Gastrulation in C. elegans.
Gastrulation is the process by which the germ layers become positioned in an embryo. C. elegans gastrulation serves as a model for studying the molecular mechanisms of diverse cellular and developmental phenomena, including morphogenesis, cell polarization, cell-cell signaling, actomyosin contraction and cell-cell adhesion. One distinct advantage of studying these phenomena in C. elegans is that genetic tools can be combined with high resolution live cell imaging and direct manipulations of the cells involved. Here we review what is known to date about the cellular and molecular mechanisms that function in C. elegans gastrulation.
Nance
Jeremy
J
Skirball Institute and Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA. nance@saturn.med.nyu.edu
Lee
Jen-Yi
JY
Goldstein
Bob
B
D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology*; D016764:Cell Polarity; D054262:Gastrulation / Q000502:physiology*