Satoh Nori, Levine Mike
Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan.
Genes Dev. 2005 Oct 15;19(20):2407-11. doi: 10.1101/gad.1365805.
This year is the centenary of Edward G. Conklin's signal findings in embryology: the elucidation of complete cell lineages and the discovery of localized maternal determinants. Conklin used ascidian embryos to elucidate universal principles in embryology. A century later, ascidians, or sea squirts, have not only entered the post-genome era, but in many ways are leading the way to the promise of a "systems-level" understanding of complex processes such as notochord formation, neurogenesis, and even behavior.
今年是爱德华·G·康克林在胚胎学领域取得重大发现的一百周年:他阐明了完整的细胞谱系,并发现了局部的母体决定因素。康克林利用海鞘胚胎来阐明胚胎学中的普遍原理。一个世纪后,海鞘不仅进入了后基因组时代,而且在许多方面引领着人们有望从“系统层面”理解诸如脊索形成、神经发生乃至行为等复杂过程的道路。