Analysis of the basal chordate Botryllus schlosseri reveals a set of genes associated with fertility

BMC Genomics

Anthony W De Tomaso¹  Andrew Gracey²  Morgan Kennedy¹  Michelle Rae Hopper¹  Daryl A Taketa¹  Adam D Langenbacher¹  Kelsea Farell¹  Erin N Sanders¹  Delany Rodriguez¹ 

[1] Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA;Department of Marine Environmental Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA

关键词: Germline;    Gonad formation;    Infertility;    Fertility;    Tunicate;    Ascidian;   

Others  :  1122498
DOI  :  10.1186/1471-2164-15-1183

 received in 2014-07-10, accepted in 2014-11-20,  发布年份 2014

【 摘 要 】

Background

Gonad differentiation is an essential function for all sexually reproducing species, and many aspects of these developmental processes are highly conserved among the metazoa. The colonial ascidian, Botryllus schlosseri is a chordate model organism which offers two unique traits that can be utilized to characterize the genes underlying germline development: a colonial life history and variable fertility. These properties allow individual genotypes to be isolated at different stages of fertility and gene expression can be characterized comprehensively.

Results

Here we characterized the transcriptome of both fertile and infertile colonies throughout blastogenesis (asexual development) using differential expression analysis. We identified genes (as few as 7 and as many as 647) regulating fertility in Botryllus at each stage of blastogenesis. Several of these genes appear to drive gonad maturation, as they are expressed by follicle cells surrounding both testis and oocyte precursors. Spatial and temporal expression of differentially expressed genes was analyzed by in situ hybridization, confirming expression in developing gonads.

Conclusion

We have identified several genes expressed in developing and mature gonads in B. schlosseri. Analysis of genes upregulated in fertile animals suggests a high level of conservation of the mechanisms regulating fertility between basal chordates and vertebrates.

【 授权许可】

   
2014 Rodriguez et al.; licensee BioMed Central.

【 图 表 】

Figure 1.

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