The principal investigator will continue studies of factors controlling neuronal differentiation in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Most of the research will center, as in the past, on the analysis of neuronal differentiation of a set of six touch receptor neurons (the touch cells). Previous research under this grant has led to the identification of over 500 mutations that render the animal touch insensitive. These mutations define 17 genes needed for the generation, specification, maintenance, and function of the touch cells. The homeodomain products of two of the regulatory genes, mec-3 and unc-86, form heterodimers that are needed to promote touch cell differentiation. The combinatorial action of seven other genes, however, are needed to restrict touch cell differentiation to six cells in wild-type animals. In the upcoming grant period the investigators will study how this combinatorial control specifies touch cell fate, uncover new touch-cell- specific genes by a newly developed, differential screening method, and identify genes whose products are needed for synaptic specificity.
The specific aims of the proposal are: 1) To characterize the combinatorial regulation of touch cell fate; 2) To identify and characterize new mec-3- dependent genes; 3) To investigate the maintenance of touch cell differentiation; 4) To identify and characterize genes needed for neuronal outgrowth and synapse specification.
| Shi, Lingyan; Zheng, Chaogu; Shen, Yihui et al. (2018) Optical imaging of metabolic dynamics in animals. Nat Commun 9:2995 |
| Zheng, Chaogu; Jin, Felix Qiaochu; Trippe, Brian Loeber et al. (2018) Inhibition of cell fate repressors secures the differentiation of the touch receptor neurons of Caenorhabditis elegans. Development 145: |
| Shi, Shujie; Buck, Teresa M; Kinlough, Carol L et al. (2017) Regulation of the epithelial Na+ channel by paraoxonase-2. J Biol Chem 292:15927-15938 |
| Zheng, Chaogu; Diaz-Cuadros, Margarete; Nguyen, Ken C Q et al. (2017) Distinct effects of tubulin isotype mutations on neurite growth in Caenorhabditis elegans. Mol Biol Cell 28:2786-2801 |
| Chen, Yushu; Bharill, Shashank; Altun, Zeynep et al. (2016) Caenorhabditis elegans paraoxonase-like proteins control the functional expression of DEG/ENaC mechanosensory proteins. Mol Biol Cell 27:1272-85 |
| Chen, Yushu; Bharill, Shashank; O'Hagan, Robert et al. (2016) MEC-10 and MEC-19 Reduce the Neurotoxicity of the MEC-4(d) DEG/ENaC Channel in Caenorhabditis elegans. G3 (Bethesda) 6:1121-30 |
| Berg, Jeremy M; Bhalla, Needhi; Bourne, Philip E et al. (2016) SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY. Preprints for the life sciences. Science 352:899-901 |
| Zheng, Chaogu; Diaz-Cuadros, Margarete; Chalfie, Martin (2016) GEFs and Rac GTPases control directional specificity of neurite extension along the anterior-posterior axis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 113:6973-8 |
| Zheng, Chaogu; Chalfie, Martin (2016) Securing Neuronal Cell Fate in C. elegans. Curr Top Dev Biol 116:167-80 |
| Corsi, Ann K; Wightman, Bruce; Chalfie, Martin (2015) A Transparent window into biology: A primer on Caenorhabditis elegans. WormBook :1-31 |
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