Regulation of asymmetic neuroblast division in C. elegans

我的实验室对识别和理解一种特殊类型的细胞分裂所需的基因功能很感兴趣，这种细胞分裂称为不对称细胞分裂。 不对称细胞分裂被简单地定义为母细胞分裂产生两个不同的子细胞（即皮肤细胞和肠细胞）的过程。这一过程在所有多细胞生物（包括人类）中都是必不可少的，以产生不同的细胞类型。然而，我们在一个非常简单的模型系统中研究这个问题，小土壤蠕虫C。优雅 我们使用C。因为它只有959个细胞，而且科学家们观察了从受精卵到成虫的每一次细胞分裂，我们知道每个细胞的来源。 从这个分析中，我们知道蠕虫中有302个神经细胞，它们都来自不对称的细胞分裂。 我的实验室已经确定了两个非常令人兴奋的基因，它们控制着产生神经元所必需的不对称细胞分裂。 其中一个基因是允许细胞相互交流的途径的一部分，这个基因也是在人类中发现的途径的一部分。 在人类中，这一途径的中断有助于许多疾病，包括癌症。 我的实验室正在利用所有可以在蠕虫中进行的遗传和分子实验来识别参与这一途径的新的和新颖的基因。 我们还研究了一种蛋白质，这种蛋白质在分裂前特异性地定位于细胞的一侧，因此，在分裂后，只会被两个子细胞中的一个继承。 我们正在进行进一步的实验，以确定这种蛋白质的遗传如何使两个子细胞发育不同。 解决这个问题对每一个由一种以上细胞类型组成的生物体都有影响。

My lab is interesting in identifying and understanding the function of genes required for a specialized type of cell division called asymmetric cell division. Asymmetric cell division is defined simply as the process by which a mother cell divides to produce two daughter cells that become different (i.e. a skin cell and a gut cell). This process is essential in all multicellular organisms, including humans, to generate different cell types. However, we study this problem in a very simple model system, the small soil worm C. elegans. We use C. elegans because it is comprised of only 959 cells and because scientists have watched every cell division from the fertilized egg to the adult we know where every cell comes from. From this analysis, we know that there are exactly 302 nerve cells in the worm and they all arise from asymmetric cell divisions. My lab has identified two very exciting genes that control asymmetric cell divisions necessary to produce neurons. One of these genes is part of a pathway that allows cells to communicate with each other and this gene is part of a pathway that is also found in humans. In humans disruption of this pathway is contributes to many diseases including cancer. My lab is taking advantage of all the genetic and molecular experiments that can be done in the worm to identify new and novel genes that participate in this pathway. We also study a protein that is specifically localized to one side of a cell before division, and as a result, after division only becomes inherited by one of the two daughter cells. We are performing further experiments to determine how inheritance of this protein can make two daughter cells develop differently. Addressing this question has implications for every organism that is comprised of more than one cell type.