Ascidian actin genes: developmental regulation of gene expression and molecular evolution

Zoological Science
T Kusakabe

Abstract

Actin is a ubiquitous protein in eukaryotic cells and plays an important role in cell structure, cell motility, and the generation of contractile force in both muscle and nonmuscle cells. Multiple genes encoding muscle or nonmuscle actins have been isolated from several species of ascidians and their expression patterns have been investigated. Sequence and expression analyses of muscle actin genes have shown that ascidians have at least two distinct isoforms of muscle actin, the larval muscle and body-wall isoforms. In the ascidian Halocynthia roretzi, two clusters of actin genes are expressed in the larval muscle cells. The HrMA2/4 cluster contains at least five actin genes and the HrMA1 cluster contains a pair of actin genes whose expression is regulated by a single bidirectional promoter. cis-Regulatory elements essential for muscle-specific expression of a larval muscle actin gene HrMA4a have been identified. The adult body-wall muscle actin is clearly distinguished from the larval muscle actin by diagnostic amino acids. The adult muscle actin genes may be useful tools to investigate the mechanisms of muscle development in ascidian adults. The evolution of chordate actin genes has been inferred by comparing the organization...Continue Reading

Citations

May 13, 2003·Development Genes and Evolution·Shota ChibaKenneth E M Hastings
Sep 25, 2001·Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part B, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology·S R Stürzenbaum, P Kille
Apr 4, 2001·Development, Growth & Differentiation·M ShimadaH Yokosawa
Apr 1, 2004·Journal of Experimental Zoology. Part B, Molecular and Developmental Evolution·Rie KusakabeShigeru Kuratani
Mar 2, 2005·Zoological Science·Takehiro Kusakabe
Jul 1, 2005·Physiological Reviews·Scott L Hooper, Jeffrey B Thuma
Mar 27, 2003·Journal of Experimental Zoology. Part B, Molecular and Developmental Evolution·Rie KusakabeShigeru Kuratani

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