
シングナシデ科の特徴的な形質(頭部形状、無歯、皮膚骨格、雄の育児)の発生遺伝学的基盤を明らかにした。


coremsg

Seahorses, pipefishes, and seadragons are fishes from the family Syngnathidae that have evolved extraordinary traits including male pregnancy, elongated snouts, loss of teeth, and dermal bony armor. The developmental genetic and cellular changes that led to the evolution of these traits are largely unknown. Recent syngnathid genomes revealed suggestive gene content differences and provide the opportunity for detailed genetic analyses. We created a single cell RNA sequencing atlas of Gulf pipefish embryos to understand the developmental basis of four traits: derived head shape, toothlessness, dermal armor, and male pregnancy. We completed marker gene analyses, built genetic networks, and examined spatial expression of select genes. We identified osteochondrogenic mesenchymal cells in the elongating face that express regulatory genes bmp4, sfrp1a , and prdm16 . We found no evidence for tooth primordia cells, and we observed re-deployment of osteoblast genetic networks in developing dermal armor.

Finally, we found that epidermal cells expressed nutrient processing and environmental sensing genes, potentially relevant for the brooding environment. The examined pipefish evolutionary innovations are composed of recognizable cell types, suggesting derived features originate from changes within existing gene networks. Future work addressing syngnathid gene networks across multiple stages and species is essential for understanding how their novelties evolved.

Impact Statement The production of a single cell atlas for developing syngnathid fish permits study of their unique traits.

### Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Single Cell RNA Sequencing Provides Clues for the Developmental Genetic Basis of Syngnathidae’s Evolutionary Adaptations

単一細胞rna配列解析は-シングナシデ科の進化的適応の発生遺伝学的基盤に関するヒントを提供する


単一細胞RNA配列解析は、シングナシデ科の進化的適応の発生遺伝学的基盤に関するヒントを提供する
