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Evolution of Cellular Pattern Formation during Early Nematode Embryogenesis

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Evolutionary Biology: Mechanisms and Trends

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Abstract

Genetic divergence appears to be high among nematodes, while morphological variation is low. To better understand how this fits together and to trace the evolution of development in this phylum we started a comprehensive comparative survey of embryogenesis comprising all branches of the phylogenetic tree. We find considerable differences, in particular between basal and more derived species. This review focuses on cellular pattern formation and cell fate assignment during early development. Our data indicate that evolution of nematodes went from indeterminate early cleavage without initial polarity to invariant cell lineages with establishment of polarity before first division. Different ways to establish this polarity and the variety of taxon-specific spatial arrangements of cells require modifications with respect to cell specification processes and the underlying molecular mechanisms. We conclude that the “standard pattern” as found in the model system C. elegans constitutes only one of the many ways to construct a nematode and discuss the adaptive value of the observed developmental variations.

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Acknowledgments

I thank Jens Schulze for discussion, Vera Lahl and Ndifon Nsah for images, and Randy Cassada for helpful comments on the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cologne Biocenter, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Street 47b, 50674, Köln, Germany

    Einhard Schierenberg

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  1. Einhard Schierenberg
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Correspondence to Einhard Schierenberg .

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  1. CNRS UMR 6632, Labo. Evolution Biologique et, Université d'Aix-Marseille, place Victor Hugo 3, Marseille CX 03, 13331, France

    Pierre Pontarotti

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Schierenberg, E. (2012). Evolution of Cellular Pattern Formation during Early Nematode Embryogenesis. In: Pontarotti, P. (eds) Evolutionary Biology: Mechanisms and Trends. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-30425-5_7

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