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的功能很感兴趣，这种特殊类型的细胞分裂称为不对称细胞分裂。不对称细胞分裂简单地定义为母细胞分裂产生两个不同的子细胞(即皮肤细胞和肠道细胞)的过程。这一过程对包括人类在内的所有多细胞生物体产生不同类型的细胞是必不可少的。然而，我们在一个非常简单的模型系统中研究这个问题，即小土壤蠕虫线虫。我们使用线虫是因为它只有959个细胞，而且因为科学家观察了从受精卵到成虫的每一个细胞分裂，我们知道每一个细胞从哪里来。根据这一分析，我们知道蠕虫中恰好有302个神经细胞，它们都是由不对称的细胞分裂而来的。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，这个基因是在人类身上也发现的途径的一部分。在人类中，这一途径的中断会导致包括癌症在内的许多疾病。我的实验室正在利用所有可以在蠕虫身上进行的遗传和分子实验来识别参与这一途径的新的和新的基因。我们还研究了一种蛋白质，这种蛋白质在分裂前专门定位于细胞的一侧，结果是，分裂后只有两个子细胞中的一个继承了这种蛋白质。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不止一种细胞类型组成的有机体都有影响。

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.