An organismal perspective on C. intestinalis development, origins and diversification.
review · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 25807088.
- Also identified by DOI 10.7554/eLife.06024 and PMC identifier 4373457.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
The ascidian Ciona intestinalis, commonly known as a 'sea squirt', has become an important model for embryological studies, offering a simple blueprint for chordate development. As a model organism, it offers the following: a small, compact genome; a free swimming larva with only about 2600 cells; and an embryogenesis that unfolds according to a predictable program of cell division. Moreover, recent phylogenies reveal that C. intestinalis occupies a privileged branch in the tree of life: it is our nearest invertebrate relative. Here, we provide an organismal perspective of C. intestinalis, highlighting aspects of its life history and habitat-from its brief journey as a larva to its radical metamorphosis into adult form-and relate these features to its utility as a laboratory model.
Medical subject headings
- Ciona intestinalis
- Embryo, Nonmammalian
- Metamorphosis, Biological