Multiple retinoic acid pathway factors function together during development of a mollusc
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Abstract
In developing chordate embryos, the retinoic acid (RA) pathway is involved in many key developmental patterning systems. Recently, it has become clear that at least some components of the RA pathway are more ancient than chordates. However, the participation of these components in an RA pathway, and the role of such a pathway in developing non-chordate embryos remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate the presence of an extensive set of RA pathway components in the genome of the mollusc Tritia obsoleta, and examine their expression using in situ hybridization. We then examined the function of multiple RA pathway genes using RA treatments, drug treatments and morpholino (MO) knockdowns. These manipulations impacted a similar set of structures in development, especially the shell and the digestive tract, indicating that the retinoic acid pathway is functional in Tritia. Together, this is the most comprehensive evidence yet for an RA signaling pathway functioning in embryogenesis of a non-chordate.
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The ToRXRMO arrest was likely a consequence of disrupting a non-RA related role of RXR, since it was so much more severe than the other RA perturbations
Given RXR's role as a promiscuous heterodimer partner, I'm wondering what other NHR orthologs are expressed in Tritia?
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The presence of multiple putative components in the shell and dorsal mantle cavity suggest that these structures may be foci of RA signaling
For Tritia, is it possible to perform a pulse-chase with radiolabeled RA and then examine localization?
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We find that most treatments cause a very similar spectrum of defects that are centered on the development of the shell
Congratulations on the very intriguing findings! I was wondering if the environmental sources of RA precursors for Tritia obsoleta are known? If so, it may be informative to deplete the precursors from growth media and examine if the phenotypes you've observed in situations where you anticipate RA levels to be reduced are recapitulated in the absence of RA precursors.
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