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The Barnacle Balanus improvisus as a Marine Model - Culturing and Gene Expression

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Vasa expression in a colonial ascidian, Botrylloides violaceus.

Federico D Brown¹, Billie J Swalla

¹Biology Department, Center for Developmental Biology, and Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.

Evolution & Development

|March 21, 2007

Summary

In colonial ascidians, vasa gene expression in non-gonadal cells may provide germ-line stem cells for asexual reproduction and budding. This contrasts with solitary ascidians where vasa is confined to gonadal germ cells during embryogenesis.

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Area of Science:

Developmental Biology
Evolutionary Biology
Marine Biology

Background:

Tunicate life history evolution involves significant changes in morphology and reproduction, differentiating solitary and colonial forms.
Understanding germ cell origins is crucial for elucidating developmental mechanisms underlying these evolutionary transitions, particularly asexual reproduction via budding.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the origin and localization of germ cells in colonial ascidians, specifically Botrylloides violaceus, during asexual reproduction.
To compare germ cell development in a colonial ascidian with that of a related solitary ascidian, Boltenia villosa.
To analyze the expression patterns of the vasa gene, a conserved marker for germ cells, in both species.

Main Methods:

In situ hybridization was employed to detect vasa mRNA expression.
Studied vasa expression in adult gonads, embryos, zooids, and differentiating buds of Botrylloides violaceus and Boltenia villosa.

Main Results:

In Boltenia villosa, bv-vasa mRNA was found in adult germ cells and oocytes, and localized to a posterior lineage during embryogenesis.
In Botrylloides violaceus, bot-vasa mRNA was detected in spermatogonia, oocytes, circulating cells within zooids, and developing buds.
Vasa expression was observed in non-gonadal cells in the colonial ascidian, suggesting a potential source for germ-line stem cells.

Conclusions:

The expression of vasa in circulating cells and differentiating buds of Botrylloides violaceus suggests these cells may serve as germ-line stem cells.
This finding offers insight into the developmental mechanisms enabling asexual reproduction and life history evolution in colonial tunicates.
Comparative analysis of vasa expression highlights differences in germ cell origins between solitary and colonial ascidian life histories.