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- Krupenko, Darya, et al.
(author)
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Polymorphic parasitic larvae cooperate to build swimming colonies luring hosts
- 2023
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In: Current Biology. - : Cell Press. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 33:20, s. 4524-4531
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Parasites have evolved a variety of astonishing strategies to survive within their hosts, yet the most chal-lenging event in their personal chronicles is the passage from one host to another. It becomes even more complex when a parasite needs to pass through the external environment. Therefore, the free-living stages of parasites present a wide range of adaptations for transmission. Parasitic flatworms from the group Di-genea (flukes) have free-living larvae, cercariae, which are remarkably diverse in structure and behavior. One of the cercariae transmission strategies is to attain a prey-like appearance for the host. This can be done through the formation of a swimming aggregate of several cercariae adjoined together by their tails. Through the use of live observations and light, electron, and confocal microscopy, we described such a supposedly prey-mimetic colony comprising cercariae of two distinct morphotypes. They are functionally specialized: larger morphotype (sailors) enable motility, and smaller morphotype (passengers) presumably facilitate infection. The analysis of local read alignments between the two samples reveals that both cercaria types have identical 18S, 28S, and 5.8S rRNA genes. Further phylogenetic analysis of these ribo-somal sequences indicates that our specimen belongs to the digenean family Acanthocolpidae, likely genus Pleorchis. This discovery provides a unique example and a novel insight into how morphologically and functionally heterogeneous individuals of the same species cooperate to build colonial organisms for the purpose of infection. This strategy bears resemblance to the cooperating castes of the same species found among insects.
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- Sunadome, Kazunori, et al.
(author)
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Directionality of developing skeletal muscles is set by mechanical forces
- 2023
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In: Nature Communications. - : Springer Nature. - 2041-1723. ; 14:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The mechanisms that drive myocyte orientation and fusion to control muscle directionality are not well understood. Here authors show that the developing skeleton produces mechanical tension that instructs the directional outgrowth of skeletal muscles. Formation of oriented myofibrils is a key event in musculoskeletal development. However, the mechanisms that drive myocyte orientation and fusion to control muscle directionality in adults remain enigmatic. Here, we demonstrate that the developing skeleton instructs the directional outgrowth of skeletal muscle and other soft tissues during limb and facial morphogenesis in zebrafish and mouse. Time-lapse live imaging reveals that during early craniofacial development, myoblasts condense into round clusters corresponding to future muscle groups. These clusters undergo oriented stretch and alignment during embryonic growth. Genetic perturbation of cartilage patterning or size disrupts the directionality and number of myofibrils in vivo. Laser ablation of musculoskeletal attachment points reveals tension imposed by cartilage expansion on the forming myofibers. Application of continuous tension using artificial attachment points, or stretchable membrane substrates, is sufficient to drive polarization of myocyte populations in vitro. Overall, this work outlines a biomechanical guidance mechanism that is potentially useful for engineering functional skeletal muscle.
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| 4. |
- Zhang, Yi, et al.
(author)
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Epiphyseal Cartilage Formation Involves Differential Dynamics of Various Cellular Populations During Embryogenesis
- 2020
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In: Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology. - : FRONTIERS MEDIA SA. - 2296-634X. ; 8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A joint connects two or more bones together to form a functional unit that allows different types of bending and movement. Little is known about how the opposing ends of the connected bones are developed. Here, applying various lineage tracing strategies we demonstrate that progenies of Gdf5-, Col2-, Prrx1-, and Gli1-positive cells contribute to the growing epiphyseal cartilage in a spatially asymmetrical manner. In addition, we reveal that cells in the cartilaginous anlagen are likely to be the major sources for epiphyseal cartilage. Moreover, Gli1-positive cells are found to proliferate along the skeletal edges toward the periarticular region of epiphyseal surface. Finally, a switch in the mechanism of growth from cell division to cell influx likely occurs in the epiphyseal cartilage when joint cavitation has completed. Altogether, our findings reveal an asymmetrical mechanism of growth that drives the formation of epiphyseal cartilage ends, which might implicate on how the articular surface of these skeletal elements acquires their unique and sophisticated shape during embryonic development.
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