A strange connection has been discovered between humans and sea anemones, also known as sea anemones. According to a new study, people have with hearing development a linked gene, also in sea anemones with sensory development also linked.

According to a new study published in eLife; pou-iv This gene, called (pow-four), is also found in the tentacles of the star sea anemone, whose scientific name is Nemotostella vectensis, and is very sensitive to the animal’s sense of touch. an important role appeared to be playing. Discovery of the role of this gene in the starfish anemone is important for humans and anemones. in common ancestors It was stated that it was found in the brain and that it probably also played a role in sensory development at the time.

Research provides insight into the evolutionary roots of our hearing, dating back millions of years

Sensory receptors of the auditory system of humans and other vertebrates ‘hair cells’ is called. These cells, which have finger-like bundles of organelles called stereocilia, are responsible for perceiving mechanical stimuli, vibrations that we perceive as sound. However, mice without pou-iv deaf is that pou-iv is required for mammalian hair cell development. requires show that.

The tentacles of the starlet sea anemone are similar to the tentacles used to detect movement. mechanical-sensory hair cells has. On the other hand, what was known so far about the role of the pou-iv gene in the sensory development of the anemone was quite limited; but new research has revealed what that link is.

Biologist Nagayasi Nakanashi of the University of Arkansas stated that this discovery is very exciting because it opens a new field of research into how mechanosensation (the conversion of mechanical stimuli into neural signals) develops and works in a sea anemone. “The building blocks of our hearing dating back hundreds of millions of years informs us that it has ancient evolutionary roots. † the expressions used.

To understand the function of the pou-iv gene, the research team led by University of Arkansas biologist Ethan Ozment used the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool to use the gene-editing tool. handicapped and observed what had changed. By injecting a cocktail of Cas9 protein into fertilized sea anemone eggs to inactivate the pou-iv gene, the team studied both overgrown, mutated anemones and developing embryos.

As a result of this review, the team determined that tentacle hair cells from mutated animals were compared to wild-type anemones in the control group. abnormal somehow developed and any response to touch Do not show observed. In other words, this means that anemones receive mechanical stimuli via hair cells without pou-iv. they cannot perceive resources.

On the other hand, knocking out pou-iv in anemones resulted in a significant reduction of a gene very similar to the gene producing polycystine 1 found in vertebrates, which is necessary for detecting fluid flow in the kidneys. suppressed was also observed. Sensing fluid flow is an extremely useful ability for sea anemones, even though they do not have kidneys.

The results show that the role of pou-iv in mechanoreceptor development is largely preserved

Given all the data they obtained, the researchers conclude that the results of the study indicate that pou-iv is the phylum to which sea anemones belong. cnidarians and have bilateral symmetry like their ancestors humans bilateria He concluded that it had played a role in the development of mechanosensory cells in the common ancestor between the two. However, the researchers used the gene to study its function in even older times. to previous departure points He noted that data should be obtained from other phyla with:

In this research article “Our results suggest that the role of pou-iv in mechanoreceptor development has been demonstrated in Cnidaria and Bilateria. is widely protected shows,” researchers, who recorded “How early the role of pou-iv in mechanoreceptor differentiation emerges in animal evolution remains unsolved and requires comparative data from missing placozoa and sponges.” statements made.