MOROZ, Leonid; University of Florida: “What is a Neuron from a Genomic Standpoint? Polyphyletic Origin and Natural System of Neurons I will present and review comparative and novel genomic data related to the diversity of nervous systems and gene expression profiling from various neurons. I will also discuss two evolutionary scenarios of the origin of […]

YAFREMAVA, Liudmila*; GILLETTE, Rhanor; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: Multiplexed function in Serotonergic Neurons of Gastropod Molluscs A group of serotonergic neurons is highly conserved in cerebral ganglion lobes of opisthobranch and pulmonate gastropods. Known as the As1-4 group in Pleurobranchaea californica and the DSI neurons in Tritonia diomedia, these neurons were first discovered to […]

LOVELL, P.J.*; KOHN, A.B.; MOROZ, L.L.; Univ. of Florida, St. Augustine; Univ. of Florida, St. Augustine; Univ. of Florida, St. Augustine and Gainesville: Molluscan neurites grow into the genomic era: Insights from Aplysia transcriptome In developing nervous systems, neurons are faced with the daunting task of finding appropriate synaptic targets located far from their own […]

GILLETTE, Rhanor*; YAFREMAVA, Liudmila; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: Evolution and Function in Serotonergic Systems Serotonin was first identified as a neurotransmitter in clams, and then mammalian brain. The history of its evolution as an intercellular messenger and CNS neurotransmitter is only recently begun to be appreciated through comparative studies […]

XAVIER-NETO, Jose*; SIM�ES-COSTA, Marcos S; Instituto do Coracao HC FMUSP; Instituto do Coracao HC FMUSP: The evolutionary origins of cardiac chambers We suggest cardiac chambers evolved from anterior-posterior patterning of invertebrate peristaltic pumps, which lack efficient coordination between inflow/outflow. Strong evidence implicates retinoic acid (RA) signaling in this process. In amniotes, a caudorostral wave of […]

HEASMAN , Janet *; TAO, Qinghua ; YOKOTA, Chika ; KOFRON , Matt; LIN, Xinhua ; 1Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children�s Research Foundation: The canonical Wnt pathway and axis formation in Xenopus laevis The establishment of the dorso-ventral and anterior posterior axes in Xenopus embryos has long been known to depend on a canonical […]

DUBOC, V.*; R�TTINGER, E.; LAPRAZ, F.; BESNARDEAU, L.; LEPAGE, T.; UMR 7009 CNRS-UPMC : Role of Nodal in establishment of sea urchin larva body plan Nodal factors play crucial roles during embryogenesis of chordates. They have been implicated in a number of developmental processes, including mesoderm and endoderm formation and patterning of the embryo along […]

SHOOK, David*; KELLER, Ray; Univ. of Virginia, Charottesville: Evolution of Vertebrate Mesoderm Morphogenesis The Chordate lineage shows a evolutionary trend from mesoderm internalization by budding off epithelial tubes, as in ascidians and amphioxus, to internalization by ingression, as in the amniotes. Urodele amphibians appear to be an interesting intermediate in this transition, using an epithelial […]

HINMAN, Veronica, F*; DAVIDSON, Eric, H; Caltech; Caltech: Evolution of Mesoderm Specification in Echinoderms: Gene Regulatory Network Architectural Reorganization Across Immense Periods of Evolutionary Time This presentation will focus on the gene regulatory network (GRN) evolution of endomesodermal specification among echinoderms. GRNs detail the regulatory interconnections that prescribe developmental fate. Currently, there exists an extensive […]

DAVIDSON, Brad; Univ. of California, Berkeley: Ascidian mesoderm specification and the emergence of the chordate body plan Ascidians occupy a crucial evolutionary position at the base of the chordates. Intensive research into early ascidian development has begun to illuminate the evolutionary relationship between mesoderm development in ascidians and higher chordates. It appears that aspects of […]