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Developmental gene regulatory network architecture across 500 million years of echinoderm evolution

Evolutionary change in morphological features must depend on architectural reorganization of developmental gene regulatory networks (GRNs), just as true conservation of morphological features must imply retention of ancestral developmental GRN features. Key elements of the provisional GRN for embryonic endomesoderm development in the sea urchin are here compared with those operating in embryos of a distantly related echinoderm, a starfish. These animals diverged from their common ancestor 520-480 million years ago. Their endomesodermal fate maps are similar, except that sea urchins generate a skeletogenic cell lineage that produces a prominent skeleton lacking entirely in starfish larvae. A relevant set of regulatory genes was isolated from the starfish Asterina miniata, their expression patterns determined, and effects on the other genes of perturbing the expression of each were demonstrated. A three-gene feedback loop that is a fundamental feature of the sea urchin GRN for endoderm specification is found in almost identical form in the starfish: a detailed element of GRN architecture has been retained since the Cambrian Period in both echinoderm lineages. The significance of this retention is highlighted by the observation of numerous specific differences in the GRN connections as well. A regulatory gene used to drive skeletogenesis in the sea urchin is used entirely differently in the starfish, where it responds to endomesodermal inputs that do not affect it in the sea urchin embryo. Evolutionary changes in the GRNs since divergence are limited sharply to certain cis-regulatory elements, whereas others have persisted unaltered.

NASA Program Fundamental Space Biology↗

Multi-Wavelength Comparison of Jupiter’s Zonal Winds During the New Horizons and Cassini Flybys

We present Jovian zonal wind speeds measured during the Cassini and New Horizons Jupiter flybys in 2000 and 2007, respectively. We performed our cloud tracking wind measurements using an automated, two-dimensional correlation imaging velocimetry technique. We analyzed all LORRI panchromatic images from the New Horizons Jupiter flyby dataset. This LORRI measurement documents the state of Jupiter’s zonal mean wind speed in 2007 and extends the historical record of Jupiter’s winds that serve as useful points of comparison for Juno observations. Among the Cassini ISS images, we analyzed the CL1CL2, CB2, UV3, BL1, BL2, GRN, RED, IR1, IR2, IR3, IR4, MT2, and MT3 filters. Our Cassini measurements provide valuable context to understand the altitudes probed by LORRI. Comparing the panchromatic LORRI measurements against past wind measurements using images captured with various narrow and wide-band camera filters is not straightforward. Because the Cassini ISS CL1CL2 “clear” filter’s performance is similar to that of LORRI, comparing CL1CL2 winds against LORRI results will help determine if the New Horizons measurements represent Jupiter’s cloud-top zonal wind speeds or if they are sensitive to different altitudes. In addition to placing our New Horizons measurements in altitudinal context, the Cassini ISS's IR4, IR2, RED, GRN, and BL1 filters are similar to those on Europa Clipper EIS camera. Wind measurements performed using those ISS filters will enable comparison to future missions, including anticipated observations to be taken by Europa Clipper.

Jupiter↗

Preparing for Europa Clipper Jupiter Observations: Multi-Wavelength Zonal Winds During the New Horizons and Cassini Flybys

We present Jovian zonal wind speeds measured during the Cassini and New Horizons Jupiter flybys in 2000 and 2007, respectively. We performed our cloud tracking wind measurements using an automated, two-dimensional correlation imaging velocimetry technique. We analyzed all LORRI panchromatic images from the New Horizons Jupiter flyby dataset. This LORRI measurement documents the state of Jupiter’s zonal mean wind speed in 2007 and extends the historical record of Jupiter’s winds. Among the Cassini ISS images, we processed the CL1CL2, CB2, UV3, BL1, BL2, GRN, RED, IR1, IR2, IR3, IR4, MT2, and MT3 filters. Our Cassini measurements provide valuable context to understand the altitudes probed by LORRI. Comparing the panchromatic LORRI measurements against past wind measurements using images captured with various narrow and wide-band camera filters is not straightforward. Because the Cassini ISS CL1CL2 “clear” filter’s performance is similar to that of LORRI, comparing CL1CL2 winds against LORRI results will help determine if the New Horizons measurements represent Jupiter’s cloud-top zonal wind speeds or if they are sensitive to different altitudes. In addition to placing our New Horizons measurements in altitudinal context, the Cassini ISS's IR4, IR2, RED, GRN, and BL1 filters are similar to those on Europa Clipper EIS camera. Wind measurements performed using those ISS filters will enable comparison to future missions, including anticipated observations to be taken by Europa Clipper

Jupiter↗

A Cassini ISS Search for Regolith-Texture Variations on Tethys

On October 28, 2004 the Cassini spacecraft flew within 255,500km of Saturn's heavily-cratered icy moon, Tethys. The ISS Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) obtained its first closeup multi-color images of Tethys at a Voyager-comparable spatial resolution of 1.5 km/pixel. The imaging sequence provided 23 NAC images covering 10 NAC color-filter bandpasses (ranging from 338nm to 930nm wavelengths), as well as a Wide Angle Camera (WAC), 3-color (BGR) image set. The images show whole-disk views of Tethys' trailing hemisphere viewed at a phase angle of 50 degrees and with a sub-spacecraft point of (22 deg. N, 270 deg. W). At the spatial resolution of our NAC images, Tethys' 1060 km diameter presents a disk-size of about 350 pixels. Among the images returned are nine frames obtained through NAC polarization-filters at three different spectral bandpasses (UV3: 341nm, GRN: 569nm, and MT2: 727 nm, respectively). In the present study, we use these polarization images to search for possible variations in the microscopic texture of regolith on Tethys.

Helfenstein, P.↗