Developmental Gene Expression In C elegans

我们感兴趣的转录因子，在发育过程中的细胞命运决定的调节功能。我们的模型系统是线虫C。线虫（一种非寄生虫），由于其体积小、易于在实验室培养、解剖简单、增殖迅速和遗传学特性，被广泛用于发育研究。我们目前感兴趣的几个转录因子，已确定在其他系统中作为重要的中胚层图案和肌肉形成。我们证明了C.线虫MyoD和Twist转录因子对于包括肌肉在内的胚后中胚层细胞的形成和图案化是重要的。通过研究这些基因突变引起的表型，我们开始确定它们在调节C.优雅作为我们努力了解细胞分化的一部分，我们已经确定了在细胞周期G1期起作用的三个基因的特征。细胞必须协调细胞周期退出与分化，G1细胞周期因子对这一过程很重要。我们已经表明，细胞周期蛋白E是必不可少的所有细胞周期在发展过程中，而细胞周期蛋白D的功能，只有胚胎后，以调节细胞周期。最后，我们对基因调控的兴趣使我们研究了C中的一种RNA编辑形式。优雅被称为ADAR的酶因子修饰双链mRNA，并可以改变信息的编码区。这些活动被认为允许额外水平的基因调控，可能是对环境或细胞刺激的反应。我们与犹他州大学的布伦达·巴斯合作，分离出了C.缺乏阿达尔活性的秀丽线虫突变体，并且通过趋化性试验测定，它们显示出神经元功能的缺陷。这些结果证明了阿达尔活性对生物体发育和存活的重要性。

We are interested in transcription factors that function in the regulation of cell fate determination during development. Our model system is the nematode C. elegans (a non-parasitic worm) that is widely used for developmental studies because of its small size, ease of culture in the laboratory, simple anatomy, rapid proliferation, and genetics. We are currently interested in several transcription factors that have been identified in other systems as important for mesoderm patterning and muscle formation. We have shown that the C. elegans MyoD and Twist transcription factors are important for the formation and patterning of post-embryonic mesodermal cells including muscle. By studying the phenotypes that result from mutations in these genes we are beginning to define their exact roles in regulating the development of specific subsets of muscle cells in C. elegans. As part of our efforts to understand cellular differentiation, we have characterized three genes that function in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Cells must coordinate cell cycle exit with differentiation and G1 cell cycle factors are important for this process. We have shown that cyclin E is essential for all cell cycle during development whereas cyclin D functions only post-embryonically to regulate the cell cycle. Finally, our interests in gene regulation have led us to the study a form of RNA editing in C. elegans. Enzymatic factors known as ADARs modify double stranded mRNA and can change the coding region of the message. These activities are thought to allow an additional level of gene regulation, perhaps in response to environmental or cellular stimuli. In collaboration with Brenda Bass at the University of Utah we have isolated C. elegans mutants that lack ADAR activity and have shown that they have deficiencies in neuronal function as assayed by chemotaxis tests. These results demonstrate the importance of ADAR activities for organismal development and survival.