The Distribution and significance of organically bound iodine in the ascidianCiona intestinalisLinnaeus

Abstract

Some features of the organization of the endostyle ofCiona intestinalisare described. Autoradiographs show that bound iodine is present in a limited area of the epithelium (zone 7), where it is associated with characteristic secretory inclusions which are found only in this zone. These are regarded as providing the molecular basis for the iodination process, and are termed 'thyroidal granules', since they resemble in certain properties the similarly named granules of the endostyle of the ammocoete; it is concluded that they are homologous with these and, through them, with thyroid colloid. Their existence provides evidence that the iodination process is a product of biochemical specialization, and implies that it results in the formation of an hormonal secretion. It is concluded from the distribution of bound iodine over the pharyngeal epithelium and in the food cords that this iodinated secretion is carried in the latter into the intestine. Bound iodine is also present in the cuticle of the test; it is suggested that this may differ from the situation in the endostyle in being a consequence of the iodination of a skeletal protein secretion such as is known to occur in many invertebrates. Prior immersion of the animals in thiouracil solution largely eliminates bound radio-iodine from all of the sites mentioned, although a little may sometimes be detectable in the food cords and cuticle. The results are discussed in the light of recent work onAmphioxusand the ammocoete larva, and attention is drawn to their bearing on current views on the relationship between vertebrates and protochordates.