Cell type and function of neurons in the ascidian nervous system

Ascidians, or sea squirts, are primitive chordates, and their tadpole larvae share a basic body plan with vertebrates, including a notochord and a dorsal tubular central nervous system (CNS). The CNS of the ascidian larva is formed through a process similar to vertebrate neurulation, while the ascidian CNS is remarkably simple, consisting of about 100 neurons. Recent identification of genes that are specifically expressed in a particular subtype of neurons has enabled us to reveal neuronal networks at single-cell resolution. Based on the information on neuron subtype-specific genes, different populations of neurons have been visualized by whole-mount in situ hybridization, immunohistochemical staining using specific antibodies, and fluorescence labeling of cell bodies and neurites by a fluorescence protein reporter driven by neuron-specific promoters. Neuronal populations that have been successfully visualized include glutamatergic, cholinergic, gamma-aminobutyric acid/glycinergic, and dopaminergic neurons, which have allowed us to propose functional regionalization of the CNS and a neural circuit for locomotion. Thus, the simple nervous system of the ascidian larva can serve as an attractive model system for studying the development, function, and evolution of the chordate nervous system.