Amphioxus and lamprey AP-2 genes: implications for neural crest evolution and migration patterns
Abstract
The neural crest is a uniquely vertebrate cell type present in the most basal vertebrates, but not in cephalochordates. We have studied differences in regulation of the neural crest marker AP-2 across two evolutionary transitions: invertebrate to vertebrate, and agnathan to gnathostome. Isolation and comparison of amphioxus, lamprey and axolotl AP-2 reveals its extensive expansion in the vertebrate dorsal neural tube and pharyngeal arches, implying co-option of AP-2 genes by neural crest cells early in vertebrate evolution. Expression in non-neural ectoderm is a conserved feature in amphioxus and vertebrates, suggesting an ancient role for AP-2 genes in this tissue. There is also common expression in subsets of ventrolateral neurons in the anterior neural tube, consistent with a primitive role in brain development. Comparison of AP-2 expression in axolotl and lamprey suggests an elaboration of cranial neural crest patterning in gnathostomes. However, migration of AP-2-expressing neural crest cells medial to the pharyngeal arch mesoderm appears to be a primitive feature retained in all vertebrates. Because AP-2 has essential roles in cranial neural crest differentiation and proliferation, the co-option of AP-2 by neural crest cells in the vertebrate lineage was a potentially crucial event in vertebrate evolution.
Additional Information
Copyright © 2002 The Company of Biologists Limited. Accepted 30 July 2002. We thank Linda and Nick Holland for making amphioxus collection possible, John Lawrence for laboratory space in Tampa, Jim Langeland for generously providing excellent cDNA libraries, David McCauley for supplying lamprey embryos, and Robert Cerny for invaluable discussion. This work was supported by NASA grant 98-HEDS-02 to M.B.-F.Attached Files
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Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 12897
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:MEUdev02
- NASA
- 98-HEDS-02
- Created
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2009-01-09Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
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2019-10-03Created from EPrint's last_modified field