An inversion in the wiring of an intercellular signal: evolution of Wnt signaling in the nematode vulva.
Signal transduction pathways are largely conserved throughout the animal kingdom. The repertoire of pathways is limited and each pathway is used in different intercellular signaling events during the development of a given animal. For example, Wnt signaling is recruited, sometimes redundantly with other molecular pathways, in four cell specification events during Caenorhabditis elegans vulva development, including the activation of vulval differentiation. Strikingly,a recent study finds that Wnts act to repress vulval differentiation in the nematode Pristionchus pacificus,1 demonstrating evolutionary flexibility in the use of intercellular signaling pathways.
Félix
Marie-Anne
MA
Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS-University of Paris 6-7, Tour 43, 2 place Jussieu, 75251 Paris cedex 05, France. felix@ijm.jussieu.fr
D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D019070:Cell Lineage; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005260:Female; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D009154:Mutation; D009348:Nematoda; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014844:Vulva / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D051153:Wnt Proteins
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D051153:Wnt Proteins