A single gene determines allorecognition in hydrozoan jellyfish Cladonema radiatum inbred lines

Allorecognition—the ability of an organism to discriminate between self and nonself—is crucial to colonial marine animals to avoid invasion by other individuals in the same habitat. The cnidarian hydroid Hydractinia has long been a major research model in studying invertebrate allorecognition, estab...

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Published inJournal of experimental zoology. Part A, Ecological and integrative physiology Vol. 341; no. 9; pp. 1002 - 1020
Main Authors Tang, Crystal, Tamura‐Nakano, Miwa, Kobayakawa, Kenta, Ozawa, Takuto, Onojima, Takao, Kajitani, Rei, Itoh, Takehiko, Tachibana, Kazunori
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.11.2024
Subjects
allorecognition
Animals
cnidarian
comparative immunology
Hydrozoa - genetics
hydrozoan jellyfish
allorecognition
cnidarian
hydrozoan jellyfish
comparative immunology
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Summary:Allorecognition—the ability of an organism to discriminate between self and nonself—is crucial to colonial marine animals to avoid invasion by other individuals in the same habitat. The cnidarian hydroid Hydractinia has long been a major research model in studying invertebrate allorecognition, establishing a rich knowledge foundation. In this study, we introduce a new cnidarian model Cladonema radiatum (C. radiatum). C. radiatum is a hydroid jellyfish which also forms polyp colonies interconnected with stolons. Allorecognition responses—fusion or regression of stolons—are observed when stolons encounter each other. By transmission electron microscopy, we observe rapid tissue remodeling contributing to gastrovascular system connection in fusion. Meanwhile, rejection responses are regulated by reconstruction of the chitinous exoskeleton perisarc, and induction of necrotic and autophagic cellular responses at cells in contact with the opponent. Genetic analysis identifies allorecognition genes: six Alr genes located on the putative allorecognition complex and four immunoglobulin superfamily genes on a separate genome region. C. radiatum allorecognition genes show notable conservation with the Hydractinia Alr family. Remarkedly, stolon encounter assays of inbred lines reveal that genotypes of Alr1 solely determine allorecognition outcomes in C. radiatum. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS Introduction of the hydrozoan jellyfish Cladonema radiatum as a new cnidarian animal model, for studying invertebrate allorecognition C. radiatum possesses effective allorecognition mechanisms mediated by a single gene Alr1.
ISSN:2471-5638
2471-5646
DOI:10.1002/jez.2853