Proteomic analysis of ascidian metamorphosis

Shallow-water ascidians are prevalent invasive and fouling organisms within marine ecosystems. Their larvae undergo rapid metamorphosis from planktonic to sessile stage, facilitating colonization and population expansion. It is crucial to explore the molecular and cellular orchestration of larval metamorphosis in order to gain a deep understanding of ascidian environmental adaptability, as well as to develop effective methods for bioinvasion and biofouling control. Here, we conducted 4D-label free quantitative proteomics combined with transcriptomics to monitor protein and gene expression across five distinct developmental stages from swimming larva to metamorphic juvenile of ascidian Ciona. We identified a total of 6,043 proteins, approximately 83.6% of which were quantified. We delineated the temporal dynamics of protein expression during ascidian metamorphosis and identified differentially expressed proteins between stages.