Date of Presentation
5-6-2021 12:00 AM
College
School of Osteopathic Medicine
Poster Abstract
Heterochronic genes control the sequence and timing of developmental events during four larval stages of Caenorhabitis nematodes. Mutations in these genes may cause skipping or reiteration of developmental events.
C. briggsae is a close relative of C. elegans. These species have similar morphology and share the same ecological niche. C. briggsae undergoes the same developmental pathway consisting of four larval stages before reaching adulthood. It also has the same set of heterochronic genes.
Lin-28 is one of the heterochronic genes that also exists in other animals from flies to humans. It conservatively blocks the maturation of let-7 miRNA, the process is generally associated with the stem cell state. lin-28 is silenced as cells differentiate.
C. elegans mutants of lin-28 have a reduced number of seam cells and precocious alae. Despite the highly conserved protein sequence, C. briggsae develop a distinct phenotype when its lin 28 is disrupted. Worms did not have a characteristic vulval development defect, they also became lethargic and had a reduced fertility.
This observation led to a question of how conserved the heterochronic pathway is in close species.
Keywords
heterochronic pathway, evolutionary conservation, C. briggsae, C. elegans
Disciplines
Life Sciences | Medicine and Health Sciences | Molecular Biology | Molecular Genetics
Document Type
Poster
Included in
Medicine and Health Sciences Commons, Molecular Biology Commons, Molecular Genetics Commons
Evolutionary Conservation of the Heterochronic Pathway in C. elegans and C. briggsae
Heterochronic genes control the sequence and timing of developmental events during four larval stages of Caenorhabitis nematodes. Mutations in these genes may cause skipping or reiteration of developmental events.
C. briggsae is a close relative of C. elegans. These species have similar morphology and share the same ecological niche. C. briggsae undergoes the same developmental pathway consisting of four larval stages before reaching adulthood. It also has the same set of heterochronic genes.
Lin-28 is one of the heterochronic genes that also exists in other animals from flies to humans. It conservatively blocks the maturation of let-7 miRNA, the process is generally associated with the stem cell state. lin-28 is silenced as cells differentiate.
C. elegans mutants of lin-28 have a reduced number of seam cells and precocious alae. Despite the highly conserved protein sequence, C. briggsae develop a distinct phenotype when its lin 28 is disrupted. Worms did not have a characteristic vulval development defect, they also became lethargic and had a reduced fertility.
This observation led to a question of how conserved the heterochronic pathway is in close species.