Pub Date : 2024-05-01DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041490
Ruth Herbst, Maartje G. Huijbers, Julien Oury, Steven J. Burden
A coordinated and complex interplay of signals between motor neurons, skeletal muscle cells, and Schwann cells controls the formation and maintenance of neuromuscular synapses. Deficits in the signaling pathway for building synapses, caused by mutations in critical genes or autoantibodies against key proteins, are responsible for several neuromuscular diseases, which cause muscle weakness and fatigue. Here, we describe the role that four key genes, Agrin, Lrp4, MuSK, and Dok7, play in this signaling pathway, how an understanding of their mechanisms of action has led to an understanding of several neuromuscular diseases, and how this knowledge has contributed to emerging therapies for treating neuromuscular diseases.
{"title":"Building, Breaking, and Repairing Neuromuscular Synapses","authors":"Ruth Herbst, Maartje G. Huijbers, Julien Oury, Steven J. Burden","doi":"10.1101/cshperspect.a041490","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a041490","url":null,"abstract":"A coordinated and complex interplay of signals between motor neurons, skeletal muscle cells, and Schwann cells controls the formation and maintenance of neuromuscular synapses. Deficits in the signaling pathway for building synapses, caused by mutations in critical genes or autoantibodies against key proteins, are responsible for several neuromuscular diseases, which cause muscle weakness and fatigue. Here, we describe the role that four key genes, <em>Agrin</em>, <em>Lrp4</em>, <em>MuSK</em>, and <em>Dok7</em>, play in this signaling pathway, how an understanding of their mechanisms of action has led to an understanding of several neuromuscular diseases, and how this knowledge has contributed to emerging therapies for treating neuromuscular diseases.","PeriodicalId":10494,"journal":{"name":"Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology","volume":"57 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140833414","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-01DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041452
Juan E. Guevara-Andino, Liliana M. Dávalos, Felipe Zapata, María José Endara, Darko D. Cotoras, Jaime Chaves, Santiago Claramunt, Julia López-Delgado, Angela M. Mendoza-Henao, David Salazar-Valenzuela, Gonzalo Rivas-Torres, Justin Yeager
Neotropical ecosystems are renowned for numerous examples of adaptive radiation in both plants and animals resulting in high levels of biodiversity and endemism. However, we still lack a comprehensive review of the abiotic and biotic factors that contribute to these adaptive radiations. To fill this gap, we delve into the geological history of the region, including the role of tectonic events such as the Andean uplift, the formation of the Isthmus of Panama, and the emergence of the Guiana and Brazilian Shields. We also explore the role of ecological opportunities created by the emergence of new habitats, as well as the role of key innovations, such as novel feeding strategies or reproductive mechanisms. We discuss different examples of adaptive radiation, including classic ones like Darwin's finches and Anolis lizards, and more recent ones like bromeliads and lupines. Finally, we propose new examples of adaptive radiations mediated by ecological interactions in their geological context. By doing so, we provide insights into the complex interplay of factors that contributed to the remarkable diversity of life in the Neotropics and highlight the importance of this region in understanding the origins of biodiversity.
{"title":"Neotropics as a Cradle for Adaptive Radiations","authors":"Juan E. Guevara-Andino, Liliana M. Dávalos, Felipe Zapata, María José Endara, Darko D. Cotoras, Jaime Chaves, Santiago Claramunt, Julia López-Delgado, Angela M. Mendoza-Henao, David Salazar-Valenzuela, Gonzalo Rivas-Torres, Justin Yeager","doi":"10.1101/cshperspect.a041452","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a041452","url":null,"abstract":"Neotropical ecosystems are renowned for numerous examples of adaptive radiation in both plants and animals resulting in high levels of biodiversity and endemism. However, we still lack a comprehensive review of the abiotic and biotic factors that contribute to these adaptive radiations. To fill this gap, we delve into the geological history of the region, including the role of tectonic events such as the Andean uplift, the formation of the Isthmus of Panama, and the emergence of the Guiana and Brazilian Shields. We also explore the role of ecological opportunities created by the emergence of new habitats, as well as the role of key innovations, such as novel feeding strategies or reproductive mechanisms. We discuss different examples of adaptive radiation, including classic ones like Darwin's finches and <em>Anolis</em> lizards, and more recent ones like bromeliads and lupines. Finally, we propose new examples of adaptive radiations mediated by ecological interactions in their geological context. By doing so, we provide insights into the complex interplay of factors that contributed to the remarkable diversity of life in the Neotropics and highlight the importance of this region in understanding the origins of biodiversity.","PeriodicalId":10494,"journal":{"name":"Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology","volume":"101 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140833353","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-01DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041350
Tim Czopka, Kelly Monk, Francesca Peri
Over the past decades the zebrafish has emerged as an excellent model organism with which to study the biology of all glial cell types in nervous system development, plasticity, and regeneration. In this review, which builds on the earlier work by Lyons and Talbot in 2015, we will summarize how the relative ease to manipulate the zebrafish genome and its suitability for intravital imaging have helped understand principles of glial cell biology with a focus on oligodendrocytes, microglia, and astrocytes. We will highlight recent findings on the diverse properties and functions of these glial cell types in the central nervous system and discuss open questions and future directions of the field.
{"title":"Glial Cell Development and Function in the Zebrafish Central Nervous System","authors":"Tim Czopka, Kelly Monk, Francesca Peri","doi":"10.1101/cshperspect.a041350","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a041350","url":null,"abstract":"Over the past decades the zebrafish has emerged as an excellent model organism with which to study the biology of all glial cell types in nervous system development, plasticity, and regeneration. In this review, which builds on the earlier work by Lyons and Talbot in 2015, we will summarize how the relative ease to manipulate the zebrafish genome and its suitability for intravital imaging have helped understand principles of glial cell biology with a focus on oligodendrocytes, microglia, and astrocytes. We will highlight recent findings on the diverse properties and functions of these glial cell types in the central nervous system and discuss open questions and future directions of the field.","PeriodicalId":10494,"journal":{"name":"Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology","volume":"103 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140833419","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-15DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041359
Mikael Simons, Erin M. Gibson, Klaus-Armin Nave
The myelination of axons has evolved to enable fast and efficient transduction of electrical signals in the vertebrate nervous system. Acting as an electric insulator, the myelin sheath is a multilamellar membrane structure around axonal segments generated by the spiral wrapping and subsequent compaction of oligodendroglial plasma membranes. These oligodendrocytes are metabolically active and remain functionally connected to the subjacent axon via cytoplasmic-rich myelinic channels for movement of metabolites and macromolecules to and from the internodal periaxonal space under the myelin sheath. Increasing evidence indicates that oligodendrocyte numbers, specifically in the forebrain, and myelin as a dynamic cellular compartment can both respond to physiological demands, collectively referred to as adaptive myelination. This review summarizes our current understanding of how myelin is generated, how its function is dynamically regulated, and how oligodendrocytes support the long-term integrity of myelinated axons.
{"title":"Oligodendrocytes: Myelination, Plasticity, and Axonal Support","authors":"Mikael Simons, Erin M. Gibson, Klaus-Armin Nave","doi":"10.1101/cshperspect.a041359","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a041359","url":null,"abstract":"The myelination of axons has evolved to enable fast and efficient transduction of electrical signals in the vertebrate nervous system. Acting as an electric insulator, the myelin sheath is a multilamellar membrane structure around axonal segments generated by the spiral wrapping and subsequent compaction of oligodendroglial plasma membranes. These oligodendrocytes are metabolically active and remain functionally connected to the subjacent axon via cytoplasmic-rich myelinic channels for movement of metabolites and macromolecules to and from the internodal periaxonal space under the myelin sheath. Increasing evidence indicates that oligodendrocyte numbers, specifically in the forebrain, and myelin as a dynamic cellular compartment can both respond to physiological demands, collectively referred to as adaptive myelination. This review summarizes our current understanding of how myelin is generated, how its function is dynamically regulated, and how oligodendrocytes support the long-term integrity of myelinated axons.","PeriodicalId":10494,"journal":{"name":"Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2024-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140598339","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-15DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041509
Xiaoyin Chen
Comprehensive maps of neuronal connectivity provide a foundation for understanding the structure of neural circuits. In a circuit, neurons are diverse in morphology, electrophysiology, gene expression, activity, and other neuronal properties. Thus, constructing a comprehensive connectivity map requires associating various properties of neurons, including their connectivity, at cellular resolution. A commonly used approach is to use the gene expression profiles as an anchor to which all other neuronal properties are associated. Recent advances in genomics and anatomical techniques dramatically improved the ability to determine and associate the long-range projections of neurons with their gene expression profiles. These studies revealed unprecedented details of the gene–projection relationship, but also highlighted conceptual challenges in understanding this relationship. In this article, I delve into the findings and the challenges revealed by recent studies using state-of-the-art neuroanatomical and transcriptomic techniques. Building upon these insights, I propose an approach that focuses on understanding the gene–projection relationship through basic features in gene expression profiles and projections, respectively, that associate with underlying cellular processes. I then discuss how the developmental trajectories of projections and gene expression profiles create additional challenges and necessitate interrogating the gene–projection relationship across time. Finally, I explore complementary strategies that, together, can provide a comprehensive view of the gene–projection relationship.
