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What is Eco-Devo?
What is Eco-Devo?
Organismal traits, or phenotypes, are shaped not only by genetic information but also by environmental stimuli. Ecological developmental biology, abbreviated as Eco-Devo, is a field that integrates environmental factors into developmental biology. The term was coined by Scott Gilbert in 2001 to describe a new approach to understanding how environmental cues influence development and drive phenotypic evolution.
One major concept in Eco-Devo is phenotypic plasticity (or polyphenism), in which a specific developmental program is activated or suppressed depending on environmental conditions, resulting in the production of alternative phenotypes.
In insects, juvenile hormone (JH) plays a key physiological role in mediating environmental cues that switch between phenotypes. However, many other animals lacking JH also exhibit plastic development, suggesting the existence of alternative mechanisms that mediate environmental influences to generate phenotypic variation.
Our research aims to uncover the physiological and developmental mechanisms that regulate phenotype expression across different environmental contexts. We also seek to understand the evolutionary processes that have enabled animals to develop such flexible life cycles and adaptive developmental strategies.
Development and reproduction in syllid polychates
Development and reproduction in syllid polychates
Annelids belonging to the family Syllidae exhibit highly distinctive reproductive modes. Individuals that hatch from eggs grow into mature benthic adults called “stocks.” These stock individuals do not spawn eggs or sperm directly. Instead, a reproductive individual filled with either ovaries or testes develops at the posterior end of the stock. Such reproductive individuals, known as “stolons,” eventually detach from the stock and swim freely to find mates and release gametes.
The process of stolon formation, called “stolonization,” involves various intriguing biological phenomena, including body plan remodeling, sex determination, and sexual recognition. We are currently establishing a laboratory rearing system for the Japanese species Megasyllis nipponica to investigate the developmental and physiological mechanisms underlying stolonization.
Caste differentiation in termites
Caste differentiation in termites
In termite colonies, organized social behavior arises from a division of labor among castes, each characterized by distinct morphologies and behavioral roles. For instance, soldiers, which are specialized for colony defense, undergo specific morphogenetic processes that result in the enlargement of weapon-like structures such as mandibles.
Extensive research has demonstrated that juvenile hormone (JH) plays a central role in caste differentiation in termites. Our studies have shown that fluctuations in JH concentration during critical developmental periods determine the fate of caste differentiation. Moreover, evidence suggests that JH titers are modulated through social interactions among colony members.
Our research explores multiple aspects of termite caste differentiation, including caste-specific gene expression, morphogenetic mechanisms, and the regulatory roles of hormonal factors and toolkit genes. We also investigate how social communication influences gonadal development and reproductive physiology.
Developmental studies on the heterozooid differentiation in the colonial bryozoans
Developmental studies on the heterozooid differentiation in the colonial bryozoans
In many species of colonial bryozoans (Phylum Bryozoa or Ectoprocta), a specialized division of labor among individuals within a colony is highly developed, resulting in a variety of morphologically distinct zooids. It has been proposed that these distinct forms evolved through modifications of tissues and structures originally present in the ordinary feeding zooids (autozooids). However, the developmental processes of these specialized zooids remain poorly understood, leaving the validity of this hypothesis uncertain.
In this study, we focus on the development of the bird-head body (avicularium), a type of heterozooid. We use the bryozoan species Bugula californica, in which each autozooid bears an adventitious avicularium, also referred to as an “accessory bird-head body.” Our goal is to elucidate the developmental mechanisms underlying zooid differentiation. First, we describe the detailed process of avicularium formation. Based on these observations, we are attempting to identify genes specifically expressed during avicularium development by comparing them with those expressed in the autozooid.
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