IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v16y2025i1d10.1038_s41467-025-57109-w.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

β-catenin-driven endomesoderm specification is a Bilateria-specific novelty

Author

Listed:
  • Tatiana Lebedeva

    (University of Vienna
    University of Vienna
    Friedrich Schiller University Jena)

  • Johan Boström

    (Medical University of Vienna)

  • Stanislav Kremnyov

    (Friedrich Schiller University Jena)

  • David Mörsdorf

    (University of Vienna)

  • Isabell Niedermoser

    (University of Vienna
    University of Vienna)

  • Evgeny Genikhovich

    (Engelsa pr. 40-6)

  • Andreas Hejnol

    (Friedrich Schiller University Jena)

  • Igor Adameyko

    (Medical University of Vienna
    Karolinska Institutet)

  • Grigory Genikhovich

    (University of Vienna)

Abstract

Endomesoderm specification by a maternal β-catenin signal and body axis patterning by interpreting a gradient of zygotic Wnt/β-catenin signalling was suggested to predate the split between Bilateria and their sister clade Cnidaria. However, in Cnidaria, the roles of β-catenin signalling in these processes have not been demonstrated directly. Here, by tagging the endogenous β-catenin in the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis, we confirm that its oral-aboral axis is indeed patterned by a gradient of β-catenin signalling. Strikingly, we show that, in contrast to bilaterians, Nematostella endomesoderm specification is repressed by β-catenin and takes place in the maternal nuclear β-catenin-negative part of the embryo. This completely changes the accepted paradigm and suggests that β-catenin-dependent endomesoderm specification was a bilaterian innovation linking endomesoderm specification to the subsequent posterior-anterior patterning.

Suggested Citation

  • Tatiana Lebedeva & Johan Boström & Stanislav Kremnyov & David Mörsdorf & Isabell Niedermoser & Evgeny Genikhovich & Andreas Hejnol & Igor Adameyko & Grigory Genikhovich, 2025. "β-catenin-driven endomesoderm specification is a Bilateria-specific novelty," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-57109-w
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-57109-w
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-57109-w
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-025-57109-w?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
    ---><---

    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_s41467-025-57109-w. 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.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using 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.