Kohji Hotta

The paper constructs genomic resources for Ascidiella aspersa and 35 other tunicate species, revealing class-level genomic features and evolutionary patterns through comparative analysis.

The paper demonstrates that axial rotation in Ciona involves leftward bending and clockwise twisting, differentially regulated by TGF-β signaling.

This paper develops a fertilization protocol for Ascidiella aspersa that increases fertilization rates from below 10% to 80%, enabling its use as a new chordate model in developmental biology.

The paper identifies stimulatory and inhibitory G-protein signaling relays that regulate cAMP accumulation, ensuring timely metamorphosis in Ciona larvae.

The paper identifies Admp as an upstream regulator of tail bending in Ciona embryos by controlling phosphorylated myosin localization and ventral epidermal cell polarity.

The paper introduces a method to visualize neurotransmission at synapses using split protein sensors, demonstrating functionality in cultured cells, worms, and mouse brains.

The paper identifies a single pair of motor neurons in Ciona that generates rhythmic motor behavior through calcium oscillations and controls tail muscle contractions.

The paper extends an anatomical and developmental ontology for Ciona robusta through metamorphosis, identifying new stages and anatomical entities, and integrating data into a web resource for standardized gene expression annotation.

This study compares molecular and morphological signatures in two developmental pathways of tunicates, finding distinct molecular programs but shared stem cell profiles.