A Wnt signaling system that specifies two patterns of cell migration in C. elegans.
In C. elegans, a bilateral pair of neuroblasts, QL and QR, give rise to cells that migrate in opposite directions along the anteroposterior (A/P) body axis. QL and its descendants migrate posteriorly whereas QR and its descendants migrate anteriorly. We find that a Wnt family member, EGL-20, acts in a dose-dependent manner to specify these opposite migratory behaviors. High levels of EGL-20 promote posterior migration by activating a canonical Wnt signal transduction pathway, whereas low levels promote anterior migration by activating a separate, undefined pathway. We find that the two Q cells respond differently to EGL-20 because they have different response thresholds. Thus, in this system two distinct dose-dependent responses are specified not by graded levels of the Wnt signal, but instead by left-right asymmetrical differences in the cellular responsiveness to Wnt signaling.
Whangbo
J
J
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0448, USA.
Kenyon
C
C
D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000235:genetics; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D019070:Cell Lineage; D002465:Cell Movement; D004843:Epistasis, Genetic; D017238:Genes, Helminth / Q000235:genetics; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006358:Hot Temperature; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D019076:Transgenes / Q000235:genetics; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C117259:Egl-20 protein, C elegans; D006023:Glycoproteins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C081538:Mab-5 protein, C elegans; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins