Biomaterial Database

The combined action of two intercellular signaling pathways specifies three cell fates during vulval induction in C. elegans. 1989

P W Sternberg, and H R Horvitz

Howard Hughes Medical Institute Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena 91125.

Each of the six C. elegans vulval precursor cells (VPCs) has three potential fates (1 degree, 2 degrees, or 3 degrees). The fate of each VPC depends on two types of signals: a graded inductive signal that acts at a distance and a short-range lateral signal among the VPCs. We describe interactions among mutations that cause different misspecifications of VPC fates. Particular combinations of mutations cause all six VPCs to have a single fate independent of their positions. Our results suggest that specification of the three VPC fates is accomplished by two binary decisions, each effected by one of the two signaling pathways. The gene lin-12 acts in the lateral signaling pathway and specifies 2 degrees. The "vulvaless" and "multivulva" genes act in the inductive signaling pathway and specify 1 degree independently of lin-12 and 2 degrees via lin-12. We describe a model for the regulatory circuitry underlying VPC determination that includes a role for lin-12 in both autocrine and paracrine VPC signaling.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009154	Mutation	Any detectable and heritable change in the genetic material that causes a change in the GENOTYPE and which is transmitted to daughter cells and to succeeding generations.	Mutations
D011956	Receptors, Cell Surface	Cell surface proteins that bind signalling molecules external to the cell with high affinity and convert this extracellular event into one or more intracellular signals that alter the behavior of the target cell (From Alberts, Molecular Biology of the Cell, 2nd ed, pp693-5). Cell surface receptors, unlike enzymes, do not chemically alter their ligands.	Cell Surface Receptor,Cell Surface Receptors,Hormone Receptors, Cell Surface,Receptors, Endogenous Substances,Cell Surface Hormone Receptors,Endogenous Substances Receptors,Receptor, Cell Surface,Surface Receptor, Cell
D002107	Caenorhabditis	A genus of small free-living nematodes. Two species, CAENORHABDITIS ELEGANS and C. briggsae are much used in studies of genetics, development, aging, muscle chemistry, and neuroanatomy.	Caenorhabditides
D002450	Cell Communication	Any of several ways in which living cells of an organism communicate with one another, whether by direct contact between cells or by means of chemical signals carried by neurotransmitter substances, hormones, and cyclic AMP.	Cell Interaction,Cell-to-Cell Interaction,Cell Communications,Cell Interactions,Cell to Cell Interaction,Cell-to-Cell Interactions,Communication, Cell,Communications, Cell,Interaction, Cell,Interaction, Cell-to-Cell,Interactions, Cell,Interactions, Cell-to-Cell
D004627	Embryonic Induction	The complex processes of initiating CELL DIFFERENTIATION in the embryo. The precise regulation by cell interactions leads to diversity of cell types and specific pattern of organization (EMBRYOGENESIS).	Embryonic Inductions,Induction, Embryonic,Inductions, Embryonic
D005260	Female		Females
D005796	Genes	A category of nucleic acid sequences that function as units of heredity and which code for the basic instructions for the development, reproduction, and maintenance of organisms.	Cistron,Gene,Genetic Materials,Cistrons,Genetic Material,Material, Genetic,Materials, Genetic
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D014844	Vulva	The external genitalia of the female. It includes the CLITORIS, the labia, the vestibule, and its glands.	Vulvas