Summary: 367
The anterior­posterior axis in Caenorhabditis elegans is
determined by the sperm and leads to the asymmetric localisation
of PAR (partitioning-defective) proteins, which are critical for
polarity. New findings demonstrate that sperm asters play a
critical role and suggest models for how PAR asymmetry is
established. In addition, studies of blastomere fate determination
and heterotrimeric G proteins have started to uncover how initial
polarity may be translated into the asymmetric distribution of
maternal proteins and the control of spindle position.
Addresses
Wellcome/CRC Institute, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QR, UK
*e-mail: jaa@mole.bio.cam.ac.uk
Current Opinion in Genetics & Development 2001, 11:367­373
0959-437X/01/$ -- see front matter
© 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Abbreviations
AB anterior blastomere at the two-cell stage
a­p anterior­posterior
MF microfilament

Source: Ahringe, Julie - Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge

Collections: Biology and Medicine