Melanocytes and photosensory organs share a common ancestry that illuminates the origins of the neural crest
Abstract In vertebrates, two major cell types produce extensive pigmentation: neuroepithelium-derived retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) of the eye and neural crest-derived melanocytes. Both produce melanin, express opsins, and exhibit photosensory functions. However, the evolutionary relationship bet...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Communications Biology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08502-0 |
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| author | Yuliia Fatieieva Rozalina Galimullina Sergey Isaev Alexander Klimovich Laurence A. Lemaire Igor Adameyko |
| author_facet | Yuliia Fatieieva Rozalina Galimullina Sergey Isaev Alexander Klimovich Laurence A. Lemaire Igor Adameyko |
| author_sort | Yuliia Fatieieva |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract In vertebrates, two major cell types produce extensive pigmentation: neuroepithelium-derived retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) of the eye and neural crest-derived melanocytes. Both produce melanin, express opsins, and exhibit photosensory functions. However, the evolutionary relationship between these cells - whether pigmentation was coopted or they share a common ancestry - remains unclear. We explore these scenarios including the hypothesis of a shared origin from an ancestral pigmented photosensory structure. For this, we harness single cell transcriptomics, chromatin accessibility and spatial transcriptomics data, to connect the transcriptional programs in melanocytes, pinealocytes and RPE with that of the pigmented cells in the sensory vesicle of the tunicate Ciona. The results reveal common regulatory gene expression modules spanning beyond pigment production, including photoreception, metabolism and biosynthesis. This evidence does not favor a model where pigmentation was coopted into one of these cell types, and rather supports the homology of melanocytes and RPE. Further, phylotranscriptomics approach expose recently-evolved melanocyte-specific and RPE-specific functions, which diversified after these types split from the ancestral cell type. Overall, our results support that melanocytes and RPE evolved from ancestral pigmented photosensory structures in chordates, initiating the origin of the neural crest – a major evolutionary driver of the vertebrate lineage. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2829bb4d28454def8afb7b7cf8682a5f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2399-3642 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Biology |
| spelling | doaj-art-2829bb4d28454def8afb7b7cf8682a5f2025-08-20T03:42:52ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Biology2399-36422025-07-018112010.1038/s42003-025-08502-0Melanocytes and photosensory organs share a common ancestry that illuminates the origins of the neural crestYuliia Fatieieva0Rozalina Galimullina1Sergey Isaev2Alexander Klimovich3Laurence A. Lemaire4Igor Adameyko5Department of Neuroimmunology, Center for Brain Research, Medical University ViennaDepartment of Neuroimmunology, Center for Brain Research, Medical University ViennaDepartment of Neuroimmunology, Center for Brain Research, Medical University ViennaZoological Institute, Christian-Albrechts University of KielDepartment of Biology, Saint Louis UniversityDepartment of Neuroimmunology, Center for Brain Research, Medical University ViennaAbstract In vertebrates, two major cell types produce extensive pigmentation: neuroepithelium-derived retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) of the eye and neural crest-derived melanocytes. Both produce melanin, express opsins, and exhibit photosensory functions. However, the evolutionary relationship between these cells - whether pigmentation was coopted or they share a common ancestry - remains unclear. We explore these scenarios including the hypothesis of a shared origin from an ancestral pigmented photosensory structure. For this, we harness single cell transcriptomics, chromatin accessibility and spatial transcriptomics data, to connect the transcriptional programs in melanocytes, pinealocytes and RPE with that of the pigmented cells in the sensory vesicle of the tunicate Ciona. The results reveal common regulatory gene expression modules spanning beyond pigment production, including photoreception, metabolism and biosynthesis. This evidence does not favor a model where pigmentation was coopted into one of these cell types, and rather supports the homology of melanocytes and RPE. Further, phylotranscriptomics approach expose recently-evolved melanocyte-specific and RPE-specific functions, which diversified after these types split from the ancestral cell type. Overall, our results support that melanocytes and RPE evolved from ancestral pigmented photosensory structures in chordates, initiating the origin of the neural crest – a major evolutionary driver of the vertebrate lineage.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08502-0 |
| spellingShingle | Yuliia Fatieieva Rozalina Galimullina Sergey Isaev Alexander Klimovich Laurence A. Lemaire Igor Adameyko Melanocytes and photosensory organs share a common ancestry that illuminates the origins of the neural crest Communications Biology |
| title | Melanocytes and photosensory organs share a common ancestry that illuminates the origins of the neural crest |
| title_full | Melanocytes and photosensory organs share a common ancestry that illuminates the origins of the neural crest |
| title_fullStr | Melanocytes and photosensory organs share a common ancestry that illuminates the origins of the neural crest |
| title_full_unstemmed | Melanocytes and photosensory organs share a common ancestry that illuminates the origins of the neural crest |
| title_short | Melanocytes and photosensory organs share a common ancestry that illuminates the origins of the neural crest |
| title_sort | melanocytes and photosensory organs share a common ancestry that illuminates the origins of the neural crest |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08502-0 |
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