The divergent intron-containing actin in sponge morphogenetic processes

The ability of eukaryotic cells to orchestrate mechanical interactions from the subcellular to the organismal levels is mediated by their cytoskeleton. One of the key components of the eukaryotic cytoskeleton is actin, a highly conserved building block of the actin filaments, which interact with many other proteins and underlie diverse cell structures, necessary for organizing intracellular transport, phagocytosis and cell movement. Many organisms have evolved multiple actin variants, which share similar amino acid sequences but differ more dramatically at the gene level, including the presence and number of introns. In the current study, we show that the intron-containing and intronless actin genes are present in the poriferan Halisarca dujardini and that the encoded actins can perform different functions. These actins differ in the gene expression profiles, post-translational modifications, cellular, and subcellular localizations. The intronless actin genes of H. dujardini, HdA1/2/3, are products of recent duplications, exhibit low divergence between paralogs, and serve as the primary cytoskeletal actins. The divergent intron-containing actin gene, HdA6, is differentially expressed in a specific cell lineage and its expression is dependent on the state of cell aggregation, which indicates its unique functions in the morphogenetic processes of the sponge.