MSc Student
Advisor: Andreas Wanninger

Unit for Integrative Zoology, Department of Evolutionary Biology
University of Vienna

Abstract

The origin and developmental variation of mesoderm formation between major metazoan lineages have been long-standing research questions. Spiralians (e.g. molluscs, annelids, platyhelminths) are characterized by their plesiomorphic stereotypical invariant spiral cleavage. However, little is known about the underlying genetic mechanisms of spiralian mesoderm formation compared to chordates or ecdysozoans. Various Fox gene transcription factors, a family of genes predating the origin of metazoans, are considered part of these underlying mechanisms. As of now at least 25 subfamilies of Fox genes are recognized with a wide variety of functions, ranging from basic intracellular processes to germ layer patterning and axis formation. Studies on the expression on genes belonging to the Fox family are scarce in spiralians, especially in a mesodermal context. In mollusks, data are limited to gastropods or are nonexistent altogether.

In my thesis, I will contribute to the understanding of the expression of Fox genes in molluscs. To this end, I will analyse orthologs of Fox genes, which were previously reported to play roles in mesodermal patterning, using whole-mount in situ hybridization. I will investigate the spatial and temporal gene expression in the larval stages of the polyplacophoran Acanthochitona fascicularis, which will allow for a comparative examination of their expression patterns across mollusks and other bilaterians. These data will provide a better understanding of the putative functional plasticity and ancestral roles of Fox genes in bilaterian animals.