Project Details
Projekt
Evolutionary novelties in amphibian head development: The roles of FoxN3 and functionally related genes.
Applicant
Professor Dr. Lennart Olsson
Subject Area
Evolutionary Cell and Developmental Biology (Zoology)
Developmental Biology
Developmental Biology
Term
from 2011 to 2017
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 194979080
The origin of evolutionary novelties is a long-standing issue in evolutionary biology. Changes in developmental processes and mechanisms must underlie novel anatomical structures, but exactly how this works remains a challenging question. We will investigate the role of FoxN3 and functionally related genes for the development of unique larval head skeletal structures and muscles in amphibian larvae of 3 species, a salamander with a carnivorous larva (Ambystoma mexicanum) and tadpoles from two frog species, one in which the larva is a generalised grazer (Bombina orientalis) and one species with a highly specialized mid-water suspension feeding larva (Xenopus laevis). A Morpholinobased knock-down of FoxN3 function was shown to affect several unique larval structures only found in frog tadpoles, such as the elaborate, filigreed structure of the gill basket necessary for filter feeding, and the extra mouth structures present as unique novelties in frog tadpoles. How did FoxN3, which is highly conserved in gene structure and protein sequence among different vertebrates, or the genetic network that is it part of, gain these new functions? In a comparative approach, we will analyze amphibian species with drastic differences in larval head anatomy and how their development is regulated by FoxN3, and by genes regulated by or regulating FoxN3. Moreover, by using different histological and molecular-biological techniques, we will investigate the signal cascade in which FoxN3 is embedded and elucidate differences in the pathway of FoxN3 between these distinct species. Based on such detailed empirical data, our aim is to develop a general model for the evolution of anatomical novelties.
DFG Programme
Research Grants
International Connection
Austria
