title: Principles of PAR polarity in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos.
abstract: A hallmark of cell polarity in metazoans is the distribution of partitioning defective (PAR) proteins into two domains on the membrane. Domain boundaries are set by the collective integration of mechanical, biochemical and biophysical signals, and the resulting PAR domains define areas of cytosol specialization. However, the complexity of the signals acting on PAR proteins has been a barrier to uncovering the general principles of PAR polarity. We propose that physical studies, when combined with genetic data, provide new understanding of the mechanisms of polarity establishment in the Caenorhabditis elegans embryo and other organisms.
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstrasse 108, D-01307 Dresden, Germany. hoege@mpi-cbg.de
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hoege
authors.forename: Anthony A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Hyman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D016764:Cell Polarity / Q000502:physiology*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins