Fine-Tuned Expression of Evolutionarily Conserved Signaling Molecules in the Ciona Notochord

Lenny J. Negrón-Piñeiro, Yushi Wu, Ravij Mehta, Julie E. Maguire, Cindy Chou, Joyce Lee, Chitra L. Dahia, Anna Di Gregorio

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The notochord is an axial structure required for the development of all chordate embryos, from sea squirts to humans. Over the course of more than half a billion years of chordate evolution, in addition to its structural function, the notochord has acquired increasingly relevant patterning roles for its surrounding tissues. This process has involved the co-option of signaling pathways and the acquisition of novel molecular mechanisms responsible for the precise timing and modalities of their deployment. To reconstruct this evolutionary route, we surveyed the expression of signaling molecules in the notochord of the tunicate Ciona, an experimentally amenable and informative chordate. We found that several genes encoding for candidate components of diverse signaling pathways are expressed during notochord development, and in some instances, display distinctive regionalized and/or lineage-specific patterns. We identified and deconstructed notochord enhancers associated with TGF-β and Ctgf, two evolutionarily conserved signaling genes that are expressed dishomogeneously in the Ciona notochord, and shed light on the cis-regulatory origins of their peculiar expression patterns.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number13631
JournalInternational journal of molecular sciences
Volume25
Issue number24
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2024

Keywords

  • ascidian
  • Brachyury
  • Ciona
  • cis-regulatory module
  • Ctgf
  • enhancer
  • notochord
  • Rac1
  • semaphorin
  • signaling molecule
  • Tgf-β

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Catalysis
  • Molecular Biology
  • Spectroscopy
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
  • Organic Chemistry
  • Inorganic Chemistry

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