title: Ciona intestinalis as a model for cardiac development.
abstract: The primitive chordate Ciona intestinalis has emerged as a significant model system for the study of heart development. The Ciona embryo employs a conserved heart gene network in the context of extremely low cell numbers and reduced genetic redundancy. Here, I review recent studies on the molecular genetics of Ciona cardiogenesis as well as classic work on heart anatomy and physiology. I also discuss the potential of employing Ciona to decipher a comprehensive chordate gene network and to determine how this network controls heart morphogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Division of Genetics & Development, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States. bandl@berkeley.edu
authors.forename: Brad
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Davidson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D019070:Cell Lineage; D002938:Ciona intestinalis / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks / Q000502:physiology; D006321:Heart / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology; D023421:Models, Animal; D008954:Models, Biological; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000235:genetics