Molecular genetic study of vulval development in nematodes C. elegans and C. briggsae

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Much of the morphological diversity in eukaryotes results from differences in the pattern of gene expression and function. Biological research has shown that such variations are ultimately attributed to mutations in DNA that are found to occur spontaneously at slow rate in nature. Alterations in DNA sequences impact at two levels. First, they can change the structure of proteins thereby influencing the formation of protein complexes, and second, they can affect gene expression by varying crucial nucleotides recognized by regulatory proteins. Thus, understanding how changes in DNA are linked to phenotypic variations is a fascinating problem in modern biology. This proposal describes a series of experiments to address these questions. We will use the free-living tiny worms (nematodes) Caenorhabditis elegans and C. briggsae that are roughly 1 millimeter long and composed of fewer than 1000 cells. In spite of millions of years of separation these animals share many genes with human and other organisms. This makes them an ideal model for understanding phenomena that occur in all eukaryotes.