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Mother knows best: developmental plasticity during gut development
Author(s) -
Mango Susan,
Choi Kaitlyn,
Brock Trisha
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.26.1_supplement.344.2
Subject(s) - foregut , biology , cell fate determination , developmental biology , neuroscience , embryonic stem cell , organogenesis , developmental plasticity , microbiology and biotechnology , induced pluripotent stem cell , transcription factor , neurogenesis , caenorhabditis elegans , evolutionary biology , anatomy , genetics , plasticity , gene , physics , thermodynamics
Our group studies organ formation using a simple organ, the C. elegans foregut (or pharynx), that nonetheless faces the same hurdles that confront organs in more complicated animals. Our main focus is the transcriptional processes that establish the foregut from a pool of developmentally‐plastic precursors. I will discuss two aspects of organogenesis: Pluripotency and cell‐fate acquisition . Early embryonic cells are born pluripotent, but over time their developmental choices become restricted. We study the processes that mediate the transition from developmental plasticity to cell‐fate specification, with a particular focus on the interplay between sequence‐specific transcription factors, chromatin organization and nuclear architecture. Environmental impacts on development . C. elegans worms are acutely aware of their environment and can sense a wide array of chemicals through 32 chemosensory neurons. These chemicals elicit both short‐term responses to modulate feeding or movement, but also longer‐term effects that alter adult longevity or development. Recently, we found a surprising link between chemo‐sensation and foregut development, which I will describe.