Notch signaling in the C. elegans embryo.
1Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109-4433, USA. jpriess@fhcrc.org
Wormbook : the Online Review of C. Elegans Biology
|December 1, 2007
Summary
Cell-cell interactions via Notch signaling guide C. elegans development, specifying cell fates and tissue shape. This conserved pathway involves Notch-regulated gene expression, impacting subsequent developmental events.
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Cell signaling
- Genetics
Background:
- Notch signaling is crucial for cell-cell interactions during animal development.
- These interactions influence cell fate specification and tissue morphogenesis.
- The Notch pathway is conserved across species, including C. elegans, Drosophila, and vertebrates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of Notch signaling in C. elegans embryogenesis.
- To identify key downstream targets of Notch signaling in the C. elegans embryo.
- To understand how Notch-regulated gene expression patterns subsequent developmental events.
Main Methods:
- Utilized C. elegans as a model organism.
- Studied cell-cell interactions mediated by the Notch pathway.
- Analyzed Notch-regulated gene expression patterns.
Main Results:
- Notch signaling plays significant roles in cell fate specification and tissue morphogenesis in C. elegans embryos.
- The REF-1 family of bHLH transcription factors were identified as major targets of Notch signaling.
- Notch interactions are interconnected through feedback loops involving Notch-regulated gene expression.
Conclusions:
- Notch signaling is a fundamental mechanism patterning C. elegans embryogenesis.
- The REF-1 family represents conserved downstream effectors of Notch signaling.
- Understanding Notch-regulated networks provides insights into developmental processes across diverse species.
Related Concept Videos
03:14Notch Signaling Pathway
The Notch signaling pathway is a major intracellular signaling pathway that is highly conserved over a broad spectrum of metazoan species. It stands unique from other intracellular signaling mechanisms in animals because notch protein itself acts as the receptor as well as the primary signaling molecule.
The Notch gene came into the limelight in 1914 after the discovery that its mutation in Drosophila melanogaster leads to a serrated (or "notched") wing margin phenotype. It was not until 1985...
The Notch gene came into the limelight in 1914 after the discovery that its mutation in Drosophila melanogaster leads to a serrated (or "notched") wing margin phenotype. It was not until 1985...
03:14Notch Signaling Pathway
The Notch signaling pathway is a major intracellular signaling pathway that is highly conserved over a broad spectrum of metazoan species. It stands unique from other intracellular signaling mechanisms in animals because notch protein itself acts as the receptor as well as the primary signaling molecule.
The Notch gene came into the limelight in 1914 after the discovery that its mutation in Drosophila melanogaster leads to a serrated (or "notched") wing margin phenotype. It was not until 1985...
The Notch gene came into the limelight in 1914 after the discovery that its mutation in Drosophila melanogaster leads to a serrated (or "notched") wing margin phenotype. It was not until 1985...
01:12Role Of Notch Signalling In Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal
Notch signaling was first discovered in Drosophila melanogaster, where it is involved in cell lineage differentiation. Notch signaling regulates the maintenance and differentiation of intestinal stem cells or ISCs by controlling the expression of atonal homolog 1 or Atoh1. Atoh1 directs cells to differentiate into secretory cells.
Direct cell-to-cell contact is needed for the activation of Notch signaling. The signal is initiated when a notch ligand binds to a receptor on an adjacent cell, also...
Direct cell-to-cell contact is needed for the activation of Notch signaling. The signal is initiated when a notch ligand binds to a receptor on an adjacent cell, also...
01:51Determination
During embryogenesis, cells become progressively committed to different fates through a two-step process: specification followed by determination. Specification is demonstrated by removing a segment of an early embryo, “neutrally” culturing the tissue in vitro—for example, in a petri dish with simple medium—and then observing the derivatives. If the cultured region gives rise to cell types that it would normally generate in the embryo, this means that it is specified. In contrast, determination...
01:41Non-Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathways
Wnt is a zygotic effect gene that is expressed during very early embryonic development. It regulates various processes in animals starting from early development through the adult stage, such as organogenesis in the embryo and maintenance of neuronal and blood stem cells. Wnt proteins can induce a wide variety of intracellular pathways depending upon the specific abilities of different Wnt ligands to form a complex with shared and cognate receptors in the presence of different co-receptors. The...
01:56Gastrulation
Gastrulation establishes the three primary tissues of an embryo: the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. This developmental process relies on a series of intricate cellular movements, which in humans transforms a flat, “bilaminar disc” composed of two cell sheets into a three-tiered structure. In the resulting embryo, the endoderm serves as the bottom layer, and stacked directly above it is the intermediate mesoderm, and then the uppermost ectoderm. Respectively, these tissue strata will form...