Cell lineage and cis-regulation for a unique GABAergic/glycinergic neuron type in the larval nerve cord of the ascidian Ciona intestinalis

The tunicate Ciona intestinalis larva has a simple central nervous system (CNS), consisting of fewer than 400 cells, which is homologous to the vertebrate CNS. Recent studies have revealed neuronal types and networks in the larval CNS of C.intestinalis, yet their cell lineage and the molecular mechanism by which particular types of neurons are specified and differentiate remain poorly understood. Here, we report cell lineage origin and a cis-regulatory module for the anterior caudal inhibitory neurons (ACINs), a putative component of the central pattern generator regulating swimming locomotion. The vesicular GABA/glycine transporter gene Ci-VGAT, a specific marker for GABAergic/glycinergic neurons, is expressed in distinct sets of neurons, including ACINs of the tail nerve cord and others in the brain vesicle and motor ganglion. Comparative genomics analysis between C.intestinalis and Ciona savignyi and functional analysis in vivo identified the cis-regulatory module responsible for Ci-VGAT expression in ACINs. Our cell lineage analyses inferred that ACINs derive from A11.116 cells, which have been thought to solely give rise to glial ependymal cells of the lateral wall of the nerve cord. The present findings will provide a solid basis for future studies addressing the molecular mechanism underlying specification of ACINs, which play a critical role in controlling larval locomotion.