The development of the small soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans involves a rigidly determined and precisely known pattern of cell divisions. We hope to elucidate the cellular and genetic mechanisms that control this pattern of cell divisions as well as subsequent cell fate in C. elegans. We will attempt to establish the relative roles of cell autonomous and cell interactive factors, and the ways in which these factors act. We also hope to reveal aspects of the underlying genetic program that specifies cell lineage and cell fate. Our proposed studies combine physical and genetical ablation techniques to explore cell-cell interactions (how does elimination of one cell influence the fate of another?) and detailed genetical, and in some instances biochemical, studies to determine the roles of particular genes in development. One major approach will be the isolation and characterization of mutants should help establish the relationship between lineage history and cell fate, as well as reveal the specificity with which given genes influence particular cell divisions. To explore the complexity of the genetic program controlling cell division patterns, we will identify all genes that affect a specific set of cell divisions, those involved in the development of the vulva. For a limited number of genes, we hope to determine, ultimately at the molecular level, both the normal function of the gene and the ways in which mutations alter or disrupt that function. In addition, we will examine the possibility that programmed cell death provides a mechanism for controlling cell division. We will also seek interspecific cell lineage differences (as we have already found between C. elegans and another nematode, Panagrellus redivivus) and attempt to determine the genetic bases of these differences.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01GM024943-08
Application #
3272670
Study Section
Cellular Biology and Physiology Subcommittee 1 (CBY)
Project Start
1978-04-01
Project End
1986-03-31
Budget Start
1985-04-01
Budget End
1986-03-31
Support Year
8
Fiscal Year
1985
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Department
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
City
Cambridge
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
Galvin, Brendan D; Kim, Saechin; Horvitz, H Robert (2008) Caenorhabditis elegans genes required for the engulfment of apoptotic corpses function in the cytotoxic cell deaths induced by mutations in lin-24 and lin-33. Genetics 179:403-17
Horvitz, H R (1999) Genetic control of programmed cell death in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Cancer Res 59:1701s-1706s
Herman, M A; Vassilieva, L L; Horvitz, H R et al. (1995) The C. elegans gene lin-44, which controls the polarity of certain asymmetric cell divisions, encodes a Wnt protein and acts cell nonautonomously. Cell 83:101-10
Labouesse, M; Sookhareea, S; Horvitz, H R (1994) The Caenorhabditis elegans gene lin-26 is required to specify the fates of hypodermal cells and encodes a presumptive zinc-finger transcription factor. Development 120:2359-68
Horvitz, H R; Shaham, S; Hengartner, M O (1994) The genetics of programmed cell death in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol 59:377-85
Clark, S G; Lu, X; Horvitz, H R (1994) The Caenorhabditis elegans locus lin-15, a negative regulator of a tyrosine kinase signaling pathway, encodes two different proteins. Genetics 137:987-97
Avery, L; Bargmann, C I; Horvitz, H R (1993) The Caenorhabditis elegans unc-31 gene affects multiple nervous system-controlled functions. Genetics 134:455-64
Clark, S G; Chisholm, A D; Horvitz, H R (1993) Control of cell fates in the central body region of C. elegans by the homeobox gene lin-39. Cell 74:43-55
Yuan, J; Horvitz, H R (1992) The Caenorhabditis elegans cell death gene ced-4 encodes a novel protein and is expressed during the period of extensive programmed cell death. Development 116:309-20
Clark, S G; Stern, M J; Horvitz, H R (1992) Genes involved in two Caenorhabditis elegans cell-signaling pathways. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol 57:363-73

Showing the most recent 10 out of 37 publications