title: Patterning of sexually dimorphic neurogenesis in the caenorhabditis elegans ventral cord by Hox and TALE homeodomain transcription factors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Reproduction in animals requires development of distinct neurons in each sex. In C. elegans, most ventral cord neurons (VCNs) are present in both sexes, with the exception of six hermaphrodite-specific neurons (VCs) and nine pairs of male-specific neurons (CAs and CPs) that arise from analogous precursor cells. How are the activities of sexual regulators and mediators of neuronal survival, division, and fate coordinated to generate sex-specificity in VCNs?
  
  
  RESULTS
  To address this, we have developed a toolkit of VCN markers that allows us to examine sex-specific neurogenesis, asymmetric fates of daughters of a neuroblast division, and regional specification on the anteroposterior axis. Here, we describe the roles of the Hox transcription factors LIN-39 and MAB-5 in promoting survival, differentiation, and regionalization of VCNs. We also find that the TALE class homeodomain proteins CEH-20 and UNC-62 contribute to specification of neurotransmitter fate in males. Furthermore, we identify that VCN sex is determined during the L1 larval stage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings, combined with future analyses made possible by the suite of VCN markers described here, will elucidate how Hox-mediated cell fate decisions and sex determination intersect to influence development of neuronal sex differences.
authors.forename: Andrea K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Kalis
authors.forename: Djem U
authors.initials: DU
authors.lastname: Kissiov
authors.forename: Emily S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Kolenbrander
authors.forename: Zachary
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Palchick
authors.forename: Shraddha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Raghavan
authors.forename: Breanna J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Tetreault
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Curtis M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Loer
authors.forename: Jennifer Ross
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Wolff
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors