Knockout of a single Sox gene resurrects an ancestral cell type in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis.
Knockout of a single Sox gene resurrects an ancestral cell type in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis.
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敲除单个 Sox 基因可以使海葵 Nematostella vectensis 的祖先细胞类型复活。
DOI:
10.1101/2021.09.30.462561
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发表时间:
2021
期刊:
影响因子:
--
通讯作者:
Babonis, L.S.
中科院分区:
文献类型:
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作者:
Babonis, L.S.
Cnidocytes are the explosive stinging cells found only in cnidarians (corals, jellyfish, etc). Specialized for prey capture and defense, cnidocytes are morphologically complex and vary widely in form and function across taxa; how such diversity evolved is unknown. Using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing in the burrowing sea anemoneNematostella vectensis, we show that a single transcription factor (NvSox2) acts as a binary switch between two alternative cnidocyte fates. Knockout ofNvSox2caused a complete transformation of nematocytes (piercing cells) into spirocytes (ensnaring cells). The type of spirocyte induced byNvSox2knockout (robust spirocyte) is not normally found inN. vectensisbut is common in sea anemones from other habitats. Homeotic control of cell fate provides a mechanistic explanation for the discontinuous distribution of cnidocyte types across cnidarians and demonstrates how simple counts of cell types can underestimate biodiversity.