Also a blast from the past! Another preprint is now available from my first postdoc in the
@arnonelab.bsky.social at
@szndohrn.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...Our study presents a comprehensive cell type atlas of post-metamorphic juveniles of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus, utilizing single nucleus transcriptomics in combination with spatial gene expression analysis and high-resolution electron microscopy.
Our findings reveal a remarkable conservation of genetic regulatory mechanisms as well as divergence of post-metamorphic cell types and provide new insights into the evolution of nervous system complexity in echinoderms.
We report high degree of neuronal diversification and photoreceptor signatures throughout the sea urchin body, challenging the traditional view of the echinoderm nervous system.
Our findings suggest that the echinoderm nervous system exhibits an "all-brain" organization, with implications for understanding the evolution of nervous system complexity across metazoans.
It was an incredible team effort and I am grateful to all the co-authors that made this manuscript possible!
