Universität zu Köln

Wang, Ruixun ORCID: 0009-0002-2943-6898 and Pechmann, Matthias ORCID: 0000-0002-0043-906X (2026). Polar bodies serve as a landmark for anteroposterior axis formation in spiders. Developmental Biology, 530. pp. 265-273. Elsevier. ISSN 0012-1606

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Abstract

The early embryogenesis of many spiders involves the formation of a radially symmetric germ disc. While the cells of the rim of this germ disc develops into anterior structures, the center of the disc will form the posteriorly located segment addition zone of the embryo. Therefore, germ disc formation sets the anterior-posterior (AP) body axis of spider embryos. The early spider egg is a spherical structure with no apparent asymmetry. So far it is unclear if the placement of the germ disc is a predetermined or a stochastic process. For this study, we have re-analysed early spider embryogenesis and found a link between the position of the polar bodies and the formation of the germ disc. Using cell tracking and time-lapse recordings of live embryos injected with the live cell nuclear stain SPY555-DNA, we show that the germ disc forms opposite to the polar bodies. Our results suggest that germ disc formation in the common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum is not a stochastic but a pre-determined process. By analyzing germ disc formation in a basally branching cobweb spider and a curtain-web spider, we provide evidence that the initial process of germ disc placement might be conserved between araneomorph and mygalomorph spider species.

Item Type:	Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Wang, Ruixun UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0009-0002-2943-6898 UNSPECIFIED Pechmann, Matthias UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0043-906X UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-812493
Identification Number:	10.1016/j.ydbio.2025.12.006
Journal or Publication Title:	Developmental Biology
Volume:	530
Page Range:	pp. 265-273
Number of Pages:	9
Date:	February 2026
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	0012-1606
Language:	English
Faculty:	Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Divisions:	Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences > Department of Biology > Zoologisches Institut
Subjects:	Life sciences
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language Spider ; Polar bodies ; Germ disc ; Body axis formation English
['eprint_fieldname_oa_funders' not defined]:	Publikationsfonds UzK
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/81249