title: Ci-POU-IV expression identifies PNS neurons in embryos and larvae of the ascidian Ciona intestinalis.
abstract: Several lines of evidence suggest that members of the POU domain gene family may regulate invertebrate and vertebrate neurogenesis. In particular, POU IV genes appear to be neural genes involved in differentiation of sensory neurons, as demonstrated in mollusc, Drosophila, Caenorhabditis elegans and vertebrates. In the present work, we describe the developmental expression of a homologue of POU IV genes, Ci-POU-IV, in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis. Ci-POU-IV is expressed in the precursor cells of the neural system during development and in the neural system of the larva. In particular, transcripts are prevalent in the peripheral nervous system (PNS), with expression in the central nervous system (CNS) restricted to the posterior sensory vesicle. Therefore, the evolution of a complex sensory system seems to be under the control of a common genetic mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Genova, viale Benedetto XV 5, 16132 Genoa, Italy. pesta@unige.it
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Candiani
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pennati
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Oliveri
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Locascio
authors.forename: Margherita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Branno
authors.forename: Patrizio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Castagnola
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pestarino
authors.forename: Fiorenza
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Bernardi
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000166:cytology; D002938:Ciona intestinalis / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007814:Larva / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D008675:Metamorphosis, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D017933:Peripheral Nervous System / Q000166:cytology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors