Ectopic head regeneration after nervous system ablation in a sea anemone Via genetic ablation of neurons, Mazloumi Gavgani et al. show that the nervous system is essential for defining axial polarity during whole-body regeneration in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis.

Our paper on the role of neurons in Nematostella head regeneration is now out at @currentbiology.bsky.social Big thank you to all collaborators, it was a pleasure!

Ectopic head regeneration after nervous system ablation in a sea anemone: Current Biology www.cell.com/current-biol...

Glad to see our phoronid genome study featured on the cover of @currentbiology.bsky.social! It shows how genome structure can be used to test competing hypotheses of nested topology and how derived structural changes provide evidence for monophyly.

www.cell.com/current-biol...

Here we go again 😄

Metamorphosis in Schizocardium californicum drives dramatic reorganization of cell types, with adult structures forming through transcriptional reprogramming of larval cells rather than their wholesale replacement.

@paul.bump.bsky.social
@lowelab.bsky.social

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Single-nucleus profiling highlights the all-brain echinoderm nervous system A sea urchin is a head with a brain-like organization and a vertebrate-type retinal signature.

Our study, just published in #ScienceAdvances and funded by @hfspo.bsky.social, explores the post metamorphic cell composition of the sea urchin juvenile, revealing that its body is head-like. Long considered brainless creatures, they’re all brain instead!
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Woop-woop! Congratulations!

Sea star embryo development. Blimp1 mRNA expression localizes at the oocyte's vegetal site, similar to Vasa and Wnt, important genes for germline formation.

#DBfeature #EvoDevo

mRNA splicing variants of the transcription factor Blimp1 differentially regulate germline genes in echinoderms

"Each Blimp1 isoform has distinct functions within & between species"

by Gerardo Reyes, Nathalie Oulhen, Gary Wessel
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

More pictures of the brilliance that is (lab manager) Aida de la Cruz with her creation.

A nice survey of membrane tags in a variety of EvoDevo models (also featuring Nematostella). Thanks to @michalis-averof.bsky.social for the invitation.

Figure 8 - Working model for regeneration in H. diminuta. Overlapping regions at the head (blue bars) play two contrasting roles: proliferation and proglottidization rate are negatively regulated whereas GR maintenance is positively regulated. βcat1 expression is posteriorly biased and βcat1 is necessary to maintain stem cells in the GR, which are required for proglottid regeneration. Expression of sfrp is anteriorly biased and sfrp is necessary to maintain GR length. Signals that may link the head/brain/anterior GR to βcat1 and sfrp expression or activity remain to be identified. Serial amputation within the GR revealed increased failure to regenerate the GR and proglottids (yellow cross) at intermediate distances forming a tipping point zone that is refractory to regeneration (black shading). Both smaller and larger fragments amputated outside of the black region regenerated equivalently (green ticks).

Signals from the head and germinative region differentially regulate regeneration competence of the tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta

Read this #LifelongDevSI #OA Research Article by Elise McCollough Nanista, Tania Rozario & colleagues @ugaresearch.bsky.social:

journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...

We are happy to share our latest work in @nature.com . We study the genomic and cellular basis of facultative symbiosis in Oculina patagonica - a Mediterranean coral remarkable for its ability to survive long periods without algal symbionts. Led by Shani Levy and @xgrau.bsky.social
rdcu.be/eLbaZ

Congratulations, Océane!

Cool-cool-cool

Hi, can someone point me to good commercial polyclonal anti-FMRF amide antibody, which is not from rabbit? Ideally, tested on cnidarians. Thanks in advance!

Dual Bmp-negative feedback loops modulate function of both AER and ZPA to buffer and constrain postaxial digit number | PNAS Several lines of evidence indicate that posterior (postaxial) digit number in tetrapod vertebrates is constrained to the pentadactyl state by inter...

www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Notch coordinates self-organization of germ layers and axial polarity in cnidarian gastruloids Dissociation and reaggregation experiments in several animal systems have revealed the stunning capacity of self-organization. Reaggregated early gastrula cells (here called gastruloids) of the sea an...

