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Kiontke K, Fernandez P, Woronik A, Fitch DHA. Morphologically defined substages of tail morphogenesis in C. elegans males. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.11.575265. [PMID: 38293029 PMCID: PMC10827050 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.11.575265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Background Sex-specific morphogenesis occurs in C. elegans in the vulva of the hermaphrodite and in the male tail during the last larval stage. Temporal progression of vulva morphogenesis has been described in fine detail. However, a similar precise description of male tail morphogenesis was lacking. Results We here describe morphogenesis of the male tail at time points matching vulva development with special focus on morphogenesis of the tail tip. Using fluorescent reporters, we follow changes in cell shapes, cell fusions, nuclear migration, modifications in the basement membrane and formation of a new apical extracellular matrix at the end of the tail. Conclusion Our analysis answers two open questions about tail tip morphogenesis (TTM) by showing that one of the four tail tip cells, hyp11, remains separate while the other cells fuse with each other and with two additional tail cells to form a ventral tail syncytium. This fusion begins early during TTM but is only completed towards the end of the process. This work provides a framework for future investigations of cell-biological factors that drive male tail morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Kiontke
- Department of Biology, New York University, 100 Washington Square E., New York, NY 10003
| | - Porfirio Fernandez
- Department of Biology, New York University, 100 Washington Square E., New York, NY 10003
| | - Alyssa Woronik
- Sacred Heart University, 5151 Park Avenue, Fairfield, CT 06825
| | - David H A Fitch
- Department of Biology, New York University, 100 Washington Square E., New York, NY 10003
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Perillo M, Swartz SZ, Pieplow C, Wessel GM. Molecular mechanisms of tubulogenesis revealed in the sea star hydro-vascular organ. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2402. [PMID: 37160908 PMCID: PMC10170166 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37947-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
A fundamental goal in the organogenesis field is to understand how cells organize into tubular shapes. Toward this aim, we have established the hydro-vascular organ in the sea star Patiria miniata as a model for tubulogenesis. In this animal, bilateral tubes grow out from the tip of the developing gut, and precisely extend to specific sites in the larva. This growth involves cell migration coupled with mitosis in distinct zones. Cell proliferation requires FGF signaling, whereas the three-dimensional orientation of the organ depends on Wnt signaling. Specification and maintenance of tube cell fate requires Delta/Notch signaling. Moreover, we identify target genes of the FGF pathway that contribute to tube morphology, revealing molecular mechanisms for tube outgrowth. Finally, we report that FGF activates the Six1/2 transcription factor, which serves as an evolutionarily ancient regulator of branching morphogenesis. This study uncovers distinct mechanisms of tubulogenesis in vivo and we propose that cellular dynamics in the sea star hydro-vascular organ represents a key comparison for understanding the evolution of vertebrate organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margherita Perillo
- Department of Molecular, Cellular Biology and Biochemistry, BioMed Division, Brown University, 185 Meeting Street, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
- Marine Biological Laboratory, 7 MBL Street, Woods Hole, MA, 02543, USA.
| | - S Zachary Swartz
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, 455 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
- Marine Biological Laboratory, 7 MBL Street, Woods Hole, MA, 02543, USA
| | - Cosmo Pieplow
- Department of Molecular, Cellular Biology and Biochemistry, BioMed Division, Brown University, 185 Meeting Street, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - Gary M Wessel
- Department of Molecular, Cellular Biology and Biochemistry, BioMed Division, Brown University, 185 Meeting Street, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
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Naturale VF, Pickett MA, Feldman JL. Context matters: Lessons in epithelial polarity from the Caenorhabditis elegans intestine and other tissues. Curr Top Dev Biol 2023; 154:37-71. [PMID: 37100523 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2023.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
Epithelia are tissues with diverse morphologies and functions across metazoans, ranging from vast cell sheets encasing internal organs to internal tubes facilitating nutrient uptake, all of which require establishment of apical-basolateral polarity axes. While all epithelia tend to polarize the same components, how these components are deployed to drive polarization is largely context-dependent and likely shaped by tissue-specific differences in development and ultimate functions of polarizing primordia. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) offers exceptional imaging and genetic tools and possesses unique epithelia with well-described origins and roles, making it an excellent model to investigate polarity mechanisms. In this review, we highlight the interplay between epithelial polarization, development, and function by describing symmetry breaking and polarity establishment in a particularly well-characterized epithelium, the C. elegans intestine. We compare intestinal polarization to polarity programs in two other C. elegans epithelia, the pharynx and epidermis, correlating divergent mechanisms with tissue-specific differences in geometry, embryonic environment, and function. Together, we emphasize the importance of investigating polarization mechanisms against the backdrop of tissue-specific contexts, while also underscoring the benefits of cross-tissue comparisons of polarity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor F Naturale
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Melissa A Pickett
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States; Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA, United States
| | - Jessica L Feldman
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States.
