LIN-13 AND SPECIFICATION OF CELL FATE

LIN-13已经在线虫缺陷突变株的筛选中被鉴定出来 外阴血统。它的作用是限制六个等位势中的三个 外阴前体细胞经历外阴细胞命运。遗传分析 这表明现有的等位基因只会部分降低基因功能，而且 完全丧失功能(零)表型可能是致命性的。所以, LIN-13也可能在发展中起到至关重要的作用。我提议学习 LIN-13在利用遗传和基因结合的发育中的作用 分子分析。为了在早期确定LIN-13所扮演的角色 发展，零等位基因将被分离和鉴定。航站楼 将检查这些等位基因的表型，以及任何细胞谱系 文中将描述转换过程。将进行遗传镶嵌分析以 确定在细胞谱系中需要哪种LIN-13活性才能存活 以及对外阴发育的影响。与LIN-13相互作用的基因将是 具有两个特点：用LIN-13构建双突变体 和其他已知在外阴途径中起作用的基因；以及隔离 以及抑制基因突变的特征。最后，开始 研究Lin-13作用的分子机制，该基因将被 克隆并测序。

lin-13 has been identified in screens for mutants defective in C. elegans vulval lineages. It functions to restrict three of the six equipotential vulval precursor cells from undergoing vulval cell fates. Genetic analysis suggests that existing alleles only partially reduce gene function, and that the complete loss of function (null) phenotype may be lethality. So, lin-13 may also have an essential role in development. I propose to study the roles of lin-13 in development using a combination of genetic and molecular analysis. To identify the role lin-13 plays early in development, null alleles will be isolated and characterized. The terminal phenotype of these alleles will be examined, and any cell lineage transformations will be described. Genetic mosaic analysis will be done to determine where in the cell lineage lin-13 activity is needed for viability and for vulval development. Genes that interact with lin-13 will be characterized in two ways: the construction of double mutants with lin-13 and other genes known to function in the vulval pathways; and the isolation and characterization of suppressor mutations. Finally, to begin investigating the molecular mechanisms of lin-13 action, the gene will be cloned and sequenced.