TY - JOUR
T1 - Fibroblast growth factor signalling controls nervous system patterning and pigment cell formation in Ciona intestinalis
AU - Racioppi, Claudia
AU - Kamal, Ashwani K.
AU - Razy-Krajka, Florian
AU - Gambardella, Gennaro
AU - Zanetti, Laura
AU - Di Bernardo, Diego
AU - Sanges, Remo
AU - Christiaen, Lionel A.
AU - Ristoratore, Filomena
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - During the development of the central nervous system (CNS), combinations of transcription factors and signalling molecules orchestrate patterning, specification and differentiation of neural cell types. In vertebrates, three types of melanin-containing pigment cells, exert a variety of functional roles including visual perception. Here we analysed the mechanisms underlying pigment cell specification within the CNS of a simple chordate, the ascidian Ciona intestinalis. Ciona tadpole larvae exhibit a basic chordate body plan characterized by a small number of neural cells. We employed lineage-specific transcription profiling to characterize the expression of genes downstream of fibroblast growth factor signalling, which govern pigment cell formation. We demonstrate that FGF signalling sequentially imposes a pigment cell identity at the expense of anterior neural fates. We identify FGF-dependent and pigment cell-specific factors, including the small GTPase, Rab32/38 and demonstrated its requirement for the pigmentation of larval sensory organs.
AB - During the development of the central nervous system (CNS), combinations of transcription factors and signalling molecules orchestrate patterning, specification and differentiation of neural cell types. In vertebrates, three types of melanin-containing pigment cells, exert a variety of functional roles including visual perception. Here we analysed the mechanisms underlying pigment cell specification within the CNS of a simple chordate, the ascidian Ciona intestinalis. Ciona tadpole larvae exhibit a basic chordate body plan characterized by a small number of neural cells. We employed lineage-specific transcription profiling to characterize the expression of genes downstream of fibroblast growth factor signalling, which govern pigment cell formation. We demonstrate that FGF signalling sequentially imposes a pigment cell identity at the expense of anterior neural fates. We identify FGF-dependent and pigment cell-specific factors, including the small GTPase, Rab32/38 and demonstrated its requirement for the pigmentation of larval sensory organs.
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U2 - 10.1038/ncomms5830
DO - 10.1038/ncomms5830
M3 - Article
C2 - 25189217
AN - SCOPUS:84921522049
VL - 5
JO - Nature Communications
JF - Nature Communications
SN - 2041-1723
M1 - 5830
ER -