Expression patterns of musashi homologs of the ascidians, Halocynthia roretzi and Ciona intestinalis

• Published in: Development genes and evolution Vol. 210; no. 3; pp. 162 - 165
• Main Authors: Kawashima, T, Murakami, A R, Ogasawara, M, Tanaka, K, Isoda, R, Sasakura, Y, Nishikata, T, Okano, H, Makabe, K W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Springer Nature B.V 01.03.2000
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Ciona intestinalis; DNA, Complementary; Drosophila Proteins; Evolution; Halocynthia roretzi; In Situ Hybridization; Molecular Sequence Data; MUSASHI protein; Proteins; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Species Specificity; Urochordata - genetics
• ISSN: 0949-944X; 1432-041X
• DOI: 10.1007/s004270050024

The gene family encoding RNA-binding proteins includes important regulators involved in the neurogenesis in both protostomes and deuterostomes. We isolated cDNAs of the ascidian homolog of one of the RNA-binding proteins, MUSASHI, from Halocynthia roretzi and Ciona intestinalis. The predicted amino acid sequences contained two RNA-recognition and RNA-binding motifs in the N-terminus and an ascidian-specific YG-rich domain in the C-terminus. Maternal transcripts of musashi were ubiquitous in early cleavage-stage embryos. Ascidian musashi had three domains of zygotic expression: the brain, nerve cord, and mesenchyma. The temporal order of the onset in these domains was highly divergent between the two species of ascidian examined.