Abstract
Claudins are major constituents of tight junctions, contributing both to their intercellular sealing and selective permeability properties. While claudins and claudin-like molecules are present in some invertebrates, the association of claudins with tight junctions has been conclusively documented only in vertebrates. Here we report the sequencing, phylogenetic analysis and comprehensive spatiotemporal expression analysis of the entire claudin gene family in the basal extant vertebrate, the sea lamprey. Our results demonstrate that clear orthologues to about half of all mammalian claudins are present in the lamprey, suggesting that at least one round of whole genome duplication contributed to the diversification of this gene family. Expression analysis revealed that claudins are expressed in discrete and specific domains, many of which represent vertebrate-specific innovations, such as in cranial ectodermal placodes and the neural crest; whereas others represent structures characteristic of chordates, e.g. pronephros, notochord, somites, endostyle and pharyngeal arches. By comparing the embryonic expression of claudins in the lamprey to that of other vertebrates, we found that ancestral expression patterns were often preserved in higher vertebrates. Morpholino mediated loss of Cldn3b demonstrated a functional role for this protein in placode and pharyngeal arch morphogenesis. Taken together, our data provide novel insights into the origins and evolution of the claudin gene family and the significance of claudin proteins in the evolution of vertebrates.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2016
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1387/ijdb.150364nn
Funding Information
This work is based on the research supported wholly by the National Research Foundation of South Africa (Grant reference number 80717 to NN and grantholder-linked student funding to CK and RL).
Related Content
Supplementary Material (one figure and one table) for this paper is available at: https://doi.org/10.1387/ijdb.150364nn
Repository Citation
Mukendi, Christian; Dean, Nicholas; Lala, Rushil; Smith, Jeramiah J.; Bronner, Marianne E; and Nikitina, Natalya V., "Evolution of the Vertebrate Claudin Gene Family: Insights from a Basal Vertebrate, the Sea Lamprey" (2016). Biology Faculty Publications. 122.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/biology_facpub/122
Supplementary Material
Notes/Citation Information
Published in The International Journal of Developmental Biology, v. 60, p. 39-51.
© UPV/EHU Press
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