Meiotic gene expression initiates during larval development in the sea urchin

摘要

BackgroundMeiosis is a unique mechanism in gamete production and a fundamental process shared by all sexually reproducing eukaryotes. Meiosis requires several specialized and highly conserved genes whose expression can also identify the germ cells undergoing gametogenic differentiation. Sea urchins are echinoderms which form a phylogenetic sister group of chordates. Sea urchin embryos undergo a feeding, planktonic larval phase in which they construct an adult rudiment prior to metamorphosis. Although a series of conserved meiosis genes (e.g. dmc1, msh5, rad21, rad51, and sycp1) are expressed in sea urchin oocytes, we sought to determine when in development meiosis would first be initiated.