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Muscle development in the marbled crayfish—insights from an emerging model organism (Crustacea, Malacostraca, Decapoda)

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Abstract

The development of the crustacean muscular system is still poorly understood. We present a structural analysis of muscle development in an emerging model organism, the marbled crayfish—a representative of the Cambaridae. The development and differentiation of muscle tissue and its relation to the mesoderm-forming cells are described using fluorescent and non-fluorescent imaging tools. We combined immunohistochemical staining for early isoforms of myosin heavy chain with phallotoxin staining of F-actin, which distinguishes early and more differentiated myocytes. We were thus able to identify single muscle precursor cells that serve as starting points for developing muscular units. Our investigations show a significant developmental advance in head appendage muscles and in the posterior end of the longitudinal trunk muscle strands compared to other forming muscle tissues. These findings are considered evolutionary relics of larval developmental features. Furthermore, we document the development of the muscular heart tissue from myogenic precursors and the formation and differentiation of visceral musculature.

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Acknowledgements

The 4D9 anti-EN/INVECTED monoclonal antibody developed by Corey Goodman (University of California, Berkeley) was obtained from the Developmental Studies Hybridoma Bank, which was developed under the auspices of the NICHD and is maintained by The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242. We also express our gratitude to Frederike Alwes for instructions on crayfish care, egg handling, dissection, and staining. Thanks also to Lucy Cathrow for improving the English of the manuscript. This study was supported by the DFG grant Ri837/8-1 to SR, Wo1461/1-1 to CW.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universität Rostock, Institut für Biowissenschaften/Allgemeine und Spezielle Zoologie, Universitätsplatz 2, 18055, Rostock, Germany

    Günther Jirikowski & Stefan Richter

  2. Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Biologie, AG Vergleichende Zoologie, Philippstr.13, 10115, Berlin, Germany

    Carsten Wolff

  3. Universität Konstanz, Fachbereich Biologie, 78457, Konstanz, Germany

    Sabine Kreissl

Authors
  1. Günther Jirikowski
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  2. Sabine Kreissl
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  3. Stefan Richter
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  4. Carsten Wolff
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Correspondence to Günther Jirikowski.

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Communicated by S. Roth

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Jirikowski, G., Kreissl, S., Richter, S. et al. Muscle development in the marbled crayfish—insights from an emerging model organism (Crustacea, Malacostraca, Decapoda). Dev Genes Evol 220, 89–105 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00427-010-0331-7

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