Evolutionary Transition in the Regulation of Vertebrate Pronephros Development: A New Role for Retinoic Acid.

ABSTRACT: The anterior-posterior (AP) axis in chordates is regulated by a conserved set of genes and signaling pathways, including Hox genes and retinoic acid (RA), which play well-characterized roles in the organization of the chordate body plan. The intermediate mesoderm (IM), which gives rise to all vertebrate kidneys, is an example of a tissue that differentiates sequentially along this axis. Yet, the conservation of the spatiotemporal regulation of the IM across vertebrates remains poorly understood. In this study, we used a comparative developmental approach focusing on non-conventional model organisms, a chondrichthyan (catshark), a cyclostome (lamprey), and a cephalochordate (amphioxus), to assess the involvement of RA in the regulation of chordate and vertebrate pronephros formation.

SUBMITTER: Schmidt P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9026449 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature