Biology subjects

Yu, J.-K.

Publications and source records attributed to Yu, J.-K..

12 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Multipotent tail bud cells originated with the chordate common ancestor

In vertebrate embryos, the tail bud region generates the neural tube, the notochord, and somites in the posterior part of the body, including the post-anal tail. Here, we traced the fate of tail bud cells during embryogenesis in the cephalochordate, amphioxus, the earliest diverging lineage of extant chordates, and showed that in amphioxus as well, these cells contribute to the neural tube, the notochord, and somites. Our work provides direct evidence to support the hypothesis that ancestral chordates possessed tail bud cells capable of producing both neural and mesodermal derivatives, illuminating the evolutionary origin of posterior body development in chordates.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2025

A 3D Amphioxus Brain Atlas Illuminates the Blueprint of the Ancestral Chordate Brain

Comparative studies on highly complex vertebrate brains have provided insights into the evolutionary history of morphological diversity. However, a long-standing question in vertebrate brain evolution is how the fundamental blueprint emerged. To probe the cellular and molecular origins of brain architecture in the chordate lineage, we performed single-nucleus RNA-seq combined with spatial transcriptomics and generated a three-dimensional cell atlas of the basal chordate amphioxus central nervous system (CNS). This atlas reveals a tripartite organization along the anterior-posterior axis of the adult amphioxus brain, with a rostral retinal/hypothalamic region followed by a di-mesencephalon and caudally, the hindbrain and spinal cord. Notably, we show that the amphioxus brain contains cell clusters resembling the zona limitans intrathalamica and midbrain-hindbrain boundary, both of which demarcate the major brain compartments. Furthermore, expression profiling and gene ontology enrichment analyses support that the cell clusters located in the rostral part of the amphioxus forebrain correspond to vertebrate retinal primordium and hypothalamic cells. However, the absence of key telencephalic marker expression in the amphioxus anterior forebrain suggests that the telencephalon likely represents a vertebrate innovation. Together, our findings establish a spatial transcriptomic framework for the amphioxus CNS and provide a critical link for understanding the evolution of the complex vertebrate brain.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2025

The genome of the early diverged amphioxus, Asymmetron lucayanum, illuminates the evolution of genome architecture and gene repertoires in cephalochordates

Cephalochordates (amphioxus or lancelet) are considered as living proxies for ancestral chordates due to their key phylogenetic position and slow evolutionary rate. The genomes of living amphioxus thus can help to reveal the genetic basis shaping the evolutionary transition from invertebrates to vertebrates. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the genome architecture in amphioxus, here we generate a chromosome-anchored genome assembly for Asymmetron lucaynum, representing the earliest diverging cephalochordate genus. Our results show that Asymmetron has an enlarged genome compared to those of the other four cephalochordate genomes decoded so far (all in the genus Branchiostoma), causing by pervasive expansions of inter-genic transposable elements (TEs). Nevertheless, both macrosynteny and microsynteny remain highly conserved between Asymmetron and Branchiostoma, enabling reconstruction of the ancestral genomic architecture of the Cephalochordate lineage for tracing genome evolutionary process during Deuterostome and Chordate diversification. By coupling developmental transcriptomic analyses, we further show that purifying selection and constraints on co-transcriptional regulation may have contributed to the maintenance of the conserved microsynteny blocks among cephalochordate species. We also examine the evolutionary history of Hox cluster in cephalochordates and vertebrates, and identify species-specific inversions and TE invasions at this important locus in both Asymmetron and Branchiostoma. Finally, we survey key gene families involved in both innate and adaptive immunity (e.g., TLR, NLR, MHC, and RAG) and uncover their plausible ancestry and evolutionary dynamics in chordates. Taken together, our findings illuminate the genome and gene evolution of cephalochordates and provide valuable resources for understanding the early evolution of chordates and the origin of vertebrates.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2025

