The Caenorhabditis elegans heterochronic gene lin-14 coordinates temporal progression and maturation in the egg-laying system.
Heterochronic genes function to ensure the timing of stage-specific developmental events in C. elegans. Mutations in these genes cause certain developmental programs to be executed in a precocious or retarded manner. Canonical precocious (loss-of-function) and retarded (gain-of-function) mutations in the lin-14 gene lead to elimination or reiteration of larval stage-specific cellular events. Here, we describe a hypomorphic, missense allele of lin-14, sa485. lin-14(sa485) hermaphrodites pass through normal larval stages, but exhibit asynchrony between vulval and gonadal maturation in the L4 larval stage. We show that a subtly precocious morphogenetic event in the vulva disrupts tissue synchrony and is followed by retarded vulval eversion. Additionally, uterine uv1 cell differentiation is retarded in lin-14(sa485) animals that exhibit delayed vulval eversion. Together, these experiments outline a function for LIN-14 in coordinating the temporal progression of development, which is separable from its role in regulating stage-specific events during C. elegans postembryonic development.
Johnson
Ryan W
RW
Department of Molecular Genetics, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Liu
Leah Y
LY
Hanna-Rose
Wendy
W
Chamberlin
Helen M
HM
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014599:Uterus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D014844:Vulva / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C102669:LIN-14 protein, C elegans; D009687:Nuclear Proteins