The class V POU domain transcription factor Oct4 (Pou5f1) is a pivotal regulator of embryonic stem cell (ESC) self-renewal and reprogramming of somatic cells to induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. Oct4 is also an important evolutionarily conserved regulator of progenitor cell differentiation during embryonic development. Here we examine the function of Oct4 homologs in Xenopus embryos and compare this to the role of Oct4 in maintaining mammalian embryo-derived stem cells. Based on a combination of expression profiling of Oct4/POUV-depleted Xenopus embryos and in silico analysis of existing mammalian Oct4 target data sets, we defined a set of evolutionary-conserved Oct4/POUV targets. Most of these targets were regulators of cell adhesion. This is consistent with Oct4/POUV phenotypes observed in the adherens junctions in Xenopus ectoderm, mouse embryonic, and epiblast stem cells. A number of these targets could rescue both Oct4/POUV phenotypes in cellular adhesion and multipotent progenitor cell maintenance, whereas expression of cadherins on their own could only transiently support adhesion and block differentiation in both ESC and Xenopus embryos. Currently, the list of Oct4 transcriptional targets contains thousands of genes. Using evolutionary conservation, we identified a core set of functionally relevant factors that linked the maintenance of adhesion to Oct4/POUV. We found that the regulation of adhesion by the Oct4/POUV network occurred at both transcriptional and posttranslational levels and was required for pluripotency.

The acorn barnacle is a sessile crustacean, inhabiting the intertidal areas of tropical and temperate regions worldwide. According to current practices on Cirripedia morphology, shell, opercular valves, and arthropodal characters including cirri and mouthparts are used as a tool for taxonomic classification, and using these characteristics the present study aimed to provide better resolution for the barnacle diversity and geographical distribution within coastlines of Thailand: the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. A total of ten species belonging to three families (Chthamalidae, Tetraclitidae, and Balanidae) were identified in this study. Subsequently, five species were newly recorded for the first time from Thailand’s coasts: Newmanella spinosus Chan & Cheang, 2016, Euraphia hembeli Conrad, 1837, Euraphia depressa (Poli, 1795), Tetraclita kuroshioensis Chan, Tsang & Chu, 2007, and Tetraclita singaporensis Chan, Tsang & Chu, 2007. The others, already mentioned in previous records, include: Tetraclita squamosa (Bruguière, 1789), Chthamalus malayensis Pilsbry, 1916, Amphibalanus amphitrite (Darwin, 1854), Amphibalanus reticulatus (Utinomi, 1967), and Megabalanus tintinnabulum (Linnaeus, 1758). Interestingly, acorn barnacles along the Andaman Sea occur abundantly, and are much higher in number of species (up to 8 species) than those found in the Gulf of Thailand’s coast (up to 6 species). This biased trend of species’ preferences is possibly due to the differences in oceanographic nature between two coastlines and the history of barnacle colonization.

The support of pluripotent cells over time is an essential feature of development. In eutherian embryos, pluripotency is maintained from naïve states in peri-implantation to primed pluripotency at gastrulation. To understand how these states emerged, we reconstruct the evolutionary trajectory of the Pou5 gene family, which contains the central pluripotency factor OCT4. By coupling evolutionary sequence analysis with functional studies in mouse embryonic stem cells, we find that the ability of POU5 proteins to support pluripotency originated in the gnathostome lineage, prior to the generation of two paralogues, Pou5f1 and Pou5f3 via gene duplication. In osteichthyans, retaining both genes, the paralogues differ in their support of naïve and primed pluripotency. The specialization of these duplicates enables the diversification of function in self-renewal and differentiation. By integrating sequence evolution, cell phenotypes, developmental contexts and structural modelling, we pinpoint OCT4 regions sufficient for naïve pluripotency and describe their adaptation over evolutionary time.

The present study investigated the phylogeography of the intertidal barnacle Tetraclita in the Gulf of Thailand ecoregion (Sunda Shelf Province in the Pacific) and the Andaman Sea Coral Coast ecoregion (Andaman Province in the Indian Ocean) in Thailand’s waters. Tetraclita species were identified by a combined morphological and molecular approach using mitochondrial gene fragments (CO1 and 12S rRNA). Tetraclita singaporensis is a major occupiers on the Andaman coast but is sparse in the western Gulf of Thailand. Tetraclita squamosa inhabits almost all of our collection sites in the Gulf of Thailand but has a very low abundance in the Andaman Sea. Tetraclita kuroshioensis has two genetically distinct populations, one in the Andaman Sea and the other in the West Pacific region. S-DIVA analysis showed that the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) of T. kuroshioensis was distributed in both the Andaman Sea and West Pacific region, with a relative probability of 63%; the analysis further identified two molecular subclades, one on each side of the Sunda Shelf by vicariance about 0.53 million years ago, far before the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The MRCA of T. squamosa was based in the West Pacific region (relative probability: 90%), and dispersed into the Andaman Sea after the LGM. The MRCA of T. singaporensis was in the Andaman Sea (relative probability: 89.5%) and dispersed into the Gulf of Thailand via monsoonal currents through the Malacca Strait after the LGM. Presently, T. singaporensis is absent from the West Pacific region, further supporting its origin in the Andaman Sea. The distribution of intertidal barnacles in the Sunda Shelf and Andaman provinces is a result of the interplay between geological events and present day oceanographic currents.

The fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) is a vulnerable wild felid that is currently under threat from habitat destruction and other human activities. The zoo provides insurance to ensure the survival of the fishing cat population. Creating a biobank of fishing cats is a critical component of recent zoo strategies for securely stocking cell samples for long-term survival. Here, our goal was to compare cell biobanking techniques (tissue collection, primary culture, and reprogramming) and tissue sources (ear skin, abdominal skin, testis) from captive (n = 6)/natural (n = 6) vs. living (n = 8)/postmortem (n = 4) fishing cats. First, we show that dermal fibroblasts from the medial border of the helix of the ear pinna and abdominal tissues of living fishing cats can be obtained, whereas postmortem animals provided far fewer fibroblasts from the ears than from the testes. Furthermore, we can extract putative adult spermatogonial stem cells from the postmortem fishing cat's testes. The main barrier to expanding adult fibroblasts was early senescence, which can be overcome by overexpressing reprogramming factors through felid-specific transfection programs, though we demonstrated that reaching iPSC state from adult fibroblasts of fishing cats was ineffective with current virus-free mammal-based induction approaches. Taken together, the success of isolating and expanding primary cells is dependent on a number of factors, including tissue sources, tissue handling, and nature of limited replicative lifespan of the adult fibroblasts. This study provides recommendations for tissue collection and culture procedures for zoological research to facilitate the preservation of cells from both postmortem and living felids.