Project description:Tunicates, including ascidians, are recognized as the true “sister group” of vertebrates and are emerging as models to study the development and degeneration of central nervous system (CNS). Ascidian larvae have the typical chordate body plan that includes a dorsal neural tube. During their metamorphosis, a deep tissue reorganization takes place, with some tissues that degenerate while others develop to become functional during the adult life. The larval CNS also degenerates and most neurons disappear, making room to the formation of adult CNS. The genome of the ascidian Ciona intestinalis has been sequenced and annotated, with several CNS specific genes that have been characterized, revealing specification mechanisms shared with humans. These features make ascidian metamorphosis a good model to study the mechanisms underlying physiological CNS degeneration and to compare them to the pathological condition typical of neurodegenerative diseases. In order to shed light on the molecular determinants of C. intestinalis metamorphosis and neurodegeneration, we analyzed its transcriptome at three stages of development: swimming larva (SwL, Hotta stage 28), settled larva (SetL, Hotta stage 32) and metamorphosing larva (MetL, Hotta stage 34). Supported by SoE-SEED-2020 Grant, University of Milan.
Project description:Tunicate ascidians exhibit metamorphosis that converts tadpole, swimming larva into immotile adult. In ascidian Ciona intestinalis, the mutant tail regression failed (trf) which shows defects in the metamorphosis was previously reported (Nakayama-Ishimura et al., 2009). In the metamorphosis process, trf larvae settle normally with their adhesive papillae, but do not start tail regression, papillae retraction and sensory vesicle retraction, while development of adult organs proceed. To understand the molecular mechanism of the metamorphosis, microarray analysis of trf mutant was performed.
Project description:We report the comprehensive sequencing of small RNA libraries created from different developmental stages (larva and gastrula) of the basal chordate, Ciona intestinalis. These libraries were used for the identification of microRNAs in this organism. Sequencing of small RNA libraries from 2 stages of Ciona intestinalis.
Project description:Recent whole-genome studies and in-depth expressed sequence tag (EST) analyses have identified most of the developmentally relevant genes in the urochordate, Ciona intestinalis. In this study, we made use of a large-scale oligo-DNA microarray to further investigate and identify genes with specific or correlated expression profiles. This large-scale oligo-DNA microarray for C. intestinalis should facilitate the understanding of global gene expression and gene networks during the development and ageing of a basal chordate. Keywords: gene expression, development, ageing, life cycle
