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Main Authors: Di, Guotao, Jin, Minjun, Li, Wanqing, Yuan, Meng, Zhang, Yifan, Zhao, Chengtian
Format: Artículo científico
Language:en
Published: Molecular biology and evolution 2026
Subjects:
Online Access:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41964527/
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author Di, Guotao
Jin, Minjun
Li, Wanqing
Yuan, Meng
Zhang, Yifan
Zhao, Chengtian
author_facet Di, Guotao
Jin, Minjun
Li, Wanqing
Yuan, Meng
Zhang, Yifan
Zhao, Chengtian
Di, Guotao
Jin, Minjun
Li, Wanqing
Yuan, Meng
Zhang, Yifan
Zhao, Chengtian
collection PubMed - marine biology
contents Wnt signaling patterns a central-peripheral body axis in the early-diverging metazoan Trichoplax adhaerens. Di, Guotao Jin, Minjun Li, Wanqing Yuan, Meng Zhang, Yifan Zhao, Chengtian Animals Body Patterning Wnt Signaling Pathway Placozoa Biological Evolution Body axis formation was a pivotal innovation in animal evolution, providing the spatial framework necessary for organized multicellularity. While the genetic basis of axis specification is well established in bilaterians, how axial organization emerged in early-diverging metazoans remains unresolved. Here, we address this question in Trichoplax adhaerens, a placozoan representing one of the simplest extant animal body plans. We show that Wnt signaling, a conserved regulator of axial patterning, exhibits polarized expression enriched in the peripheral region of this morphologically simple organism. Functional perturbations demonstrate that Wnt activity promotes peripheral cell proliferation and maintains central-peripheral tissue balance. Transcriptomic profiling further reveals distinct molecular identities along this axis, resembling the oral-aboral polarity of cnidarians. Together, our findings uncover a Wnt-dependent axial system in placozoans and support the view that core components of metazoan body axis patterning were already established in early animal evolution.
format Artículo científico
id pubmed_41964527
institution PubMed
language en
publishDate 2026
publisher Molecular biology and evolution
record_format pubmed
spellingShingle Wnt signaling patterns a central-peripheral body axis in the early-diverging metazoan Trichoplax adhaerens.
Di, Guotao
Jin, Minjun
Li, Wanqing
Yuan, Meng
Zhang, Yifan
Zhao, Chengtian
Animals
Body Patterning
Wnt Signaling Pathway
Placozoa
Biological Evolution
Wnt signaling patterns a central-peripheral body axis in the early-diverging metazoan Trichoplax adhaerens. Di, Guotao Jin, Minjun Li, Wanqing Yuan, Meng Zhang, Yifan Zhao, Chengtian Animals Body Patterning Wnt Signaling Pathway Placozoa Biological Evolution Body axis formation was a pivotal innovation in animal evolution, providing the spatial framework necessary for organized multicellularity. While the genetic basis of axis specification is well established in bilaterians, how axial organization emerged in early-diverging metazoans remains unresolved. Here, we address this question in Trichoplax adhaerens, a placozoan representing one of the simplest extant animal body plans. We show that Wnt signaling, a conserved regulator of axial patterning, exhibits polarized expression enriched in the peripheral region of this morphologically simple organism. Functional perturbations demonstrate that Wnt activity promotes peripheral cell proliferation and maintains central-peripheral tissue balance. Transcriptomic profiling further reveals distinct molecular identities along this axis, resembling the oral-aboral polarity of cnidarians. Together, our findings uncover a Wnt-dependent axial system in placozoans and support the view that core components of metazoan body axis patterning were already established in early animal evolution.
title Wnt signaling patterns a central-peripheral body axis in the early-diverging metazoan Trichoplax adhaerens.
topic Animals
Body Patterning
Wnt Signaling Pathway
Placozoa
Biological Evolution
url https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41964527/