Abstract
Botryllus schlosseri, a colonial ascidian reproducing both sexually and asexually, is an excellent model for the study of adult stem cells, since budding blastozooids are derived from a disc of stem cells at the parental atrial chamber and the overlying epidermis. At the colony level, adult zooids undergo cyclical generation changes during which the adults die, are resorbed and then replaced by their buds which reach functional maturity and start filtering. At the same time, blood cell renewal takes place thanks to a new haemopoietic wave. Several experimental manipulations were used to evaluate the behaviour of stem cells during bud morphogenesis under different developmental constraints. When all zooids and buds of a colony are extirpated, new developed zooids are derived from totipotent blood cells which aggregate on the walls of the blood vessels of the tunic. Stem cells can also be transferred from one colony to another through vasculature during fusion of allogeneic compatible colonies. Germ stem cells persist in a host colony so that heterochtonous offspring can be collected after many blastogenetic generations. The persistence of somatic stem cells alters the fusibility pattern of the colony. Pluripotent stem cells are also involved in the embryonic development of larval and juvenile organs; these embryonic cells were analysed and compared with bud stem cells for their potentials and gene expression.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Ballarin L, Cima F (2005) Cytochemical properties of Botryllus schlosseri haemocytes: Indica-tions for morpho-functional characterisation. Eur J Histochem 49:255–264
Ballarin L, Menin A, Tallandini L, Matozzo V, Burighel P, Basso G, Fortunato E, Cima F (2008) Haemocytes and blastogenetic cycle in the colonial ascidian Botryllus schlosseri: A matter of life and death. Cell Tissue Res 331:555–564
Berrill NJ (1941) The development of the bud in Botryllus. Biol Bull 80:169–184
Brien P (1948) Morphologie et reproduction des tuniciers. In: Grassé PP (ed) Traité de Zoologie, vol 11. Masson, Paris, pp 553–1040
Brown FD, Swalla BJ (2007) Vasa expression in a colonial ascidian, Botrylloides violaceus. Evol Dev 9:165–177
Burighel P (1970) Sviluppo e differenziamento del tubo digerente nel blastozooide dell'ascidia coloniale Botryllus schlosseri (Pallas). Boll Zool 37:177–192
Burighel P, Brunetti R (1971) The circulatory system in the blastozooid of the colonial ascidian Botryllus schlosseri (Pallas). Boll Zool 38:273–289
Burighel P, Brunetti R, Zaniolo G (1976) Hibernation of the colonial ascidian Botrylloides leachi (Savigny): Histological observations. Boll Zool 43:293–301
Burighel P, Lane NJ, Zaniolo G, Manni L (1998) Neurogenic role of the neural gland in the development of the ascidian, Botryllus schlosseri (Tunicata, Urochordata). J Comp Neurol 394:230–241
Buss L (1987) The evolution of individuality. Princeton University Press, Princeton
Casagrande L, Martinucci GB, Burighel P (1993) Origin and differentiation of branchial stigmata in the compound ascidian Botryllus schlosseri (Tunicata). Animal Biol 2:111–121
Cima F, Basso G, Ballarin L (2003) Apoptosis and phosphatidylserine-mediated recognition dur-ing the take-over phase of the colonial life-cycle in the ascidian Botryllus schlosseri. Cell Tissue Res 312:369–376
De Tomaso AW (2006) Allorecognition polymorphism versus parasitic stem cells. Trends Gen 22:485–490
Freeman G (1964) The role of blood cells in the process of asexual reproduction in the tunicate Perophora viridis. J Exp Zool 156:157–184
Kawamura K, Nakauchi M (1986) Mitosis and body patterning during morphallactic development of palleal buds in ascidians. Dev Biol 116:39–50
Kawamura K, Nakauchi M (1991) Homeostatic integration of stem cell dynamics during palleal budding of ascidians. Zool Sci 8:11–22
Kawamura K, Hashimoto K, Nakauchi M (1995) Development of irradiated tunicate buds: Is cell division required for morphallaxis? Dev Growth Diff 37:487–496
Kawamura K, Kouki T, Kawahara G, Kikuyama S (2002) Hypophyseal development in vertebrates from amphibians to mammals. Gen Comp Endocrinol 126:130–135
Kawamura K, Sugino Y, Sunanaga T, Fujiwara S (2008) Multipotent epithelial cells in the process of regeneration and asexual reproduction in colonial tunicates. Dev Growth Diff 50:1–10
Laird DJ, De Tomaso AW, Weissman IL (2005) Stem cells are units of natural selection in a co-lonial ascidian. Cell 123:1351–1360
Lauzon RJ, Ishizuka KJ, Weissman IL (1992) A cyclical, developmentally-regulated death phe-nomenon in a colonial urochordate. Dev Dyn 194:71–83
Mackie GO (1995) On the 'visceral nervous system' of Ciona. J Mar Biol Ass UK 75:141–151
Mackie GO, Burighel P (2005) The nervous system in adult tunicates: Current research directions. Canad J Zool 83:151–183
Majone F (1977) Regeneration of isolated bud fragments of Botryllus schlosseri. Acta Embryol Exp 1:11–19
Manni L, Burighel P (2006) Common and divergent pathways in alternative developmental processes of ascidians. BioEssays 28:902–912
Manni L, Lane NJ, Sorrentino M, Zaniolo G, Burighel P (1999) Mechanism of neurogenesis dur-ing the embryonic development of a tunicate. J Comp Neurol 412:527–541
Manni L, Lane NJ, Zaniolo G, Burighel P (2002) Cell reorganisation during epithelial fusion and perforation: The case of ascidian branchial fissures. Dev Dyn 224:303–313
Manni L, Zaniolo G, Cima F, Burighel P, Ballarin L (2007) Botryllus schlosseri: A model ascidian for the study of asexual reproduction. Dev Dyn 236:335–352
Nyholm SV, Passegue E, Ludington WB, Voskoboynik A, Mitchel K, Weissman IL, De Tomaso AW (2006) Fester, a candidate allorecognition receptor from a primitive chordate. Immunity 25:163–173
Nunzi MG, Burighel P, Schiaffino S (1979) Muscle cell differentiation in the ascidian heart. Devel Biol 68:371–380
Oka H, Watanabe H (1959) Vascular budding in Botrylloides. Biol Bull 117:340–346
Rinkevich B, Shapira M (1999) Multi-partner urochordate chimeras outperform two-partner chimerical entities. Oikos 87:315–320
Rinkevich B, Shlemberg Z, Fishelson L (1995) Whole-body protochordate regeneration from totipotent blood cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 92:7695–7699
Rinkevich B, Weissman IL, De Tomaso AW (1998) Transplantation of Fu/HC incompatible zooids in Botryllus schlosseri results in chimerism. Biol Bull 195:98–106
Rinkevich Y, Paz G, Rinkevich B, Reshef R (2007) Systemic bud induction and retinoic acid signaling underlie whole body regeneration in the urochordate Botrylloides leachi. PLoS Biol 5:e71. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0050071
Takamura K, Fujimura M, Yamaguchi Y (2002) Primordial germ cells originate from the endo-dermal strand cells in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis. Dev Genes Evol 212:11–18
Tiozzo S, Christiaen L, Deyts C, Manni L, Joly JS, Burighel P (2004) Embryonic versus blasto-genetic development in the compound ascidian Botryllus schlosseri: Insights from Pitx ex-pression patterns. Dev Dyn 232:468–478
Tiozzo S, Ballarin L, Burighel P, Zaniolo G (2006) Programmed cell death in vegetative devel-opment: Apoptosis during the colonial life-cycle of the ascidian Botryllus schlosseri. Tissue Cell 38:193–201
Sabbadin A (1955) Osservazioni sullo sviluppo, l'accrescimento e la riproduzione di Botryllus schlosseri (Pallas), in condizioni di laboratorio. Boll Zool 22:243–263
Sabbadin A (1956) Situs inversus viscerum provocato sperimentalmente in Botryllus schlosseri (Pallas) Ascidiacea. Rendiconti Accademia Nazionale Lincei 20:659–666
Sabbadin A (1958) Analisi sperimentale dello sviluppo delle colonie di Botryllus schlosseri (Pal-las) [Ascidiacea]. Arch Ital Anat Embr 63:178–221
Sabbadin A (1962) Le basi genetiche della capacità di fusione fra colonie in Botryllus schlosseri (Ascidiacea). Rendiconti Accademia Nazionale Lincei, 32:1031–1035
Sabbadin A (1982) Formal genetics of ascidians. Am Zool 22:765–773
Sabbadin A (1994) Coloniality in ascidians and its adaptive value, with special reference to Bot-ryllus schlosseri. Animal Biol 3:157–163
Sabbadin A, Astorri C (1988) Chimeras and histocompatibility in the colonial ascidian Botryllus schlosseri. Dev Comp Immunol 12:737–747
Sabbadin A, Ballarin L (1990) The reaction of the colonial ascidian Botryllus schlosseri to al-logeneic blood. Preliminary results. Acta Embryol Morphol Exp ns 11:211–212
Sabbadin A, Zaniolo G (1979) Sexual differentiation and germ cell transfer in the colonial ascidian Botryllus schlosseri. J Exp Zool 207:289–304
Sabbadin A, Zaniolo G, Majone F (1975) Determination of polarity and bilateral asymmetry in palleal and vascular buds of the ascidian Botryllus schlosseri. Dev Biol 46:79–87
Sabbadin A, Burighel P, Zaniolo G (1991) Studies on the colonial ascidian Botryllus schlosseri. A review of some lines of research. Acta Embryol Morphol Exp ns 12:259–279
Sala M (1973) Differenziamento in vitro di cellule della linea sanguigna da elementi mesenchi-mali di larva di Botryllus schlosseri. Atti Memorie Accademia Patavina Scienze Lettere Arti 85:275–293
Stoner DS, Rinkevich B, Weissman IL (1999) Heritable germ and somatic cell lineage competi-tions in chimeric colonial protochordates. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 96:9148–9153
Sunanaga T, Saito Y, Kawamura K (2006) Postembryonic epigenesis of Vasa-positive germ cells from aggregated hemoblasts in the colonial ascidian, Botryllus primigenus. Dev Growth Diff 48:87–100
Voskoboynik A, Simon-Blecher N, Soen Y, Rinkevich B, De Tomaso AW, Ishizuka KJ, Weiss-man IL (2007) Striving for normality: Whole body regeneration through a series of abnormal generations. FASEB J 21:1335–1344
Weissman IL (2000) Stem cells: Units of development, units of regeneration, and units in evolution. Cell 100:157–168
Acknowledgments
Grant information: grants from the Ministero della Università e Ricerca Scientifica e Tecnologica to L.B. and L.M.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2009 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Ballarin, L., Manni, L. (2009). Stem Cells in Sexual and Asexual Reproduction of Botryllus schlosseri (Ascidiacea, Tunicata): An Overview. In: Rinkevich, B., Matranga, V. (eds) Stem Cells in Marine Organisms. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2767-2_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2767-2_11
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-90-481-2766-5
Online ISBN: 978-90-481-2767-2
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)