QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

Vol. 17, Issue 7, 3051-3061, July 2006

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: E06-03-0170v1 17/7/3051    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Crittenden, S. L. Articles by Kimble, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Crittenden, S. L. Articles by Kimble, J.

Cellular Analyses of the Mitotic Region in the Caenorhabditis elegans Adult Germ Line

Sarah L. Crittenden^*, Kimberly A. Leonhard, Dana T. Byrd, and Judith Kimble^*,,,

*Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biochemistry, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, and Department of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706

Submitted March 6, 2006; Revised April 17, 2006; Accepted April 24, 2006
Monitoring Editor: Jean Schwarzbauer

The Caenorhabditis elegans germ line provides a model for understanding how signaling from a stem cell niche promotes continued mitotic divisions at the expense of differentiation. Here we report cellular analyses designed to identify germline stem cells within the germline mitotic region of adult hermaphrodites. Our results support several conclusions. First, all germ cells within the mitotic region are actively cycling, as visualized by bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling. No quiescent cells were found. Second, germ cells in the mitotic region lose BrdU label uniformly, either by movement of labeled cells into the meiotic region or by dilution, probably due to replication. No label-retaining cells were found in the mitotic region. Third, the distal tip cell niche extends processes that nearly encircle adjacent germ cells, a phenomenon that is likely to anchor the distal-most germ cells within the niche. Fourth, germline mitoses are not oriented reproducibly, even within the immediate confines of the niche. We propose that germ cells in the distal-most rows of the mitotic region serve as stem cells and more proximal germ cells embark on the path to differentiation. We also propose that C. elegans adult germline stem cells are maintained by proximity to the niche rather than by programmed asymmetric divisions.

Address correspondence to: Sarah L. Crittenden ( slcritte{at}wisc.edu)

This article has been cited by other articles:

				N. Suh, S. L. Crittenden, A. Goldstrohm, B. Hook, B. Thompson, M. Wickens, and J. Kimble FBF and Its Dual Control of gld-1 Expression in the Caenorhabditis elegans Germline Genetics, April 1, 2009; 181(4): 1249 - 1260. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. A. Martinez-Agosto, H. K.A. Mikkola, V. Hartenstein, and U. Banerjee The hematopoietic stem cell and its niche: a comparative view Genes & Dev., December 1, 2007; 21(23): 3044 - 3060. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. Jantsch, L. Tang, P. Pasierbek, A. Penkner, S. Nayak, A. Baudrimont, T. Schedl, A. Gartner, and J. Loidl Caenorhabditis elegans prom-1 Is Required for Meiotic Prophase Progression and Homologous Chromosome Pairing Mol. Biol. Cell, December 1, 2007; 18(12): 4911 - 4920. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Xie and L. Li Stem cells and their niche: an inseparable relationship Development, June 1, 2007; 134(11): 2001 - 2006. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Ohlstein and A. Spradling Multipotent Drosophila Intestinal Stem Cells Specify Daughter Cell Fates by Differential Notch Signaling Science, February 16, 2007; 315(5814): 988 - 992. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]