Gene-regulatory networks in the Ciona embryos
Gene-regulatory networks in the Ciona embryos
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DOI：
10.1093/bfgp/elp018
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发表时间：
2009-07-01
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
Satou, Yutaka
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Kubo, Atsushi;Imai, Kaoru S.;Satou, Yutaka
海鞘属于尾索动物亚门或被囊动物亚门，是脊椎动物的姐妹类群。海鞘幼虫的简单结构代表了脊索动物的基本身体结构。最近的分析表明，许多发育机制在进化过程中是保守的，而这些研究也揭示了更多的分歧实例。然而，要精确确定保守和分化的程度，即用多少种方式来制造蝌蚪般的幼虫，我们需要对发育有系统层面的理解。由于动物发育是由基因组组织的，而发育的最小功能单位是细胞，因此全面性和单细胞分辨率对于对发育的系统生物学理解是必要的。在海鞘中，负责胚胎发育的基因调控网络已在全基因组规模和单细胞分辨率上进行了研究。基因组的简单性和紧凑性有利于全基因组研究。在玻璃海鞘基因组中，仅编码了大约670个转录因子基因，并且已经分析了它们在胚胎发育过程中的表达谱。已经对胚胎发育过程中表达的转录因子基因进行了基因敲低分析。胚胎的简单性使得这些分析能够以单细胞分辨率进行。实际上，这些简单的胚胎现在正在计算机中建模，这使我们能够在三个维度上非常精确地理解基因调控网络。
Ascidians belong to the subphylum Urochordata or Tunicata, which is the sister group of the vertebrates. The simple architecture of the ascidian larva represents the basic chordate body plan. Recent analyses have shown many instances of developmental mechanisms conserved during evolution, while these studies have also revealed a much larger number of instances of divergence. However, to precisely determine the degree of conservation and divergence, that is, how many ways are used to make tadpole-like larvae, we need a systems-level understanding of development. Because animal development is organized by the genome and the minimal functional unit of development is a cell, comprehensiveness and single-cell resolution are necessary for a systems-biological understanding of the development. In the ascidian Ciona intestinalis, gene-regulatory networks responsible for the embryonic development have been studied on a genome-wide scale and at single-cell resolution. The simplicity and compactness of the genome facilitates genome-wide studies. In the Ciona genome, only similar to 670 transcription factor genes are encoded, and their expression profiles during the embryonic development have been analyzed. Gene-knockdown analyses of the transcription factor genes expressed during the embryonic development have been performed. The simplicity of the embryo permits these analyses to be done at single-cell resolution. Actually, these simple embryos are now being modeled in the computer, which allows us to understand the gene-regulatory networks very precisely in three dimensions.