{"title":"Reimagining Cortical Connectivity by Deconstructing Its Molecular Logic into Building Blocks","authors":"Xiaoyin Chen","doi":"10.1101/cshperspect.a041509","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a041509","url":null,"abstract":"Comprehensive maps of neuronal connectivity provide a foundation for understanding the structure of neural circuits. In a circuit, neurons are diverse in morphology, electrophysiology, gene expression, activity, and other neuronal properties. Thus, constructing a comprehensive connectivity map requires associating various properties of neurons, including their connectivity, at cellular resolution. A commonly used approach is to use the gene expression profiles as an anchor to which all other neuronal properties are associated. Recent advances in genomics and anatomical techniques dramatically improved the ability to determine and associate the long-range projections of neurons with their gene expression profiles. These studies revealed unprecedented details of the gene–projection relationship, but also highlighted conceptual challenges in understanding this relationship. In this article, I delve into the findings and the challenges revealed by recent studies using state-of-the-art neuroanatomical and transcriptomic techniques. Building upon these insights, I propose an approach that focuses on understanding the gene–projection relationship through basic features in gene expression profiles and projections, respectively, that associate with underlying cellular processes. I then discuss how the developmental trajectories of projections and gene expression profiles create additional challenges and necessitate interrogating the gene–projection relationship across time. Finally, I explore complementary strategies that, together, can provide a comprehensive view of the gene–projection relationship.","PeriodicalId":10494,"journal":{"name":"Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2024-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140598425","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-15DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041451
Juan Carlos Illera, Juan Carlos Rando, Martim Melo, Luís Valente, Martin Stervander
Understanding the mechanisms underlying species formation and differentiation is a central goal of evolutionary biology and a formidable challenge. This understanding can provide valuable insights into the origins of the astonishing diversity of organisms living on our planet. Avian evolutionary radiations on islands have long fascinated biologists as they provide the ideal variation to study the ecological and evolutionary forces operating on the continuum between incipient lineages to complete speciation. In this review, we summarize the key insights gained from decades of research on adaptive and nonadaptive radiations of both extant and extinct insular bird species. We present a new comprehensive global list of potential avian radiations on oceanic islands, based on published island species checklists, taxonomic studies, and phylogenetic analyses. We demonstrate that our understanding of evolutionary processes is being greatly enhanced through the use of genomic tools. However, to advance the field, it is critical to complement this information with a solid understanding of the ecological and behavioral traits of both extinct and extant avian island species.
{"title":"Avian Island Radiations Shed Light on the Dynamics of Adaptive and Nonadaptive Radiation","authors":"Juan Carlos Illera, Juan Carlos Rando, Martim Melo, Luís Valente, Martin Stervander","doi":"10.1101/cshperspect.a041451","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a041451","url":null,"abstract":"Understanding the mechanisms underlying species formation and differentiation is a central goal of evolutionary biology and a formidable challenge. This understanding can provide valuable insights into the origins of the astonishing diversity of organisms living on our planet. Avian evolutionary radiations on islands have long fascinated biologists as they provide the ideal variation to study the ecological and evolutionary forces operating on the continuum between incipient lineages to complete speciation. In this review, we summarize the key insights gained from decades of research on adaptive and nonadaptive radiations of both extant and extinct insular bird species. We present a new comprehensive global list of potential avian radiations on oceanic islands, based on published island species checklists, taxonomic studies, and phylogenetic analyses. We demonstrate that our understanding of evolutionary processes is being greatly enhanced through the use of genomic tools. However, to advance the field, it is critical to complement this information with a solid understanding of the ecological and behavioral traits of both extinct and extant avian island species.","PeriodicalId":10494,"journal":{"name":"Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2024-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140598335","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-15DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041467
Yana Bromberg, R. Prabakaran, Anowarul Kabir, Amarda Shehu
Over the years, many computational methods have been created for the analysis of the impact of single amino acid substitutions resulting from single-nucleotide variants in genome coding regions. Historically, all methods have been supervised and thus limited by the inadequate sizes of experimentally curated data sets and by the lack of a standardized definition of variant effect. The emergence of unsupervised, deep learning (DL)-based methods raised an important question: Can machines learn the language of life from the unannotated protein sequence data well enough to identify significant errors in the protein “sentences”? Our analysis suggests that some unsupervised methods perform as well or better than existing supervised methods. Unsupervised methods are also faster and can, thus, be useful in large-scale variant evaluations. For all other methods, however, their performance varies by both evaluation metrics and by the type of variant effect being predicted. We also note that the evaluation of method performance is still lacking on less-studied, nonhuman proteins where unsupervised methods hold the most promise.
