6533b7d8fe1ef96bd126a3cb
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Globin genes are present in Ciona intestinalis.
Bettina EbnerThomas HankelnThorsten Burmestersubject
animal structuresMolecular Sequence DataGenomeEvolution MolecularPhylogeneticsGeneticsAnimalsCiona intestinalisGlobinAmino Acid SequenceMolecular BiologyEcology Evolution Behavior and SystematicsPhylogenyWhole genome sequencingGeneticsGenomebiologyPhylogenetic treeSequence Homology Amino AcidfungiOxygen transportAnatomybiology.organism_classificationCiona intestinalisGlobinsCionaembryonic structuresdescription
The key position of the Ciona intestinalis basal to the vertebrate phylogenetic tree brings up the question of which respiratory proteins are used by the tunicate to facilitate oxygen transport and storage. The publication of the Ciona draft genome sequence suggests that globin genes are completely missing and that-like some molluscs and arthropods-the sea squirt uses hemocyanin instead of hemoglobin for respiration. However, we report here the presence and expression of at least four distinct globin gene/protein sequences in Ciona. This finding is in agreement with the ancestral phylogeny of the vertebrate globins. Moreover, it seems likely that the Ciona hemocyanin-like sequences have enzymatic instead of respiratory functions.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-05-30 | Molecular biology and evolution |