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PubMed1995

A histochemical study of the distribution of lectin binding sites in the developing oocytes of the lancelet Branchiostoma belcheri.

The distribution of carbohydrate moieties in lancelet (Branchiostoma belcheri) oocytes has been studied at different stages of development, using a peroxidase-labeled lectin incubation technique, the PAS-reaction and Alcian Blue staining. Binding sites of 5 lectins, indicating the presence of different sugar moieties (Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) for N-acetylglucosamine, Concanavalin A (Con A) for glucose/mannose, Helix pomatia agglutinin (HPA) for N-acetyl-D-galactosamine, Ricinus communis agglutinin (RCA-I) for galactose and Ulex europaeus agglutinin (UEA-I) for fucose), were identified and were shown to undergo considerable variation during oocyte development. In the previtellogenic stage, HPA, RCA-I and UEA-I were not identified on the oocyte surface, but WGA and Con A gave strongly positive reactions at this site. In the cytoplasm, 4 lectins (Con A, HPA, RCA-I and UEA-I) gave a weak or moderate reaction, and Con A was also observed in the perinuclear region. In vitellogenic oocytes, these 4 lectins were found to also bind to the nuclear envelope, karyoplasm and nucleolus, and, with the exception of Con A, could also be found in the nuclei of more mature stages. The cytoplasmic yolk granules and Golgi vesicles of the vitellogenic oocyte, were moderately positive for Con A, HPA, RCA-I and UEA-I, but HPA, RCA-I and UEA-I were only weakly bound at the oocyte surface. In mature oocytes, all 5 lectins bound moderately or strongly to yolk granules and cell surface. HPA, RCA-I and UEA-I bound moderately or strongly to various nuclear compartments.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Immunocytochemical localization of serotonin in embryos, larvae and adults of the lancelet, Branchiostoma floridae.

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) is a biogenic amine distributed throughout the metazoans and has an old evolutionary history. It is involved as a developmental signal in the early morphogenesis of both invertebrates and vertebrates, whereas in adults it acts mainly as a neurotransmitter and gastrointestinal hormone. In vertebrates, serotonin regulates the morphogenesis of the central nervous system and the specification of serotonergic as well as dopaminergic neurons. The present study uses, as an experimental model, an invertebrate chordate, the lancelet Branchiostomafloridae, characterized by its remarkable homologies with vertebrates that allows the 'bauplan' of the probable ancestor of vertebrates to be outlined. In particular, the involvement of serotonin as a developmental signal in embryos and larvae, as well as a neurotransmitter and gastrointestinal hormone in adult specimens of Branchiostoma floridae, gives further support to a common origin of cephalocordates and vertebrates.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

A unique cDNA coding for subunits 8 and 6 of mitochondrial adenosine triphosphatase of the lancelet Branchiostoma lanceolatum, an ancestor of vertebrates.

A cDNA encoding subunits 8 and 6 of mitochondrial ATPase of the cephalochordate lancelet (Branchiostoma lanceolatum), a direct ancestor of vertebrates, has been cloned and sequenced. A unique transcript encodes the 8 and 6 subunits. In the course of isolation of the 5' end of the ATPase 8 subunit gene, we also determined the sequence of the 5' adjacent tRNA-Lys gene. The anticodon used by mitochondrial tRNA-Lys is TTT.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed2006

Hagfish and lancelet fibrillar collagens reveal that type II collagen-based cartilage evolved in stem vertebrates.

The origin of vertebrates was defined by evolution of a skeleton; however, little is known about the developmental mechanisms responsible for this landmark evolutionary innovation. In jawed vertebrates, cartilage matrix consists predominantly of type II collagen (Col2alpha1), whereas that of jawless fishes has long been thought to be noncollagenous. We recently showed that Col2alpha1 is present in lamprey cartilage, indicating that type II collagen-based cartilage evolved earlier than previously recognized. Here, we investigate the origin of vertebrate cartilage, and we report that hagfishes, the sister group to lampreys, also have Col2alpha1-based cartilage, suggesting its presence in the common ancestor of crown-group vertebrates. We go on to show that lancelets, a sister group to vertebrates, possess an ancestral clade A fibrillar collagen (ColA) gene that is expressed in the notochord. Together, these results suggest that duplication and diversification of ColA genes at the chordate-vertebrate transition may underlie the evolutionary origin of vertebrate skeletal tissues.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

New complete mitochondrial DNA sequence of the lancelet Branchiostoma lanceolatum (Cephalochordata) and the identity of this species' sequences.

Three mitochondrial (mt) genes were sequenced for two Atlantic lancelet species, Branchiostoma lanceolatum and B. floridae, to examine a serious discrepancy among previously published results of molecular studies: substantial sequence difference in a nuclear gene vs. virtual identity in the mt genome sequence. The results revealed that three mt genes of B. lanceolatum, collected from Helgoland in the North Sea and Naples in the Mediterranean, were quite diverged from those of B. floridae, collected from Tampa Bay, Florida. Therefore, the previously recognized identity in the mt genome between the two species is attributable to misidentification of materials used. To correct this misleading information, the complete mtDNA sequence of B. lanceolatum was determined for an individual from Helgoland.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Twitch activation in Ca2+ -free solutions in the myotomes of the lancelet (Branchiostoma lanceolatum).

The question of whether a Ca2+ influx is necessary to activate twitches in the very thin myotome cells of the lancelet was reinvestigated. Though twitches were blocked in EGTA containing Ca2+- free bathing solutions, they reappeared under certain conditions: a) when the Mg2+ level was lowered, b) when small amounts of caffeine were added, and c) when Cl- in the bathing solution was partly replaced by SCN-. In Ca2+ -containing solutions the changes a) to c) increased the twitch height. The results suggest that a Ca2+ release from the intracellular stores is involved in twitch activation and that external Ca2+ modifies the coupling between excitation and Ca2+ release rather than initiating contractile activation.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed2000

Amphicoup-TF, a nuclear orphan receptor of the lancelet Branchiostoma floridae, is implicated in retinoic acid signalling pathways.

In vertebrates, the orphan nuclear receptors of the COUP-TF group function as negative transcriptional regulators that inhibit the hormonal induction of target genes mediated by classical members of the nuclear hormone superfamily, such as the retinoic acid receptors (RARs) or the thyroid hormone receptors (TRs). To investigate the evolutionary conservation of the roles of COUP-TF receptors as negative regulators in the retinoid and thyroid hormone pathways, we have characterized AmphiCOUP-TF, the homologue of COUP-TFI and COUP-TFII, in the chordate amphioxus (Branchiostoma floridae), the closest living invertebrate relative of the vertebrates. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) showed that AmphiCOUP-TF binds to a wide variety of response elements, as do its vertebrate homologues. Furthermore, AmphiCOUP-TF is a transcriptional repressor that strongly inhibits retinoic acid-mediated transactivation. In situ hybridizations revealed expression of AmphiCOUP-TF in the nerve cord of late larvae, in a region corresponding to hindbrain and probably anterior spinal cord. Although the amphioxus nerve cord appears unsegmented at the gross anatomical level, this pattern reflects segmentation at the cellular level with stripes of expressing cells occurring adjacent to the ends and the centers of each myotomal segment, which may include visceral motor neurons and somatic motor neurons respectively, among other cells. A comparison of the expression pattern of AmphiCOUP-TF with those of its vertebrate homologues, suggests that the roles of COUP-TF in patterning of the nerve cord evolved prior to the split between the amphioxus and vertebrate lineages. Furthermore, in vitro data also suggest that Amphi-COUP-TF acts as a negative regulator of signalling by other nuclear receptors such as RAR, TR or ER.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Ca2+ current in myotome cells of the lancelet (Branchiostoma lanceolatum).

1. By using the whole-cell patch clamp method Ca2+ and Ba2+ currents were measured in the extremely thin twitch muscle cells of the protochordate Branchiostoma lanceolatum whose Ca2+ channels are likely to resemble the evolutionary ancestors of those found in vertebrate skeletal muscle. 2. When using 10 mM-Ca2+ in the artificial external solution and 1 mM-EGTA in the internal solution two kinetically different Ca2+ inward current components could be observed, showing very similar voltage dependence of activation and inactivation. 3. In solutions containing 10 mM-Ba2+ as an external charge carrier the biphasic inward current turned into a single rapidly activated and slowly inactivating current. 4. Inspecting peak currents, the voltage dependence of fractional activation and inactivation was nearly the same in Ca2+ and in Ba2+. 5. A transformation into a single component of the Ca2+ current could also be observed after perfusing the intracellular lumen with 10 mM of either EGTA or BAPTA. In the case of EGTA this transformation required considerably more time. Probably a higher internal concentration of EGTA is necessary since it binds Ca2+ more slowly than BAPTA. 6. Soon after establishing the whole-cell configuration a gradual increase of the second, slow inward current phase was observed relative to the fast component, indicating an enhancement of the slow component by intermediate intracellular buffer concentrations. 7. We conclude that the Branchiostoma myotome cells have only one Ca2+ channel system. The biphasic appearance of the inward current is caused by an unusually rapid inactivation due to Ca2+ ions, which enter the myoplasm during the current and temporarily bind to an inactivation site at the channel. The second phase probably reflects reactivation from the inactivated state upon dissociation of Ca2+ from the binding site.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

A new deep-water lancelet (Cephalochordata) from off Cape Nomamisaki, SW Japan, with a proposal of the revised system recovering the genus Asymmetron.

Asymmetron inferum n. sp. is established for the holotype collected during the Hyper-Dolphin/Natsushima cruise in 2003 of the Japan Marine Science & Technology Center (JAMSTEC) off Cape Nomamisaki, southwestern end of Kagoshima Prefecture, at a depth of 229 m. A. inferum is very similar to its congener, A. lucayanum Andrews, 1893 (formerly called Epigonichthys lucayanus) but easily distinguishable from it by the larger number of total myotomes (83 in the former vs. 55-72 in the latter). The genus Asymmetron has been treated as a junior synonym of Epigonichthys, but is recovered as a valid genus distinct morphologically from another valid genus Epigonichthys (sensu stricto).

Animal Structures↗