title: Cell architecture: surrounding muscle cells shape gland cell morphology in the Caenorhabditis elegans pharynx.
abstract: The acquisition and maintenance of shape is critical for the normal function of most cells. Here we investigate the morphology of the pharyngeal glands of Caenorhabditis elegans. These unicellular glands have long cellular processes that extend discrete lengths through the pharyngeal musculature and terminate at ducts connected to the pharyngeal lumen. From a genetic screen we identified several mutants that affect pharyngeal gland morphology. The most severe such mutant is an allele of sma-1, which encodes a β-spectrin required for embryonic elongation, including elongation of the pharynx. In sma-1 mutants, gland projections form normally but become increasingly abnormal over time, acquiring additional branches, outgrowths, and swelling, suggestive of hypertrophy. Rather than acting in pharyngeal glands, sma-1 functions in the surrounding musculature, suggesting that pharyngeal muscles play a critical role in maintenance of gland morphology by restricting their growth, and analysis of other mutants known to affect pharyngeal muscles supports this hypothesis. We suggest that gland morphology is maintained by a balance of forces from the muscles and the glands.
authors.affiliation: Genes and Development Research Group, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute for Child and Maternal Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada.
authors.forename: Wahyu Hendrati
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Raharjo
authors.forename: Vikas
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ghai
authors.forename: Aidan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dineen
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bastiani
authors.forename: Jeb
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gaudet
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000166:cytology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000528:radiation effects; D006984:Hypertrophy / Q000235:genetics; D007834:Lasers / Q000009:adverse effects; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008954:Models, Biological; D032342:Muscle Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010609:Pharyngeal Muscles / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects
chemical_list: D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C517649:HLH-6 protein, C elegans; C503419:SMA-1 protein, C elegans