Control of C. elegans larval development by neuronal expression of a TGF-beta homolog.
The Caenorhabditis elegans dauer larva is specialized for dispersal without growth and is formed under conditions of overcrowding and limited food. The daf-7 gene, required for transducing environmental cues that support continuous development with plentiful food, encodes a transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) superfamily member. A daf-7 reporter construct is expressed in the ASI chemosensory neurons. Dauer-inducing pheromone inhibits daf-7 expression and promotes dauer formation, whereas food reactivates daf-7 expression and promotes recovery from the dauer state. When the food/pheromone ratio is high, the level of daf-7 mRNA peaks during the L1 larval stage, when commitment to non-dauer development is made.
Molecular Biology Program and Division of Biological Sciences, 311 Tucker Hall, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA. riddle@biosci.mbp.missouri.edu
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D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D017238:Genes, Helminth; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D008024:Ligands; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D010675:Pheromones / Q000494:pharmacology; D013696:Temperature; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D019076:Transgenes
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C102095:DAF-7 protein, C elegans; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D008024:Ligands; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D010675:Pheromones; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins