Abstract
The fan and rays of the C. elegans male tail constitute a compound sensory organ essential for mating. Within this organ, the individual sensilla, known as rays, have unique identities. We show that ray identities are patterned by a selector gene mechanism in a manner similar to other serially homologous axial structures. One selector gene that promotes the identities of a subset of the rays is the Hox gene egl-5. Within EGL-5-expressing rays, further patterning is provided by a Pax-6 homolog and a signal of the TGFβ family. These genes and pathway coordinately specify multiple ray properties affecting all three terminal ray cell types. These properties include complex patterns of FMRFamide-like (FaRP) neuropeptides, serotonin (5HT) and dopamine expression, and ray morphology. Differences in these differentiated characteristics give each sensillum a unique identity and potentially endow the compound ray organ with a higher-order information gathering capacity.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 137-151 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | Developmental Biology |
| Volume | 269 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - May 1 2004 |
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Keywords
- C. elegans
- Derotonin
- Dopamine
- FMRFamide
- Hox
- Male
- Neuron subtype
- Neurotransmitter
- Pax-6
- TGFβ
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Developmental Biology
Cite this
Axial patterning of C. elegans male sensilla identities by selector genes. / Lints, R.; Jia, L.; Kim, K.; Li, C.; Emmons, Scott W.
In: Developmental Biology, Vol. 269, No. 1, 01.05.2004, p. 137-151.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Axial patterning of C. elegans male sensilla identities by selector genes
AU - Lints, R.
AU - Jia, L.
AU - Kim, K.
AU - Li, C.
AU - Emmons, Scott W.
PY - 2004/5/1
Y1 - 2004/5/1
N2 - The fan and rays of the C. elegans male tail constitute a compound sensory organ essential for mating. Within this organ, the individual sensilla, known as rays, have unique identities. We show that ray identities are patterned by a selector gene mechanism in a manner similar to other serially homologous axial structures. One selector gene that promotes the identities of a subset of the rays is the Hox gene egl-5. Within EGL-5-expressing rays, further patterning is provided by a Pax-6 homolog and a signal of the TGFβ family. These genes and pathway coordinately specify multiple ray properties affecting all three terminal ray cell types. These properties include complex patterns of FMRFamide-like (FaRP) neuropeptides, serotonin (5HT) and dopamine expression, and ray morphology. Differences in these differentiated characteristics give each sensillum a unique identity and potentially endow the compound ray organ with a higher-order information gathering capacity.
AB - The fan and rays of the C. elegans male tail constitute a compound sensory organ essential for mating. Within this organ, the individual sensilla, known as rays, have unique identities. We show that ray identities are patterned by a selector gene mechanism in a manner similar to other serially homologous axial structures. One selector gene that promotes the identities of a subset of the rays is the Hox gene egl-5. Within EGL-5-expressing rays, further patterning is provided by a Pax-6 homolog and a signal of the TGFβ family. These genes and pathway coordinately specify multiple ray properties affecting all three terminal ray cell types. These properties include complex patterns of FMRFamide-like (FaRP) neuropeptides, serotonin (5HT) and dopamine expression, and ray morphology. Differences in these differentiated characteristics give each sensillum a unique identity and potentially endow the compound ray organ with a higher-order information gathering capacity.
KW - C. elegans
KW - Derotonin
KW - Dopamine
KW - FMRFamide
KW - Hox
KW - Male
KW - Neuron subtype
KW - Neurotransmitter
KW - Pax-6
KW - TGFβ
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=1842766210&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=1842766210&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ydbio.2004.01.021
DO - 10.1016/j.ydbio.2004.01.021
M3 - Article
C2 - 15081363
AN - SCOPUS:1842766210
VL - 269
SP - 137
EP - 151
JO - Developmental Biology
JF - Developmental Biology
SN - 0012-1606
IS - 1
ER -