Developmental expression of tryptophan hydroxylase gene in Ciona intestinalis.
To describe the serotonergic system in a tunicate larva, we cloned a gene encoding for tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH), the rate-limiting enzyme in serotonin synthesis, in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis and studied its expression pattern during development. Ci-TPH expression was found from tailbud stage in the precursor cells of the visceral ganglion and in the tail. In the larva, TPH-expressing neurons formed two clusters in the anterior central nervous system at the level of the visceral ganglion. Moreover, we found Ci-TPH expression at the level of the muscle cells of the tail and suggested that this localisation might be at the level of neuro-muscular junctions. Moreover, we discussed the involvement of serotonin in the control of larval locomotory activity.
Pennati
Roberta
R
Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Milano, via Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy. roberta.pennati@unimi.it
Candiani
Simona
S
Biggiogero
Maira
M
Zega
Giuliana
G
Groppelli
Silvia
S
Oliveri
Diana
D
Parodi
Manuela
M
De Bernardi
Fiorenza
F
Pestarino
Mario
M
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002938:Ciona intestinalis / Q000196:embryology* / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000201:enzymology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014365:Tryptophan Hydroxylase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D014365:Tryptophan Hydroxylase