An evolutionarily conserved Hox-Gbx segmentation code in the rice coral Montipora capitata

• DOI: 10.7554/elife.104085.1
• Publication Date: 2024-12-13T16:25:08Z
• Authors: Shuonan He; Emma Rangel-Huerta; Eric Hill; Lacey Ellington; Shiyuan (Cynthia)...; Sofia Robb; Eva Majerová; Crawford Drury; Matthew C Gibson

Segmentation of the gastric cavity is a synapomorphic trait cnidarians class Anthozoa (corals and sea anemones), with different clades forming distinct numbers segments. In starlet anemone Nematostella vectensis , for example, eight bilaterally positioned segments are generated by action group Hox-Gbx genes in developing larval endo-mesoderm. Still, given range segment observed anthozoans, it remains unclear whether this module evolutionarily conserved how might be deployed to generate Here, we systematically interrogate role during development rice coral Montipora capitata . We first characterize temporal sequence segmentation M. juveniles then combine transcriptomic profiling situ hybridization identify three homeobox-containing genes, McAnthox8 McAnthox6a.1 McGbx which collectively expressed endo-mesoderm prior formation. The expression boundaries these prefigure positions six boundaries, similar their homologs. Further, show that chemical inhibition BMP activity at planula stage abolishes leading formation an unsegmented cavity. These findings demonstrate existence functionally divergent anthozoan species, suggesting last common ancestor all anthozoans likely utilized genetic toolkit axially pattern into metameric subunits.