Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2026
08:33
An Ex vivo Culture System to Study Thyroid Development
Published on: June 6, 2014
Chordate metamorphosis: ancient control by iodothyronines
1Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1048, USA. rdenver@umich.edu
Current Biology : CB
|July 9, 2008
Summary
Thyroid hormones, known as iodothyronines, trigger metamorphosis in amphioxus, a marine invertebrate. This discovery suggests that thyroid hormone signaling is an ancient chordate trait.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- The role of thyroid hormones in vertebrate development is well-established.
- The presence and function of thyroid hormone receptors in invertebrate chordates, like amphioxus, remain largely unexplored.
Discussion:
- This study identifies iodothyronines as key inducers of metamorphosis in amphioxus.
- A receptor homologous to vertebrate thyroid hormone receptors mediates this response.
- This finding suggests a conserved mechanism of metamorphosis across chordates.
Key Insights:
- Iodothyronines directly induce metamorphosis in the cephalochordate amphioxus.
- Amphioxus possesses a thyroid hormone receptor-like protein.
- Metamorphosis induced by iodothyronines may represent an ancestral chordate characteristic.
Outlook:
- Further research can elucidate the precise molecular pathways involved in amphioxus metamorphosis.
- Comparative studies can explore the evolutionary origins of thyroid hormone signaling in chordates.
- Investigating other invertebrate chordates can reveal the broader distribution of this ancestral trait.
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