The year of the worm.
Developmental biology has almost come full circle. Initially aimed at description at the organismal level, in the last 25 years it has zoomed in on individual genes that are involved in specific steps in development. Now, complete genome sequences are becoming available--and to gain a full understanding of the relevance of the complete genome, experimental developmental biology will hold centre stage again, but now armed with large genome databases, and with a new set of refined genetic tools. The first multicellular organism to be sequenced is the nematode C. elegans. This review aims to recognise some new avenues in C. elegans experimental biology that are opened by the genome sequence.
Plasterk
R H
RH
The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. rplas@nki.nl
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics*; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000235:genetics; D005821:Genetic Techniques; D016678:Genome; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010641:Phenotype
D018509:DNA, Helminth; D015801:Helminth Proteins