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1999 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

Developmental Mechanisms Involved in Animal Diversity : Molecular and Developmental Biological Studies on the Origin and Evolution of Chordates

Research Project

Project/Area Number 07102012
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Specially Promoted Research

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Review Section Biological Sciences
Research InstitutionKYOTO UNIVERSITY

Principal Investigator

SATOH Noriyuki  Kyoto University, Graduate School of Science, Professor, 大学院・理学研究科, 教授 (30025481)

Project Period (FY) 1995 – 1999
KeywordsAnimal Diversity / Developmental Mechanisms / Origin of Chordates / Notochord / Brachyury Gene / Target Genes / Genetic Circuitry / Ascidians
Research Abstract

In the present research, we have investigated molecular and developmental mechanisms underlying the origin and evolution of chordates. We first determined by molecular phylogenetic analyses that echinoderms, hemichordates and chordates share a common ancestor and form the monophyletic group of deuterostomes.
Notochord is the most prominent feature of chordates, as the name of chordates originated from this organ. In ascidian tadpole larvae, notochord is composed of exactly 40 cells, and specification of the notochord cells is induced during the 32-cell stage by signals emanating from adjacent endoderm cells. Immediately after the induction, an ascidian Brachyury gene is expressed solely in the notochord cells, and the gene exerts a master control over the notochord formation. The Brachyury expression seems to activate about 40 downstream genes that are associated with the notochord formation. We characterized twenty of them by determining the complete nucleotide sequences of the cDNAs. These genes encode a broad spectrum of divergent proteins associated with notochord formation and function, but very few genes encoding transcription factors.
Hemichordates occupy a critical phylogenetic position among deuterostomes since they exhibit echinoderm-like larval morphology and chordate-like adult morphology. Analyses of the expression and function of hemichordate developmental genes therefore provide insight into the evolution of deuterostome body plan. We characterized the expression of Brachyury gene, forkhead/HNF-3 gene (the gene responsible for endoderm and notochord formation in chordate embryos) and Pax 1/9 gene (the gene responsible for pharyngeal endoderm formation in chordate embryos). The expression patterns of these genes are suggestive for the evolution of chordate body plan.

  • Research Products

    (32 results)

All Other

All Publications (32 results)

  • [Publications] Harada,Y.: "A Sea urchin homologue of the chordate Brachyuru (T) gene is expressed in the secondary mesenchyme founder cells."Development. 121. 2747-2754 (1995)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Terasawa,K.: "Spatial expression of the amphioxus Brachyuru (T) gene during early embryogenesis of Branchiostoma belcheri."Dev.Growth Differ.. 37. 395-401 (1995)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Satoh,N.: "An intrinsic genetic program for autonomous differentiation of muscle cells in the ascidian embryo."Proc.Natl.Acad.Sci.USA. 93. 9315-9321 (1996)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Wada,H.: "Origin of patterning in neural tubes."Nature. 384. 123 (1996)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Kusakabe,T.: "Evolution of chrdate action genes:Evidence from genomic organization and amino acid sequences."J.Mol.Evol.. 44. 289-298 (1997)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Satou,Y.: "posterior end maek 2 (pem-2),pem-4,pem-5 and pem-6: Maternal genes with localized mRNA in the ascidian embryo."Dev.Biol.. 192. 467-481 (1997)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Tagawa,K.: "Novel pattern of Brachyuru gene expression in hemichorgate embryos."Mech.Dev.. 75. 139-143 (1998)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Yasuo,H.: "Conservation of the development role of Brachyuru in notochord formation in a urochordate,the ascidian Halocynthia roretzi."Dev.Biol.. 200. 158-170 (1998)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Takahashi,H.: "Brachyuru downstream notochord differentiation in the ascidian embryo."Genes Dev.. 13. 1519-1523 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Takahashi,H.: "Evolutionary alterations of the minimal promoter for notochord-specific Brachyury expression in ascidian embryos."Development. 126. 3725-3734 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Taguchi,S.: "Characterization of a hemichordate fork head/HNF-3 gene expression."Dev.Genes Evol.. 210. 11-17 (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Nishino,A.: "Muscle actin genes and muscle cells in the larvacean,Oikopleura longicauda;phylogenetic relationship among muscle tissues in the tunicates."Mol.Dev.Evol.(J.Exp.Zool.). (in press).

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Satoh,N.: "Biodiversity and Evolution"The Nationa Science Museum Foundation. 24 (1995)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Yoshida,S.: "Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology"Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. 8 (1997)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Satoh,N.: "Cell Lineage and Fate Determination"Academic Press. 16 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Satoh,N.: "Biology of Biodiversity"Springer. 14 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Harada, Y., Yasuo, H., and Satoh, N.: "A sea urchin homologue of the chordate Brachyury (T) gene is expressed in the secondary mesenchyme founder cells"Development. 121. 2747-2754 (1995)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Terazawa, K. and Satoh, N.: "Spatial expression of the amphioxus Brachyury (T) gene during early embryogenesis of Branchiostoma belcheri"Dev. Growth Differ. 37. 395-401 (1995)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Satoh, N., Araki, I., and Satou, Y.: "An intrinsic genetic program for autonomous differentiation of muscle cells in the ascidian embryo"Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 93. 9315-9321 (1996)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Wada, H., Holland, P. W. H., and Satoh, N.: "Origin of patterning in neural tubes"Nature. 384. 123 (1996)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Kusakabe, T., Araki, I., Satoh, N., and Jeffery, W. R.: "Evolution of chordate actin genes : Evidence from genomic organization and amino acid sequences"J. Mol. Evol.. 44. 289-298 (1997)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Satou, Y. and Satoh, N.: "posterior end mark 2 (pem-2), pem-4, pem-5 and pem-6 : Maternal genes with localized mRNA in the ascidian embryo"Dev. Biol.. 192. 467-481 (1997)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Tagawa, K., Humphreys, T., and Satoh, N.: "Novel pattern of Brachyury gene expression in hemichordate embryos"Mech. Dev.. 75. 139-143 (1998)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Yasuo, H. and Satoh, N.: "Conservation of the developmental role of Brachyury in notochord formation in a urochordate the ascidian Halocynthia roretzi"Dev. Biol.. 200. 158-170 (1998)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Takahashi, H., Hotta, K., Erives, A., Di Gregorio, A., Zeller, R. W., Levine, M., and Satoh, N.: "Brachyury downstream notochord differentiation in the ascidian embryo"Genes Dev.. 13. 1519-1523 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Takahashi, H., Mitani, Y., Satoh, G., and Satoh, N.: "Evolutionary alterations of the minimal promoter for notochord-specific Brachyury expression in ascidian embryos"Development. 126. 3725-3734 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Taguchi, S., Tagawa, K., Humphreys, T., Nishino, A., Satoh, N. and Harada, Y.: "Characterization of a hemichordate fork head/HNF-3 gene expression"Dev. Genes Evol.. 210. 11-17 (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Nishino, A., Satou, Y., Morisawa, M., and Satoh, N.: "Muscle actin genes and muscle cells in the larvacean, Oikopleura longicauda ; phylogenetic relationship among muscle tissues in the tunicates"Mol. Dev. Evol. (J. Exp. Zool.). (in press). (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Satoh, N.: "Towards a molecular understanding of developmental mechanisms underlying the origin and evolution of chordates"In Biodiversity and Evolution, The National Science Museum Foundation : Tokyo. 267-290 (1995)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Yoshida, S., Satou, Y., and Satoh, N.: "Maternal genes with localized mRNA and pattern formation of the ascidian embryo"In Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press : NY. 89-96 (1997)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Satoh, N.: "Cell fate determination in the ascidian embryo"In Cell Lineage and Fate Determination, Academic Press. 59-74 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Satoh, N., Hotta, K., Takahashi, H., Satoh, G., Yasuo, H., Tagawa, K., Taguchi, S., and Harada, Y.: "Developmental mechanisms underlying the origin and evolution of chordates"In Biology of Biodiversity, Springer. 209-222 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より

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Published: 2001-10-23  

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