Developmental genetics of the mechanosensory neurons of Caenorhabditis elegans

Chalfie, Martin; Sulston, John

doi:10.1016/0012-1606(81)90459-0

Cited by 715 publications

(704 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…1a) sense gentle touch and plate tap [12,93]. Two bilaterally symmetric pairs of cells are located anterior of the vulva (ALML and ALMR) and in the tail (PLML and PLMR).…”

Section: Touch Receptor Neuronsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…First, they are likely to be the sensory endings of the neurons because touch is sensed over their entire lengths. The position of the touch receptor processes next to the cuticle [12] presumably puts it in an optimal position to detect external mechanical signals. Second, the processes make synaptic connections elegans; adapted with permission from Chalfie and Sulston [12].…”

Section: Touch Receptor Neuronsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The position of the touch receptor processes next to the cuticle [12] presumably puts it in an optimal position to detect external mechanical signals. Second, the processes make synaptic connections elegans; adapted with permission from Chalfie and Sulston [12]. b Electron micrograph of a cross-section of a process of a touch receptor neuron.…”

Section: Touch Receptor Neuronsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Gentle touch sensitivity is usually tested by stroking the worm with an eyebrow hair attached to a toothpick. Touches to the anterior half of the worm cause the animals to reverse and move backward, while stimulating the tail causes the animal to accelerate forward [12]. More intense stimuli, such as prodding with a platinum wire, constitute harsh touch and are mediated by different sensory neurons than gentle touch mechanosensation [12,90].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Touch sensitivity in Caenorhabditis elegans

Bounoutas

Chalfie

2007

Pflugers Arch - Eur J Physiol

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The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans was the first organism for which touch insensitive mutants were obtained. The study of the genes defective in these mutants has led to the identification of components of a mechanosensory complex needed for specific cells to sense gentle touch to the body. Multiple approaches using genetics, cell biology, biochemistry, and electrophysiology have characterized a channel complex, containing two DEG/ENaC pore-forming subunits and several other proteins, that transduces the touch response. Other mechanical responses, sensed by other cells using a variety of other components, are less well understood in C. elegans. Many of these other senses may use TRP channels, although DEG/ENaC channels have also been implicated.

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“…1a) sense gentle touch and plate tap [12,93]. Two bilaterally symmetric pairs of cells are located anterior of the vulva (ALML and ALMR) and in the tail (PLML and PLMR).…”

Section: Touch Receptor Neuronsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Touch Receptor Neuronsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Touch Receptor Neuronsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Touch sensitivity in Caenorhabditis elegans

Bounoutas

Chalfie

2007

Pflugers Arch - Eur J Physiol

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“…ALM and PLM mechanosensory neurons are located on the basal surface of hypodermal cells and, like utse, are anchored to the cuticle through hemidesmosome and intermediate filament-mediated structures found within a thin sheet of hypodermal cell cytoplasm (Chalfie and Sulston, 1981;Emtage et al, 2004;Figs. 1D, 2).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Selective assembly of fibulin‐1 splice variants reveals distinct extracellular matrix networks and novel functions for perlecan/UNC‐52 splice variants

Muriel

Kramer

et al. 2006

Developmental Dynamics

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Fibulin-1C and fibulin-1D splice variants have been conserved throughout metazoan evolution and have distinct functions in Caenorhabditis elegans development. Both splice variants are required for the assembly of hemidesmosome-mediated mechanosensory neuron and uterine attachments, although the molecular associations that underlie their distinct functions at these locations are not known. Here, we show that the assembly of fibulin-1C and fibulin-1D splice variants at these anchorages is dependent upon distinct components of the extracellular matrix (ECM): Fibulin-1D assembly at uterine and mechanosensory neurons attachments is dependent upon a perlecan/ UNC-52 splice variant that includes alternately spliced IG8-IG10, whereas the assembly of fibulin-1C at mechanosensory neuron attachments is dependent upon laminin/ EPI-1. These data not only indicate that fibulin-1C and fibulin-1D are components of distinct networks of ECM but also demonstrates a novel function for a major class of perlecan splice variants found in C. elegans and mouse. In addition, we demonstrate that overexpression of another ECM protein, collagen XVIII, can suppress gonad morphogenesis defects associated with loss of fibulin-1C, suggesting that some genetic defects that result in a weakened basement membrane can be compensated by overexpression of genes for ECM components that stabilize basement membranes.

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Cell fate specification and differentiation in the nervous system ofCaenorhabditis elegans

Sengupta¹,

Bargmann²

1996

Dev. Genet.

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Neuronal cell fates are specified by a hierarchy of events mediated by cell‐intrinsic determinants and cell‐cell interactions. The determination of cell fate can be subdivided into three general steps. First, cell fate is restricted by the cell's position in the animal. For example, neurons are specified along the anterior‐posterior body axis through the action of the Hox genes lin‐39, mab‐5, and egl‐5. Second, a decision is made to generate a particular cell type, such as the progenitor of a neurogenic lineage as opposed to that of an epidermal lineage. Among the genes that influence this decision is the proneural gene lin‐32. Third, characteristics of a particular cell type are specified. For example, in a neurogenic lineage, a decision may be made to generate a specific neuron type such as a sensory or motor neuron. Genes that affect neuronal fate can act in different ways to influence the development of different types of neurons. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

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Developmental genetics of the mechanosensory neurons of Caenorhabditis elegans

Cited by 715 publications

References 30 publications

Touch sensitivity in Caenorhabditis elegans

Touch sensitivity in Caenorhabditis elegans

Selective assembly of fibulin‐1 splice variants reveals distinct extracellular matrix networks and novel functions for perlecan/UNC‐52 splice variants

Cell fate specification and differentiation in the nervous system ofCaenorhabditis elegans

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