Evolution developmental modes in colonial ascidians

• Grant number: 15/22650-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: March 01, 2016
• End date: March 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Morphology of Recent Groups
• Agreement: ANR
• Principal Investigator: Federico David Brown Almeida
• Grantee: Arianna Stefania Gutierrez Osorio
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 15/50164-5 - Stem cells, regeneration, and the evolution of coloniality in ascidians, AP.JP

Abstract

During asexual propagation in colonial ascidians, the circumscribed part of an adult "zooid" from which the bud sprouts does not contain the entire repertoire of cells required for all tissues of the new forming zooid. Few hypotheses have been proposed to account for the appearance of new cell types during budding: a) a source of pluripotent/multipotent stem cells that are passed on to the bud, self-renew and differentiate into a new zooid; b) trans/de-differentiation of pre-existing adult somatic cells/epithelia, that become pluripotent/multipotent and then re-differentiate in the new zooid; and c) a combination of these two processes. For this study we selected species that adopt different methods of propagative and regenerative budding: Botryllus schlosseri is capable of mostly palleal budding (propagation) and vascular budding (regeneration), Polyandrocarpa zorritensis propagates via modified vascular (similar to a stolonial budding), and Symplegma brakenhielmi mostly vascular budding. We will adopt a morphological and molecular approach to describe anatomical and developmental details of processes associated to particular budding modes in each species. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

GUTIERREZ, STEFANIA; BROWN, FEDERICO D.. Vascular budding in Symplegma brakenhielmi and the evolution of coloniality in styelid ascidians. Developmental Biology, v. 423, n. 2, p. 152-169, MAR 15 2017. (15/22650-2, 15/50164-5)