Deconstructing the common anteroposterior organisation of adult bilaterian guts

A through-gut is one of the major features of bilaterians. Comparative work among bilaterians has identified common molecular mechanisms during early gut patterning, but the primordial gut later often undergoes different degrees of reorganization in each lineage to form a fully differentiated adult gut with specializations along its anteroposterior (AP) axis. Yet, how the conserved embryonic gut AP pattern relates to the adult guts in diverse bilaterians after metamorphosis is still poorly understood. To unravel the molecular subdivisions of adult guts, we investigated the gut through transcriptomic analyses of five phylogenetically informative species, an annelid, a sea urchin, a hemichordate, a cephalochordate, and a vertebrate. We identified bipartite transcriptional programs defining the AP functional subdivisions. Patterning systems composed of Hox, Parahox, and, surprisingly, other transcription factors (TFs) known to be involved in gut formation in sea urchin larvae are maintained in these adult tissues. Using unbiased analyses, we identified five conserved TF modules corresponding to the AP compartments of the guts that are elaborated or shifted in different species. Our study inferred conserved and modified adult AP patterning modules along bilaterian guts enabling the reconstruction of ancestral bilaterian features with profound implications for the evolution of the bilaterian body plan.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Evolutionary dynamics of FoxQ2 transcription factors across metazoans: A tale of three ancient paralogs

FoxQ2 is a highly conserved class of Forkhead-box transcription factors expressed on the anterior side of the body in cnidarians and bilaterians. Despite this conserved expression pattern, recent phylogenetic analyses have revealed a complex and rapid evolution of this class, with several taxon-specific duplications and losses. Until recently, FoxQ2 was thought to be lost in most vertebrate lineages, and its presence and localization in different vertebrate groups remains unclear. To reconcile these conflicting reports of conservation and divergence, here we present a comprehensive analysis of the phylogenetic relationships and expression patterns of FoxQ2 genes across metazoans. By combining phylogenetics and synteny analyses of FoxQ2 sequences from 21 animal phyla, we uncover the presence of three ancient FoxQ2 paralogs in bilaterians, which we name FoxQ2a, FoxQ2b and FoxQ2c. All three FoxQ2 paralogs are present in the chordate lineage and two are conserved in vertebrates, indicating a richer repertoire of vertebrate Fox genes than previously estimated. To investigate the expression of FoxQ2 genes across bilaterians, we mined expression data from existing single cell transcriptomic datasets of mollusk, acoel, amphioxus and zebrafish development, and expanded it using fluorescent in situ hybridization in amphioxus, lamprey, skate, zebrafish and chicken. Our analysis demonstrates the conserved anterior expression of FoxQ2a and FoxQ2b paralogs while also revealing a novel domain of FoxQ2c expression within the chordate endoderm, including in amphioxus, lamprey and skate. Finally, we devise a method to predict conserved transcription factor binding sites across the three extant amphioxus genera with specificity to developmental stage and cell-type identity. This suggests conserved regulatory interactions for the expression of FoxQ2a across deuterostomes. Overall, this work clarifies the complex evolutionary history of FoxQ2 genes and identifies a newly discovered endodermally-expressed Fox gene, FoxQ2c. We further propose that the early duplication of FoxQ2a and FoxQ2b, along with their redundant functions, provided the ideal background for subfunctionalization, contributing to the fast evolutionary rate of FoxQ2 sequences observed in bilaterians.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Deep homology of a brachyury regulatory syntax and origin of the notochord

The brachyury gene encodes a T-box transcription factor (TF) that is crucial for the development of the notochord, a novel trait of chordates1. Brachyury expression in axial mesodermal cells (notochord progenitors) is regarded as a chordate innovation2, yet it remains unclear how the chordate ancestor acquired this expression domain. By examining the sequences of previously identified notochord enhancers of several chordate brachyury genes3-5, we uncovered a regulatory syntax consisting of binding sites for four TFs (Su(H), Foxh1, Zic, and Ets) with a strict order and orientation. We also identified this syntax, here named SFZE, in potential cis-regulatory modules (CRMs) of brachyury orthologs in various non-chordate animals and even in Capsaspora, a close unicellular relative to animals. Reporter assays demonstrated that SFZE-containing CRMs from non-chordate organisms exhibited regulatory activity in the zebrafish notochord, and mutagenesis of the TF sites reduced the activity. Furthermore, the SFZE syntax in sea urchin confers its endoderm activity, with the TF sites functionally decoupled during gastrulation. These findings indicate that the association of the SFZE syntax with brachyury is ancient, likely predating the origin of animals. The emergence of axial brachyury expression is therefore probably not the result of a newly acquired notochord enhancer, but is instead likely attributed to co-option of upstream signals acting on the conserved SFZE syntax, which facilitates the origin of the notochord from rudimentary endodermal cells.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Chromosome-level genome assemblies of two hemichordates provide new insights into deuterostome origin and chromosome evolution

Deuterostomes are an animal superphylum that includes Hemichordata and Echinodermata (together Ambulacraria) and Chordata. The diversity of deuterostome body plans has made it challenging to reconstruct their ancestral condition and to decipher the genetic changes that drove the diversification of deuterostome lineages. Here, we generate chromosome-level genome assemblies of two hemichordate species, Ptychodera flava and Schizocardium californicum, and use comparative genomic approaches to infer the chromosomal architecture of the deuterostome common ancestor and delineate lineage-specific chromosomal modifications. We show that hemichordate chromosomes (1N=23) exhibit remarkable chromosome-scale macrosynteny when compared to other deuterostomes, and can be derived from 24 deuterostome ancestral linkage groups (ALGs). These deuterostome ALGs in turn match previously inferred bilaterian ALGs, consistent with a relatively short transition from the last common bilaterian ancestor to the origin of deuterostomes. Based on this deuterostome ALG complement, we deduced chromosomal rearrangement events that occurred in different lineages. For example, a fusion-with-mixing event produced an Ambulacraria-specific ALG that subsequently split into two chromosomes in extant hemichordates, while this homologous ALG further fused with another chromosome in sea urchins. Orthologous genes distributed in these rearranged chromosomes are enriched for functions in various developmental processes. We found that the deeply conserved Hox clusters are located in highly rearranged chromosomes but have lower densities of transposable elements within the clusters. We also provide evidence that the deuterostome-specific pharyngeal gene cluster was established via the combination of three pre-assembled microsyntenic blocks. We suggest that since chromosomal rearrangement events and formation of new gene clusters may change the regulatory controls of developmental genes, these events may have contributed to the evolution of diverse body plans among deuterostomes.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2022

Insights into deuterostome evolution from the biphasic transcriptional programmes of hemichordates

Evolutionary history of deuterostomes remains unsolved and is intimately related to the origin of chordates. Among deuterostomes, hemichordates and echinoderms (collectively called Ambulacraria) are sister groups of chordates. Comparative studies involving these three groups provide valuable insights into deuterostome evolution. Indirect developing hemichordates produce planktonic larvae that bear resemblance to echinoderm larvae before undergoing metamorphosis into an adult body plan with anteroposterior polarity homologous to that of chordates. Therefore, understanding the developmental processes of indirect-developing hemichordates can help understand the evolution of deuterostomes and the origins of chordates. In this study, we analysed the transcriptomes and chromatin accessibility of multiple developmental stages of the indirect-developing hemichordate Ptychodera flava and discovered that it exhibits a biphasic developmental program controlled by distinct sets of transcription factors and their corresponding regulatory elements. Comparative analyses of transcriptomes and network analyses revealed that the gastrula transcriptome is relatively ancient, and the TFs orchestrating its gene expression are highly interconnected in networks of cis-regulatory interactions. Comparing the developmental transcriptomes of hemichordates, echinoderms, and amphioxus, revealed high conservation of gene expression during gastrulation that extends to the neurula stages of amphioxus, along with remarkable similarity in larval transcriptomes across the three species. Additionally, we show that P. flava possesses conserved interactions of transcription factors necessary for the development of echinoderm endomesoderm and chordate axial mesoderm, including conserved cis-regulatory elements of the FoxA transcription factor that is central to the two networks. These findings suggest the existence of a deuterostome phylotypic stage during gastrulation governed by gene regulatory networks with conserved cis-regulatory interactions. Conversely, integration of gene expression data with synteny data revealed that gene expression recapitulates the independent evolutionary history of the Ancestral Linkage Groups that underwent rearrangements in each deuterostome lineage, suggesting a potential role of genome rearrangement during the evolution of larval strategies in hemichordates and deuterostome body plans.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2022

Three amphioxus reference genomes reveal gene and chromosome evolution of chordates

The slow-evolving invertebrate amphioxus has an irreplaceable role in advancing our understanding into the vertebrate origin and innovations. Here we resolve the nearly complete chromosomal genomes of three amphioxus species, one of which best recapitulates the 17 chordate ancestor linkage groups. We reconstruct the fusions, retention or rearrangements between descendants of whole genome duplications (WGDs), which gave rise to the extant microchromosomes likely existed in the vertebrate ancestor. Similar to vertebrates, the amphioxus genome gradually establishes its 3D chromatin architecture at the onset of zygotic activation, and forms two topologically associated domains at the Hox gene cluster. We find that all three amphioxus species have ZW sex chromosomes with little sequence differentiation, and their putative sex-determining regions are nonhomologous to each other. Our results illuminate the unappreciated interspecific diversity and developmental dynamics of amphioxus genomes, and provide high-quality references for understanding the mechanisms of chordate functional genome evolution.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Single-cell transcriptomic analysis unveils spinal motor neuron subtype diversity underpinning the water-to-land transition in vertebrates

Spinal motor neurons (MNs) integrate sensory stimuli and brain commands to generate motor movements in vertebrates. Distinct MN populations and their diversity has long been hypothesized to co-evolve with motor circuit to provide the neural basis from undulatory to ambulatory locomotion during aquatic-to-terrestrial transition of vertebrates. However, how these subtypes are evolved remains largely enigmatic. Using single-cell transcriptomics, we investigate heterogeneity in mouse MNs and discover novel segment-specific subtypes. Among limb-innervating MNs, we reveal a diverse neuropeptide code for delineating putative motor pool identities. We further uncovered that axial MNs are subdivided by three conserved and molecularly distinct subpopulations, defined by Satb2, Nr2f2 or Bcl11b expression. Although axial MNs are conserved from cephalochordates to humans, subtype diversity becomes prominent in land animals and appears to continue evolving in humans. Overall, our study provides a unified classification system for spinal MNs and paves the way towards deciphering how neuronal subtypes are evolved.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2020

An updated staging system for cephalochordate development: one table suits them all

Chordates are divided into three subphyla: Vertebrata, Tunicata and Cephalochordata. Phylogenetically, the Cephalochordata, more commonly known as lancelets or amphioxus, constitute the sister group of Vertebrata and Tunicata. Lancelets are small, benthic, marine filter feeders, and their roughly three dozen described species are divided into three genera: Branchiostoma, Epigonichthys and Asymmetron. Due to their phylogenetic position and their stereotypical chordate morphology and genome architecture, lancelets are key models for understanding the evolutionary history of chordates. Lancelets have thus been studied by generations of scientists, with the first descriptions of adult anatomy and developmental morphology dating back to the 19th century. Today, several different lancelet species are used as laboratory models, predominantly for developmental, molecular and genomic studies. Surprisingly, however, a universal staging system and an unambiguous nomenclature for developing lancelets have not yet been adopted by the scientific community. In this work, we characterized the development of the European amphioxus (Branchiostoma lanceolatum) using confocal microscopy and compiled a streamlined developmental staging system, from fertilization through larval life, including an unambiguous stage nomenclature. By tracing growth curves of the European amphioxus reared at different temperatures, we were able to show that our staging system permitted an easy conversion of any developmental time into a specific stage name. Furthermore, comparisons of embryos and larvae from the European lancelet (B. lanceolatum), the Florida lancelet (B. floridae), the Chinese lancelet (B. belcheri), the Japanese lancelet (B. japonicum) and the Bahamas lancelet (Asymmetron lucayanum) demonstrated that our staging system could readily be applied to other lancelet species. Although the detailed staging description was carried out on developing B. lanceolatum, the comparisons with other lancelet species thus strongly suggested that both staging and nomenclature are applicable to all extant lancelets. We conclude that this description of embryonic and larval development will be of great use for the scientific community and that it should be adopted as the new standard for defining and naming developing lancelets. More generally, we anticipate that this work will facilitate future studies comparing representatives from different chordate lineages.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2020

On the origin and evolution of RNA editing in metazoans

Extensive adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) editing of nuclear-transcribed RNAs is the hallmark of metazoan transcriptional regulation, and is fundamental to numerous biochemical processes. Here we explore the origin and evolution of this regulatory innovation, by quantifying its prevalence in 22 species that represent all major transitions in metazoan evolution. We provide substantial evidence that extensive RNA editing emerged in the common ancestor of extant metazoans. We find the frequency of RNA editing varies across taxa in a manner independent of metazoan complexity. Nevertheless, cis-acting features that guide A-to-I editing are under strong constraint across all metazoans. RNA editing seems to preserve an ancient mechanism for suppressing the more recently evolved repetitive elements, and is generally nonadaptive in protein-coding regions across metazoans, except for Drosophila and cephalopods. Interestingly, RNA editing preferentially target genes involved in neurotransmission, cellular communication and cytoskeleton, and recodes identical amino acid positions in several conserved genes across diverse taxa, emphasizing broad roles of RNA editing in cellular functions during metazoan evolution that have been previously underappreciated.

evolutionary biology↗