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The Biological Bulletin, Vol 194, Issue 3 241-243, Copyright © 1998 by Marine Biological Laboratory

RESEARCH NOTE

Evolutionary Implications of FGF and Distal-Less Expressions During Proximal-Distal Axis Formation in the Ampulla of a Direct-Developing Ascidian, Molgula pacifica

W. R. Bates
Bamfield Marine Station, Bamfield, British Columbia, Canada V0R 1B0, and the Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada V8W 2Y2

The present results provide the first evidence of a fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family protein in a urochordate. Anti-FGF2 immunoreactive hemoblast cells were detected at day 3 of juvenile development in a direct-developing urochordate ascidian, Molgula pacifica. The detection of FGF in hemoblast cells coincided with the appearance of distal-less protein along the proximal-distal axis of growing ampullae. Ampullae are limb-like, fluid-filled ectodermal appendages that contain hemoblast cells and have holdfast, respiratory, and immunological functions (1). Given the evolutionary conservation of the genes encoding FGF (2) their receptors (2), and distal-less (3) the present results suggest that the formation of non-homologous ascidian appendages shares genetic elements in common with proximal-distal axis formation in arthropod limbs and vertebrate limbs (4,5). The possible evolutionary implications of these findings are discussed.




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Copyright © 1998 by the Marine Biological Laboratory.