The Caenorhabditis elegans Heterochronic Gene lin-14 Coordinates Temporal Progression and Maturation in the Egg-Laying System

作者：Johnson Ryan W; Liu Leah Y; Hanna Rose Wendy; Chamberlin Helen M^*

来源：Developmental Dynamics, 2009, 238(2): 394-404.

DOI：10.1002/dvdy.21837

• heterochronic genes
• developmental timing
• vulval development

Heterochronic genes function to ensure the timing of stage-specific developmental events in C. elegans. Mutations in these genes cause certain developmental programs to be executed in a precocious or retarded manner. Canonical precocious (loss-of-function) and retarded (gain-of-function) mutations in the lin-14 gene lead to elimination or reiteration of larval stage-specific cellular events. Here, we describe a hypomorphic, missense allele of lin-14, sa485. lin-14(sa485) hermaphrodites pass through normal larval stages, but exhibit asynchrony between vulval and gonadal maturation in the L4 larval stage. We show that a subtly precocious morphogenetic event in the vulva disrupts tissue synchrony and is followed by retarded vulval eversion. Additionally, uterine uv1 cell differentiation is retarded in lin-14(sa485) animals that exhibit delayed vulval eversion. Together, these experiments outline a function for LIN-14 in coordinating the temporal progression of development, which is separable from its role in regulating stage-specific events during C. elegans postembryonic development. Developmental Dynamics 238:394-404, 2009.

• 出版日期2009-2