Colonial ascidians as model organisms for the study of germ cells, fertility, whole body regeneration, vascular biology and aging.

Colonial ascidians are marine invertebrate chordates that are the closest invertebrate relative to the vertebrates. Colonies of Botryllus schlosseri undergo a continuous asexual reproduction process that involves the regeneration of entire new bodies, which include all somatic and germline tissues. This adult regenerative process depends on signaling pathways known to regulate the formation of tissues and organs during embryonic development. The formation of gonads within regenerated bodies depends on migration and homing of germ cell precursors to niches within the developing bodies, and Botryllus colonies can cycle between fertile and infertile states. The vasculature that connects all individuals within the colony is highly regenerative, and is a valuable tool for the study of angiogenesis in adult blood vessels. The tremendous regenerative capacity of the vasculature even results in regeneration of entire new bodies solely from fragments of blood vessels upon surgical removal of all bodies. The mechanism underlying this regeneration of whole bodies is not well understood, but appears to depend on proliferation of circulating, blood borne cells. Because of all of these features, colonial ascidians are ideal model organisms for the study of germ cell migration, fertility, vascular biology and regeneration.