title: Sequential actions of β-catenin and Bmp pattern the oral nerve net in Nematostella vectensis.
abstract: Animal evolution is closely linked to the emergence of the nervous system. At present it is unknown how the basic mechanisms of neural induction and formation of central nervous systems evolved. We addressed this question in Nematostella vectensis, a member of cnidarians, the ancient sister group of bilaterians. We found that β-catenin signalling is crucial for the early induction of the embryonic nervous system. β-Catenin activity at the blastopore induces specific neurogenic genes required for development of the oral nervous system. β-Catenin signalling induces also Bmp signalling, which, at later larval stages, becomes indispensible for the maintenance and asymmetric patterning of the oral nervous system along the primary and secondary (directive) axes. We hypothesize that the consecutive and functionally linked involvement of β-catenin and Bmp signalling in the formation of the cnidarian oral nervous system reflects an ancestral mechanism that evolved before the cnidarian/bilaterian split.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Evolution and Genomics, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 329, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Evolution and Genomics, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 329, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kuhn
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Molecular Evolution and Genomics, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 329, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany [2] Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan.
authors.forename: Manami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fushiki
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan.
authors.forename: Kiyokazu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Agata
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Evolution and Genomics, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 329, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Suat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Özbek
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Molecular Evolution and Genomics, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 329, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany [2] Center for the Promotion of Integrated Sciences, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Higashiyama 5-1, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshitaka
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujisawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Evolution and Genomics, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 329, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Holstein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D019521:Body Patterning; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009055:Mouth / Q000196:embryology / Q000294:innervation*; D009420:Nervous System / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*; D055495:Neurogenesis; D012615:Sea Anemones / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin