The dorsoventral and anteroposterior axes of the ascidian embryo are defined before first
cleavage by means of a series of reorganizations that reposition cytoplasmic and cortical …

The Balbiani body is an evolutionarily conserved asymmetric aggregate of organelles that is
present in early oocytes of all animals examined, including humans. Although first identified …

The Caenorhabditis elegans anteroposterior axis is established in response to fertilization
by sperm. Here we present evidence that RhoA, the guanine nucleotide–exchange factor …

Many lophotrochozoans (ie, molluscs, annelids, nemerteans, and polyclad flatworms)
display a well-conserved early developmental program called spiral cleavage that contrasts …

Mature ascidian oocytes are arrested in metaphase of meiosis I (Met I) and display a
pronounced animal–vegetal polarity: a small meiotic spindle lies beneath the animal pole …

The mechanisms that ensure fertilization of egg by a sperm are not fully understood. In all
teleosts, a channel called the 'micropyle'is the only route of entry for sperm to enter and …

One of the earliest steps in embryonic development is the establishment of the future body
axes. Morphological and molecular data place the Ambulacraria (echinoderms and …

Axes formation in flies and frogs largely depends on RNA localization pathways functioning
in the oocytes. It is thought that motors moving along the cytoskeleton enable the selective …

Cellular mechanisms generating the polarized redistribution of maternal Type I
postplasmic/PEM mRNAs in ascidian oocytes remain unknown. We have previously shown …

CK2 is expressed widely in early embryonic development in several animal models,
however its developmental role is unclear. One of the substrates of CK2 that is important in …