Evolution and Development Seminar Series

Wed 08 Mar 13:00: To regenerate or not to regenerate? Recovering shape and function in damaged jellyfish

Mon, 20/02/2023 - 12:09

To regenerate or not to regenerate? Recovering shape and function in damaged jellyfish

How randomly injured animals can appropriately re-establish positional information and control the deployment of repair programs are key questions of regenerative biology. The small hydrozoan medusae Clytia hemisphaerica, which are frequently damaged in the plankton, display powerful regenerative capacities, being able to regain a circular shape in less than 12 hours and a new functional mouth in 4 days. This efficient recovery depends on an interplay between mechanical forces, cell migration and proliferation, which we are just starting to unravel. In particular, we showed that the umbrella remodeling causes the radial muscle fibers in the subumbrellar layer to converge into ‘hubs’, associated to activation of Wnt signaling, and which function as positional landmarks. The different observed configurations of these muscle fibers correlate with a specific pattern of Wnt signaling activation, and – most remarkably – with the fate of the wound, notably whether a mouth regenerative program will be activated. In a second phase, mouth morphogenesis is fueled by both local cell proliferation and long-range cell recruitment and is further modulated by its connections with the gastrovascular canal system. Clytia medusae offer a novel experimental paradigm for addressing patterning formation and morphogenesis in tractable adult bodies, dissecting the interplay between chemical and mechanical cues in pattern formation. Finally, the diversity of repair strategies observed across cnidarians species provides a key opportunity to start unraveling the evolution of regenerative capacities.

Speaker: Dr Chiara Sinigaglia (Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls-sur-Mer)
Wednesday 08 March 2023, 13:00-14:00
Venue: Part II Lecture Theatre, Department of Zoology.
Series: Evolution and Development Seminar Series; organiser: Christine Hirschberger.

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Wed 15 Feb 13:00: The origins of land plant complexity: interpreting development in the Devonian

Thu, 09/02/2023 - 12:14

The origins of land plant complexity: interpreting development in the Devonian

During the Devonian period c. 420-360 million year ago land plants exploded in complexity, from tiny leafless axes to giant trees, forming the first forests. The diversification of plants in the Devonian therefore transformed the face of the Earth into the green planet we see today. However, the developmental innovations that enabled this diversification and the origin of key plant organs such as leaves and roots remains poorly understood. Comparative investigation of genes and development in living species offers crucial insights into these ancient events. However, 400 million years of subsequent evolution and rife convergence means that fossils still hold the most important lines of evidence for how roots and leaves evolved. In this talk I will outline how taking a combined approach studying fossil plants alongside developmental and genetic networks in living species provides the best approach to understand these key events. Finally, I will describe the importance of fossils with exceptional preservation for giving us a unique glimpse into development in the past.

Speaker: Dr Sandy Hetherington (University of Edinburgh)
Wednesday 15 February 2023, 13:00-14:00
Venue: Part II Lecture Theatre, Department of Zoology.
Series: Evolution and Development Seminar Series; organiser: Thea Edith Kongsted.

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Wed 01 Mar 13:00: The developmental origin of colour patterns in birds

Thu, 09/02/2023 - 12:14

The developmental origin of colour patterns in birds

Abstract not available

Speaker: Dr Marie Manceau (College De France)
Wednesday 01 March 2023, 13:00-14:00
Venue: Online.
Series: Evolution and Development Seminar Series; organiser: Bethan Clark.

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Wed 08 Mar 13:00: To regenerate or not to regenerate? Recovering shape and function in damaged jellyfish

Thu, 09/02/2023 - 12:14

To regenerate or not to regenerate? Recovering shape and function in damaged jellyfish

Abstract not available

Speaker: Dr Chiara Sinigaglia (Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls-sur-Mer)
Wednesday 08 March 2023, 13:00-14:00
Venue: Part II Lecture Theatre, Department of Zoology.
Series: Evolution and Development Seminar Series; organiser: Christine Hirschberger.

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Wed 08 Mar 13:00: To regenerate or not to regenerate? Recovering shape and function in damaged jellyfish

Sun, 05/02/2023 - 13:23

To regenerate or not to regenerate? Recovering shape and function in damaged jellyfish

Abstract not available

Speaker: Dr Chiara Sinigaglia (Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls-sur-Mer)
Wednesday 08 March 2023, 13:00-14:00
Venue: Part II Lecture Theatre, Department of Zoology.
Series: Evolution and Development Seminar Series; organiser: Christine Hirschberger.

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Wed 01 Feb 13:00: Unravelling 3-dimensional growth in plants

Fri, 27/01/2023 - 10:51

Unravelling 3-dimensional growth in plants

The evolution of 3-dimensional (3D) growth coincided with the colonization of land by plants approximately 470 million years ago. The acquisition of apical cells that could cleave in three planes, rather than just one or two, allowed plants to develop the characteristics required to successfully survive and reproduce on land (e.g., roots, vasculature, seeds). 3D growth is an invariable and fundamental feature of all land plants, and the diverse morphologies exhibited across the globe are a result of the differential regulation of 3D growth processes. Yet, we know very little about how 3D growth is regulated at the genetic level. In many plants, 3D growth is initiated during the first few divisions of the zygote, and therefore, the genetic basis cannot be dissected because mutants do not survive. However, in mosses, which are representatives of the earliest land plants, 3D shoot growth is preceded by a 2D filamentous phase that can be maintained indefinitely. Using forward genetics, we have isolated many developmental mutants that fail to establish and/or maintain 3D growth. This has been a powerful and unbiased approach that has enabled us to identify, and functionally characterize novel regulators of the 2D to 3D growth transition. In this talk, I will describe the identification and characterization of our recently generated ‘no gametophores’ mutants.

Speaker: Dr Laura Moody (University of Oxford)
Wednesday 01 February 2023, 13:00-14:00
Venue: Part II Lecture Theatre, Department of Zoology.
Series: Evolution and Development Seminar Series; organiser: Thea Edith Kongsted.

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Wed 15 Feb 13:00: The origins of land plant complexity: interpreting development in the Devonian

Wed, 25/01/2023 - 12:08

The origins of land plant complexity: interpreting development in the Devonian

During the Devonian period c. 420-360 million year ago land plants exploded in complexity, from tiny leafless axes to giant trees, forming the first forests. The diversification of plants in the Devonian therefore transformed the face of the Earth into the green planet we see today. However, the developmental innovations that enabled this diversification and the origin of key plant organs such as leaves and roots remains poorly understood. Comparative investigation of genes and development in living species offers crucial insights into these ancient events. However, 400 million years of subsequent evolution and rife convergence means that fossils still hold the most important lines of evidence for how roots and leaves evolved. In this talk I will outline how taking a combined approach studying fossil plants alongside developmental and genetic networks in living species provides the best approach to understand these key events. Finally, I will describe the importance of fossils with exceptional preservation for giving us a unique glimpse into development in the past.