Surfing with the tunicates into the post-genome era.
This year is the centenary of Edward G. Conklin's signal findings in embryology: the elucidation of complete cell lineages and the discovery of localized maternal determinants. Conklin used ascidian embryos to elucidate universal principles in embryology. A century later, ascidians, or sea squirts, have not only entered the post-genome era, but in many ways are leading the way to the promise of a "systems-level" understanding of complex processes such as notochord formation, neurogenesis, and even behavior.
Satoh
Nori
N
Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan.
Levine
Mike
M
D000818:Animals; D002938:Ciona intestinalis / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics; D019295:Computational Biology / Q000379:methods; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics*; D016678:Genome; D016296:Mutagenesis / Q000235:genetics; D009420:Nervous System / Q000196:embryology*; D038081:Organogenesis / Q000235:genetics*