The development of a single-celled fertilized egg into a multi-cellular adult is an essential part of animal life cycles. Morphogenesis, a critical component of development, is the process by which embryonic structures are molded to generate the final adult form. Morphogenesis is driven by changes in the migration and shape of embryonic cells and tissues. While much is known about the processes that change cells during morphogenesis, very little is known about how these processes are regulated to ensure that they occur in the correct time and place. This research focuses on discovering novel genes and regulatory mechanisms that mediate morphogenesis. To accomplish this, the project team uses the remodeling of the tail of C. elegans males as a model of morphogenesis. Male tail remodeling provides a unique system for identifying novel morphogenetic genes and regulatory mechanisms because: i) C. elegans is remarkably easy to manipulate genetically, ii) tail remodeling involves changes in only four cells, and iii) DMD-3, a conserved regulatory protein, is known to be the master regulator of this process. It is expected that, upon completion of this research, the project team will characterize the role of intracellular vesicular trafficking in male tail morphogenesis, identify novel genes and processes involved in morphogenesis, and characterize how DMD-3 controls these genes and processes. The experiments will be carried out by undergraduate students working in the research laboratory or taking a Developmental Genetics course. This project will provide students with experience using current genetic and cell biological techniques and will introduce them to C. elegans, one of the preeminent invertebrate genetic model systems. In summary, this study will link aspects of cell biology, genetics, and developmental biology to provide a detailed description of morphogenesis in C. elegans, and inform our understanding of similar processes in vertebrates.
