TheCaenorhabditis elegans gonad: A test tube for cell and developmental biology

Hubbard, E. Jane Albert; Greenstein, David

doi:10.1002/(sici)1097-0177(200005)218:1<2::aid-dvdy2>3.0.co;2-w

Cited by 225 publications

(175 citation statements)

References 180 publications

(224 reference statements)

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“…Once germ cells escape the influence of the DTC, they enter meiosis (transition zone in Figure 1a) and progress into the pachytene stage of meiosis I; exit from pachytene requires the activation of the RAS/MAPK pathway. 4,5 Germ cells can then further differentiate into oocytes, or die by apoptosis. Germ cell apoptosis depends on the caspase CED-3 and the Apaf-1 homologue CED-4, and is blocked by the Bcl-2-like protein CED-9.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genome-wide RNAi identifies p53-dependent and -independent regulators of germ cell apoptosis in C. elegans

et al. 2004

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We used genome-wide RNA interference (RNAi) to identify genes that affect apoptosis in the C. elegans germ line. RNAimediated knockdown of 21 genes caused a moderate to strong increase in germ cell death. Genetic epistasis studies with these RNAi candidates showed that a large subset (16/21) requires p53 to activate germ cell apoptosis. Apoptosis following knockdown of the genes in the p53-dependent class also depended on a functional DNA damage response pathway, suggesting that these genes might function in DNA repair or to maintain genome integrity. As apoptotic pathways are conserved, orthologues of the worm germline apoptosis genes presented here could be involved in the maintenance of genomic stability, p53 activation, and fertility in mammals.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genome-wide RNAi identifies p53-dependent and -independent regulators of germ cell apoptosis in C. elegans

et al. 2004

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“…Localization of tetraThymosin␤ to the oocyte cortex ( Figure 3A) in WT organisms and the tth-1 mutant phenotype suggest that tetraThymosin␤ is required in assembly of the cortical actin network necessary for oocyte rigidity. As a result, mutant oocytes do not endure the ovulation process that involves vigorous contraction of the ovarian myoepithelial cells (Hubbard and Greenstein, 2000).…”

Section: Tetrathymosin␤ ؊/؊ Organisms Show Defects In Oocyte Maturationmentioning

confidence: 99%

TetraThymosinβ Is Required for Actin Dynamics inCaenorhabditis elegansand Acts via Functionally Different Actin-binding Repeats

Troys

Ono

Dewitte

et al. 2004

MBoC

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Generating specific actin structures via controlled actin polymerization is a prerequisite for eukaryote development and reproduction. We here report on an essential Caenorhabditis elegans protein tetraThymosin␤ expressed in developing neurons and crucial during oocyte maturation in adults. TetraThymosin␤ has four repeats, each related to the actin monomer-sequestering protein thymosin␤4 and assists in actin filament elongation. For homologues with similar multirepeat structures, a profilin-like mechanism of ushering actin onto filament barbed ends, based on the formation of a 1:1 complex, is proposed to underlie this activity. We, however, demonstrate that tetraThymosin␤ binds multiple actin monomers via different repeats and in addition also interacts with filamentous actin. All repeats need to be functional for attaining full activity in various in vitro assays. The activities on actin are thus a direct consequence of the repeated structure. In containing both G-and F-actin interaction sites, tetraThymosin␤ may be reminiscent of nonhomologous multimodular actin regulatory proteins implicated in actin filament dynamics. A mutation that suppresses expression of tetraThymosin␤ is homozygous lethal. Mutant organisms develop into adults but display a dumpy phenotype and fail to reproduce as their oocytes lack essential actin structures. This strongly suggests that the activity of tetraThymosin␤ is of crucial importance at specific developmental stages requiring actin polymerization.

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“…1). The germline and oocytes are surrounded by 10 sheath cells (pairs 1-5), and ovulation requires a signal from sperm that induces ovarian contraction and oocyte maturation, which are then followed by dilation of the spermatheca and fertilization (Ward and Carrel, 1979;McCarter et al, 1997McCarter et al, , 1999Hubbard and Greenstein, 2000;Yamamoto et al, 2006). The proximal sheath cells (pairs 3-5; Fig.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Structural components of the nonstriated contractile apparatuses in the Caenorhabditis elegans gonadal myoepithelial sheath and their essential roles for ovulation

Ono

2007

Developmental Dynamics

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Ovulation in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is regulated by complex signal transduction pathways and cell-cell interactions. Myoepithelial sheath cells of the proximal ovary are smooth muscle-like cells that provide contractile forces to push a mature oocyte into the spermatheca for fertilization. Although several genes that regulate sheath contraction have been characterized, basic components of the contractile apparatuses of the myoepithelial sheath have not been extensively studied. We identified major structural proteins of the contractile apparatuses of the myoepithelial sheath and characterized their nonstriated arrangement. Of interest, integrin and perlecan were found only at the dense bodies, whereas they localized to both dense bodies and M-lines in the striated body wall muscle. RNA interference of most of the myofibrillar components impaired ovulation in a soma-specific manner. Our results provide basic information that helps understanding the mechanism of sheath contraction during ovulation and establishing a new model to study morphogenesis of nonstriated muscle. Developmental Dynamics 236: 1093-1105, 2007.

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TheCaenorhabditis elegans gonad: A test tube for cell and developmental biology

Cited by 225 publications

References 180 publications

Genome-wide RNAi identifies p53-dependent and -independent regulators of germ cell apoptosis in C. elegans

Genome-wide RNAi identifies p53-dependent and -independent regulators of germ cell apoptosis in C. elegans

TetraThymosinβ Is Required for Actin Dynamics inCaenorhabditis elegansand Acts via Functionally Different Actin-binding Repeats

Structural components of the nonstriated contractile apparatuses in the Caenorhabditis elegans gonadal myoepithelial sheath and their essential roles for ovulation

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