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Evolution of a system sensitive to stochastic noise: P3.p cell fate in Caenorhabditis.
- Source :
-
Developmental biology [Dev Biol] 2011 Sep 15; Vol. 357 (2), pp. 419-27. Date of Electronic Publication: 2011 Jun 15. - Publication Year :
- 2011
-
Abstract
- The C. elegans cell lineage is overall invariant. One rare instance of variability concerns P3.p, the most anterior vulva precursor cell, which may either fuse with the epidermis without dividing, or remain competent to form vulval tissue and divide. Here we examine the evolutionary properties of this stochastic variation in P3.p fate. In the Caenorhabditis genus, high P3.p competence is ancestral and reduction in P3.p competence and division frequency occurred in C. sp. 14 and in a clade of nine species. Within this clade, the frequency of P3.p division further varies within and among species, being intermediate in C. elegans and low in C. briggsae. P3.p fate frequency is sensitive to random mutation accumulation, suggesting that this trait may evolve rapidly because of its sensitivity to mutational impact. P3.p fate depends on LIN-39/Hox5 expression and we find that the peak of LIN-39/Hox5 protein level is displaced posteriorly in C. briggsae compared to C. elegans. However, P3.p fate specification is most sensitive to the dose of EGL-20 and CWN-1, two Wnts that are secreted in a long-range gradient from the posterior end of C. elegans larvae (accompanying article). A half-dose of either of these Wnts is sufficient to affect division frequency in C. elegans N2 to levels similar to those in C. briggsae. Symmetrically, we show that an increase in Wnt dose rescues anterior competence in C. briggsae. We propose that evolutionary variation in the concentration or interpretation of the long-range Wnt gradient may be involved in the rapid evolution of P3.p fate in Caenorhabditis.<br /> (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Subjects :
- Animals
Caenorhabditis metabolism
Caenorhabditis elegans cytology
Caenorhabditis elegans metabolism
Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins metabolism
Cell Division
Female
Models, Biological
Phylogeny
Stochastic Processes
Vulva metabolism
Biological Evolution
Caenorhabditis cytology
Cell Lineage
Vulva cytology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1095-564X
- Volume :
- 357
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Developmental biology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 21693113
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2011.05.675