Biomaterial Database

Specification of gut cell fate differs significantly between the nematodes Acrobeloides nanus and caenorhabditis elegans. 1998

O Wiegner, and E Schierenberg

Zoologisches Institut, Universität Köln, Kerpenerstrasse 15, Köln, D-50923, Germany.

The classic view of a strictly cell-autonomous development in nematode embryos has been overturned in recent years with the demonstration of various inductive interactions during early development of Caenorhabditis elegans. To examine how conserved the pattern of embryonic cell specification is among nematodes, we have begun to study the pattern in other species after selective elimination of certain early blastomeres. Here we report considerable differences in specification of the gut lineage between C. elegans and Acrobeloides nanus, another free-living soil nematode belonging to the same order. In C. elegans none of the early blastomeres is by itself able to establish a gut lineage for which an inductive interaction between the somatic EMS cell and its germline sister P2 is required. In contrast, in A. nanus all blastomeres of the 3-cell stage carry the potential to generate gut cells. Our data suggest that repressive interactions take place among blastomeres to ensure that under normal conditions only one of them executes the gut fate. Thus, in related species of nematodes with a very conserved morphology, the assignment of cell fate during early embryogenesis appears to involve quite different strategies.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007422	Intestines	The section of the alimentary canal from the STOMACH to the ANAL CANAL. It includes the LARGE INTESTINE and SMALL INTESTINE.	Intestine
D002454	Cell Differentiation	Progressive restriction of the developmental potential and increasing specialization of function that leads to the formation of specialized cells, tissues, and organs.	Differentiation, Cell,Cell Differentiations,Differentiations, Cell
D004625	Embryo, Nonmammalian	The developmental entity of a fertilized egg (ZYGOTE) in animal species other than MAMMALS. For chickens, use CHICK EMBRYO.	Embryonic Structures, Nonmammalian,Embryo, Non-Mammalian,Embryonic Structures, Non-Mammalian,Nonmammalian Embryo,Nonmammalian Embryo Structures,Nonmammalian Embryonic Structures,Embryo Structure, Nonmammalian,Embryo Structures, Nonmammalian,Embryo, Non Mammalian,Embryonic Structure, Non-Mammalian,Embryonic Structure, Nonmammalian,Embryonic Structures, Non Mammalian,Embryos, Non-Mammalian,Embryos, Nonmammalian,Non-Mammalian Embryo,Non-Mammalian Embryonic Structure,Non-Mammalian Embryonic Structures,Non-Mammalian Embryos,Nonmammalian Embryo Structure,Nonmammalian Embryonic Structure,Nonmammalian Embryos,Structure, Non-Mammalian Embryonic,Structure, Nonmammalian Embryo,Structure, Nonmammalian Embryonic,Structures, Non-Mammalian Embryonic,Structures, Nonmammalian Embryo,Structures, Nonmammalian Embryonic
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
D013045	Species Specificity	The restriction of a characteristic behavior, anatomical structure or physical system, such as immune response; metabolic response, or gene or gene variant to the members of one species. It refers to that property which differentiates one species from another but it is also used for phylogenetic levels higher or lower than the species.	Species Specificities,Specificities, Species,Specificity, Species
D017173	Caenorhabditis elegans	A species of nematode that is widely used in biological, biochemical, and genetic studies.	Caenorhabditis elegan,elegan, Caenorhabditis
D019070	Cell Lineage	The developmental history of specific differentiated cell types as traced back to the original STEM CELLS in the embryo.	Cell Lineages,Lineage, Cell,Lineages, Cell