Cionin, a vertebrate cholecystokinin/gastrin homolog, induces ovulation in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis type A.

ABSTRACT: Cionin is a homolog of vertebrate cholecystokinin/gastrin that has been identified in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis type A. The phylogenetic position of ascidians as the closest living relatives of vertebrates suggests that cionin can provide clues to the evolution of endocrine/neuroendocrine systems throughout chordates. Here, we show the biological role of cionin in the regulation of ovulation. In situ hybridization demonstrated that the mRNA of the cionin receptor, Cior2, was expressed specifically in the inner follicular cells of pre-ovulatory follicles in the Ciona ovary. Cionin was found to significantly stimulate ovulation after 24-h incubation. Transcriptome and subsequent Real-time PCR analyses confirmed that the expression levels of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling gene

SUBMITTER: Osugi T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8149874 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature