Evolutionary crossroads in developmental biology: the tunicates

@article{Lemaire2011EvolutionaryCI,
  title={Evolutionary crossroads in developmental biology: the tunicates},
  author={Patrick Lemaire},
  journal={Development},
  year={2011},
  volume={138},
  pages={2143 - 2152}
}
The tunicates, or urochordates, constitute a large group of marine animals whose recent common ancestry with vertebrates is reflected in the tadpole-like larvae of most tunicates. Their diversity and key phylogenetic position are enhanced, from a research viewpoint, by anatomically simple and transparent embryos, compact rapidly evolving genomes, and the availability of powerful experimental and computational tools with which to study these organisms. Tunicates are thus a powerful system for… 
View on Publisher
dev.biologists.org
146 Citations
Highly Influential Citations
6
Background Citations
80
Methods Citations
3

Figures and Tables from this paper

146 Citations

Evolutionary crossroads in developmental biology: cyclostomes (lamprey and hagfish)
TLDR
This paper discusses how studies of cyclostomes have provided important insight into the evolution of fins, jaws, skeleton and neural crest, and highlights the key species studied and experimental methods available.
Tunicate gastrulation.
Genetic and Genomic Toolbox of the Chordate Ciona intestinalis
TLDR
The tools, techniques, and resources available to the Ciona geneticist are summarized, citing examples of studies that employed such strategies in the elucidation of gene function in Ciona.
Development, metamorphosis, morphology, and diversity: The evolution of chordate muscles and the origin of vertebrates
  • R. Diogo, J. Ziermann
  • Biology
    Developmental dynamics : an official publication of the American Association of Anatomists
  • 2015
TLDR
This study focuses on the broader comparative and developmental anatomy of chordate cephalic muscles and their relation to life history, and to developmental, morphological and taxonomical diversity.
A phylogenomic framework and timescale for comparative genomics and evolutionary developmental biology of tunicates
TLDR
This study offers a reference phylogenetic framework and first tentative timescale for tunicates, allowing a direct comparison with vertebrate model species in future comparative genomics and evolutionary developmental biology studies.
Cis-regulation and conserved non-coding elements in amphioxus.
TLDR
The cis-regulatory studies performed in amphioxus are reviewed, the discovery of conserved non-coding elements (CNEs) across the metazoans and the examination of Amphioxus CNEs are discussed.
Fibronectin contributes to notochord intercalation in the invertebrate chordate, Ciona intestinalis
TLDR
These findings suggest that acquisition of Fn was associated with altered notochord morphogenesis in the vertebrate/tunicate ancestor, suggesting that FN is required for proper convergent extension.
Genetic knockdown and knockout approaches in Hydra
TLDR
A CRISPR-Cas9 based targeted mutation approach as well as an optimized, reproducible strategy for the delivery of siRNAs are reported, demonstrating that these strategies provide reliable genetic interference with target gene expression, facilitating functional studies and genome editing in Hydra.
Morphogenesis: a focus on marine invertebrates
TLDR
This review of the recent studies of morphogenesis and evolution at molecular, cellular and tissue levels is summarized, with a focus on three model marine animals, namely ascidians, sea urchins and sea anemones.
The genetic program to specify ectodermal cells in ascidian embryos
TLDR
The gene regulatory network (GRN) controlling gene expression in ascidian embryonic development leading to the tadpole larva has revealed evolutionarily conserved gene circuits between ascidians and vertebrates, and these conserved mechanisms are useful to infer the original developmental programs of the ancestral chordates.
...
...

References

SHOWING 1-10 OF 122 REFERENCES
Plasticity of Animal Genome Architecture Unmasked by Rapid Evolution of a Pelagic Tunicate
TLDR
It is shown that multiple genomic features including transposon diversity, developmental gene repertoire, physical gene order, and intron-exon organization are shattered in the tunicate Oikopleura, belonging to the sister group of vertebrates and retaining chordate morphology.
Ascidians and the Plasticity of the Chordate Developmental Program
The amphioxus genome and the evolution of the chordate karyotype
TLDR
Whole-genome comparisons illuminate the murky relationships among the three chordate groups (tunicates, lancelets and vertebrates), and allow not only reconstruction of the gene complement of the last common chordate ancestor but also partial reconstruction of its genomic organization.
The Ciona intestinalis genome: when the constraints are off.
TLDR
Initial analyses of the C. intestinalis genome indicate that it has been evolving rapidly, and that many genes linked together in most other bilaterians have become uncoupled.
Ciona intestinalis: an emerging model for whole-genome analyses.
The Draft Genome of Ciona intestinalis: Insights into Chordate and Vertebrate Origins
TLDR
A draft of the protein-coding portion of the genome of the most studied ascidian, Ciona intestinalis, is generated, suggesting that ascidians contain the basic ancestral complement of genes involved in cell signaling and development.
Development of the appendicularian Oikopleura dioica: Culture, genome, and cell lineages
  • H. Nishida
  • Biology
    Development, growth & differentiation
  • 2008
TLDR
Oikopleura dioica is characterized by its simplified life habit and anatomical organization, which makes it a suitable experimental model animal in which genetic manipulations would be feasible, as in Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans.
Molecular evidence from ascidians for the evolutionary origin of vertebrate cranial sensory placodes.
  • F. Mazet, S. Shimeld
  • Biology
    Journal of experimental zoology. Part B, Molecular and developmental evolution
  • 2005
TLDR
The interpretation of these findings is that vertebrate placodes and sea squirt siphon primordia have evolved from the same patches of specialised ectoderm present in the common ancestor of the chordates.
Embryology of a planktonic tunicate reveals traces of sessility
TLDR
The precise cell lineage and fate map in the normal embryo of the larvacean Oikopleura dioica is reported, showing that epidermal cells in the trunk migrate through 90°, reminiscent of events in ascidian metamorphosis and that the axis of bilateral symmetry in the tail rotates in relation to the trunk.
Hox cluster disintegration with persistent anteroposterior order of expression in Oikopleura dioica
TLDR
It is shown that the tunicate Oikopleura dioica has a complement of nine Hox genes in which all central genes are lacking but a full vertebrate-like set of posterior genes is present.
...
...