Search

The classical anatomist Drew Noden spearheaded craniofacial research, laying the foundation for our modern molecular understanding of development, evolution, and disorders of the craniofacial skeleton. His work revealed the origin of cephalic musculature and the role of cranial neural crest (CNC) in early formation and patterning of the head musculoskeletal structures. Much of modern cranial tendon research advances a foundation of knowledge that Noden built using classical quail-chick transplantation experiments. This elegant avian chimeric system involves grafting of donor quail cells into host chick embryos to identify the cell types they can form and their interactions with the surrounding tissues. In this review, we will give a brief background of vertebrate head formation and the impact of CNC on the patterning, development, and evolution of the head musculoskeletal attachments. Using the zebrafish as a model system, we will discuss examples of modifications of craniofacial structures in evolution with a special focus on the role of tendon and ligaments. Lastly, we will discuss pathologies in craniofacial tendons and the importance of understanding the molecular and cellular dynamics during craniofacial tendon development in human disease.

Tendons are specialized matrix-rich connective tissues that transmit forces from muscle to bone and are essential for movement. As tissues that frequently transfer large mechanical loads, tendons are commonly injured in patients of all ages. Following injury, mammalian tendons heal poorly through a slow process that forms disorganized fibrotic scar tissue with inferior biomechanical function. Current treatments are limited and patients can be left with a weaker tendon that is likely to re-rupture and an increased chance of developing degenerative conditions. More effective, alternative treatments are needed. However, our current understanding of tendon biology remains limited. Here, we emphasize why expanding our knowledge of tendon development, healing, and regeneration is imperative for advancing tendon regenerative medicine. We provide a comprehensive review of the current mechanisms governing tendon development and healing and further highlight recent work in regenerative tendon models including the neonatal mouse and zebrafish. Importantly, we discuss how present and future discoveries can be applied to both augment current treatments and design novel strategies to treat tendon injuries. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Bio-adhesion is a common and crucial process in nature and is used by several different species for camouflage, prey capture, hatching or to avoid drifting. Four genera of cephalopods belonging to four different families (Euprymna, Sepiolidae; Idiosepius, Idiosepiidae; Nautilus, Nautilidae; and Sepia, Sepiidae) produce glue for temporary attachment. Euprymna species live in near-shore benthic habitats of the Indo-Pacific Ocean, are nocturnal and bury into the seafloor during the day. The animals secrete adhesives through their epithelial glands to completely coat themselves with sand. In cases of danger, they instantaneously release the sandy coat as a sinking decoy to deflect predators. Earlier morphological investigations have shown that the adhesive gland cells of Euprymna scolopes are scattered on the dorsal epidermis. It has been proposed that neutral mucopolysaccharides, secreted by one gland type (goblet cells), are responsible for adhesion, whereas the release of the glue could be caused by acidic mucoproteins produced by ovate cells in the ventral epidermis. The ultrastructural re-investigation of the Euprymna epithelium in this study has indicated the presence of a new gland type (named flask cell), exclusively located in the dorsal epithelium and always neighboured to the known goblet cells. Based on our histochemical observations, the secretory material of the ovate cells does not display a strong reaction to tests for acidic groups, as had been previously assumed. Within the dermis, a large muscle network was found that was clearly distinctive from the normal mantle musculature. Based on our data, an antagonistic gland system, as previously proposed, seems to be unlikely for Euprymna scolopes. We hypothesize that the adhesive secretion is formed by two gland types (goblet and flask cells). The release of the sand coat may occur mechanically, i.e. by contraction of the dermal mantle muscle, and not chemically through the ovate cells.

The hatching of an embryo from its egg is a crucial point in its development. This is the moment that decides whether the animal will be able to emerge and survive or whether it will remain trapped and die. Cephalopods usually produce enzymes in a system of glands known as the Hoyle organ, which weakens the chorion and enables hatching. In addition to this chemical approach, four cephalopod genera develop a terminal spine to further support the hatching process. The presence of such a spine has been mentioned for the well-known cephalopod species Euprymna scolopes. However, little is known about either its structure or its cellular details. Our present results indicate that the spine consists purely of musculature, and no intermediate connective tissue was observed. No nerves were detected within the spine, although nerve fibers are present within the surrounding epithelium and dermal muscle layer, indicating that the spine stretching is controlled by this dermal musculature. Our data show that t...