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Abstract
As multi-cellular organisms evolved from small clusters of cells to complex metazoans, biological tubes became essential for life. Tubes are typically thought of as mainly playing a role in transport, with the hollow space (lumen) acting as a conduit to distribute nutrients and waste, or for gas exchange. However, biological tubes also provide a platform for physiological, mechanical, and structural functions. Indeed, tubulogenesis is often a critical aspect of morphogenesis and organogenesis. C. elegans is made up of tubes that provide structural support and protection (the epidermis), perform the mechanical and enzymatic processes of digestion (the buccal cavity, pharynx, intestine, and rectum), transport fluids for osmoregulation (the excretory system), and execute the functions necessary for reproduction (the germline, spermatheca, uterus and vulva). Here we review our current understanding of the genetic regulation, molecular processes, and physical forces involved in tubulogenesis and morphogenesis of the epidermal, digestive and excretory systems in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel D Shaye
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois at Chicago-College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.
| | - Martha C Soto
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, United States.
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Castiglioni VG, Pires HR, Rosas Bertolini R, Riga A, Kerver J, Boxem M. Epidermal PAR-6 and PKC-3 are essential for larval development of C. elegans and organize non-centrosomal microtubules. eLife 2020; 9:e62067. [PMID: 33300872 PMCID: PMC7755398 DOI: 10.7554/elife.62067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The cortical polarity regulators PAR-6, PKC-3, and PAR-3 are essential for the polarization of a broad variety of cell types in multicellular animals. In C. elegans, the roles of the PAR proteins in embryonic development have been extensively studied, yet little is known about their functions during larval development. Using inducible protein degradation, we show that PAR-6 and PKC-3, but not PAR-3, are essential for postembryonic development. PAR-6 and PKC-3 are required in the epidermal epithelium for animal growth, molting, and the proper pattern of seam-cell divisions. Finally, we uncovered a novel role for PAR-6 in organizing non-centrosomal microtubule arrays in the epidermis. PAR-6 was required for the localization of the microtubule organizer NOCA-1/Ninein, and defects in a noca-1 mutant are highly similar to those caused by epidermal PAR-6 depletion. As NOCA-1 physically interacts with PAR-6, we propose that PAR-6 promotes non-centrosomal microtubule organization through localization of NOCA-1/Ninein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria G Castiglioni
- Division of Developmental Biology, Institute of Biodynamics and Biocomplexity, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht UniversityUtrechtNetherlands
| | - Helena R Pires
- Division of Developmental Biology, Institute of Biodynamics and Biocomplexity, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht UniversityUtrechtNetherlands
| | - Rodrigo Rosas Bertolini
- Division of Developmental Biology, Institute of Biodynamics and Biocomplexity, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht UniversityUtrechtNetherlands
| | - Amalia Riga
- Division of Developmental Biology, Institute of Biodynamics and Biocomplexity, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht UniversityUtrechtNetherlands
| | - Jana Kerver
- Division of Developmental Biology, Institute of Biodynamics and Biocomplexity, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht UniversityUtrechtNetherlands
| | - Mike Boxem
- Division of Developmental Biology, Institute of Biodynamics and Biocomplexity, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht UniversityUtrechtNetherlands
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