Little skate genome provides insights into genetic programs essential for limb-based locomotion

The little skate , a cartilaginous fish, displays pelvic fin driven walking-like behavior using genetic programs and neuronal subtypes similar to those of land vertebrates. However, mechanistic studies on little skate motor circuit development have been limited, due to a lack of high-quality referen...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:eLife 2022-10, Vol.11
Main Authors: Yoo, DongAhn, Park, Junhee, Lee, Chul, Song, Injun, Lee, Young Ho, Yun, Tery, Lee, Hyemin, Heguy, Adriana, Han, Jae Yong, Dasen, Jeremy S, Kim, Heebal, Baek, Myungin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal behavior
Animals
Chromatin
Chromatin - metabolism
Cloning
development
Divergence
evolution
Evolutionary Biology
Gene expression
Gene regulation
Genes
Genetic research
Genetics and Genomics
Genome
Genomes
Genomics
little skate
Locomotion
Mice
Molecular modelling
motor neuron
Motor Neurons
Phylogenetics
Skates, Fish - genetics
Tools and Resources
Transcription Factors - genetics
Transcription Factors - metabolism
Transcriptomes
Walking
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Summary:The little skate , a cartilaginous fish, displays pelvic fin driven walking-like behavior using genetic programs and neuronal subtypes similar to those of land vertebrates. However, mechanistic studies on little skate motor circuit development have been limited, due to a lack of high-quality reference genome. Here, we generated an assembly of the little skate genome, with precise gene annotation and structures, which allowed post-genome analysis of spinal motor neurons (MNs) essential for locomotion. Through interspecies comparison of mouse, skate and chicken MN transcriptomes, shared and divergent gene expression profiles were identified. Comparison of accessible chromatin regions between mouse and skate MNs predicted shared transcription factor (TF) motifs with divergent ones, which could be used for achieving differential regulation of MN-expressed genes. A greater number of TF motif predictions were observed in MN-expressed genes in mouse than in little skate. These findings suggest conserved and divergent molecular mechanisms controlling MN development of vertebrates during evolution, which might contribute to intricate gene regulatory networks in the emergence of a more sophisticated motor system in tetrapods.
ISSN:2050-084X
2050-084X
DOI:10.7554/eLife.78345