Sanjay's amazing story is available on www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... Congratulations to @sanjay-n.bsky.social, @ulrichtechnau.bsky.social and everyone else 🎉

Congratulations Venky!

Congratulations to Dr. Paul Knabl @paulknabl.bsky.social Fantastic work and excellent defense!

Congratulations! 🎉

I don't know about "twice". My memory is crappier...

β-catenin-driven endomesoderm specification is a Bilateria-specific novelty - Nature Communications Lebedeva et al. show that unlike Bilateria, the embryo of the cnidarian Nematostella specifies its endomesoderm in the β-catenin-negative domain. In contrast, subsequent β-catenin-dependent axial patt...

Thanks Max (although it's primarily @emmanuelhaillot.bsky.social who deserves the congratulations here). May I suggest that you also look at this paper www.nature.com/articles/s41... - the fit together really well.

Segregation of endoderm and mesoderm germ layer identities in the diploblast Nematostella vectensis - Nature Communications Recent work suggested that diploblast embryos (Cnidaria) may have germ layers that are similar to those seen in bilaterians, but how these are specified remained unclear. Here, they use scRNA-seq and ...

www.nature.com/articles/s41... Cool paper by @emmanuelhaillot.bsky.social et al. from Uli Technau's group. @tclebedeva.bsky.social and I were also involved 🙃

The genomic origin of the unique chaetognath body plan - Nature Genomic, single-cell transcriptomic and epigenetic analyses show that chaetognaths, following extensive gene loss in the gnathiferan lineage, relied on newly evolved genes and lineage-specific tandem duplications, not caused by a whole-genome duplication event, to shape their distinctive body plan.

Nature research paper: The genomic origin of the unique chaetognath body plan

go.nature.com/3HAsyyV

Loss of Twist impairs tentacle development and induces epithelial neoplasia in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis The basic helix-loop helix transcription factor Twist plays diverse roles in mesodermal development across bilaterians, but its function in cnidarians remains unclear. Here, we investigate the role of...

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Depletion of a neural cell adhesion molecule disrupts both epithelial and germ layer identity in sea anemone embryos Assembly of cells into epithelial layers marks the early steps of tissue organization and embryonic development in most animals. Although several conserved proteins are known to be essential for epith...

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Ctenophores possess a unique aboral organ that acts as a multisensory center, controlling complex behaviors. We’ve now created a ctenophore model integrated with our 3D volume EM data. Puts it into perspective.

Check out our recent work here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

#ctenophores #volumeEM

Gastruloids employ an alternative morphogenetic route to generate a posterior body axis on adherent substrates Morphogenesis emerges from the integration of genetic programs with environmental signals, yet studying this interplay in embryos remains challenging due to the inherent complexity of embryonic system...

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

From genes to patterns: five key dynamical systems concepts to decode developmental regulatory mechanisms Summary: Dynamical systems theory provides a powerful quantitative and intuitive framework to understand developmental processes. This Primer brings key concepts of this framework to the ever-growing ...

A Summer reading recommendation: new primer in @dev-journal.bsky.social explains how dynamical systems theory unlocks the logic of developmental patterning

Everything from bistable switches & oscillators to phase portraits & more with Python code to explore

journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...

Assistant Curator of Invertebrate Zoology, Careers At Field Museum Position Assistant Curator of Invertebrate Zoology FLSA Status Exempt Department Negaunee Integrative Research Center Our Mission Since the 1893 World Columbian Exposition our organization has aimed...

A rare job opportunity for Invertebrate Zoology: fieldmuseum.hrmdirect.com/employment/j...

BEHOLD! One of Earth's greatest lineages of life: the lil wiggle arm guys, Meteora.

These single-celled critters, originally found in deep-sea sediments, are SO DIFFERENT from other lifeforms on Earth that they're likely in their own kingdom (as in, the Animal Kingdom, the Plant Kingdom etc). 🧪🌿