The buds of Oscarella lobularis (Porifera): a new convenient model for sponge cell and developmental biology

Rocher, C.; Vernale, A.; Fierro-Constain, L.; Sejourne, N.; Chenesseau, S.; Marschal, C.; Le Golf, E.; Dutilleul, M.; Matthews, C.; Marschal, F.; Brouilly, N.; Massey-Harroche, D.; Ereskovsky, A.; Le Bivic, A.; Borchiellini, C.; Renard, E.

doi:10.1101/2020.06.23.167296

bioRxiv · 10.1101/2020.06.23.167296

The buds of Oscarella lobularis (Porifera): a new convenient model for sponge cell and developmental biology

Rocher, C.·Vernale, A.·Fierro-Constain, L.·Sejourne, N.·Chenesseau, S.·Marschal, C.·Le Golf, E.·Dutilleul, M.·Matthews, C.·Marschal, F.·Brouilly, N.·Massey-Harroche, D.·Ereskovsky, A.·Le Bivic, A.·Borchiellini, C.·Renard, E.

View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

The comparative study of the four non-bilaterian phyla (Cnidaria, Placozoa, Ctenophora, Porifera) should provide insights into the origin of bilaterian traits. Except for Cnidaria, present knowledge on the cell biology and development of these animals is so far limited. Non-bilaterian models are needed to get further into cell architecture and molecular mechanisms. Given the developmental, histological, ecological and genomic differences between the four sponge classes, we develop a new sponge model: the buds of the Oscarella lobularis (class Homoscleromorpha). This experimental model supplements the two other most famous sponge models Amphimedon queenslandica and Ephydatia muelleri, both belonging to the class Demospongiae. Budding is a natural and spontaneous asexual reproduction mean, but budding can be triggered in vitro ensuring availability of biological material all year long. We provide a full description of buds, from their formation to their development into juveniles. Their transparency enables fluorescent and live imaging, and their abundance allows for experimental replicates. Moreover, regeneration and cell reaggregation capabilities provide interesting experimental morphogenetic contexts. The numerous techniques now mastered on these buds make it a new suitable sponge model. Summary statementStudying sponge biology is needed to understand the evolution of metazoans. We developed a new model suitable for experimental biology that allows to study morphogenetic processes with modern tools.

Explore related subjects

zoology Preprint

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeX RIS

Rocher, C., Vernale, A., Fierro-Constain, L., Sejourne, N., Chenesseau, S., Marschal, C., Le Golf, E., Dutilleul, M., Matthews, C., Marschal, F., Brouilly, N., Massey-Harroche, D., Ereskovsky, A., Le Bivic, A., Borchiellini, C., Renard, E.. 2020-06-23. The buds of Oscarella lobularis (Porifera): a new convenient model for sponge cell and developmental biology. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.06.23.167296

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related preprints

bioRxiv2026

A baseline for aquatic parasite diversity in West African mangroves: host-parasite records, DNA barcodes, and an experimental design for future use

Macroparasites represent a major fraction of biodiversity and biomass in marine ecosystems, yet remain substantially underrepresented in ecological surveys and food-web models, particularly in the Global South. This study addresses this geographic bias by providing the first comprehensive ecological survey of macroparasite communities of fishes in a West African Marine Protected Area (MPA) and adjacent Open-Access Area (OAA) characterised by mangrove forests. We collected 5,020 parasite specimens from 10 fish and one crab species in the Saloum Delta, Senegal, identifying 27 parasite species across all major taxa. Our findings include 15 new records for Senegal of which 11 are also new for West Africa. Additionally, 64% of host-parasite combinations constitute new host records. We provide 208 DNA barcodes, offering the first molecular data for 31% of these species globally and establishing a reference library for future DNA metabarcoding efforts in the region. Using sample size-corrected biodiversity indices and mixed-model analyses, we detected significant variations in parasite infracommunities and component communities between the MPA and OAA, demonstrating the feasibility of using comparative study designs to monitor fisheries impacts on parasite diversity in the Saloum Delta. Furthermore, the identification of trophically transmitted parasites provided evidence of unstudied food-web connections, e.g. predator-prey linkages between fishes and higher-trophic-level definitive hosts including birds and elasmobranchs. By integrating morphological identification, molecular data, and archiving of voucher specimens into publicly accessible, curated collections, this study establishes a new baseline for marine parasite biodiversity in West Africa and provides a methodological blueprint for surveying understudied regions.

zoology↗

bioRxiv2026

Sea slugs unplugged: Review of subpopulation sampling in phylogeographic studies of nudibranchs and their allies

Nudibranchs and other sea slugs include many cryptic species groups with unknown phenotypic and ecological diversity. How broadly and deeply should researchers sample those cryptic species pairs to capture the genetic variation within each species and potential adaptive differences between species? Fast and inexpensive surveys of genetic diversity that sample a single well-known locus across the geographical range ("phylogeography unplugged") have long been used to identify structured populations and guide choice of sampling localities for subsequent comparative genomic or phenotypic studies of the same species. Results from such studies might also be used to better understand the expected relationships between sampling and population structure in future comparative studies in other species (including many marine gastropods) for which an unplugged phylogeographic survey is not available or impractical. We reviewed analyses of molecular variance that used mitochondrial barcode sequences from marine sea slugs, and we asked whether there are characteristic patterns of subpopulation sampling that are associated with the magnitude and geographical scale of differentiation. We found wide variation in sampling designs: studies with both many and few samples discovered significant population differentiation or broadly similar distribution of haplotypes on both large and small spatial scales, in species from different higher taxonomic groups and oceans. We found two significant associations between sampling variables and population genetic variables, and we suggest using those associations to help guide (or understand the consequences of) sampling design in future studies.

zoology↗

bioRxiv2026

A novel methodology for assessing reinforcement choice in primates under human care

Positive Reinforcement Training is a technique commonly employed in zoological collections to elicit a desired behaviour from an animal under human care. Typically, a food item is offered as a reward for performing that behaviour. Three non-human primate species (Mandrillus sphinx, Pan troglodytes, and Hylobates lar) were offered four different foods (banana, grape, apple, and sweet potato) in a series of choice experiments. Latent variable models were employed to investigate which foods were the best selection to use as reinforcement items. Results show that food preference varies between the three primate species. Pan troglodytes and H. lar showed strong preferences for grape and banana, whereas M. sphinx showed a very strong preference for sweet potato. This study indicates that foraging ecology might play an important part in fruit selection and preference in primates. The findings highlight that understanding a species' natural behaviour and dietary preferences is key to informing reinforcement and training decisions.

zoology↗