Functional analysis of newly acquired genes that directed the evolution of chordates.

我分析了参与建立脊索特异性身体计划的基因的功能。维甲酸一直被认为只在脊椎动物胚胎中起作用。在这项研究中，我证明了维甲酸通过激活Hox1基因促进了海鞘胚胎的器官发生。我还证明了生长因子Nodal是背侧神经管形态发生所必需的，这是脊索特有的特征。转录因子CDX被发现介导结节信号并调节神经管的形成。

I analyzed the function of genes that were involved in the establishment of the chordate-specific body plan. Retinoic acid has been thought to function only in vertebrate embryos. In the present study, I demonstrated that retinoic acid contributed to organogenesis in the ascidian embryo, through the activation of the Hox1 gene. I also demonstrated that the growth factor, Nodal, was required for morphogenesis of the dorsal neural tube, which was a chordate-specific feature. The transcription factor, Cdx, was revealed to mediatethe Nodal signal and regulates neural tube formation.