Differentiation of germinal and somatic cells in Volvox carteri.
Volvox carteri is a spherical alga with a complete division of labor between around 2000 biflagellate somatic cells and 16 asexual reproductive cells (gonidia). It provides an attractive system for studying how a molecular genetic program for cell-autonomous differentiation is encoded within the genome. Three types of genes have been identified as key players in germ-soma differentiation: a set of gls genes that act in the embryo to shift cell-division planes, resulting in asymmetric divisions that set apart the large-small sister-cell pairs; a set of lag genes that act in the large gonidial initials to prevent somatic differentiation; and the regA gene, which acts in the small somatic initials to prevent reproductive development. Somatic-cell-specific expression of regA is controlled by intronic enhancer and silencer elements.
Schmitt
Rüdiger
R
Institute for Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Regensburg, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany. rudy.schmitt@biologie.uni-regensburg.de
D002454:Cell Differentiation; D044446:Volvox / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology