Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The caudal nerve cord of the tunicate Ciona has similar anatomical features to the vertebrate spinal cord, but it is reported to lack motor neurons or to contain ill-defined neurons. In a new study, William Smith and colleagues looked at a later developmental stage than previous studies and identified functional motor neurons in the Ciona larval tail, suggesting homology between the Ciona caudal nerve cord and the vertebrate spinal cord. To find out more about the work, we caught up with first author Matthew Kourakis and corresponding author William Smith, Professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, USA.
Source: Development
DOI: 10.1242/dev.204736
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4408407765