MOM-5 frizzled regulates the distribution of DSH-2 to control C. elegans asymmetric neuroblast divisions.
Asymmetric cell divisions produce all 302 neurons of the C. elegans hermaphrodite. Here, we describe a role for a C. elegans Dishevelled homolog, DSH-2, in an asymmetric neuroblast division. In dsh-2 mutants, neurons normally descended from the anterior neuroblast daughter of the ABpl/rpppa blast cell were frequently duplicated, while non-neuronal cells produced by the posterior daughter cell were often missing. These observations indicate that in the absence of dsh-2 function, the posterior daughter cell was transformed into a second anterior-like cell. Loss of mom-5, a C. elegans frizzled homolog, produced a similar phenotype. We also show that the DSH-2 protein localized to the cell cortex in most cells of the embryo. In the absence of MOM-5/Fz, DSH-2 was localized to the cytoplasm, suggesting that MOM-5 regulates asymmetric cell division by controlling the localization of DSH-2. Although all neurons in C. elegans are produced by an invariant pattern of cell divisions, our results indicate that cell signaling may contribute to asymmetric neuroblast division during embryogenesis.
Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3204, USA. nhawkins@sfu.ca
Nancy C
NC
Hawkins
Gregory C
GC
Ellis
Bruce
B
Bowerman
Gian
G
Garriga
D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology*; D017931:DNA Primers; D000072261:Dishevelled Proteins; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009420:Nervous System / Q000196:embryology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D034622:RNA Interference; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D000072261:Dishevelled Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C108315:Mom-5 protein, C elegans; C505142:dsh-2 protein, C elegans