Maternal and zygotic transcriptomes in the appendicularian, Oikopleura dioica: Novel protein-coding genes, intra-species sequence variations, and trans-spliced RNA leaders
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: The appendicularian, Oikopleura dioica, is a marine or planktonic tunicate that has a swimming tadpole shape through its entire life. For several reasons, this animal possesses advantages as a model organisms: (1) It has a short life cycle (about 5 days at 20℃); (2) Its development is rapid and it completes organogenesis within 10 hour of post-fertilization to form functional body; (3) its morphogenesis and cell linages are well-described; (4) live imaging of embryos by introducing fluorescent protein mRNAs is feasible; (5) RNAi method is available for knockdown of zygotic mRNA as well as maternal mRNAs in the ovary and eggs. (6) It has a compact and sequenced genome of 70 Mb, the smallest ever found in chordate. The number of genes is estimated as approximately 18,000, indicating a high gene density (one gene per 5 kb in the genome). These features make O. dioica a useful organism to study development and genome plasticity in tunicate with short generation time, namely, rapidly evolving chordate lineage.
ORGANISM(S): Oikopleura dioica
PROVIDER: GSE64421 | GEO | 2015/07/23
REPOSITORIES: GEO
ACCESS DATA