp. nov.) were not monophyletic among the three epibenthic species. According to ancestral state reconstruction analysis, the last common ancestor of the analyzed Boninia species inhabited interstitial realms, and a shift to the epibenthic environment occurred at least once. Such an "interstitial to noninterstitial" evolutionary route seems to be rare among Animalia; to date, it has been reported only in acochlidian slugs in the clade Hedylopsacea. Our phylogenetic tree also showed that the sympatric B. uru sp. nov. and B. yambarensis sp. nov. were not in a sister relationship, indicating that they colonized the same beach independently rather than descended in situ from a common ancestor that migrated and settled at the beach.