Unravelling the neuroendocrine signalling pathways guiding the developmental transition of marine invertebrate larval settlement

揭示指导海洋无脊椎动物幼体定居发育转变的神经内分泌信号通路

• 批准号: BB/T00990X/1
• 负责人: Elizabeth Williams
• 金额: $ 127.63万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Fellowship
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2020 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=BB%2FT00990X%2F1
• 关键词: Unravelling; neuroendocrine; signalling; pathways; guiding

Many marine invertebrates have a life cycle with a free-swimming larva that spends time in the plankton before settling to the sea floor. Here, the larva undergoes metamorphosis to its adult form. Larval settlement and metamorphosis is an excellent example of the important role that environment can play during animal development, since for many larvae, this process is initiated by specific environmental cues. While the regulation of insect, frog and fish metamorphosis is well known, metamorphosis occurs in at least 15 other animal groups. To fully understand how the environment regulates development, we need to investigate the external cues and internal neuroendocrine signalling that guide metamorphosis beyond insects and vertebrates, and in different environments. Currently we lack a complete understanding of the settlement process, from environmental cue to internal signalling, in any marine invertebrate.In my research at the University of Exeter, I will explore how larvae detect specific environmental cues which activate internal neuroendocrine signalling. I will use the marine worm, Platynereis dumerilii, as my main research organism due to its ease of culture in the lab, the availability of molecular tools and resources in this species, and the wealth of prior knowledge regarding its larval settlement that I can build on. Previous data shows that Platynereis are induced to settle by microalgae known as diatoms, and that a neuronal signalling molecule known as myoinhibitory peptide (MIP) regulates larval settlement behaviour. My research project has four main aims: 1. Characterize the response of Platynereis larvae to diatom cues.In collaboration with Dr Glen Wheeler and Dr Katherine Helliwell at the Marine Biological Association, Plymouth, I will test the response of Platynereis larvae to a variety of diatom species and extracts. I will also measure the neuronal activity of individual larvae exposed to diatoms to identify the larval cells responsible for detecting these cues.Aim 2. Determine whether MIP is linked to the detection of diatom cues.Using recent advances in genome editing technology, I will generate mutant Platynereis larvae that lack either MIP, or one of its two receptors. I will measure the response of mutant larvae to diatoms to test the hypothesis that if MIP signalling is directly activated by diatoms, then mutant larvae will not respond to the diatoms.Aim 3. Determine if MIP induces larval settlement in other marine invertebrates.In collaboration with Dr Rob Ellis at the University of Exeter, I will test whether synthetic MIP treatment induces larval settlement and metamorphosis in a prawn, mussel and oyster species used in local aquaculture. This will establish whether the function of MIP was conserved during the evolution of different marine invertebrates. Aim 4. Identify the downstream neuroendocrine signalling regulated by MIP to control Platynereis larval settlement. Using largescale sequencing of expressed genes, I will identify genes that are activated or repressed by MIP signalling and diatom exposure, providing insight into the physiological changes occurring at settlement. Thyroid hormone has long been suspected to play a role in marine invertebrate larval settlement. In collaboration with Professor Vincent Laudet at the Oceanological Institute of Banyuls-sur-mer, France, I will measure changes in thyroid hormone levels during larval settlement to investigate whether it is a regulator of settlement. Understanding of the importance of different microhabitats as inducers of larval settlement, and identifying downstream hormonal signalling pathways, can be exploited to induce or deter larval settlement. This knowledge has the potential to provide insights into improving invertebrate aquaculture productivity and developing novel antifouling strategies. Project findings may also assist in the repopulation of declining natural marine habitats with key invertebrates.

