Abstract
The C. elegans hermaphrodite vulva is an established model system to study mechanisms of cell fate specification and tissue morphogenesis. The adult vulva is a tubular shaped organ composed of seven concentric toroids that arise from selective fusion between differentiated vulval progeny. The dorsal end of the vulval tubule is connected to the uterus via a multinucleate syncytium utse (uterine-seam) cell. The vulval tubule and utse are formed as a result of changes in morphogenetic processes such as cell polarity, adhesion, and invagination. A number of genes controlling these processes are conserved all the way up to human and function in similar developmental contexts. This makes it possible to extend the findings to other metazoan systems. Gene expression studies in the vulval and uterine cells have revealed the presence of regulatory networks specifying distinct cell fates. Thus, these two cell types serve as a good system to understand how gene networks confer unique cell identities both experimentally and computationally. This chapter focuses on morphogenetic processes during the formation of the vulva and its connection to uterus.
Highlights
The Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodite vulva is an epidermal-derived tube that connects the uterus to the external environment
Specific gene products expressed in subsets of vulval cells direct details of development of individual neurons. bam-2 is necessary for axonal branch termination of the VC motoneurons, and is expressed in the vulF cells (Colavita and Tessier-Lavigne, 2003). syg-1 and syg-2 are required for synapse formation by the HSN neurons (Shen and Bargmann, 2003; Shen et al, 2004). syg-2 is expressed in vulE cells and syg-1 in the HSNs
Considerable progress has been made in the last decade towards identifying cell type-specific-transcriptional networks, cell polaritzation mechanisms, and morphogenetic changes that form the vulva and the vulval-uterine
Summary
The Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodite vulva is an epidermal-derived tube that connects the uterus to the external environment. The vulva provides a powerful paradigm because it has simple anatomy and rapid development and because it is manipulated via genetics and transgenics Investigations with this system have revealed the function of a large number of genes and their network of interactions, including important transcription factors such as LIN-11 (LIM domain family), EGL-38 (Pax2/5/8 family of proto-oncogene), LIN-29 (zinc finger family), and COG-1 (Nkx6.1/6.2 family) (see Ririe et al, 2008 and references therein). These findings demonstrate that the vulva is a powerful system to identify and study the function of conserved genes in important cellular processes, allowing us to formulate a coherent picture of formation of a single organ. We present the current understanding of the roles of genes and signaling pathways that mediate the underlying processes
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