Comparative Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals the Functionally Segmented Intestine in Tunicate Ascidian.

ABSTRACT: The vertebrate intestinal system consists of separate segments that remarkably differ in morphology and function. However, the origin of intestinal segmentation remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the segmentation of the intestine in a tunicate ascidian species, Ciona savignyi, by performing RNA sequencing. The gene expression profiles showed that the whole intestine was separated into three segments. Digestion, ion transport and signal transduction, and immune-related pathway genes were enriched in the proximal, middle, and distal parts of the intestine, respectively, implying that digestion, absorption, and immune function appear to be regional specializations in the ascidian intestine. We further performed a multi-species comparison analysis and found that the Cion

SUBMITTER: Zhang W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10094616 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature