Tube formation by complex cellular processes in Ciona intestinalis notochord
Bo Dong1, Takeo Horie, Elsa Denker
1Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgt. 55, N-5008 Bergen, Norway.
Developmental Biology
|March 28, 2009
Summary
The Ciona notochord forms a tube using fundamental cellular processes. Cells develop dual apical domains and crawl to create a lumen, essential for the organism's hydrostatic skeleton.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology
- Organogenesis
Background:
- Tubulogenesis is a fundamental process in organ development.
- The Ciona notochord, a simple tube of 40 cells, functions as a hydrostatic skeleton.
- Later stages of notochord development, including lumen formation, are poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the cellular mechanisms of tubulogenesis in the developing Ciona notochord.
- To investigate lumen formation and cell behavior during notochord development.
Main Methods:
- Confocal imaging and molecular markers were used to visualize Ciona notochord development.
- Inhibition of actin polymerization was employed to study cell movement and tube formation.
Main Results:
- Ciona notochord cells undergo a mesenchymal-epithelial transition, forming de novo apical domains.
- Cells exhibit bi-directional crawling movements, leading to lumen formation and an endothelial-like shape.
- Extracellular matrix deposition and cell shape changes are crucial for tube formation.
- Actin polymerization is essential for cell movement and subsequent tubulogenesis.
Conclusions:
- Ciona notochord tubulogenesis involves a unique combination of cell shape changes, apical domain biogenesis, and cell crawling.
- The study reveals fundamental cellular processes underlying tube formation in a simple chordate.
- These findings offer insights into the evolution of epithelial tube formation across species.
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