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β-catenin-driven endomesoderm specification is a Bilateria-specific novelty
Tatiana Lebedeva1,2,3, Johan Boström4, Stanislav Kremnyov3
1Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Nature Communications
|March 13, 2025
Summary
In cnidarians, beta-catenin signaling patterns the body axis but represses endomesoderm formation, unlike in bilaterians. This finding suggests endomesoderm specification linked to body patterning is a bilaterian innovation.
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Evolutionary developmental biology
- Marine biology
Background:
- Wnt/beta-catenin signaling is crucial for embryonic development in many animals.
- Its role in cnidarians, sister to bilaterians, is key to understanding early animal evolution.
- Previous studies suggested conserved roles in axis patterning and endomesoderm specification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the direct roles of beta-catenin signaling in cnidarian development.
- To determine if beta-catenin patterns the body axis and specifies endomesoderm in Nematostella vectensis.
- To compare these roles with those in bilaterian development.
Main Methods:
- Endogenous tagging of beta-catenin in the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis.
- Analysis of beta-catenin localization and activity during embryonic development.
- Investigating the effects of beta-catenin signaling on endomesoderm formation.
Main Results:
- Beta-catenin signaling gradients pattern the oral-aboral axis in Nematostella.
- Endomesoderm specification in Nematostella is repressed by beta-catenin signaling.
- Endomesoderm forms in regions lacking maternal nuclear beta-catenin.
Conclusions:
- Cnidarian body axis patterning by beta-catenin is conserved with bilaterians.
- Endomesoderm specification independent of beta-catenin in cnidarians contrasts with bilaterians.
- Beta-catenin-dependent endomesoderm specification linked to posterior-anterior patterning appears to be a bilaterian innovation.
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