{"title":"Variant Effect Prediction in the Age of Machine Learning","authors":"Yana Bromberg, R. Prabakaran, Anowarul Kabir, Amarda Shehu","doi":"10.1101/cshperspect.a041467","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a041467","url":null,"abstract":"Over the years, many computational methods have been created for the analysis of the impact of single amino acid substitutions resulting from single-nucleotide variants in genome coding regions. Historically, all methods have been supervised and thus limited by the inadequate sizes of experimentally curated data sets and by the lack of a standardized definition of variant effect. The emergence of unsupervised, deep learning (DL)-based methods raised an important question: Can machines learn the language of life from the unannotated protein sequence data well enough to identify significant errors in the protein “sentences”? Our analysis suggests that some unsupervised methods perform as well or better than existing supervised methods. Unsupervised methods are also faster and can, thus, be useful in large-scale variant evaluations. For all other methods, however, their performance varies by both evaluation metrics and by the type of variant effect being predicted. We also note that the evaluation of method performance is still lacking on less-studied, nonhuman proteins where unsupervised methods hold the most promise.","PeriodicalId":10494,"journal":{"name":"Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology","volume":"23 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2024-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140598428","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-02DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041347
Jaeda Coutinho-Budd, Marc R. Freeman, Sarah Ackerman
Molecular genetic approaches in small model organisms like Drosophila have helped to elucidate fundamental principles of neuronal cell biology. Much less is understood about glial cells, although interest in using invertebrate preparations to define their in vivo functions has increased significantly in recent years. This review focuses on our current understanding of the three major neuron-associated glial cell types found in the Drosophila central nervous system (CNS)—astrocytes, cortex glia, and ensheathing glia. Together, these cells act like mammalian astrocytes and microglia; they associate closely with neurons including surrounding neuronal cell bodies and proximal neurites, regulate synapses, and engulf neuronal debris. Exciting recent work has shown critical roles for these CNS glial cells in neural circuit formation, function, plasticity, and pathology. As we gain a more firm molecular and cellular understanding of how Drosophila CNS glial cells interact with neurons, it is clear that they share significant molecular and functional attributes with mammalian glia and will serve as an excellent platform for mechanistic studies of glial function.
{"title":"Glial Regulation of Circuit Wiring, Firing, and Expiring in the Drosophila Central Nervous System","authors":"Jaeda Coutinho-Budd, Marc R. Freeman, Sarah Ackerman","doi":"10.1101/cshperspect.a041347","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a041347","url":null,"abstract":"Molecular genetic approaches in small model organisms like <em>Drosophila</em> have helped to elucidate fundamental principles of neuronal cell biology. Much less is understood about glial cells, although interest in using invertebrate preparations to define their in vivo functions has increased significantly in recent years. This review focuses on our current understanding of the three major neuron-associated glial cell types found in the <em>Drosophila</em> central nervous system (CNS)—astrocytes, cortex glia, and ensheathing glia. Together, these cells act like mammalian astrocytes and microglia; they associate closely with neurons including surrounding neuronal cell bodies and proximal neurites, regulate synapses, and engulf neuronal debris. Exciting recent work has shown critical roles for these CNS glial cells in neural circuit formation, function, plasticity, and pathology. As we gain a more firm molecular and cellular understanding of how <em>Drosophila</em> CNS glial cells interact with neurons, it is clear that they share significant molecular and functional attributes with mammalian glia and will serve as an excellent platform for mechanistic studies of glial function.","PeriodicalId":10494,"journal":{"name":"Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology","volume":"56 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2024-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140598334","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-02DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041346
Aakanksha Singhvi, Shai Shaham, Georgia Rapti
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a powerful experimental setting for uncovering fundamental tenets of nervous system organization and function. Its nearly invariant and simple anatomy, coupled with a plethora of methodologies for interrogating single-gene functions at single-cell resolution in vivo, have led to exciting discoveries in glial cell biology and mechanisms of glia–neuron interactions. Findings over the last two decades reinforce the idea that insights from C. elegans can inform our understanding of glial operating principles in other species. Here, we summarize the current state-of-the-art, and describe mechanistic insights that have emerged from a concerted effort to understand C. elegans glia. The remarkable acceleration in the pace of discovery in recent years paints a portrait of striking molecular complexity, exquisite specificity, and functional heterogeneity among glia. Glial cells affect nearly every aspect of nervous system development and function, from generating neurons, to promoting neurite formation, to animal behavior, and to whole-animal traits, including longevity. We discuss emerging questions where C. elegans is poised to fill critical knowledge gaps in our understanding of glia biology.
