Part 1 Diversity in Reproductive Strategies and Germ Cell Differentiation Mechanisms
Chapter 1. Germ cell formation in solitary ascidians: coexistence of preformation and epigenesist
Chapter 2. Regulatory mechanisms of the germline stem cell niche in Drosophila melanogaster
Chapter 3. Regulation of germline stem cells in the teleost: gametogenesis, sex and fecundity
Chapter 4. Regulatory mechanism of spermatogenic stem cells in mice: their dynamic and context-dependent behavior
Chapter 5. Nutritional control of the germline development in Caenorhabditis elegans
Chapter 6. Seasonal regulation of reproduction in vertebrates: Special focus on avian strategy
Chapter 7. Roles of germline stem cells and somatic multipotent stem cells in Hydra sexual reproduction
Chapter 8. Reproductive strategies in marine hydrozoan jellyfish: sexual medusae and asexual polyps
Chapter 9. Reproductive strategies in planarians: Insights gained from the bioassay system for sexual induction in asexual Dugesia ryukyuensis worms
Chapter 10. Reproductive strategies in Annelida: germ cell formation and regeneration
Chapter 11. Reproductive strategies in social amoeba
Part 2 Diversity in the Sex Determination and Differentiation
Chapter 12. Environmental control on sex differentiation in Daphnia
Chapter 13. Sex determination cascade in insects: a great treasure house of alternative splicing
Chapter 14. Genetic control on sex determination and differentiation in fish
Chapter 15. Endocrine and environmental control of sex differentiation in gonochoristic fish
Chapter 16. Variety of sex change in tropical fish
Chapter 17. Sex determination and differentiation in frogs
Chapter 18. Environmental control on sex determination and differentiation in reptiles
Chapter 19. Sex determination and differentiation in birds
Chapter 20. Sex determination and differentiation in mammals
Part 3 Diversity in the Mechanism of Fertilization
Chapter 21. Modulation of sperm motility and function prior to fertilization
Chapter 22. Postcopulatory reproductive strategies in spermatozoa
Chapter 23. Ascidian sexual reproductive strategies: mechanisms of sperm-egg interaction and self-sterility
Chapte 24. Universality and diversity of a fast, electrical block to polyspermy during animal fertilization
Chapter 25. Preparing for fertilization: Intercellular signals for oocyte maturation
Chapter 26. Regulation of sperm-egg fusion at the plasma membrane
Chapter 27. Fertilization and protein-tyrosine kinase signaling: are they merging or emerging?
Part 4 Diversity in Axis Formation
Chapter 28. Early embryonic axis formation in a simple chordate ascidian
Chapter 29. Recent advances in hagfish developmental biology in a historical context: implications for understanding the evolution of the vertebral elements
Chapter 30. Left-right specification in the embryonic and larval development of amphibians
Chapter 31. The molecular basis of the gastrula organizer in amphibians and cnidarians
Chapter 32. Axis formation and its evolution in ray-finned fish
Chapter 33. Post-embryonic axis formation in planarians
Chapter 34. Larval and adult body axes in echinoderms
Kazuya Kobayashi
Department of Biology, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University
Hirosaki, Japan
Takeshi Kitano
Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kumamoto University
Kumamoto, Japan
Yasuhiro Iwao
Laboratory of Reproductive Developmental Biology, Division of Earth Sciences, Biology, and Chemistry, Graduate School of Sciences and Technology for Innovation, Yamaguchi University
Yamaguchi, Japan
Mariko Kondo
Misaki Marine Biological Station, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo
Miura, Japan
This book provides new insights into the universality of biological systems in animal reproduction and development by a comparative study of a variety of mechanisms in animals ranging from basal invertebrates to vertebrates, including mammals.
Animals accomplish genetic diversity through meiosis and fertilization, and during embryogenesis animals must produce specialized cell types, including germ cells, in accordance with their individual body plan. This series of phenomena is essential to the continuity of life in the animal kingdom, and animals show various reproductive and developmental strategies.
This volume, comprising four parts, reviews animal kingdom diversity, including reproductive strategies and germ cell differentiation mechanisms (Part 1), sex determination and differentiation (Part2), the mechanisms of fertilization (Part 3), and body axis formation (Part 4). Readers will find descriptions of the reproduction or development of 180 species, 13 phyla, 35 classes, 74 orders, 117 families, and 151 genera in this book. Of particular interest is the diversity of molecules and mechanisms used to achieve the same biological purpose in different animals.
Undergraduates, graduate students, and professional scientists who want a deeper understanding of animal reproductive and developmental mechanisms will find this book to be of great value.