Abstract
The Caenorhabditis elegans vulva is an important paradigm for cell-cell interactions in animal development. The fates of six vulval precursor cells are patterned through the action of the epidermal growth factor receptor-mitogen-activated protein kinase (EGFR-MAPK) inductive signaling pathway, which specifies the 1 degrees fate, and the LIN-12/Notch lateral signaling pathway, which specifies the 2 degrees fate. Here, we provide evidence that the inductive signal is spatially graded and initially activates the EGFR-MAPK pathway in the prospective 2 degrees cells. Subsequently, this effect is counteracted by the expression of multiple new negative regulators of the EGFR-MAPK pathway, under direct transcriptional control of the LIN-12-mediated lateral signal.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Caenorhabditis elegans / cytology
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Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics
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Caenorhabditis elegans / growth & development*
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Caenorhabditis elegans / metabolism
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Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / genetics
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Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / metabolism*
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Cell Cycle Proteins / metabolism
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ErbB Receptors / metabolism*
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Female
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Gene Expression Profiling
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Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
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Genes, Helminth
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Genes, Reporter
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Green Fluorescent Proteins
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Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / metabolism*
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Lac Operon
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Luminescent Proteins / genetics
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Luminescent Proteins / metabolism
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MAP Kinase Signaling System
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Membrane Proteins / metabolism*
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Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism
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Models, Biological
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Morphogenesis
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Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases / metabolism
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Receptors, Notch
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Recombinant Fusion Proteins
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Signal Transduction*
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Stem Cells / cytology
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Stem Cells / metabolism
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Transcription, Genetic
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Vulva / cytology
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Vulva / growth & development
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Vulva / metabolism
Substances
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Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
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Cell Cycle Proteins
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Egl-17 protein, C elegans
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Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
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Lin-12 protein, C elegans
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Luminescent Proteins
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Membrane Proteins
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Receptors, Notch
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Recombinant Fusion Proteins
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Green Fluorescent Proteins
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ErbB Receptors
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let-23 protein, C elegans
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Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
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lip-1 protein, C elegans
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Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases