Developmental Biology in Central America, the northern region of South America and the Caribbean

Abstract

This review highlights the history of Developmental Biology studies in Latin-American countries of Central America, the northern region of South America and the Caribbean and their impact on the field. For this, we have compiled the contributions made by investigators in various institutions of the region, including universities, as well as agricultural, research and health centers. Most of the contributions focus on particular fields, among them, Evo-Devo, regenerative biology, nervous system development and health related issues. A large share of the contributions originates from a subset of countries, primarily, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama and Puerto Rico. In addition, we underscore the new investigators and the ongoing research in the region.

Figure 1.

The Ibero-American countries in the region covered in this review include: 1. Cuba, 2. Dominican Republic, 3. Puerto Rico, 4. Guatemala, 5. Honduras, 6. El Salvador, 7. Nicaragua, 8. Costa Rica, 9. Panamá, 10. Colombia, 11. Venezuela, 12..Ecuador, 13. Peru, 14. Bolivia.

Figure 2

The University of Puerto Rico (UPR) (A) and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama (B) represent two of the main institutions in the region where research in developmental biology has been ongoing for the last 50 years.

Figure 3-

Amphibians with different developmental strategies such as the marsupial frog Gastrotheca (A, note the tadpoles on the dorsal side of the animal) and the direct developer frog E. coqui (B, cleared and stained to determine anatomical abnormalities) have provided useful models for Evo Devo studies. (Gastrotheca photo credit Juan Diego Santillana-Ortiz, E. coqui-credit Zuania Colón).

Figure 4

Dr. Mary Jane West-Eberhard and her seminal book in which she explores the relationship between phenotypes, genotypes and evolution.

Figure 5

The diversity of plant species in the region has provided investigators with multiple examples of developmental mechanisms involved in flower and fruit production. Examples show: A-B Early diverging flowering plants in the Aristolochiaceae (Piperales) A. Aristolochia fimbriata, B. Aristolochia ringens. C-E. Representative orchids from the tropics. C. Elleanthus aurantiacus, D. Cattleya trianae, E. Epidendrum fimbriatum. (Photos- courtesy of Dr. Pabón-Mora)

Figure 6

Animal models used to study regeneration range from novel models such as A. the sea cucumber Holothuria glaberrima and B. the South American salamander Bolitoglossa ramosi to established models such as, C. the frog Rana pipiens and D. the laboratory rat Rattus norvegicus. These organisms are used to study intestinal (sea cucumber) nervous (sea cucumber, frog and rat) and limb regeneration (salamander). (Salamander photo courtesy of Dr. Arenas-Gómez)

Figure 7-

From 2013 to 2017 Ibero-America suffered a Zika virus epidemic. (The map shows the countries impacted by 2017). The development of hundreds of children was seriously compromised. Studies are still in progress to determine the mechanisms by which the virus affects embryological development and what are the long term consequences. The data was obtained from the Panamerican Health Organization (PAHO)/World Health Organization (WHO) and represent the cumulative cases as of December 2017.