RRC ID 76011
Author Masoudi N, Yemini E, Schnabel R, Hobert O.
Title Piecemeal regulation of convergent neuronal lineages by bHLH transcription factors in Caenorhabditis elegans.
Journal Development
Abstract Cells of the same type can be generated by distinct cellular lineages that originate in different parts of the developing embryo ('lineage convergence'). Several Caenorhabditis elegans neuron classes composed of left/right or radially symmetric class members display such lineage convergence. We show here that the C. elegans Atonal homolog lin-32 is differentially expressed in neuronal lineages that give rise to left/right or radially symmetric class members. Loss of lin-32 results in the selective loss of the expression of pan-neuronal markers and terminal selector-type transcription factors that confer neuron class-specific features. Another basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) gene, the Achaete-Scute homolog hlh-14, is expressed in a mirror image pattern relative to lin-32 and is required to induce neuronal identity and terminal selector expression on the contralateral side of the animal. These findings demonstrate that distinct lineage histories converge via different bHLH factors at the level of induction of terminal selector identity determinants, which thus serve as integrators of distinct lineage histories. We also describe neuron-to-neuron identity transformations in lin-32 mutants, which we propose to also be the result of misregulation of terminal selector gene expression.
Volume 148(11)
Published 2021-6-1
DOI 10.1242/dev.199224
PII 269057
PMID 34100067
PMC PMC8217713
MeSH Animals Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors / genetics Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors / metabolism* Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics Caenorhabditis elegans / metabolism* Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / genetics Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / metabolism* Cell Differentiation Cell Lineage / physiology* Embryo, Nonmammalian / metabolism Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental Neurons / metabolism* Transcription Factors
Resource
C.elegans tm1446 tm295