Distinct gene regulatory dynamics drive skeletogenic cell fate convergence during vertebrate embryogenesis.

ABSTRACT: Cell type repertoires have expanded extensively in metazoan animals, with some clade-specific cells being crucial to evolutionary success. A prime example are the skeletogenic cells of vertebrates. Depending on anatomical location, these cells originate from three different precursor lineages, yet they converge developmentally towards similar cellular phenotypes. Furthermore, their 'skeletogenic competency' arose at distinct evolutionary timepoints, thus questioning to what extent different skeletal body parts rely on truly homologous cell types. Here, we investigate how lineage-specific molecular properties are integrated at the gene regulatory level, to allow for skeletogenic cell fate convergence. Using single-cell functional genomics, we find that distinct transcription factor profiles

SUBMITTER: Wang M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11880379 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature