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Related Experiment Video

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A 3-D Tail Explant Culture to Study Vertebrate Segmentation in Zebrafish
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The vertebrate tail: a gene playground for evolution.

Moisés Mallo1

  • 1Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Rua da Quinta Grande 6, 2780-156, Oeiras, Portugal. mallo@igc.gulbenkian.pt.

Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences : CMLS
|September 28, 2019
PubMed
Summary

Vertebrate tail development is controlled by the tail bud, influenced by Gdf11, Lin28/let-7, and Hox13 genes. This balance shapes tail diversity and regeneration potential across species.

Keywords:
Axial progenitorsHox genesLin28Tail developmentTail regeneration

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Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Vertebrate tails originate from the tail bud, a post-anal embryonic structure.
  • Tail development involves axial progenitors, regulated by factors like Gdf11, influencing growth and differentiation.
  • Key regulatory networks, including the Lin28/let-7 axis and Hox13 genes, are implicated in tail bud formation and patterning.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the molecular mechanisms governing vertebrate tail development and diversity.
  • To investigate the role of specific gene networks in regulating tail bud progenitor activity.
  • To understand how evolutionary changes in these networks contribute to varied tail morphologies and regeneration capabilities.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of gene regulatory networks across vertebrate species.
  • Review of existing literature on tail bud development and genetic factors.
  • Hypothesizing the evolutionary co-option of gene networks for tail formation and function.

Main Results:

  • Gdf11 activity modulates progenitor fate, switching development towards a tail bud mode.
  • The Lin28/let-7 axis and Hox13 genes form an interconnected network controlling tail bud progenitors.
  • Differential Hox13 activity in mammals leads to spinal cord removal, hindering tail regeneration, unlike in salamanders and lizards.

Conclusions:

  • The balance of progenitor-promoting and repressing activities, governed by Lin28/let-7 and Hox13, determines adult tail length, composition, and regeneration potential.
  • Evolutionary modifications of these tail bud gene networks allowed for the diversification of tail shapes and sizes.
  • The presence or absence of a functional spinal cord in the tail, regulated by Hox13, is a critical factor in regenerative capacity.