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Cell fate specification modes shape transcriptome evolution in the highly conserved spiral cleavage.

Yan Liang1,2, Jingcheng Wei1, Yue Kang3

  • 1School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, E1 4NS, London, UK.

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|September 4, 2025
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Early animal development shows surprising transcriptomic plasticity during spiral cleavage, despite conserved morphology. This suggests an evolutionary decoupling of gene expression and form in annelids.

Keywords:
AnnelidaMaternal-to-Zygotic TransitionPhylotypic StageSpiral CleavageZygotic Genome Activation

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Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Early animal development exhibits both conserved and plastic features across different lineages.
  • Spiralia, including annelids, share a conserved spiral cleavage program and cell lineages.
  • The reasons for conserved versus plastic developmental patterns remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate transcriptomic dynamics during early development in two annelid species with spiral cleavage.
  • To compare species with different primary progenitor cell specification modes.
  • To understand the interplay between morphological and transcriptomic conservation in annelid embryogenesis.

Main Methods:

  • High-resolution transcriptomic time-course analysis from oocyte to gastrulation.
  • Comparative analysis of gene expression patterns in *Owenia fusiformis* and *Capitella teleta*.
  • Identification of conserved gene expression domains for orthologous transcription factors.

Main Results:

  • Significant differences in transcriptional dynamics were observed during spiral cleavage between the two species.
  • Transcriptomic profiles converged towards the end of cleavage and during gastrulation.
  • Conserved gene expression domains for key transcription factors were identified during later stages.

Conclusions:

  • Early annelid development displays hidden transcriptomic plasticity during spiral cleavage.
  • Distinct timings of embryonic organizer specification correlate with species-specific transcriptomic dynamics.
  • A mid-developmental transition, characterized by transcriptomic similarity, occurs at the end of cleavage and gastrulation, indicating an evolutionary decoupling of morphology and transcriptomics.