Physical determinants of asymmetric cell divisions in the early development of Caenorhabditis elegans.

ABSTRACT: Asymmetric cell divisions are of fundamental importance for the development of multicellular organisms, e.g. for the generation of founder cells. Prime examples are asymmetric cell divisions in germline precursors during the early embryogenesis of the transparent roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, one of the major developmental model organisms. However, due to a lack of quantitative data it has remained unclear how frequent unequal daughter cell sizes emerge in the worm's early embryogenesis, and whether these originate from sterical or biochemical cues. Using quantitative light-sheet microscopy, we have found that about 40% of all cell divisions in C. elegans until gastrulation generate daughter cells with significantly different volumes. Removing the embryo's rigid eggshell revealed asymm

SUBMITTER: Fickentscher R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5571195 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature