Fine-Tuned Expression of Evolutionarily Conserved Signaling Molecules in the Ciona Notochord.

ABSTRACT: The notochord is an axial structure required for the development of all chordate embryos, from sea squirts to humans. Over the course of more than half a billion years of chordate evolution, in addition to its structural function, the notochord has acquired increasingly relevant patterning roles for its surrounding tissues. This process has involved the co-option of signaling pathways and the acquisition of novel molecular mechanisms responsible for the precise timing and modalities of their deployment. To reconstruct this evolutionary route, we surveyed the expression of signaling molecules in the notochord of the tunicate Ciona, an experimentally amenable and informative chordate. We found that several genes encoding for candidate components of diverse signaling pathways are expre

SUBMITTER: Negron-Pineiro LJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11728170 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature