Study of genetic function of the ascidian based on the forward and reverse genetic approaches

本研究的目的是建立一种研究无肠螯虾基因功能的方法。结果表明，增强子检测是产生插入突变体的有效方法。结果表明，Hox1基因在表皮的形成中起作用。作为一种反向遗传方法，建立了一种靶向破坏母系表达基因的新方法。建立了以组织特异性方式表达报告基因的转基因制造系。利用神经组织特异性细胞系研究了幼体中枢神经系统在变态发育过程中如何被改造成成体神经系统。介绍了一种细胞周期过程的实时成像方法，并利用该方法揭示了细胞分裂与形态发生协调的机制。建立了一种由睡美人转座子介导的乔娜种系转化新方法。

This study was purposed to establish the methods for investigation of gene functions in the chordate Ciona intestinalis. It was shown that enhancer detection is an effective way to create insertional mutants. It was shown that Hox1 functions in the patterning of epidermis. As a reverse genetic approach, a novel method of targeted disruption of maternally expressed genes was established. Transgenic maker lines were established that express reporter genes in the tissue-specific manner. The neural tissue-specific lines were utilized to investigate how the larval central nervous system was remodeled to construct the adult nervous system during metamorphosis. A method to live-image the cell cycle progression was introduced, and by using this method mechanisms of the coordination between cell division and morphogenesis were shown. A new method of germline transformation in Ciona mediated by Sleeping Beauty transposon was established.