The Pristionchus pacificus mab-5 gene is involved in the regulation of ventral epidermal cell fates

Current Biology : CB
B Jungblut, Ralf J Sommer

Abstract

One system that can be used to study the evolution of gene function is the nematode vulva. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the vulva is formed from three of the six multipotent precursors P(3-8).p. Comparison of vulval development between C. elegans and Pristionchus pacificus has revealed that, during evolution, there have been changes in the specification of cell fate for certain vulval cells. For example, the cell P8.p is a vulval precursor cell (VPC) in C. elegans, but is incompetent to adopt vulval fate in P. pacificus We have fate specification and have isolated P. pacificus mutants with a second vulva-like structure in the posterior region resulting from the ectopic differentiation of P8.p Genetic and molecular analysis indicated that point mutations in the Hox-cluster gene mab-5 of P. pacificus cause this multivulval phenotype. Further cell ablation studies revealed that the differentiation of P8.p is independent of gonadal signaling. In C. elegans, mab-5 also acts in P8.p specification, but mab-5 mutant animals do not develop differs between species, indicating that alterations in the intrinsic properties of P8.p and corresponding changes in the functional specificity of mab-5 have occurred during evolution.

References

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Mar 1, 1997·BioEssays : News and Reviews in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology·R J Sommer

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Citations

Nov 19, 2003·Developmental Biology·David Rudel, Ralf J Sommer
May 14, 1999·Trends in Genetics : TIG·A EizingerR J Sommer
May 9, 2003·Nucleic Acids Research·Kwang-Zin LeeRalf J Sommer
Dec 19, 2003·Nucleic Acids Research·Jagan SrinivasanRalf J Sommer
Jul 13, 2000·Current Opinion in Genetics & Development·R J Sommer
Apr 28, 2004·Trends in Genetics : TIG·Marie-Laure Dichtel-Danjoy, Marie-Anne Félix
Jul 25, 2006·Current Biology : CB·Benjamin SchlagerRalf J Sommer
Jan 16, 2003·Current Biology : CB·A Aziz Aboobaker, Mark L Blaxter
Dec 31, 2003·Developmental Biology·Marie-Laure Dichtel-Danjoy, Marie-Anne Félix
Dec 31, 2014·Development Genes and Evolution·Hanh WitteRalf J Sommer
May 24, 2000·Developmental Dynamics : an Official Publication of the American Association of Anatomists·G Shemer, B Podbilewicz
Oct 20, 2004·Genesis : the Journal of Genetics and Development·Charlotte KenningRalf J Sommer
Jul 15, 2005·BioEssays : News and Reviews in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology·Marie-Anne Félix
Jul 29, 2003·Molecular Genetics and Genomics : MGG·J SrinivasanR J Sommer
Jan 23, 2003·Development·Arturo GutierrezRalf J Sommer

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