WormMine: ExpressionPattern Expr4654

• Pattern: Specific and continuous expression was detected in the AC from the invasion of the vulval primordium at mid-L3 until its fusion with the utse cells. As the vulva completes its invagination in the L4, the utse syncytium starts to express aff-1, resulting in coexpression of aff-1 in both cells prior to their fusion. Thus, AFF-1 is dynamically expressed in a specific group of cells that undergo cell fusion during normal development. aff-1 expression is first detected in the embryonic hyp5 cell and later during larval development in various cell types, including pharyngeal muscles (Pm3 and Pm5), uterine rings (Ut2 and Ut4), head and tail neurons, sheath cells of chemosensory neurons, and male tail neurons). aff-1 is also expressed in vulval vulD and the seam cells shortly before these cells fuse. In general, the myoepithelial cells of the pharynx and the epithelial cells in the uterus, vulva, and hypodermis that express aff-1 undergo fusion. Thus, AFF-1 is dynamically expressed in a specific group of cells that undergo cell fusion during normal development.
• Primary Identifier: Expr4654
• Remark: Since utse aff-1 expression and AC-utse fusion occur almost simultaneously, it is possible that aff-1 expression detected in the utse is actually a contribution from the AC cytoplasm after the fusion event. To test this, authors examined utse aff-1 expression in lin-29(n482) mutant worms where AC-utse fusion does not occur. aff-1 expression in the utse in these mutants indicated that aff-1 is specifically expressed in the utse cells and is not a consequence of AC to utse cytoplasmic GFP diffusion after fusion.

11 Anatomy Terms

Definition	Name	Synonym	Primary Identifier
neuron with its cell body situated in the head, excluding the pharynx.	head neuron		WBbt:0006751
neuron with its cell body situated in the tail, posterior to rectum.	tail neuron		WBbt:0006759
a group of hypodermal cells that lie along the apical midline of the hypodermis, at the extreme left and right sides between nose and tail	seam cell	lateral hypodermis	WBbt:0005753
Cylindrical hypodermal syncytium in head	hyp5	lineage name: ABarpappap	WBbt:0004685
anchor cell, induces vulva, part of hermaphrodite gonad.	anchor cell	AC	WBbt:0004522
membranous cell attaches the uterus to the lateral epidermis (seam) and forms a thin laminar process dorsal to the vulva. formed by fusion of eight pi cell progeny and AC.	uterine seam cell	utse	WBbt:0006789
adult vulval toroid cell, D, formed by fusion of precursors of lineage names P5.ppp and P7.paa.	vulD		WBbt:0006766
third pharyngeal muscle cell layer	pm3	M3	WBbt:0003740
fifth pharyngeal muscle cell layer	pm5	M5	WBbt:0003737
uterine toroidal epithelial cell.	ut4		WBbt:0006788
uterine toroidal epithelial cell.	ut2		WBbt:0006786

1 Genes

WormBase Gene ID	Gene Name	Sequence Name	Organism
WBGene00016625	aff-1	C44B7.3	Caenorhabditis elegans

0 Life Stages