Biology subjects

Miglioli, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Miglioli, A..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2023

The Mediterranean mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis, a novel model for developmental studies of mollusks

A model organism in developmental biology is defined by its experimental amenability as well as by resources created for the model system by the scientific community. For the most powerful models, the combination of both has already yielded a thorough understanding of development. However, the number of developmental model systems is still very limited, and their phylogenetic distribution is heavily biased. Members of one of the largest animal phyla, the mollusks, for example, have long been neglected as developmental model organisms. To remedy this shortcoming, we produced a detailed developmental transcriptome for the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, a bivalve mollusk, and expanded the list of experimental protocols available for this species. Our high-quality transcriptome allowed us to identify transcriptomic signatures of developmental transitions and to perform a first comparison with the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas that can be used in future multi-species analyses. To allow co-labelling studies, we optimized protocols for immunohistochemistry and hybridization chain reaction and combined both techniques to create high-resolution co-expression maps of developmental genes. The resources and protocols we describe here thus represent an enormous boost for the establishment of the Mediterranean mussel as a laboratory model in developmental biology. Summary statementResources and techniques are described for the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, which, together, establish a novel model system for studying mollusk development and animal evolution.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Molecular basis of ocean acidification sensitivity and adaptation in Mytilus galloprovincialis

One challenge in global change biology is to identify the mechanisms underpinning physiological sensitivities to environmental change and to predict their potential to adapt to future conditions. Using ocean acidification as the representative stressor, molecular pathways associated with abnormal larval development of a globally distributed marine mussel are identified. The targeted developmental stage was the trochophore stage, which is, for a few hours, pH sensitive and is the main driver of developmental success. RNA sequencing and in situ RNA hybridization were used to identify processes associated with abnormal development, and DNA sequencing was used to identify which processes evolve when larvae are exposed to low pH for the full duration of their larval stage. Trochophores exposed to low pH exhibited 43 differentially expressed genes. Thirteen genes, none of which have previously been identified in mussel trochophores, including three unknown genes, were expressed in the shell field. Gene annotation and in situ hybridization point to two core processes associated with the response to low pH: development of the trochophore shell field and the cellular stress response. Encompassing both of these processes, five genes demonstrated changes in allele frequency that are indicative of rapid adaptation. Thus, genes underpinning the most pH-sensitive developmental processes also exhibit scope to adapt via genetic variation currently maintained in the mussel population. These results provide evidence that protecting species existing genetic diversity is a critical management action to maximize the potential for rapid adaptation under a changing environment.

ecology↗