许多海洋无脊椎动物都有一个自由游动的幼虫的生命周期，在沉降到海底之前，它会在浮游生物中度过一段时间。在这里，幼虫经历蜕变成成虫的过程。幼虫的定居和变态是环境在动物发育过程中发挥重要作用的一个很好的例子，因为对许多幼虫来说，这一过程是由特定的环境线索启动的。虽然昆虫、青蛙和鱼类的变态规律是众所周知的，但变态至少发生在其他15种动物群体中。为了充分了解环境如何调节发育，我们需要研究昆虫和脊椎动物以外以及不同环境下指导变态的外部线索和内部神经内分泌信号。目前，我们对海洋无脊椎动物从环境信号到内部信号的沉降过程缺乏全面的了解。在我在埃克塞特大学的研究中，我将探索幼虫如何检测激活内部神经内分泌信号的特定环境线索。我将使用海洋蠕虫，Platynereis dumerilii，作为我的主要研究生物，因为它易于在实验室培养，分子工具和资源的可用性，以及关于其幼虫定居的丰富的先验知识，我可以建立。先前的数据表明，Platynereis被称为硅藻的微藻诱导定居，并且被称为肌抑制肽（MIP）的神经信号分子调节幼虫的定居行为。我的研究项目有四个主要目的：1。表征Platynereis幼虫对硅藻线索的反应。我将与普利茅斯海洋生物协会的Glen Wheeler博士和Katherine Helliwell博士合作，测试Platynereis幼虫对各种硅藻种类和提取物的反应。我还将测量接触硅藻的个体幼虫的神经元活动，以确定负责探测这些线索的幼虫细胞。目标2。确定MIP是否与硅藻线索的检测有关。利用最新的基因组编辑技术，我将产生突变的Platynereis幼虫，缺乏MIP或其两个受体中的一个。我将测量突变体幼虫对硅藻的反应，以验证如果MIP信号被硅藻直接激活，那么突变体幼虫将不会对硅藻做出反应的假设。目标3。确定MIP是否诱导其他海洋无脊椎动物的幼虫定居。我将与埃克塞特大学的罗布·埃利斯博士合作，测试在当地水产养殖中使用的对虾、贻贝和牡蛎物种中，合成MIP处理是否会诱导幼虫定居和变态。这将确定MIP的功能在不同海洋无脊椎动物的进化过程中是否被保留。目标4。确定MIP调控的下游神经内分泌信号，控制沙蚕幼虫沉降。通过对表达基因进行大规模测序，我将确定受MIP信号和硅藻暴露激活或抑制的基因，从而深入了解定居时发生的生理变化。长期以来，人们一直怀疑甲状腺激素在海洋无脊椎动物幼虫定居中起作用。我将与法国Banyuls-sur-mer海洋研究所的Vincent Laudet教授合作，测量幼虫沉降期间甲状腺激素水平的变化，以研究它是否是沉降的调节剂。了解不同微生境作为幼虫定居诱导剂的重要性，并确定下游激素信号通路，可以用来诱导或阻止幼虫定居。这一知识有可能为提高无脊椎动物水产养殖生产力和开发新的防污策略提供见解。项目的研究结果也可能有助于主要无脊椎动物的自然海洋栖息地的重新繁殖。

项目成果

Function and Distribution of the Wamide Neuropeptide Superfamily in Metazoans.

Wamide 神经肽超家族在后生动物中的功能和分布。

• DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.00344
• 发表时间: 2020
• 期刊: Frontiers in endocrinology
• 影响因子: 5.2
• 作者: Williams EA

The Nereid on the rise: Platynereis as a model system.

• DOI: 10.1186/s13227-021-00180-3
• 发表时间: 2021-09-27
• 期刊: EvoDevo
• 影响因子: 4.1
• 作者: Özpolat BD;Randel N;Williams EA;Bezares-Calderón LA;Andreatta G;Balavoine G;Bertucci PY;Ferrier DEK;Gambi MC;Gazave E;Handberg-Thorsager M;Hardege J;Hird C;Hsieh YW;Hui J;Mutemi KN;Schneider SQ;Simakov O;Vergara HM;Vervoort M;Jékely G;Tessmar-Raible K;Raible F;Arendt D
• 通讯作者: Arendt D

Microalgal biofilm induces larval settlement in the model marine worm Platynereis dumerilii

• DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.23.576855
• 发表时间: 2024-01
• 期刊: bioRxiv
• 作者: Cameron Hird;G. Jékely;Elizabeth A. Williams

Editorial: The Evolution of Neuropeptides - a Stroll Through the Animal Kingdom: Updates From the Ottawa 2019 ICCPB Symposium and Beyond.

社论：神经肽的进化 - 动物王国漫步：渥太华 2019 年 ICCPB 研讨会及其他会议的最新动态。

• DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.00508
• 发表时间: 2020
• 期刊: Frontiers in endocrinology
• 影响因子: 5.2
• 作者: Hoffmann KH