Interactions of EGF, Wnt and HOM-C genes specify the P12 neuroectoblast fate in C. elegans.
We investigate how temporal and spatial interactions between multiple intercellular and intracellular factors specify the fate of a single cell in Caenorhabditis elegans. P12, which is a ventral cord neuroectoblast, divides postembryonically to generate neurons and a unique epidermal cell. Three classes of proteins are involved in the specification of P12 fate: the LIN-3/LET-23 epidermal growth factor signaling pathway, a Wnt protein LIN-44 and its candidate receptor LIN-17, and a homeotic gene product EGL-5. We show that LIN-3 is an inductive signal sufficient to promote the P12 fate, and the conserved EGF signaling pathway is utilized for P12 fate specification; egl-5 is a downstream target of the lin-3/let-23 pathway in specifying P12 fate; and LIN-44 and LIN-17 act synergistically with lin-3 in the specification of the P12 fate. The Wnt pathway may function early in development to regulate the competence of the cells to respond to the LIN-3 inductive signal.
Jiang
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LI
Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Mail Code 156-29, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
Sternberg
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PW
D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000166:cytology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D000078404:Epidermal Cells; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D017238:Genes, Helminth; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D009154:Mutation; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D015398:Signal Transduction
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C101684:LIN-17 protein, C elegans; C095991:LIN-44 protein, C elegans; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; C075912:Lin-3 protein, C elegans; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D066246:ErbB Receptors; C085873:let-23 protein, C elegans