The ability to regenerate whole-body structures has been studied for many decades and is of particular interest for stem cell research due to its therapeutic potential. Several vertebrate and invertebrate species have been used as model systems to study pathways involved in regeneration in the past. Among invertebrates, cephalopods are considered as highly evolved organisms, which exhibit elaborate behavioral characteristics when compared to other mollusks including active predation, extraordinary manipulation, and learning abilities. These are enabled by a complex nervous system and a number of adaptations of their body plan, which were acquired over evolutionary time. Some of these novel features show similarities to structures present in vertebrates and seem to have evolved through a convergent evolutionary process. Octopus vulgaris (the common octopus) is a representative of modern cephalopods and is characterized by a sophisticated motor and sensory system as well as highly developed cognitive capabilities. Due to its phylogenetic position and its high regenerative power the octopus has become of increasing interest for studies on regenerative processes. In this paper we provide an overview over the current knowledge of cephalopod muscle types and structures and present a possible link between these characteristics and their high regenerative potential. This may help identify conserved molecular pathways underlying regeneration in invertebrate and vertebrate animal species as well as discover new leads for targeted tissue treatments in humans.

Most investigations on the internal organization of soft-bodied animals such as cephalopods are based on classical serial sectioning (i.e. histological). Here, we demonstrate a state-of-the-art-technique of X-ray microtomography (micro-CT) for 3D imaging of soft-bodied organisms without mineralized structures. As a model, we chose the Hawaiian bobtail squid Euprymna scolopes that is considered a key-organism for study of decabrachiate development. While neurodevelopmental as well as gene expression data are available for this species, basic information on its organogenesis is still lacking. We therefore focused our study on major neural ganglia during development, to assess the suitability of micro-CT as non-destructive method for ontogenetic studies. We show that micro-CT in combination with contrast-enhancing substances, such as iodine or phosphotungstic acid, can provide detailed 3D information on the anatomy of cephalopod embryonic structures including the nervous system. The technique eases computer-assisted 3D-reconstructions and modeling due to the perfectly aligned, distortion-free image stacks produced by the micro-CT scans. Non-destructive micro-CT applications have great mapping potential when combined with other classic techniques such as histology, immunocytochemistry, and gene expression studies.

The Cephalopod Sequencing Consortium (CephSeq Consortium) was established at a NESCent Catalysis Group Meeting, ``Paths to Cephalopod Genomics-Strategies, Choices, Organization,'' held in Durham, North Carolina, USA on May 24-27, 2012. Twenty-eight participants representing nine countries (Austria, Australia, China, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, Spain and the USA) met to address the pressing need for genome sequencing of cephalopod mollusks. This group, drawn from cephalopod biologists, neuroscientists, developmental and evolutionary biologists, materials scientists, bioinformaticians and researchers active in sequencing, assembling and annotating genomes, agreed on a set of cephalopod species of particular importance for initial sequencing and developed strategies and an organization (CephSeq Consortium) to promote this sequencing. The conclusions and recommendations of this meeting are described in this white paper.

