Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 15, 2026

Single-cell Microinjection for Cell Communication Analysis
Published on: February 26, 2017
Developmental cell-cell communication pathways in the cephalochordate amphioxus: actors and functions
Stephanie Bertrand1, Yann Le Petillon, Ildikó M L Somorjai
1Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins (BIOM), Observatoire Océanologique, Banyuls/Mer, France.
Cell-cell communication pathways like Hedgehog (Hh) and Wingless/Int (Wnt) are crucial for embryonic development. This review explores their roles in amphioxus, offering insights into chordate evolution and morphological diversity.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Genomics
Background:
- Cell-cell communication is fundamental for metazoan embryonic development, relying on conserved signaling pathways.
- Understanding the evolution of these pathways is key to explaining animal morphological diversity.
- Chordates, including vertebrates and cephalochordates (amphioxus), provide a model for studying ancestral traits and evolutionary changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current knowledge on major cell-cell communication pathways in amphioxus embryonic development.
- To compare pathway functions between cephalochordates and vertebrates to infer ancestral chordate characteristics.
- To highlight the role of these pathways in the evolution of chordate morphology.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of published studies on cell-cell communication pathways in amphioxus.
- Focus on the expression and function of Hedgehog (Hh), Notch, Nuclear Receptor (NR), Receptor Tyrosine Kinase (RTK), Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β), and Wingless/Int (Wnt) pathways.
- Comparative analysis with data from vertebrate embryonic development.
Main Results:
- Key signaling pathways (Hh, Notch, NR, RTK, TGF-β, Wnt) are expressed and functional in amphioxus embryos.
- Many pathways show conserved roles in amphioxus and vertebrates, suggesting ancestral functions.
- Differences in pathway usage and regulation may contribute to morphological divergence within chordates.
Conclusions:
- Amphioxus serves as a valuable model for understanding ancestral chordate development and evolution.
- Conserved cell-cell communication pathways play critical roles in establishing body plans across chordates.
- Further research on amphioxus signaling pathways will illuminate the evolutionary mechanisms driving animal form diversity.
More Related Videos
09:26In Vitro Assay to Evaluate the Impact of Immunoregulatory Pathways on HIV-specific CD4 T Cell Effector Function
Published on: October 15, 2013
07:34The Power of Simplicity: Sea Urchin Embryos as in Vivo Developmental Models for Studying Complex Cell-to-cell Signaling Network Interactions
Published on: February 16, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Actor-Observer Effect
Communication
Communication
T Cell Types and Functions
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...
C4 Pathway and CAM
C4 Pathway
The C4 pathway is used by plants such as...
Introduction to Developmental Psychology