Evolution and development of glial cells in Platynereis dumerilii (Annelida)

Platynereis dumerilii (Annelida) 胶质细胞的进化和发育

• 批准号: 456050929
• 负责人: Dr. Conrad Helm
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Abteilung Biodiversität und Evolution der Tiere
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Research Grants
• 资助国家: 德国
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/456050929?language=en
• 关键词: Evolution; development; glial; cells; Platynereis

The evolutionary origin of animal nervous systems is a highly relevant and still intensely debated topic. Specifically, the question whether complex centralized nervous systems evolved once or several times independently during bilaterian evolution remains unanswered so far. Interestingly, most of the investigations dealing with this topic in the past solely focussed on characteristics of the neuronal cells. So far, they leave out another important cell type, which is known to be present in most bilaterian nervous systems – the glia cells. Interestingly, numerous recent studies have shown that glial cells are as important for the nervous system function and development as the neurons themselves. Nevertheless, it is still unknown whether glial cells in deuterostomes and protostomes – the two main clades of Nephrozoa – share a common origin or have evolved convergently. Furthermore, a consistent nomenclature of glia cell types is still missing due to the lack of data and homology statements. With the work on Drosophila (Ecdysozoa) and mammals (Deuterostomia), data on glial cell function and gene expression are so far only available for two of the tree main clades of Nephrozoa. Notably, data for Lophotrochozoa – the third important nephrozoan main clade - are still missing. Hence, comprehensive datasets for Lophotrochozoa are highly needed to understand the evolution of bilaterian glia cells. To gain insights into glia cell diversity in Lophotrochozoa, I therefore propose to work on glia cells and their development in the model annelid Platynereis dumerilii. For this purpose, I want to use comprehensive methods including in situ hybridization techniques and immunohistochemical stainings with customized as well as standard antibodies. Furthermore, we want to apply ImmunoGold labelling, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and subsequent 3D analyses on ultrastructural level to investigate the glia cells, their ultrastructure as well as their fate in different stages of Platynereis. With this broad approach, the project will provide highly needed data, a set of lophotrochozoan glia relevant genes and glia specific customized antibodies and first insights into lophotrochozoan glia evolution. Furthermore, we will build up the backbone for further comparative approaches in glia cell research. Additionally, this project will allow a clarification concerning the homology of glia cells in Bilateria in general.

动物神经系统的进化起源是一个高度相关且仍有激烈争论的话题。具体来说，复杂的中央神经系统是否在两侧对称进化过程中独立进化一次或多次的问题至今仍未得到解答。有趣的是，过去处理这个主题的大多数研究都只关注神经元细胞的特征。到目前为止，他们遗漏了另一种重要的细胞类型，已知存在于大多数双侧神经系统中-胶质细胞。有趣的是，最近的许多研究表明，神经胶质细胞对神经系统功能和神经元本身的发育同样重要。然而，它仍然是未知的神经胶质细胞在后口动物和原口动物-两个主要分支的肾形虫-共享一个共同的起源或已收敛进化。此外，由于缺乏数据和同源性陈述，仍然缺少胶质细胞类型的一致命名法。随着对果蝇（蜕皮动物门）和哺乳动物（半口动物门）的研究，到目前为止，关于神经胶质细胞功能和基因表达的数据只适用于肾形动物门的两个主要分支。值得注意的是，Lophotrochozoa -第三个重要的肾动物主要分支-的数据仍然缺失。因此，非常需要Lophotrochozoa的全面数据集来了解双侧神经胶质细胞的进化。为了深入了解神经胶质细胞的多样性Lophotrochozoa，因此，我建议工作的神经胶质细胞和他们的发展模式环节动物Platynereis dumerilii。为此，我想使用全面的方法，包括原位杂交技术和免疫组织化学染色与定制以及标准抗体。此外，我们希望应用免疫胶体金标记，透射电子显微镜（TEM）和随后的三维分析在超微结构水平上研究胶质细胞，它们的超微结构以及它们在不同阶段的命运。通过这种广泛的方法，该项目将提供急需的数据，一组lophotrochozoan神经胶质相关基因和神经胶质特异性定制抗体，并首次深入了解lophotrochozoan神经胶质进化。此外，我们将建立骨干神经胶质细胞研究的进一步比较方法。此外，该项目将允许澄清有关的同源性神经胶质细胞在Bilateria一般。