Jessica Harrell
PhD Student 2006-2010
Linking Cell Fate to Morphogenesis:
Internalization of Diverse Cells in C. elegans Gastrulation
 Understanding the links between developmental
patterning mechanisms and force-producing cytoskeletal mechanisms is a
central goal in studies of morphogenesis. Gastrulation is the first
morphogenetic event in the development of many organisms. Gastrulation
involves the internalization of surface cells, often driven by the
contraction of actomyosin networks that are deployed with spatial
precision -- both in specific cells and in a polarized manner within
each cell. These cytoskeletal mechanisms rely on different cell fate
and cell polarity regulators in different organisms.
C.
elegans
gastrulation presents an opportunity to examine the extent to which
diverse mechanisms may be used by dozens of cells that are internalized
at distinct times within a single organism. We identified 66 cells that
are internalized in C. elegans
gastrulation, many of which were not known previously to gastrulate. To
gain mechanistic insights into how these cells internalize, we
genetically manipulated cell fate, cell polarity and cytoskeletal
regulators and determined the effects on cell internalization. We found
that cells of distinct lineages depend on common actomyosin-based
mechanisms to gastrulate, but different cell fate regulators, and,
surprisingly, different cell polarity regulators. We conclude that
diverse cell fate and cell polarity regulators control common
mechanisms of morphogenesis in C. elegans. The results highlight the
variety of developmental patterning mechanisms that can be associated
with common cytoskeletal mechanisms in the morphogenesis of an animal
embryo.
Awards:
Jessica was awarded the CDB Best Graduate Student In-House Seminar
Award for Fall 2008, a $2000 travel grant!
|
back
|
