NEMATODES

taxonomy, morphology and phylogeny

The embryonic cell lineage of the nematode Rhabditophanes sp

Publication Type:Journal Article
Year of Publication:2008
Authors:W. Houthoofd, Willems, M., Jacobsen, K., Coomans, A., Borgonie, G.
Journal:International Journal of Developmental BiologyInternational Journal of Developmental Biology
Volume:52
Pagination:963-967
ISBN Number:0214-6282
Accession Number:WOS:000260591800016
Abstract:

One of the unique features of the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans is its invariant development, where a stereotyped cell lineage generates a fixed number of cells with a fixed cell type. It remains unclear how embryonic development evolved within the nematodes to give rise to the complex, invariant cell lineage of C. elegans. Therefore, we determined the embryonic cell lineage of the nematode, Rhabditophanes sp. (family Alloionematidae) and made detailed cell-by-cell comparison with the known cell lineages of C. elegans, Pellioditis marina and Halicephalobus gingivalis. This gave us a unique data set of four embryonic cell lineages, which allowed a detailed comparison between these cell lineages at the level of each individual cell. This lineage comparison revealed a similar complex polyclonal fate distribution in all four nematode species (85% of the cells have the same fate). It is striking that there is a conservation of a 'C. elegans' like polyclonal cell lineage with strong left-right asymmetry. We propose that an early symmetry-breaking event in nematodes of clade IV-V is a major developmental constraint which shapes their asymmetric cell lineage.

Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith