Crosstalk between nitric oxide and retinoic acid pathways is essential for amphioxus pharynx development

eLife

Giovanni Annona¹  Filomena Caccavale¹  Salvatore D'Aniello¹  Hector Escriva²  Stephanie Bertrand²  Lucie Subirana² 

[1] Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms (BEOM), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli, Napoli, Italy;Sorbonne Université CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins (BIOM), Observatoire Océanologique, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France;

关键词: nitric oxide synthase;    RA pathway;    chordate;    developmental biology;    evolution;    branchiostoma lanceolatum;    Other;   

DOI  :  10.7554/eLife.58295

来源: eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd

【 摘 要 】

During animal ontogenesis, body axis patterning is finely regulated by complex interactions among several signaling pathways. Nitric oxide (NO) and retinoic acid (RA) are potent morphogens that play a pivotal role in vertebrate development. Their involvement in axial patterning of the head and pharynx shows conserved features in the chordate phylum. Indeed, in the cephalochordate amphioxus, NO and RA are crucial for the correct development of pharyngeal structures. Here, we demonstrate the functional cooperation between NO and RA that occurs during amphioxus embryogenesis. During neurulation, NO modulates RA production through the transcriptional regulation of Aldh1a.2 that irreversibly converts retinaldehyde into RA. On the other hand, RA directly or indirectly regulates the transcription of Nos genes. This reciprocal regulation of NO and RA pathways is essential for the normal pharyngeal development in amphioxus and it could be conserved in vertebrates.

【 授权许可】

CC BY