Genomic insights into Wnt signaling in an early diverging metazoan, the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Intercellular signaling pathways are a fundamental component of the integrating cellular behavior required for the evolution of multicellularity. The genomes of three of the four early branching animal phyla (Cnidaria, Placozoa and Porifera) have been surveyed for key components, but not the fourth (Ctenophora). Genomic data from ctenophores could be particularly relevant, as ctenophores have been proposed to be one of the earliest branching metazoan phyla.

Results

A preliminary assembly of the lobate ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi genome generated using next-generation sequencing technologies were searched for components of a developmentally important signaling pathway, the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Molecular phylogenetic analysis shows four distinct Wnt ligands (MlWn

SUBMITTER: Pang K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2959043 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature