A novel beta-catenin homologue from the earthworm Eisenia andrei: Identification and characterization during embryonic development, segment regeneration, and immune response

Bodó, Kornélia, Boros, Ákos, da Costa, Chayeen Brotzki, Tolnai, Gréta, Rumpler, Éva, László, Zoltán, Nagyeri, György, Németh, Péter, Kille, Peter ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6023-5221, Molnár, László and Engelmann, Péter 2025. A novel beta-catenin homologue from the earthworm Eisenia andrei: Identification and characterization during embryonic development, segment regeneration, and immune response. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 306 , 141397. 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.141397

Preview

PDF - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Download (15MB) | Preview

Abstract

Evolutionarily, Wnt/β-catenin signaling is well-conserved and supports several key cell-biological processes (e.g. adhesion and proliferation). Its crucial component, β-catenin, has been described in several organisms, however, its identification and characterization are notably lacking in annelid earthworms. Here, we report a novel β-catenin homologue from the earthworm Eisenia andrei, termed Ea-β-catenin. The full-length 3253 nt Ea-β-catenin mRNA includes an open reading frame of 2499 nt encoding a putative protein with 833 amino acid residues that comprise 11 classical armadillo-repeat regions. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that Ea-β-catenin shows strong homology with Lophotrochozoan β-catenins. Ubiquitous, but variable expressions of Ea-β-catenin were observed in distinct earthworm tissues. During embryogenesis, Ea-β-catenin mRNA gradually increased from the E1 to E4 developmental stages. Regeneration experiments revealed an inverse correlation between Ea-β-catenin mRNA levels and the rate of EdU+/PY489-β-catenin+ proliferating cells during the second week of the posterior blastema formation. In vitro exposures to poly(I:C) and zymosan significantly increased Ea-β-catenin mRNA levels, while small molecule Wnt-pathway modulators such as LiCl or iCRT14 increased or decreased Ea-β-catenin mRNA expression, and nuclear translocation of PY489-β-catenin, respectively. These novel results pave the way for follow-up studies aimed at characterizing additional members of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway that may be involved in embryonic and/or postembryonic development, as well as innate immunity in earthworms.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Biosciences
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	0141-8130
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	10 March 2025
Date of Acceptance:	21 February 2025
Last Modified:	11 Mar 2025 10:45
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/176782

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item