title: Cionaas a Simple Chordate Model for Heart Development and Regeneration.
abstract: Cardiac cell specification and the genetic determinants that govern this process are highly conserved among Chordates. Recent studies have established the importance of evolutionarily-conserved mechanisms in the study of congenital heart defects and disease, as well as cardiac regeneration. As a basal Chordate, theCionamodel system presents a simple scaffold that recapitulates the basic blueprint of cardiac development in Chordates. Here we will focus on the development and cellular structure of the heart of the ascidianCionaas compared to other Chordates, principally vertebrates. Comparison of theCionamodel system to heart development in other Chordates presents great potential for dissecting the genetic mechanisms that underlie congenital heart defects and disease at the cellular level and might provide additional insight into potential pathways for therapeutic cardiac regeneration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC 29732, USA.
authors.forename: Heather Evans
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
authors.forename: Lionel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Christiaen
keywords: Ciona; cardiac cell specification; cardiac development; cardiac regeneration