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Matthias Gerberding

Publications and source records attributed to Matthias Gerberding.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

Stages of embryonic development in the amphipod crustacean, Parhyale hawaiensis.

Studying the relationship between development and evolution and its role in the generation of biological diversity has been reinvigorated by new techniques in genetics and molecular biology. However, exploiting these techniques to examine the evolution of development requires that a great deal of detail be known regarding the embryonic development of multiple species studied in a phylogenetic context. Crustaceans are an enormously successful group of arthropods and extant species demonstrate a wide diversity of morphologies and life histories. One of the most speciose orders within the Crustacea is the Amphipoda. The embryonic development of a new crustacean model system, the amphipod Parhyale hawaiensis, is described in a series of discrete stages easily identified by examination of living animals and the use of commonly available molecular markers on fixed specimens. Complete embryogenesis occurs in 250 h at 26 degrees C and has been divided into 30 stages. This staging data will facilitate comparative analyses of embryonic development among crustaceans in particular, as well as between different arthropod groups. In addition, several aspects of Parhyale embryonic development make this species particularly suitable for a broad range of experimental manipulations.

Amphipoda↗

Cell lineage analysis of the amphipod crustacean Parhyale hawaiensis reveals an early restriction of cell fates.

In the amphipod crustacean, Parhyale hawaiensis, the first few embryonic cleavages are total and generate a stereotypical arrangement of cells. In particular, at the eight-cell stage there are four macromeres and four micromeres, and each of these cells is uniquely identifiable. We describe our studies of the cell fate pattern of these eight blastomeres, and find that the eight clones resulting from these cells set up distinct cell lineages that differ in terms of proliferation, migration and cell fate. Remarkably, the cell fate of each blastomere is restricted to a single germ layer. The ectoderm originates from three of the macromeres, while the remaining macromere generates the visceral mesoderm. Two of the micromeres generate the somatic mesoderm, a third micromere generates the endoderm and the fourth micromere generates the germline. These findings demonstrate for the first time a total cleavage pattern in an arthropod which results in an invariant cell fate of the blastomeres, but notably, the cell lineage pattern of Parhyale reported shows no clear resemblance to those found in spiralians, nematodes or deuterostomes. Finally, the techniques we have developed for the analysis of Parhyale development suggest that this arthropod may be particularly useful for future functional analyses of crustacean development.

Animals↗