EARLY PATTERNING OF THE C. ELEGANS EMBRYO

Studies of about 20 maternally expressed genes are providing an understanding of mechanisms of patterning and cell-fate determination in the early Caenorhabditis elegans embryo. The analyses have revealed that fates of the early blastomeres are specified by a combination of intrinsically asymmetric...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annual review of genetics 1998-01, Vol.32 (1), p.521-545
Main Authors: Rose, Lesilee S, Kemphues, Kenneth J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
asymmetric division
Biological and medical sciences
Body Patterning - genetics
Caenorhabditis elegans
Caenorhabditis elegans - cytology
Caenorhabditis elegans - embryology
Caenorhabditis elegans - genetics
Cell Communication
Cell Division
cell-cell signaling
Cellular biology
Classical genetics, quantitative genetics, hybrids
Embryos
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
Gene mutations
Genes, Helminth
Genetic aspects
Genetics
Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution
Invertebrata
maternal-effect mutation
Mutation
Nematoda
Signal Transduction
spindle orientation
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Summary:Studies of about 20 maternally expressed genes are providing an understanding of mechanisms of patterning and cell-fate determination in the early Caenorhabditis elegans embryo. The analyses have revealed that fates of the early blastomeres are specified by a combination of intrinsically asymmetric cell divisions and two types of cell-cell interactions: inductions and polarizing interactions. In this review we summarize the current level of understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes in the specification of cell fates in the pregastrulation embryo.
ISSN:0066-4197
1545-2948
DOI:10.1146/annurev.genet.32.1.521