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Published October 1, 1999 | Published
Journal Article Open

Characterization of Seven Genes Affecting Caenorhabditis elegans Hindgut Development

Abstract

We have identified and characterized 12 mutations in seven genes that affect the development of the Caenorhabditis elegans hindgut. We find that the mutations can disrupt the postembryonic development of the male-specific blast cells within the hindgut, the hindgut morphology in both males and hermaphrodites, and in some cases, the expression of a hindgut marker in hermaphrodite animals. Mutations in several of the genes also affect viability. On the basis of their mutant phenotypes, we propose that the genes fall into four distinct classes: (1) egl-5 is required for regional identity of the tail; (2) sem-4 is required for a variety of ectodermal and mesodermal cell types, including cells in the hindgut; (3) two genes, lin-49 and lin-59, affect development of many cells, including hindgut; and (4) three genes, mab-9, egl-38, and lin-48, are required for patterning fates within the hindgut, making certain hindgut cells different from others. We also describe a new allele of the Pax gene egl-38 that is temperature sensitive and affects the conserved β-hairpin of the EGL-38 paired domain. Our results suggest that a combination of different factors contribute to normal C. elegans hindgut development.

Additional Information

© 1999 by the Genetics Society of America. Manuscript received April 14, 1999; Accepted for publication June 21, 1999. We thank Michael Ailion, Takao Inoue, Duncan Johnstone, and Elizabeth Newton for comments on the manuscript. Many of the strains used in this study were provided by the Caenorhabditis Genetics Center, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health National Center for Research Resources. This work was supported by a Public Health Service Grant (R01 NS30187) to J.H.T. and by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, with which P.W.S. is an Investigator and K.B.B. is a Predoctoral Fellow. H.M.C. was a fellow of the Helen Hay Whitney Foundation.

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August 19, 2023
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