The Expression of <i>Shmt</i> Genes in Amphioxus Suggests a Role in Tissue Proliferation Rather than in Neurotransmission

The Expression of <i>Shmt</i> Genes in Amphioxus Suggests a Role in Tissue Proliferation Rather than in Neurotransmission

Serine hydroxymethyltransferases (SHMTs) are key enzymes in one-carbon metabolism, with vertebrates possessing two paralogs, cytosolic SHMT1 and mitochondrial SHMT2, implicated in nucleotide biosynthesis and glycine metabolism. In this study, we investigate the evolutionary history of animal <i&g...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Matteo Bozzo, Emanuele Serafini, Giacomo Rosa, Virginia Bazzurro, Andrea Amaroli, Sara Ferrando, Michael Schubert, Simona Candiani
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Cells
Subjects:
glycine biosynthesis
development
evolution
serine hydroxymethyltransferase
glycinergic neurons
one-carbon metabolism
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/14/14/1071
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Serine hydroxymethyltransferases (SHMTs) are key enzymes in one-carbon metabolism, with vertebrates possessing two paralogs, cytosolic SHMT1 and mitochondrial SHMT2, implicated in nucleotide biosynthesis and glycine metabolism. In this study, we investigate the evolutionary history of animal <i>Shmt</i> genes and analyze the expression patterns of <i>Shmt</i> genes in developing amphioxus (<i>Branchiostoma lanceolatum</i>). Phylogenetic analyses indicate the presence of <i>Shmt1</i> and <i>Shmt2</i> orthologs in deuterostomes, spiralians and placozoans, which is consistent with an ancient <i>Shmt</i> gene duplication event predating bilaterian diversification. Gene expression analyses in developing amphioxus show that <i>Shmt2</i> expression is confined to the somites and absent from neural tissues. In contrast, <i>Shmt1</i> is broadly expressed across germ layers, but its transcription is restricted to tissues characterized by strong cell proliferation. Notably, <i>Shmt1</i> expression in the nervous system does not match the distribution of glycinergic neuron populations, implying a negligible role in glycine neurotransmitter synthesis. Instead, the spatial correlation of <i>Shmt1</i> expression with mitotically active domains suggests a primary function in nucleotide biosynthesis via one-carbon metabolism. These findings indicate that SHMTs predominantly support cell proliferation rather than neurotransmission in amphioxus.
ISSN:2073-4409

Similar Items