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Selective accumulation of germ‐line associated gene products in early development of the sea star and distinct differences from germ‐line development in the sea urchin
Author(s) -
Fresques Tara,
ZazuetaNovoa Vanesa,
Reich Adrian,
Wessel Gary M.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
developmental dynamics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.634
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1097-0177
pISSN - 1058-8388
DOI - 10.1002/dvdy.24038
Subject(s) - biology , sea urchin , germ line development , germline , starfish , germ plasm , germ cell , strongylocentrotus purpuratus , gene , mechanism (biology) , evolutionary biology , germ theory of disease , embryogenesis , embryo , developmental biology , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , ecology , philosophy , epistemology
Background : Echinodermata is a diverse phylum, a sister group to chordates, and contains diverse organisms that may be useful to understand varied mechanisms of germ‐line specification. Results: We tested 23 genes in development of the sea star Patiria miniata that fall into five categories: (1) Conserved germ‐line factors; (2) Genes involved in the inductive mechanism of germ‐line specification; (3) Germ‐line associated genes; (4) Molecules involved in left–right asymmetry; and (5) Genes involved in regulation and maintenance of the genome during early embryogenesis. Overall, our results support the contention that the posterior enterocoel is a source of the germ line in the sea star P. miniata . Conclusions: The germ line in this organism appears to be specified late in embryogenesis, and in a pattern more consistent with inductive interactions amongst cells. This is distinct from the mechanism seen in sea urchins, a close relative of the sea star clad. We propose that P. miniata may serve as a valuable model to study inductive mechanisms of germ‐cell specification and when compared with germ‐line formation in the sea urchin S. purpuratus may reveal developmental transitions that occur in the evolution of inherited and inductive mechanisms of germ‐line specification. Developmental Dynamics 243:568–587, 2014 . © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.