C. elegans Introduction

Question 1

What is development?

Answer 1

a) a process where a single cell gives rise to a complex multicellular organism
b) the series of morphological and physiological changes that take place during the lifespan of an organism
c) change in phenotype over time

Question 2

What are typical developmental phenomena on cellular level?

Answer 2

mitosis, meiosis
growth, quiescence, senescence
determination, differentiation, morphogenesis
adhesion, migration
apoptosis, fusion, polarization

Question 3

What are typical devlopmental phenomena on organismal level?

Answer 3

fertilization
embryonic cleavages, gastrulation, organogenesis
oogenesis, spertmatogenesis

Question 4

List typical features of metazoan development.

Answer 4

fertilization
cleavages
gastrulation
differentiation
organo and morphogenesis
growth and sexual maturation (gametogenesis)

Question 5

What does “gene centered” approach mean?

Answer 5

identify all genes
determine which function each gene has
figure out where and when it is active
figure out how it is regulated

Question 6

Describe forward genetic screen in C. elegans.

Answer 6

Mutagenize P0 animals
Are hermaphrodites = each animal = 2 haploid mutagenized genomes
in F2, 1:2:1 ratio of +/+, +/m, m/m

loss-of-function mutation arise with a frequency of 1:2000 in an average sized gene

Question 7

Sketch initial invariant development.

What structures are formed from 6 founder cells?

Answer 7

AB + P1
EMS + P2
MS + E + C + P3
D + P4

AB: epidermis, muscle, neurons, pharynx
MS: muscle, pharynx, coelomocytes
E: gut
C: epidermis, muscle
D: muscle only
P4: germline