title: mex-1 and the general partitioning of cell fate in the early C. elegans embryo.
abstract: It is thought that at least some of the initial specification of the five somatic founder cells of the C. elegans embryo occurs cell-autonomously through the segregation of factors during cell divisions. It has been suggested that in embryos from mothers homozygous for mutations in the maternal-effect gene mex-1, four blastomeres of the 8-cell embryo adopt the fate of the MS blastomere. It was proposed that mex-1 functions to localise or regulate factors that determine the fate of this blastomere. Here, a detailed cell lineage analysis of 9 mex-1 mutants reveals that the fates of all somatic founder cells are affected by mutations in this gene. We propose that mex-1, like the par genes, is involved in establishing the initial polarity of the embryo.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie, Martinsried, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schnabel
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Weigner
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hutter
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Feichtinger
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schnabel
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D001757:Blastomeres; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics; D002455:Cell Division / Q000235:genetics; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000166:cytology*; D018392:Genomic Imprinting; D007422:Intestines / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology; D009035:Mothers; D009132:Muscles / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology; D009154:Mutation; D010614:Pharynx / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology; D010641:Phenotype