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Environmental Oxygen Exposure Allows for the Evolution of Interdigital Cell Death in Limb Patterning
Ingrid Rosenburg Cordeiro1, Kaori Kabashima1, Haruki Ochi2
1School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, B-17, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8501, Japan.
Developmental Cell
|June 18, 2019
Summary
Environmental oxygen levels influenced the evolution of interdigital cell death (ICD) in tetrapod limb development. Higher oxygen availability, particularly in terrestrial eggs, promoted ICD, contributing to diverse limb shapes.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Comparative Physiology
Background:
- Amphibians typically form digits without webbing via differential growth.
- Amniotes utilize interdigital cell death (ICD) for varied limb morphology.
- The evolutionary drivers of ICD, particularly environmental factors, remain underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of environmental oxygen in the evolution of interdigital cell death (ICD) in tetrapods.
- To compare ICD mechanisms across amphibians and amniotes.
- To explore the link between oxygen availability and limb development.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of limb development in amphibians (aquatic vs. terrestrial) and amniotes (chicken).
- Manipulation of oxygen levels and assessment of cell death patterns.
- Examination of blood vessel density in developing limbs.
Main Results:
- Terrestrial-developing frogs (Eleutherodactylus coqui) exhibit interdigital cell death, unlike aquatic tadpoles.
- Chicken limb development requires sufficient oxygen and reactive oxygen species for ICD.
- Increased blood vessel density and high oxygen incubation in Xenopus laevis tadpoles induce ICD.
Conclusions:
- Environmental oxygen availability was a crucial ecological factor for the evolution of ICD in terrestrial tetrapods.
- Conserved autopod-patterning mechanisms facilitated the integration of oxygen-dependent ICD.
- Oxygen levels significantly impact limb development and morphological diversity.
Keywords:
Bmp signalingblood vesselsevolutioninterdigital cell deathlimb developmentoxygenreactive oxygen speciesMore Related Videos
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