Background Most of our current findings on appendage formation and patterning stem from studies on chordate and ecdysozoan model organisms. However, in order to fully understand the evolution of animal appendages, it is essential to include information on appendage development from lophotrochozoan representatives. Here, we examined the basic dynamics of the Octopus vulgaris arm’s formation and differentiation - as a highly evolved member of the lophotrochozoan super phylum - with a special focus on the formation of the arm’s musculature. Results The octopus arm forms during distinct phases, including an early outgrowth from an epithelial thickening, an elongation, and a late differentiation into mature tissue types. During early arm outgrowth, uniform proliferation leads to the formation of a rounded bulge, which subsequently elongates along its proximal-distal axis by means of actin-mediated epithelial cell changes. Further differentiation of all tissue layers is initiated but end-differentiation is postponed to post-hatching stages. Interestingly, muscle differentiation shows temporal differences in the formation of distinct muscle layers. Particularly, first myocytes appear in the area of the future transverse prior to the longitudinal muscle layer, even though the latter represents the more dominant muscle type at hatching stage. Sucker rudiments appear as small epithelial outgrowths with a mesodermal and ectodermal component on the oral part of the arm. During late differentiation stages, cell proliferation becomes localized to a distal arm region termed the growth zone of the arm. Conclusions O. vulgaris arm formation shows both, similarities to known model species as well as species-specific patterns of arm formation. Similarities include early uniform cell proliferation and actin-mediated cell dynamics, which lead to an elongation along the proximal-distal axis. Furthermore, the switch to an adult-like progressive distal growth mode during late differentiation stages is reminiscent of the vertebrate progress zone. However, tissue differentiation shows a species-specific delay, which is correlated to a paralarval pelagic phase after hatching and concomitant emerging behavioral modifications. By understanding the general dynamics of octopus arm formation, we established a basis for further studies on appendage patterning, growth, and differentiation in a representative of the lophotrochozoan super phylum. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13227-015-0012-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Acetylcholinesterase (ACHE) is a glycoprotein with a key role in terminating synaptic transmission in cholinergic neurons of both vertebrates and invertebrates. ACHE is also involved in the regulation of cell growth and morphogenesis during embryogenesis and regeneration acting through its non-cholinergic sites. The mollusk Octopus vulgaris provides a powerful model for investigating the mechanisms underlying tissue morphogenesis due to its high regenerative power. Here, we performed a comparative investigation of arm morphogenesis during adult arm regeneration and embryonic arm development which may provide insights on the conserved ACHE pathways. In this study, we cloned and characterized O. vulgaris ACHE, finding a single highly conserved ACHE hydrophobic variant, characterized by prototypical catalytic sites and a putative consensus region for a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchor attachment at the COOH-terminus. We then show that its expression level is correlated to the stage of morphogenesis in both adult and embryonic arm. In particular, ACHE is localized in typical neuronal sites when adult-like arm morphology is established and in differentiating cell locations during the early stages of arm morphogenesis. This possibility is also supported by the presence in the ACHE sequence and model structure of both cholinergic and non-cholinergic sites. This study provides insights into ACHE conserved roles during processes of arm morphogenesis. In addition, our modeling study offers a solid basis for predicting the interaction of the ACHE domains with pharmacological blockers for in vivo investigations. We therefore suggest ACHE as a target for the regulation of tissue morphogenesis.

SUMMARY The transcription factors Apterous/Lhx2/9 play many pivotal roles in the development of protostomes and deuterostomes, most notably limb patterning, eye morphogenesis, and brain development. Full-length apterous/ lhx2/9 homologs have been isolated from several invertebrate species, but hitherto not from a lophotrochozoan. Here, we report the isolation, characterization, and spatio-temporal expression of apterous in the sepiolid squid Euprymna scolopes. The isolated composite cDNA encodes a hypothetical protein of 448 amino acid residues with a typical LIMhomeodomain (LIM-HD) structure and the greatest overall sequence similarity to vertebrate Lhx2/9 proteins. The Euprymna scolopes apterous (Es-ap) expression patterns provided no indication of a role in the early dorso/ventral patterning or growth of the arm crown that showed expression only in two ventral cords running in parallel inside the arms and tentacles and at the base of the suckers, a region rich in nerve endings and chemosensory neurons. The Es-ap hybridization signal was also conspicuous in the eyes, olfactory organs, optic lobes, and in several lobes of the supraesophageal mass, among these the olfactory and vertical lobes, and paravertical bodies. The observed expression patterns suggest gene involvement in eye morphogenesis and neural wiring of sensory structures, including those for olfaction and vision.

Background Cephalopods are a highly derived class of molluscs that adapted their body plan to a more active and predatory lifestyle. One intriguing adaptation is the modification of the ventral foot to form a bilaterally symmetric arm crown, which constitutes a true morphological novelty in evolution. In addition, this structure shows many diversifications within the class of cephalopods and therefore offers an interesting opportunity to study the molecular underpinnings of the emergence of phenotypic novelties and their diversification. Here we use the sepiolid Euprymna scolopes as a model to study the formation and differentiation of the decabrachian arm crown, which consists of four pairs of sessile arms and one pair of retractile tentacles. We provide a detailed description of arm crown formation in order to understand the basic morphology and the developmental dynamics of this structure. Results We show that the morphological formation of the cephalopod appendages occurs during distinct phases, including outgrowth, elongation, and tissue differentiation. Early outgrowth is characterized by uniform cell proliferation, while the elongation of the appendages initiates tissue differentiation. The latter progresses in a gradient from proximal to distal, whereas cell proliferation becomes restricted to the distal-most end of the arm. Differences in the formation of arms and tentacles exist, with the tentacles showing an expedite growth rate and higher complexity at younger stages. Conclusion The early outgrowth and differentiation of the E. scolopes arm crown shows similarities to the related, yet derived cephalopod Octopus vulgaris. Parallels in the growth and differentiation of appendages seem to exist throughout the animal kingdom, raising the question of whether these similarities reflect a recruitment of similar molecular patterning pathways. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12983-016-0175-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.