title: Ci-GATAa, a GATA-class gene from the ascidian Ciona intestinalis: isolation and developmental expression.
abstract: Members of the GATA family of zinc finger transcription factors have been shown to play important roles in controlling gene expression in a variety of cell types in many metazoan. Here, we describe the identification of Ci-GATAa, a member of this gene family, in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis. Whole-mount in situ hybridization showed that Ci-GATAa was expressed in a highly dynamic manner. The maternal transcript was evenly distributed in the embryo during early stages of development; however, the signal gradually decreased until it disappeared at the 64-cell stage. A zygotic transcript was detected at the 110-cell stage in the blastomeres precursors of three different tissues (brain vesicle, mesenchyme, and trunk lateral cells) and the signal was conserved in these territories up to the larval stage, indicating an important role for Ci-GATAa during ascidian differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Stazione Zologica A. Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Palmira
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: D'Ambrosio
authors.forename: Albertina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fanelli
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pischetola
authors.forename: Antonietta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spagnuolo
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D002938:Ciona intestinalis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D015723:Gene Library; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D016335:Zinc Fingers
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors