Axial patterning of C. elegans male sensilla identities by selector genes

• Published in: Developmental biology Vol. 269; no. 1; pp. 137 - 151
• Main Authors: Lints, R, Jia, L, Kim, K, Li, C, Emmons, S.W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.05.2004
• Subjects: Animals; Body Patterning - genetics; C. elegans; Caenorhabditis elegans; Caenorhabditis elegans - embryology; Caenorhabditis elegans - metabolism; Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins - genetics; Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins - metabolism; Dopamine; Eye Proteins; FMRFamide; Homeodomain Proteins - genetics; Homeodomain Proteins - metabolism; Hox; Male; Neuron subtype; Neurons - metabolism; Neuropeptides - genetics; Neuropeptides - metabolism; Neurotransmitter; Paired Box Transcription Factors; Pax-6; PAX6 Transcription Factor; Repressor Proteins; Serotonin; Serotonin - biosynthesis; Tail - embryology; Tail - metabolism; TGFβ; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism; Transforming Growth Factor beta - genetics; Transforming Growth Factor beta - metabolism; Hox; C. elegans; Dopamine; Serotonin; Pax-6; Neurotransmitter; TGFβ; Male; Neuron subtype; FMRFamide
• ISSN: 0012-1606; 1095-564X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2004.01.021

The fan and rays of the C. elegans male tail constitute a compound sensory organ essential for mating. Within this organ, the individual sensilla, known as rays, have unique identities. We show that ray identities are patterned by a selector gene mechanism in a manner similar to other serially homologous axial structures. One selector gene that promotes the identities of a subset of the rays is the Hox gene egl-5. Within EGL-5-expressing rays, further patterning is provided by a Pax-6 homolog and a signal of the TGFβ family. These genes and pathway coordinately specify multiple ray properties affecting all three terminal ray cell types. These properties include complex patterns of FMRFamide-like (FaRP) neuropeptides, serotonin (5HT) and dopamine expression, and ray morphology. Differences in these differentiated characteristics give each sensillum a unique identity and potentially endow the compound ray organ with a higher-order information gathering capacity.