IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v16y2025i1d10.1038_s41467-025-56115-2.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Structural, molecular and developmental evidence for cell-type diversity in cnidarian mechanosensory neurons

Author

Listed:
  • Julia Baranyk

    (University of Arkansas)

  • Kristen Malir

    (University of Arkansas)

  • Miguel A. P. Silva

    (University of Arkansas
    University of Lisbon)

  • Sakura Rieck

    (University of Arkansas)

  • Gracie Scheve

    (Bowdoin College)

  • Nagayasu Nakanishi

    (University of Arkansas)

Abstract

Deploying a conserved mechanosensory neuron known as the concentric hair cell, cnidarians have evolved diverse mechanoreceptors from hydroid filiform tentacles to jellyfish statocysts. However, it is unknown whether cnidarian mechanoreceptor evolution has relied solely on repurposing a single ancestral mechanosensory neuron type. Here we report evidence for cell-type diversity of mechanosensory neurons in sea-anemone cnidarian Nematostella vectensis. Uncovered in the ectoderm of feeding tentacles are conventional type I hair cells and previously unrecognized type II hair cells differing in the structure of apical sensory apparatus and synapses. Moreover, we identify TRP channel-encoding gene polycystin-1 as a type-II-hair-cell-specific essential mediator of gentle touch response. Ontogenically, type I and type II hair cells derive from distinct postmitotic precursors that begin forming at different phases of larval development. Taken together, our findings suggest that anatomically, molecularly, and developmentally distinct mechanosensory neurons diversified within Cnidaria, or prior to the divergence of Cnidaria and Bilateria.

Suggested Citation

  • Julia Baranyk & Kristen Malir & Miguel A. P. Silva & Sakura Rieck & Gracie Scheve & Nagayasu Nakanishi, 2025. "Structural, molecular and developmental evidence for cell-type diversity in cnidarian mechanosensory neurons," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-12, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-56115-2
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56115-2
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-56115-2
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-025-56115-2?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bob Zimmermann & Juan D. Montenegro & Sofia M. C. Robb & Whitney J. Fropf & Lukas Weilguny & Shuonan He & Shiyuan Chen & Jessica Lovegrove-Walsh & Eric M. Hill & Cheng-Yi Chen & Katerina Ragkousi & Da, 2023. "Topological structures and syntenic conservation in sea anemone genomes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-16, December.
    2. Wei Li & Lijun Kang & Beverly J. Piggott & Zhaoyang Feng & X.Z. Shawn Xu, 2011. "The neural circuits and sensory channels mediating harsh touch sensation in Caenorhabditis elegans," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 2(1), pages 1-9, September.
    3. Darrin T. Schultz & Steven H. D. Haddock & Jessen V. Bredeson & Richard E. Green & Oleg Simakov & Daniel S. Rokhsar, 2023. "Ancient gene linkages support ctenophores as sister to other animals," Nature, Nature, vol. 618(7963), pages 110-117, June.
    4. Aissam Ikmi & Sean A. McKinney & Kym M. Delventhal & Matthew C. Gibson, 2014. "TALEN and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing in the early-branching metazoan Nematostella vectensis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 1-8, December.
    5. Mansi Srivastava & Emina Begovic & Jarrod Chapman & Nicholas H. Putnam & Uffe Hellsten & Takeshi Kawashima & Alan Kuo & Therese Mitros & Asaf Salamov & Meredith L. Carpenter & Ana Y. Signorovitch & Ma, 2008. "The Trichoplax genome and the nature of placozoans," Nature, Nature, vol. 454(7207), pages 955-960, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mario Ivanković & Jeremias N. Brand & Luca Pandolfini & Thomas Brown & Martin Pippel & Andrei Rozanski & Til Schubert & Markus A. Grohme & Sylke Winkler & Laura Robledillo & Meng Zhang & Azzurra Codin, 2024. "A comparative analysis of planarian genomes reveals regulatory conservation in the face of rapid structural divergence," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-21, December.
    2. Minjun Jin & Wanqing Li & Zhongyu Ji & Guotao Di & Meng Yuan & Yifan Zhang & Yunsi Kang & Chengtian Zhao, 2024. "Coordinated cellular behavior regulated by epinephrine neurotransmitters in the nerveless placozoa," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    3. Christine Guzman & Kurato Mohri & Ryotaro Nakamura & Minato Miyake & Yuko Tsuchiya & Kentaro Tomii & Hiroshi Watanabe, 2024. "Neuronal and non-neuronal functions of the synaptic cell adhesion molecule neurexin in Nematostella vectensis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-14, December.
    4. Zhijun Dong & Fanghan Wang & Yali Liu & Yongxue Li & Haiyan Yu & Saijun Peng & Tingting Sun & Meng Qu & Ke Sun & Lei Wang & Yuanqing Ma & Kai Chen & Jianmin Zhao & Qiang Lin, 2024. "Genomic and single-cell analyses reveal genetic signatures of swimming pattern and diapause strategy in jellyfish," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-16, December.
    5. Bob Zimmermann & Juan D. Montenegro & Sofia M. C. Robb & Whitney J. Fropf & Lukas Weilguny & Shuonan He & Shiyuan Chen & Jessica Lovegrove-Walsh & Eric M. Hill & Cheng-Yi Chen & Katerina Ragkousi & Da, 2023. "Topological structures and syntenic conservation in sea anemone genomes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-16, December.
    6. Wenjuan Zou & Yuedan Fan & Jia Liu & Hankui Cheng & Huitao Hong & Umar Al-Sheikh & Shitian Li & Linhui Zhu & Rong Li & Longyuan He & Yi-Quan Tang & Guohua Zhao & Yongming Zhang & Feng Wang & Renya Zha, 2025. "Anoctamin-1 is a core component of a mechanosensory anion channel complex in C. elegans," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-19, December.
    7. Wenxiu Wang & Weizhi Song & Marwan E. Majzoub & Xiaoyuan Feng & Bu Xu & Jianchang Tao & Yuanqing Zhu & Zhiyong Li & Pei-Yuan Qian & Nicole S. Webster & Torsten Thomas & Lu Fan, 2024. "Decoupling of strain- and intrastrain-level interactions of microbiomes in a sponge holobiont," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-17, December.
    8. Arunkumar Krishnan & Markus Sällman Almén & Robert Fredriksson & Helgi B Schiöth, 2012. "The Origin of GPCRs: Identification of Mammalian like Rhodopsin, Adhesion, Glutamate and Frizzled GPCRs in Fungi," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(1), pages 1-15, January.
    9. Lauren E. Vandepas & Caroline Stefani & Phillip P. Domeier & Nikki Traylor-Knowles & Frederick W. Goetz & William E. Browne & Adam Lacy-Hulbert, 2024. "Extracellular DNA traps in a ctenophore demonstrate immune cell behaviors in a non-bilaterian," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    10. Su-Hyuk Ko & Kyung-Ah Cho & Xin Li & Qitao Ran & Zhijie Liu & Lizhen Chen, 2025. "GPX modulation promotes regenerative axonal fusion and functional recovery after injury through PSR-1 condensation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-20, December.
    11. Leslie S. Babonis & Camille Enjolras & Abigail J. Reft & Brent M. Foster & Fredrik Hugosson & Joseph F. Ryan & Marymegan Daly & Mark Q. Martindale, 2023. "Single-cell atavism reveals an ancient mechanism of cell type diversification in a sea anemone," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-14, December.
    12. Hagar Setty & Yehuda Salzberg & Shadi Karimi & Elisheva Berent-Barzel & Michael Krieg & Meital Oren-Suissa, 2022. "Sexually dimorphic architecture and function of a mechanosensory circuit in C. elegans," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-15, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-56115-2. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.