MOLECULAR GENETICS OF EMBRYOGENESIS IN C. ELEGANS

自世纪早期以来，胚胎学家已经知道， 早期发育是由细胞质中的信息控制的， 蛋 母体效应基因编码这些信息;它们的功能是 是卵子发生过程中胚胎发生所必需的。 的一种手段 研究母体信息的性质和功能是为了分离 母性效应基因 由此分离的DNA序列可用作 研究卵细胞之间相互作用的分子基础 细胞质和合子核在胚胎发生过程中。 秀丽隐杆线虫，由于其明确的细胞谱系，生理学， 遗传学，已被广泛用于早期发展的研究。 几 已经鉴定和表征了母体效应致死（mel）基因。 这些基因将通过DNA转化分离。 初步 研究表明，C. elegans有 实现了：外源DNA的引入和繁殖。 下一 步骤是证明外源添加的序列的表达。 伴随地，将分离对应于定义的遗传特征的DNA。 围绕并包括mel基因的区域。 这些DNA将被注入 突变体缺陷的互补将定义DNA， 编码基因。 一旦分离，mel基因序列可用于鉴定和表征 RNA和蛋白质产物。 信息的合成和代谢 mel基因编码的蛋白质将为我们提供关于基因如何建立 细胞质信息，以及细胞质如何影响基因活性。 细胞质和细胞核之间的这种递归的相互关系是一个核心的 细胞行为、发育和分化中的问题。 因此，在本发明中， 了解这些相互作用对治疗 细胞和发育缺陷以及瘤形成。

Since the early twentieth century, embryologists have known that much of early development is controlled by information in the cytoplasm of the egg. Maternal effect genes encode that information; their function is required during oogenesis for embryogenesis to occur. One means of studying the nature and function of maternal information is to isolate maternal effect genes. The DNA sequences thus isolated can be used as probes to study the molecular basis of interactions between the egg cytoplasm and the zygotic nucleus during embryogenesis. Caenorhabditis elegans, due to its defined cell lineage, physiology, and genetics, has been widely used for studies of early development. Several maternal effect lethal (mel) genes have been identified and characterized. These genes will be isolated by DNA transformation. In preliminary studies, the first important step in DNA transformation of C. elegans has been achieved: the introduction and propagation of foreign DNA. The next step is to demonstrate expression of the exogenously added sequences. Concomitantly, DNA will be isolated that corresponds to defined genetic regions surrounding and including mel genes. This DNA will be injected into mel mutants; complementation of the mutant defect will define DNA that encodes the gene. Once isolated, mel gene sequences can be used to identify and characterize RNA and protein products. The synthesis and metabolism of information encoded by mel genes will provide insights into how genes establish cytoplasmic information and then how the cytoplasm affects gene activity. This recursive interrelationship between cytoplasm and nucleus is a central issue in cellular behavior, development and differentiation. Thus, understanding these interactions has implications for the treatment of cellular and developmental defects and neoplasia.