title: T-box genes in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis: characterization of cDNAs and spatial expression.
abstract: Members of the T-box family of transcription factors share an evolutionarily conserved DNA-binding domain and play significant roles in various processes of embryonic development. Vertebrate T-box genes are categorized into the following five major subfamilies (eight groups), depending on sequence similarities: Brachyury, Tbx1 (Tbx1/10, Tbx15/18/22, Tbx20), Tbx2/3/4/5 (Tbx2/3 and Tbx4/5), Tbx6, and Tbr/Eomes/TBX21. Ascidians are primitive chordates, and their tadpole larva are considered to represent the simplified and basic body plan of vertebrates. In addition, it has been revealed that the ascidian genome contains the basic ancestral complement of genes involved in development. The present characterization of cDNAs and survey of the Ciona intestinalis draft genome demonstrated that the Ciona genome contains a single copy gene for each of the Brachyury, Tbx1/10, Tbx15/18/22, Tbx20, Tbx2/3, and Tbr/Eomes/TBX21 groups, and at least three copies of the Tbx6 subfamily. Each of the Ciona T-box genes shows a characteristic expression pattern, although that of Tbx20 was not determined in the present study. These results provide basic information that will be useful for future studies of the function of each gene, genetic cascades of different T-box genes, and genome-wide surveys of evolutionary changes in the T-box gene structure and organization in this primitive chordate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Naohito
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takatori
authors.forename: Kohji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hotta
authors.forename: Yasuaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mochizuki
authors.forename: Gouki
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mitani
authors.forename: Nori
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Satou
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002938:Ciona intestinalis; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D005091:Exons; D020224:Expressed Sequence Tags; D005326:Fetal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007438:Introns; D008957:Models, Genetic; D010802:Phylogeny; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D020825:T-Box Domain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014561:Urochordata; D000098908:Brachyury Protein
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D005326:Fetal Proteins; D020825:T-Box Domain Proteins; D000098908:Brachyury Protein