Ascidian caveolin induces membrane curvature and protects tissue integrity and morphology during embryogenesis.

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Cell morphology and tissue integrity are essential for embryogenesis. Caveolins are membrane proteins that induce the formation of surface pits called caveolae that serve as membrane reservoirs for cell and tissue protection during development. In vertebrates, caveolin 1 (Cav1) and caveolin 3 (Cav3) are required for caveola formation. However, the formation of caveola and the function of caveolins in invertebrates are largely unknown. In this study, three caveolins, Cav‐a, Cav‐b, and CavY, are identified in the genome of the invertebrate chordate Ciona spp. Based on phylogenetic analysis, Cav‐a is found to be closely related to the vertebrate Cav1 and Cav3. In situ hybridization shows that Cav‐a is expressed in Ciona embryonic notochord and muscle. Cell‐free experiments, model cell culture systems, and in vivo experiments demonstrate that Ciona Cav‐a has the ability to induce membrane curvature at the plasma membrane. Knockdown of Cav‐a in Ciona embryos causes loss of invaginations in the plasma membrane and results in the failure of notochord elongation and lumenogenesis. Expression of a dominant‐negative Cav‐a point mutation causes cells to change shape and become displaced from the muscle and notochord to disrupt tissue integrity. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Cav‐a vesicles show polarized trafficking and localize at the luminal membrane during notochord lumenogenesis. Taken together, these results show that the invertebrate chordate caveolin from Ciona plays crucial roles in tissue integrity and morphology by inducing membrane curvature and intracellular vesicle trafficking during embryogenesis.