Comparative transcriptomics in serial organs uncovers early and pan-organ developmental changes associated with organ-specific morphological adaptation

Marie Sémon (), Marion Mouginot, Manon Peltier, Claudine Corneloup, Philippe Veber, Laurent Guéguen and Sophie Pantalacci ()
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Marie Sémon: 46 allee d’Italie
Marion Mouginot: 46 allee d’Italie
Manon Peltier: 46 allee d’Italie
Claudine Corneloup: 46 allee d’Italie
Philippe Veber: Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, UMR CNRS 5558
Laurent Guéguen: Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, UMR CNRS 5558
Sophie Pantalacci: 46 allee d’Italie

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-17

Abstract: Abstract Mice have evolved a new dental plan with two additional cusps on the upper molar, while hamsters were retaining the ancestral plan. By comparing the dynamics of molar development with transcriptome time series, we found at least three early changes in mouse upper molar development. Together, they redirect spatio-temporal dynamics to ultimately form two additional cusps. The mouse lower molar has undergone much more limited phenotypic evolution. Nevertheless, its developmental trajectory evolved as much as that of the upper molar and co-evolved with it. Among the coevolving changes, some are clearly involved in the new upper molar phenotype. We found a similar level of coevolution in bat limbs. In conclusion, our study reveals how serial organ morphology has adapted through organ-specific developmental changes, as expected, but also through shared changes that have organ-specific effects on the final phenotype. This highlights the important role of developmental system drift in one organ to accommodate adaptation in another.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-55826-w

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