title: Ctenophores: an evolutionary-developmental perspective.
abstract: Ctenophores are non-bilaterian metazoans of uncertain phylogenetic position, some recent studies placing them as sister-group to all other animals whereas others suggest this placement is artefactual and ctenophores are more closely allied with cnidarians and bilaterians, with which they share nerve cells, muscles and gut. Available information about developmental genes and their expression and function in ctenophores is reviewed. These data not only unveil some conserved aspects of molecular developmental mechanisms with other basal metazoan lineages, but also can be expected to enlighten the genomic and molecular bases of the evolution of ctenophore-specific traits, including their unique embryonic development, complex anatomy and high cell type diversity.
authors.affiliation: Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris - Seine, UMR 7138 "Evolution Paris - Seine", Case 05, 7 quai St Bernard, 75005 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Muriel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jager
authors.affiliation: Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris - Seine, UMR 7138 "Evolution Paris - Seine", Case 05, 7 quai St Bernard, 75005 Paris, France. Electronic address: michael.manuel@upmc.fr.
authors.forename: Michaël
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manuel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D037302:Ctenophora / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D016678:Genome; D024510:Muscle Development / Q000235:genetics; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny