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During embryogenesis, cells become progressively committed to different fates through a two-step process: specification followed by determination. Specification is demonstrated by removing a segment of an early embryo, “neutrally” culturing the tissue in vitro—for example, in a petri dish with simple medium—and then observing the derivatives. If the cultured region gives rise to cell types that it would normally generate in the embryo, this means that it is specified. In...
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Gastrulation establishes the three primary tissues of an embryo: the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. This developmental process relies on a series of intricate cellular movements, which in humans transforms a flat, “bilaminar disc” composed of two cell sheets into a three-tiered structure. In the resulting embryo, the endoderm serves as the bottom layer, and stacked directly above it is the intermediate mesoderm, and then the uppermost ectoderm. Respectively, these tissue strata...
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Neurulation is the embryological process which forms the precursors of the central nervous system and occurs after gastrulation has established the three primary cell layers of the embryo: ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. In humans, the majority of this system is formed via primary neurulation, in which the central portion of the ectoderm—originally appearing as a flat sheet of cells—folds upwards and inwards, sealing off to form a hollow neural tube. As development proceeds, the...
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The genetic program to specify ectodermal cells in ascidian embryos.

Boqi Liu1, Yutaka Satou1

  • 1Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.

Development, Growth & Differentiation
|March 5, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Ascidian gene regulatory networks (GRNs) reveal conserved developmental pathways with vertebrates, offering insights into chordate evolution. Studying ascidian ectodermal GRNs highlights unique gene circuits potentially acquired during vertebrate evolution.

Keywords:
Ascidiansgene regulatory networkmidbrain-hindbrain boundary organizerneural crestplacodestelencephalon

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Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Ascidians are evolutionarily close to vertebrates, sharing many biological features.
  • Gene regulatory networks (GRNs) govern embryonic development and gene expression patterns.
  • Comparative studies of ascidian and vertebrate development can illuminate evolutionary origins of traits.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate conserved gene regulatory networks (GRNs) between ascidians and vertebrates.
  • To identify gene circuits unique to the vertebrate lineage by comparing them with ascidian GRNs.
  • To understand the evolutionary basis of brain regionalization, placode-derived palp formation, and neural crest-like cell differentiation.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of gene regulatory networks (GRNs) in ascidian embryonic development.
  • Comparative genomics and developmental pathway analysis.
  • Focus on GRNs controlling ectodermal cell gene expression.

Main Results:

  • Identified evolutionarily conserved gene circuits in ascidian and vertebrate embryonic development.
  • Revealed gene circuits absent in ascidian GRNs that may have been acquired in vertebrates.
  • Detailed the genetic programs for brain regionalization, palp formation, and sensory neuron differentiation in ascidian ectoderm.

Conclusions:

  • Ascidian GRNs provide a model for inferring ancestral chordate developmental programs.
  • Comparative GRN studies highlight evolutionary innovations in the vertebrate lineage.
  • Insights into the evolution of neural development and sensory structures were gained through ascidian studies.