Signal transduction and cell fate specification during Caenorhabditis elegans vulval development

Curr Opin Genet Dev. 1994 Aug;4(4):508-16. doi: 10.1016/0959-437x(94)90065-b.

Abstract

A receptor tyrosine kinase/Ras signaling pathway controls the specification of vulval cell fates in Caenorhabditis elegans. Recently, C. elegans genes encoding proteins with similarity to mammalian Raf (lin-45), mitogen-activated protein kinase (mpk-1/sur-1), and an HNF-3 transcription factor (lin-31) have been identified and shown to act downstream of let-60 (ras) in this pathway. These genetically identified gene products bridge the gap between signal transduction at the plasma membrane and the control of cell fate specification in the nucleus.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / embryology*
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins*
  • Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / metabolism
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian / physiology
  • Embryonic Induction / genetics
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental*
  • Genes, Helminth
  • Genes, ras
  • Helminth Proteins / genetics
  • Helminth Proteins / metabolism*
  • Larva
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1
  • Morphogenesis / genetics
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism
  • Receptors, Notch
  • Signal Transduction*
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Vulva / cytology
  • Vulva / embryology*
  • ras Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Helminth Proteins
  • Lin-12 protein, C elegans
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Receptors, Notch
  • Transcription Factors
  • lin-31 protein, C elegans
  • let-60 protein, C elegans
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1
  • mpk-1 protein, C elegans
  • ras Proteins