{"title":"Glia Development and Function in the Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans","authors":"Aakanksha Singhvi, Shai Shaham, Georgia Rapti","doi":"10.1101/cshperspect.a041346","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a041346","url":null,"abstract":"The nematode <em>Caenorhabditis elegans</em> is a powerful experimental setting for uncovering fundamental tenets of nervous system organization and function. Its nearly invariant and simple anatomy, coupled with a plethora of methodologies for interrogating single-gene functions at single-cell resolution in vivo, have led to exciting discoveries in glial cell biology and mechanisms of glia–neuron interactions. Findings over the last two decades reinforce the idea that insights from <em>C. elegans</em> can inform our understanding of glial operating principles in other species. Here, we summarize the current state-of-the-art, and describe mechanistic insights that have emerged from a concerted effort to understand <em>C. elegans</em> glia. The remarkable acceleration in the pace of discovery in recent years paints a portrait of striking molecular complexity, exquisite specificity, and functional heterogeneity among glia. Glial cells affect nearly every aspect of nervous system development and function, from generating neurons, to promoting neurite formation, to animal behavior, and to whole-animal traits, including longevity. We discuss emerging questions where <em>C. elegans</em> is poised to fill critical knowledge gaps in our understanding of glia biology.","PeriodicalId":10494,"journal":{"name":"Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2024-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140598609","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-01DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041427
Kerry L Shaw, Christopher R Cooney, Tamra C Mendelson, Michael G Ritchie, Natalie S Roberts, Leeban H Yusuf
A central role for sexual isolation in the formation of new species and establishment of species boundaries has been noticed since Darwin and is frequently emphasized in the modern literature on speciation. However, an objective evaluation of when and how sexual isolation plays a role in speciation has been carried out in few taxa. We discuss three approaches for assessing the importance of sexual isolation relative to other reproductive barriers, including the relative evolutionary rate of sexual trait differentiation, the relative strength of sexual isolation in sympatry, and the role of sexual isolation in the long-term persistence of diverging forms. First, we evaluate evidence as to whether sexual isolation evolves faster than other reproductive barriers during the early stages of divergence. Second, we discuss available evidence as to whether sexual isolation is as strong or stronger than other barriers between closely related sympatric species. Finally, we consider the effect of sexual isolation on long-term species persistence, relative to other reproductive barriers. We highlight challenges to our knowledge of and opportunities to improve upon our understanding of sexual isolation from different phases of the speciation process.
{"title":"How Important Is Sexual Isolation to Speciation?","authors":"Kerry L Shaw, Christopher R Cooney, Tamra C Mendelson, Michael G Ritchie, Natalie S Roberts, Leeban H Yusuf","doi":"10.1101/cshperspect.a041427","DOIUrl":"10.1101/cshperspect.a041427","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A central role for sexual isolation in the formation of new species and establishment of species boundaries has been noticed since Darwin and is frequently emphasized in the modern literature on speciation. However, an objective evaluation of when and how sexual isolation plays a role in speciation has been carried out in few taxa. We discuss three approaches for assessing the importance of sexual isolation relative to other reproductive barriers, including the relative evolutionary rate of sexual trait differentiation, the relative strength of sexual isolation in sympatry, and the role of sexual isolation in the long-term persistence of diverging forms. First, we evaluate evidence as to whether sexual isolation evolves faster than other reproductive barriers during the early stages of divergence. Second, we discuss available evidence as to whether sexual isolation is as strong or stronger than other barriers between closely related sympatric species. Finally, we consider the effect of sexual isolation on long-term species persistence, relative to other reproductive barriers. We highlight challenges to our knowledge of and opportunities to improve upon our understanding of sexual isolation from different phases of the speciation process.</p>","PeriodicalId":10494,"journal":{"name":"Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10982695/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139721955","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}