Organogenesis involves basic cellular processes, including cell division, survival, and differentiation, which are utilized throughout development to generate a wide array of animal forms. Therefore, understanding how these processes are regulated and how this regulation differs, within and among species, is an important problem in developmental and evolutionary biology. The model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans will be used to define the genetic and molecular mechanisms governing the development of the reproductive organs. A major advantage of this model is its simplicity: the reproductive organs develop from a primordium that has only four cells. Two of these cells, the somatic gonadal precursors (SGPs), generate all somatic tissues of the gonad. In their first division, the SGPs make several cell fate decisions and they employ a complex network of transcriptional regulators to do so. Comparative studies suggest that this genetic network differs in related nematode species. This project focuses on a new family of zinc finger genes in C. elegans. One of the family members has well-defined interactions in the genetic regulatory network and it appears to have recently acquired these interactions. This proposal examines the evolution and function of this gene family using genetic and molecular approaches. The specific aims of the proposal are to: 1) determine the expression and function of all family members in C. elegans and 2) link the genetic regulatory network to its downstream target genes using forward and reverse genetics. Together, the proposed experiments will provide insight into the evolution of gene families and genetic networks. Undergraduate and graduate students from diverse backgrounds will be involved in this research. Through this involvement, they will gain hands-on experience with molecular biology and genetics.
