Investigating Pituitary Specific Transcription Factor-1 (pit-1) in Neuronal Development in the Sea Anemone Cnidarian Nematostella vectensis

Authors

• Emily Ye, University of Arkansas, FayettevilleFollow

Files

Date of Graduation

5-2027

Description

In bilaterians — animals with bilateral symmetry, like vertebrates and insects — the pituitary specific transcription factor-1 (pit-1) is essential for regulating growth hormone and prolactin expression in the pituitary gland. However, in non-bilaterians, the ancestral function of pit-1 remains unknown. Cnidarians, such as the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis, form a sister group to bilaterians and lack a pituitary gland, making them a powerful model for investigating the early evolutionary role of conserved developmental genes, like pit-1.Using CRISPR-mediated gene editing, pit-1 knockout mutants — anemones without the pit-1 gene — were generated, and their transcriptomic, cellular, and behavioral phenotypes were compared to their wild-type siblings. RNA sequencing revealed significantly downregulated expression of a failed axon connection gene in pit-1 mutants (FAXC), a gene associated with misguided neuron axon connections in bilaterians. These findings were further supported with transgenic fluorescent reporter protein staining, showing fewer pit-1-positive cells in the oral region and misoriented neuronal processes along the body column in knockout animals. The neural defects, consequently, were accompanied by behavioral costs, such that pit-1 mutants exhibited delayed responses during brine shrimp feeding assays and slower cessation of peristaltic movements (i.e. digestive movements) compared to wild-type controls. Together, the results suggest that pit-1 contributes to nervous system formation and neural connectivity in cnidarians. Overall, these findings indicate the possibility that the pit-1 gene may have played an important role in neural development prior to the divergence of Bilateria and Cnidaria. Whether FAXC is a direct downstream target of pit-1 remains a question for future investigation.

Publication Date

2026

Document Type

Book

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Biology

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Biological Sciences

Advisor/Mentor

Nakanishi, Nagayasu

Disciplines

Biology

Keywords

Natural Science

Citation

Ye, E. (2026). Investigating Pituitary Specific Transcription Factor-1 (pit-1) in Neuronal Development in the Sea Anemone Cnidarian Nematostella vectensis. 2026 Research Poster Competition. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/hnrcsturpc26/12