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Scientists have uncovered the genetic underpinnings of one of the ocean\u2019s most bizzare animals: a branching marine worm named\u00a0Ramisyllis kingghidorahi\u00a0that lives inside sea sponges and reproduces in a truly extraordinary way. Living hidden in tropical waters, this worm grows multiple body branches within a host sponge, each tail capable of producing separate living reproductive units called \u201cstolons\u201d. But how does a single animal coordinate sexual reproduction across so many branches? To find out, researchers led by the University of G\u00f6ttingen analysed gene expression across different body regions and between male, female and juvenile specimens. This provides the first complete \u201cgenetic activity map\u201d \u2013 or transcriptome \u2013 of any branching worm, revealing how this creature manages to control reproduction across its branching body. Their findings were published in BMC Genomics.<\/p>\n
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The researchers found clear patterns in their analyses: differences in gene activity were more pronounced between different body regions in the same worm than between the sexes. The stolons \u2013 short-lived reproductive units that break off from the branches and swim away to mate \u2013 had the most distinctive genetic signatures when comparing males and females, probably reflecting their specialised role in gamete production and metamorphosis. \u201cWe were surprised to find that the head of the worm, which was previously thought to house a sex-specific control system, didn\u2019t show the dramatic differences we expected between males and females,\u201d said Dr Guillermo Ponz-Segrelles, former researcher at the Autonomous University of Madrid. \u201cInstead, the stolons emerged as the true hotspots of gene activity during sexual development.\u201d<\/p>\n
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An overlooked but key feature of the reproductive stolons is that they sprout eyes before detaching from the main worm body in search of a mate. This study revealed upregulation of genes related to eye development, providing the first clues about how the tip of a branch of the worm body metamorphoses into an independent stolon. Interestingly, the data also hint at the possibility of partial genome duplication in\u00a0Ramisyllis, which may help explain the complexity of its biology and reproductive system. Despite some challenges in identifying conserved signalling pathways, the results point to a unique genetic toolkit in\u00a0Ramisyllis\u00a0and highlight how little we still know about reproduction in marine invertebrates. \u201cThis worm and its surreal, tree-like body made headlines around the world in 2021 and 2022, yet it continues to amaze us,\u201d said Thilo Schulze, PhD researcher at G\u00f6ttingen University.\u201d It challenges our understanding of how animal bodies can be organized, and how such strange forms of reproduction are orchestrated at the molecular level.\u201d With many aspects of branching worms\u2019 reproductive biology still a mystery, the team hopes this new genetic resource will open the door to deeper investigations into how life evolves in unexpected directions \u2013 even in the hidden corners of our oceans.<\/p>\n
Reference:\u00a0<\/b>Ponz-Segrelles G, Schulze T, Oguchi K, et al. Sex-specific differential gene expression during stolonization in the branching syllid Ramisyllis kingghidorahi (Annelida, Syllidae). BMC Genomics. 2025;26(1):405. doi:\u00a010.1186\/s12864-025-11587-w<\/a><\/p>\n This article has been republished from the following materials<\/a>. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source. Our press release publishing policy can be accessed here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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