Editor's Summary
6 April 2006
Self service
The sea squirts or tunicates are our distant relatives. Some, such as the star ascidian (Botryllus schlosseri), are colonial, with a biochemical system of 'self' recognition to control cooperative behaviour. Remarkably, some sea squirt genes have mammalian counterparts involved in immunity, and there are parallels with stem-cell biology too. These tunicates are emerging as an invaluable lab model, reducing highly complex biological processes to their basics.
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doi:10.1038/440730a