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Imaging Cleared Embryonic and Postnatal Hearts at Single-cell Resolution

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Published on: October 7, 2016

Hox3 Is Required for Post-Metamorphic Heart Development in Adult Ciona.

Ryota Saito¹, Tatsuki Hyodo¹, Nene Kamakura¹

¹Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Kochi University, Kochi, Japan.

Development, Growth & Differentiation

|November 14, 2025

Summary

Hox3 is crucial for heart tube formation in Ciona robusta, regulating growth zone cells. Its expression in terminal heart regions suggests conserved cardiac patterning between ascidians and vertebrates.

Keywords:

Hox3 RNA‐Seq TALEN ascidian heart development

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Area of Science:

Developmental Biology
Comparative Genomics
Cardiovascular Research

Background:

Heart development post-metamorphosis in Ciona robusta is not well understood.
The sub-terminal regions of the Ciona heart contain pacemaker and undifferentiated growth zone cells.

Purpose of the Study:

Identify transcription factors in Ciona heart sub-terminal regions.
Investigate the spatial expression and function of Hox3 in Ciona heart development.

Main Methods:

RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) to identify transcription factors.
In situ hybridization for spatial expression analysis.
TALEN-mediated gene disruption to assess Hox3 function.

Main Results:

Hox3 showed the strongest predominant expression in both sub-terminal regions.
Hox3 was spatially expressed in undifferentiated growth zone cells of the heart tube.
Disruption of Hox3 led to irregular heart tube formation (swollen or shortened).

Conclusions:

Hox3 plays a critical role in Ciona heart tube formation by regulating growth zone cell activity.
Conserved Hox3 expression in terminal heart regions suggests partial conservation of cardiac patterning and pacemaker localization between ascidians and vertebrates.