Ultrastructural comparative analysis on the adhesive papillae of the swimming larvae of three ascidian species

This paper presents a preliminary report on the papillae of the swimming larvae of three ascidian species: Ascidia malaca, Phallusia mammillata and Ciona intestinalis. The investigations, carried out at ultrastructural level and at confocal laser microscope, have evidenced, in the adhesive papillae of the three studied species, three different cell-types: axial columnar cells, collocytes, sensory cells respectively. The adhesive papillae of A. malaca and P. mammillata show central axial columnar cells with long microvilli emerging from the apical edge and extending throughout the hyaline cap. Collocytes are elongated secreting cells, lying in middle-lateral side. Sensory cells have a cilium…

Molecular approaches to elucidate the early response of P. lividus embryos to sublethal Cadmium exposition.

The early response to sublethal Cadmium exposition of P. lividus embryos: a molecular approach

Effects of tributyltin chloride in ascidian embryos: modulation of kinase-mediated signalling pathways

We studied the effects of various TBT concentrations by assaying the activity of ERK 1/2 (p44/42) and phospho-ERK1/2 (phospho-p44/42), proteins with a key role in ascidian development, and tyrosine kinase-dependent pathway. The effects of this xenobiotic and the role of some signalling mechanisms on ascidian embryos were examined by using Western immunoblotting. The tyrosine phosphorylation pattern in the ascidians Ciona intestinalis and Phallusia mammillata development was examined and different levels of protein phosphorylation were found as a response to TBT at μM range. To determine whether another key signalling pathway was activated, the effects of TBT on the phosphorylation state of …