Somite Compartments in Amphioxus and Its Implications on the Evolution of the Vertebrate Skeletal Tissues.

ABSTRACT: Mineralized skeletal tissues of vertebrates are an evolutionary novelty within the chordate lineage. While the progenitor cells that contribute to vertebrate skeletal tissues are known to have two embryonic origins, the mesoderm and neural crest, the evolutionary origin of their developmental process remains unclear. Using cephalochordate amphioxus as our model, we found that cells at the lateral wall of the amphioxus somite express SPARC (a crucial gene for tissue mineralization) and various collagen genes. During development, some of these cells expand medially to surround the axial structures, including the neural tube, notochord and gut, while others expand laterally and ventrally to underlie the epidermis. Eventually these cell populations are found closely associated with the

SUBMITTER: Yong LW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8141804 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature