Disruption of left-right axis specification in Ciona induces molecular, cellular, and functional defects in asymmetric brain structures.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Left-right asymmetries are a common feature of metazoans and can be found in a number of organs including the nervous system. These asymmetries are particularly pronounced in the simple central nervous system (CNS) of the swimming tadpole larva of the tunicate Ciona, which displays a chordate ground plan. While common pathway elements for specifying the left/right axis are found among chordates, particularly a requirement for Nodal signaling, Ciona differs temporally from its vertebrate cousins by specifying its axis at the neurula stage, rather than at gastrula. Additionally, Ciona and other ascidians require an intact chorionic membrane for proper left-right specification. Whether such differences underlie distinct specification mechanisms between tunicates and vertebr

SUBMITTER: Kourakis MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8276506 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature