Regulation of synaptotagmin gene expression during ascidian embryogenesis.
The ascidian embryo, a model for the primitive mode of chordate development, rapidly forms a dorsal nervous system which consists of a small number of neurons. Here, we have characterized the transcriptional regulation of an ascidian synaptotagmin (syt) gene to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying development of synaptic transmission. In situ hybridization showed that syt is expressed in all neurons described in previous studies and transiently in the embryonic epidermis. Neuronal expression of syt requires induction from the vegetal side of the embryo, whereas epidermal expression occurs autonomously in isolated ectodermal blastomeres. Introduction of green fluorescent protein reporter gene constructs into the ascidian embryos indicates that a genomic fragment of the 3.4-kb 5' upstream region contains promoter elements of syt gene. Deletion analysis of the promoter suggests that syt expression in neurons and in the embryonic epidermis depends on distinct cis-regulatory regions.
Katsuyama
You
Y
Molecular Neurobiology Group, Neuroscience Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba Central 6, Higashi 1-1-1, Tsukuba, 305-8566, Japan.
Matsumoto
Jun
J
Okada
Toshiaki
T
Ohtsuka
Yukio
Y
Chen
Ling
L
Okado
Haruo
H
Okamura
Yasushi
Y
D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004475:Ectoderm / Q000502:physiology; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000502:physiology*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007814:Larva; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009024:Morphogenesis; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D050857:Synaptotagmins; D014561:Urochordata / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics
D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D050857:Synaptotagmins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins