A two‐step process in the emergence of neurogenesis
Open accessAbstract
Cnidarians belong to the first phylum differentiating a nervous system, thus providing suitable model systems to trace the origins of neurogenesis. Indeed corals, sea anemones, jellyfish and hydra contract, swim and catch their food thanks to sophisticated nervous systems that share with bilaterians common neurophysiological mechanisms. However, cnidarian neuroanatomies are quite diverse, and reconstructing the urcnidarian nervous system is ambiguous. At least a series of characters recognized in all classes appear plesiomorphic: (1) the three cell types that build cnidarian nervous systems (sensory‐motor cells, ganglionic neurons and mechanosensory cells called nematocytes or cnidocytes); (2) an organization of nerve nets and nerve rings [those working as annular central nervous system (CNS)]; (3) a neuronal conduction via neurotransmitters; (4) a larval anterior sensory organ required for metamorphosis; (5) a persisting neurogenesis in adulthood. By contrast, the origin of the larval and adult neural stem cells differs between hydrozoans and other cnidarians; the sensory organs (ocelli, lens‐eyes, statocysts) are present in medusae but absent in anthozoans; the electrical neuroid conduction is restricted to hydrozoans. Evo‐devo approaches might help reconstruct the neurogenic status of the last common cnidarian ancestor. In fact, recent genomic analyses show that if most components of the postsynaptic density predate metazoan origin, the bilaterian neurogenic gene families originated later, in basal metazoans or as eumetazoan novelties. Striking examples are the ParaHox Gsx, Pax, Six, COUP‐TF and Twist‐type regulators, which seemingly exert neurogenic functions in cnidarians, including eye differentiation, and support the view of a two‐step process in the emergence of neurogenesis.
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Much of the molecular architecture underlying neurogenesis and neuron functioning is conserved between bilaterians and cnidarians.
“The publication of several cnidarian genomes has shown that much of the molecular architecture underlying neurogenesis and neuron functioning is conserved between bilaterians and cnidarians [17,47–51].”
From Evolution of eumetazoan nervous systems: insights from cnidarians (2015) · cites this paper as [50]
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Galliot, B., & Quiquand, M.
- Affiliations
- University of Geneva (CH)
- ORCID
- Galliot, Brigitte
- Venue
- European Journal of Neuroscience
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2011-09
- Volume
- 34
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 847-862
- ISSN
- 0953-816X (ISSN-L)
- 1460-9568
- OpenAlex
- W2142334451
- Semantic Scholar
- f7dac780ed1dbf36f942cf5fc9a3bd4d233cc9e0
- Cited by
- 77
- References
- 27
- Citations by year
- 2025: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 0.69
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- Locations
- European Journal of Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Archive ouverte UNIGE (University of Geneva) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- National Center of Competence in Research Chemical Biology
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Marine Invertebrate Physiology and Ecology
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Developmental Neuroscience › Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
- Keywords
- Cnidaria, nervous system evolution, nerve net, nerve ring, cnidocytes, adult neurogenesis, neural stem cells, Hydrozoa, Anthozoa, postsynaptic density, ParaHox genes, PAX, Six, COUP-TF, evolutionary developmental biology
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Cnidaria, Biological Evolution, Eye, Larva, Motor Neurons, Nerve Net, Nervous System, Sense Organs, Ganglia, Invertebrate, Genomics, Neurogenesis
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