title: Regulation of Caenorhabditis elegans body size and male tail development by the novel gene lon-8.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In C. elegans and other nematode species, body size is determined by the composition of the extracellular cuticle as well as by the nuclear DNA content of the underlying hypodermis. Mutants that are defective in these processes can exhibit either a short or a long body size phenotype. Several mutations that give a long body size (Lon) phenotype have been characterized and found to be regulated by the DBL-1/TGF-beta pathway, that controls post-embryonic growth and male tail development.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Here we characterize a novel gene affecting body size. lon-8 encodes a secreted product of the hypodermis that is highly conserved in Rhabditid nematodes. lon-8 regulates larval elongation as well as male tail development. In both processes, lon-8 appears to function independently of the Sma/Mab pathway. Rather, lon-8 genetically interacts with dpy-11 and dpy-18, which encode cuticle collagen modifying enzymes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The novel gene lon-8 encodes a secreted product of the hypodermis that controls body size and male ray morphology in C. elegans. lon-8 genetically interacts with enzymes that affect the composition of the cuticle.
authors: Hubrecht Laboratory, Netherlands Institute for Developmental Biology and Center for Biomedical Genetics, Uppsalalaan, Utrecht, The Netherlands. gwen@niob.knaw.nl <gwen@niob.knaw.nl>
authors: Gwen
authors: G
authors: Soete
authors: Marco C
authors: MC
authors: Betist
authors: Hendrik C
authors: HC
authors: Korswagen
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D049628:Body Size; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017238:Genes, Helminth / Q000502:physiology; D005837:Genitalia, Male / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010641:Phenotype; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D040521:Subcutaneous Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D013623:Tail / Q000196:embryology* / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C519523:Lon-8 protein, C elegans