The significantly negative impact of marine invasive species underscores the need to understand the dynamics of invasion success. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a crucial role in regulating gene expression in response to stresses during invasions. Using the invasive tunicate Ciona robusta as a model, here we aim to study intragenic miRNA–host gene co-expression and functional regulation in response to recurrent salinity challenges. D...

Biological invasions offer a valuable ‘natural experiment’ to investigate survival mechanisms, as invaders successfully endure substantial environmental changes during their geographical spread and settlement. Phenotypic plasticity enhances fitness by enabling rapid responses without requiring new genetic variations. Among numerous mechanisms involved in phenotypic plasticity, microRNAs (miRNAs) and their regulatory networks a...

Deoxyribonucleic acid methylation and gene transcription have been proved as two underlying mechanisms involved in rapid plastic response to environmental stresses. However, it remains elusive on how DNA methylation regulates gene transcription under acute and recurring environmental challenges to form the stress memory, further contributing to invasion success during range expansions. Using a model invasive species Ciona robu...

Ascidians, particularly those highly invasive ones, are typical fouling organisms to cause significantly negative ecological and economic influence in coastal ecosystems. Stolon, which is the unique structure of some solitary ascidians to complete the essential process of adhesion, possesses extremely high tolerance to environmental stresses during biofouling and invasions. However, the mechanisms underlying environmental tole...