Molecular evolution of regulatory regions of HOX genes associated with the morphology of fish fins, with special emphasis on Chondrichthyes

• Grant number: 12/05152-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: January 01, 2013
• End date: February 29, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Rodrigues de Carvalho
• Grantee: Murilo de Carvalho
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 13/05292-0 - Molecular evolution of regulatory regions of HOX genes associated with fin morphology in fishes, with special emphasis in Chondrichthyes, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

The development of genetic regulatory regions, particularly in the genes expressed during embryo development, seems to be closely related processes resulting in the evolutionary origin of new morphology, since variations in regulatory regions determine changes in patterns of gene expression during the formation specific structures. The proposed research aims to investigate associations between the nucleotide sequence of the regulatory region CsB, which controls the expression of 5' end genes of the HoxD cluster (i.e. Hoxd11 and Hoxd13) during the formation of the bud of paired appendages in vertebrates. The sequences will be analyzed for the presence of both conserved regions and regions with high levels of nucleotide substitution, for subsequent inferences about the presence of binding sites for specific transcription factors. It will be studied condrichthyans species representing most of the morphological variation of fins of the major clades (i.e. Squalomorphi and Galeomorphi) and compared with representatives of major groups of Actinopterygii. The fragments of this regulatory region are obtained from PCR reactions with subsequent cloning and sequencing. For this, we used degenerate primers developed in this project collaborating laboratory (FFCLRP-USP) which had previously been tested successfully in a preliminary study for this proposal. The chosen group aims to show how (if any) the morphological variation of fish fins is resulting of molecular evolution of this regulatory region. This study will also contribute to understanding the evolution of species non-genotypic models in studies of evolutionary developmental biology.

Scientific publications

(5)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

CARVALHO, MURILO; BOCKMANN, FLAVIO ALICINO; DE CARVALHO, MARCELO RODRIGUES. Homology of the Fifth Epibranchial and Accessory Elements of the Ceratobranchials among Gnathostomes: Insights from the Development of Ostariophysans. PLoS One, v. 8, n. 4, APR 18 2013. (09/54931-0, 12/02349-8, 12/05391-5, 12/05152-0, 04/09219-6, 12/09877-0)

MALDANIS, LARA; CARVALHO, MURILO; ALMEIDA, MARIANA RAMOS; FREITAS, FRANCISCO IDALECIO; FERREIRA GOMES DE ANDRADE, JOSE ARTUR; NUNES, RAFAEL SILVA; ROCHITTE, CARLOS EDUARDO; POPPI, RONEI JESUS; FREITAE, RAUL OLIVEIRA; RODRIGUES, FABIO; et al. Heart fossilization is possible and informs the evolution of cardiac outflow tract in vertebrates. eLIFE, v. 5, APR 19 2016. (12/05152-0)

WEIGMANN, SIMON; VAZ, DIEGO F. B.; WHITE, WILLIAM T.; DE CARVALHO, MARCELO R.; THIEL, RALF. Distribution and comments on the morphology of Centroscymnus owstonii Garman, 1906 (Squaliformes: Somniosidae), with focus on its occurrence in the Indian Ocean. MARINE BIODIVERSITY, v. 46, n. 3, p. 641-653, SEP 2016. (13/13137-4, 13/05292-0, 12/07712-3, 12/05391-5, 12/05152-0, 12/09877-0)

WHITE, WILLIAM T.; VAZ, DIEGO F. B.; HO, HSUAN-CHING; EBERT, DAVID A.; DE CARVALHO, MARCELO R.; CORRIGAN, SHANNON; ROCHEL, ELISABETH; DE CARVALHO, MURILO; TANAKA, SHO; NAYLOR, GAVIN J. P.. Redescription of Scymnodon ichiharai Yano and Tanaka 1984 (Squaliformes: Somniosidae) from the western North Pacific, with comments on the definition of somniosid genera. ICHTHYOLOGICAL RESEARCH, v. 62, n. 2, p. 213-229, JAN 2015. (13/13137-4, 13/05292-0, 12/07712-3, 12/05391-5, 12/05152-0, 12/09877-0)

CARVALHO, MURILO; VARI, RICHARD P.. Development of the splanchnocranium in Prochilodus argenteus (Teleostei: Characiformes) with a discussion of the basal developmental patterns in the Otophysi. ZOOLOGY, v. 118, n. 1, p. 34-50, FEB 2015. (12/05152-0)