Binucleate germ cells in Caenorhabditis elegans are removed by physiological apoptosis

PLoS Genetics
Stephan A RaidersJames R Priess

Abstract

Cell death plays a major role during C. elegans oogenesis, where over half of the oogenic germ cells die in a process termed physiological apoptosis. How germ cells are selected for physiological apoptosis, or instead become oocytes, is not understood. Most oocytes produce viable embryos when apoptosis is blocked, suggesting that physiological apoptosis does not function to cull defective germ cells. Instead, cells targeted for apoptosis may function as nurse cells; the germline is syncytial, and all germ cells appear to contribute cytoplasm to developing oocytes. C. elegans has been a leading model for the genetics and molecular biology of apoptosis and phagocytosis, but comparatively few studies have examined the cell biology of apoptotic cells. We used live imaging to identify and examine pre-apoptotic germ cells in the adult gonad. After initiating apoptosis, germ cells selectively export their mitochondria into the shared pool of syncytial cytoplasm; this transport appears to use the microtubule motor kinesin. The apoptotic cells then shrink as they expel most of their remaining cytoplasm, and close off from the syncytium. Shortly thereafter the apoptotic cells restructure their microtubule and actin cytoskeletons, possibl...Continue Reading

References

Mar 1, 1977·Developmental Biology·J E Sulston, H R Horvitz
Aug 1, 1987·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·E NishidaH Sakai
Mar 1, 1974·Comparative and General Pharmacology·R Pertel, S H Wilson
Nov 1, 1983·Developmental Biology·J E SulstonJ N Thomson
Mar 1, 1982·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·S Strome, W B Wood
Aug 1, 1995·BioEssays : News and Reviews in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology·L von KalmJ Fristrom
May 13, 1997·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·T J KeatingG G Borisy
Apr 4, 1998·Molecular Biology of the Cell·A KhodjakovF K Gyoeva
Jun 2, 1998·Development Genes and Evolution·V CavaliereG Gargiulo
Jul 17, 1999·Nature·D C Krakauer, A Mira
Mar 10, 2001·Developmental Biology·N Matova, L Cooley
Jul 13, 2001·Nature·P W ReddienH R Horvitz
Nov 21, 2001·Nature Reviews. Molecular Cell Biology·J L Tilly
Mar 2, 2002·Traffic·Shahid S Siddiqui
Oct 7, 2004·Developmental Biology·Ying ZhangFrans A van der Hoorn
Mar 31, 2005·Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology·J S BaumK McCall
Jun 3, 2005·Development·Amy Shaub MaddoxKaren Oegema
Nov 24, 2005·Nature Reviews. Genetics·Luca Comai
Feb 24, 2006·Nature Reviews. Molecular Cell Biology·Guillaume Lettre, Michael O Hengartner
May 24, 2006·The Journal of Cell Biology·Elizabeth E GlaterThomas L Schwarz
Jun 27, 2006·The Journal of Biological Chemistry·Chun DongBruce E Vogel
Oct 6, 2006·Development·DonHa ParkHelen M Chamberlin
Jan 25, 2007·Apoptosis : an International Journal on Programmed Cell Death·José A Sánchez-AlcázarPlácido Navas
May 18, 2007·Development·Uta WolkeJames R Priess
Jun 15, 2007·Toxicologic Pathology·Susan Elmore
Jun 30, 2007·Developmental Biology·Aimee Jaramillo-LambertJoAnne Engebrecht

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Jul 20, 2018·PLoS Genetics·Gabriela Huelgas Morales, David Greenstein
May 9, 2019·Molecular Biology of the Cell·Sarah L CrittendenJudith Kimble
Jul 19, 2019·Integrative and Comparative Biology·Jennifer A SullinsSuzanne Estes
Dec 19, 2019·G3 : Genes - Genomes - Genetics·Xintao FanErik E Griffin
Dec 5, 2019·Genetics·E Jane Albert Hubbard, Tim Schedl
Apr 3, 2021·The Journal of Cell Biology·Maria Rosaria Dello StrittoVerena Jantsch
Jun 17, 2021·PLoS Genetics·Jose Verdezoto MosqueraJames R Priess
Jun 15, 2021·Critical Reviews in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology·Claudia V PereiraMaulik R Patel

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Methods Mentioned

BETA
transgenic
transmission electron microscopy
GTPases
GTPase
acetylation
dissections
dissection
electron microscopy

Software Mentioned

Volocity
ImageJ
Adobe Photoshop

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Apoptosis

Apoptosis is a specific process that leads to programmed cell death through the activation of an evolutionary conserved intracellular pathway leading to pathognomic cellular changes distinct from cellular necrosis

Apoptotic Caspases

Apoptotic caspases belong to the protease enzyme family and are known to play an essential role in inflammation and programmed cell death. Here is the latest research.