The core molecular mechanisms of dorsal organizer formation during gastrulation are highly conserved within the chordate lineage. One of the key characteristics is that Nodal signaling is required for the organizer-specific gene expression. This feature appears to be ancestral, as evidenced by the presence in the most basally divergent chordate amphioxus. To provide a better understanding of the evolution of organizer-specific gene regulation in chordates, we analyzed the cis-regulatory sequence of amphioxus Chordin in the context of the vertebrate embryo. First, we generated stable zebrafish transgenic lines, and by using light-sheet fluorescent microscopy, characterized in detail the expression pattern of GFP driven by the cis-regulatory sequences of amphioxus Chordin. Next, we performed a 5'deletion analysis and identified an enhancer sufficient to drive the expression of the reporter gene into a chordate dorsal organizer. Finally, we found that the identified enhancer element strongly depends on Nodal signaling, which is consistent with the well-established role of this pathway in the regulation of the expression of dorsal organizer-specific genes across chordates. The enhancer identified in our study may represent a suitable simple system to study the interplay of the evolutionarily conserved regulatory mechanisms operating during early chordate development.

• Klíčová slova
• Amphioxus, Chordate evolution, Chordin, Enhancer, Gene regulation, Light-sheet microscopy, Nodal, Organizer of gastrulation,
• MeSH
• dánio pruhované genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• exprese genu MeSH
• kopinatci * genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• transformující růstový faktor beta metabolismus   MeSH
• vývojová regulace genové exprese MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• chordin MeSH Prohlížeč
• transformující růstový faktor beta MeSH

Deciphering the mechanisms of axis formation in amphioxus is a key step to understanding the evolution of chordate body plan. The current view is that Nodal signaling is the only factor promoting the dorsal axis specification in the amphioxus, whereas Wnt/β-catenin signaling plays no role in this process. Here, we re-examined the role of Wnt/βcatenin signaling in the dorsal/ventral patterning of amphioxus embryo. We demonstrated that the spatial activity of Wnt/β-catenin signaling is located in presumptive dorsal cells from cleavage to gastrula stage, and provided functional evidence that Wnt/β-catenin signaling is necessary for the specification of dorsal cell fate in a stage-dependent manner. Microinjection of Wnt8 and Wnt11 mRNA induced ectopic dorsal axis in neurulae and larvae. Finally, we demonstrated that Nodal and Wnt/β-catenin signaling cooperate to promote the dorsal-specific gene expression in amphioxus gastrula. Our study reveals high evolutionary conservation of dorsal organizer formation in the chordate lineage.

• Klíčová slova
• axial patterning, body plan, branchiostoma floridae, branchiostoma lanceolatum, developmental biology, evolution, evolutionary biology, wnt/β-catenin signaling,
• MeSH
• beta-katenin metabolismus   MeSH
• biologická evoluce MeSH
• HEK293 buňky MeSH
• kopinatci embryologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• protein goosecoid metabolismus   MeSH
• protein nodal metabolismus   MeSH
• protein Smad2 metabolismus   MeSH
• signální dráha Wnt * MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• beta-katenin MeSH
• protein goosecoid MeSH
• protein nodal MeSH
• protein Smad2 MeSH