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Updated: Jun 20, 2026
09:32
Light-mediated Reversible Modulation of the Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Pathway during Cell Differentiation and Xenopus Embryonic Development
Published on: June 15, 2017
[Genetic and environmental variations in an intercellular signaling network].
1Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS-Université Paris 7 Denis Diderot, 15, rue Hélène Brion, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France. felix@ijm.univ-paris-diderot.fr
Medecine Sciences : M/S
|September 22, 2009
Summary
Biological variation, crucial for evolution and medicine, can be hidden. The Caenorhabditis elegans vulva development model reveals cryptic genetic and environmental interactions affecting cell fate patterns.
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Genetics
- Cell signaling
Context:
- Interindividual variation is fundamental to evolution and medicine.
- This variation can be influenced by genetic and environmental factors.
- Such variation may not always be apparent under normal conditions.
Purpose:
- To explore interindividual variation using the Caenorhabditis elegans vulva development system.
- To investigate cryptic variation within intercellular signaling networks.
- To examine how genetic and environmental epistasis influences developmental pathways.
Summary:
- The study examines vulva formation in C. elegans, focusing on intercellular signaling pathways (EGF-Ras-MAP kinase, Notch, Wnt).
- Variation is analyzed at two levels: deviations in vulva precursor cell fates and cryptic variation in signaling networks.
- The research highlights genetic and environmental epistasis within this developmental system.
Impact:
- Provides insights into the mechanisms of cryptic genetic variation.
- Enhances understanding of developmental robustness and plasticity.
- Offers a model for studying complex gene-environment interactions in biological systems.
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