Analysis of the basal chordate Botryllus schlosseri reveals a set of genes associated with fertility.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Gonad differentiation is an essential function for all sexually reproducing species, and many aspects of these developmental processes are highly conserved among the metazoa. The colonial ascidian, Botryllus schlosseri is a chordate model organism which offers two unique traits that can be utilized to characterize the genes underlying germline development: a colonial life history and variable fertility. These properties allow individual genotypes to be isolated at different stages of fertility and gene expression can be characterized comprehensively.

Results

Here we characterized the transcriptome of both fertile and infertile colonies throughout blastogenesis (asexual development) using differential expression analysis. We identified genes (as few as 7 and as man

SUBMITTER: Rodriguez D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4523013 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature