Hodgkin JA et al. (1993) Worm Breeder's Gazette "Caenorhabditis Genetic Map and Nomenclature E-Mailing List"

Hodgkin JA, O'Callaghan M

[Worm Breeder's Gazette, 1993]

Most of the points covered in the accompanying 'Nomenclature Guidelines -- New Recommendations' contribution were circulated by e-mail before the June 1993 meeting, to principal investigators with e-mail addresses, for their comments and reactions. This procedure appeared to be efficient and helpful. We wish to expand our e-mailing list for nomenclature issues, and for recommended methods of data submission. For this reason, we sent a message in August 1993 inviting other potentially interested parties to join this list, using the e-mail addresses from the 1993 WBG Subscriber Directory. We repeat this message below, for the benefit of readers who have e-mail access but did not receive our invitation. If you are interested, send us an e-mail message asking to be added to the list. From cgc@mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk Dear WBG subscriber At present, CGC e-mail messages about methods of data submission, nomenclatorial issues and so on, are sent to all investigators with assigned lab codes (strain and allele designations) and known e-mail addresses. We would like to extend this mailing list to other interested parties who can be reached by e-mail. If you wish to be included on this expanded e-mailing list, please reply to this message, and you will be added to the list. Investigators already on the list need take no action. Regardless of whether you join the list, you will still be able to take note of any significant new recommendations, because these will be duly announced in issues of the Worm Yours sincerely, Jonathan Hodgkin Mary O'Callaghan

Prasad BC et al. (1997) Worm Breeder's Gazette "unc-3 gene encodes the C elegans homologue of the mammalian transcription factor O/E-1"

Prasad BC, Reed RR

[Worm Breeder's Gazette, 1997]

The mammalian olfactory system utilizes specialized signal transduction components to detect odors. These olfactory genes contain consensus sites for a family of trans-acting factors which includes Olf-1/EBF (O/E-1). The O/E-1 protein is expressed at high level in adult olfactory neurons and transiently during embryogenesis in a variety of other neuronal tissues. The laboratory is actively trying to understand the role of this family of transcription factors in mouse neurodevelopment. We have identified a C elegans homologue of the mammalian O/E-1 protein. We believe that the C elegans homologue of O/E-1 (Ce O/E-1) is encoded by the unc-3 gene, mutations in which are reported to cause all classes of motor neurons in the ventral cord to have disorganized processes and make neuro-muscular junctions at ectopic sites. We have identified point mutations in the Ce O/E-1 coding region for three unc-3 alleles. We have used GFP fusions to the promoter of the Ce O/E-1 protein and specific antibodies to the protein to study the pattern of expression. The Ce O/E-1 protein is expressed as early as bean stage and continues to be expressed in the neurons of the ventral cord and the ASI chemosensory neurons throughout development. These observations are consistent with a similar role for O/E proteins in both mice and nematodes, i.e., these transcription factors play an essential role in the determination of the terminal phenotype of neurons.

Mains PE (1994) Worm Breeder's Gazette "Interactions Between mei-1 and the unc-116 Kinesin"

Mains PE

[Worm Breeder's Gazette, 1994]

Interactions Between mei-l and the unc-116 Kinesin Paul E. Mains, Dept. of Medical Biochemistry, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Kuwabara PE (1994) Worm Breeder's Gazette "Evidence For Interactions Between the Sex Determination and Dosage Compensation Pathways in the Germline"

Kuwabara PE

[Worm Breeder's Gazette, 1994]

Evidence for Interactions Between the Sex Determillation and Dosage Compensation Pathways in the Germline Patricia E. Kuwabara MRC-LMB Hills Road Cambridge CB2 2QH England

Wissmann AK et al. (1994) Worm Breeder's Gazette "Characterization of the let-502 Gene"

Mains PE, Wissmann AK, McGhee JD

[Worm Breeder's Gazette, 1994]

Characterization of the let-502 gene Andreas Wissmann, James D. McGhee and Paul E. Mains, Dept. of Medical Biochemistry, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1

Musset-Bilal F et al. (1994) Worm Breeder's Gazette "Characterization of the C. elegans Basement Membrane-Associated Protein SPARC"

Musset-Bilal F, Schwarzbauer JE, Ryan CS

[Worm Breeder's Gazette, 1994]

Characterization of the C. elegans Basement Membrane- Associated Frederique Musset-Bilal, Carol S. Ryan, and Jean E. Schwarzbauer Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton NJ 08544

Goldstein B (1992) Worm Breeder's Gazette "Identification of the Cues Used to Generate Blastomere Diversity:The Role of the P2-EMS Interaction in Positioning Gut Fate Into E"

Goldstein B

[Worm Breeder's Gazette, 1992]

The gut of C. elegans derives from all the progeny of the E cell, a cell of the eight cell stage (Sulston et al. 1983 Dev. Biol. 100:64.) In order for E to form gut, EMS must contact P2 during the four cell stage (Goldstein 1992 Nature 357:255; [See Figure].) P2 'sposition on the "E" side of EMS raises the possibility that the P2 -EMSinteraction is the cue that makes E different from MS. Alternatively, the E and MS sides may be different from each other before the P2 -EMSinteraction, such that only the E side can form gut in response to the interaction. In order to determine which is the case, I tried to move P2 to the MS side of EMS, to see if MS then forms gut. This is a particularly frustrating manipulation. A more feasible way to address the question turned out to be isolating P2 and EMS, and then placing the two cells back in contact in a random orientation. If any side of EMS can form gut in response to the interaction, then gut should always form from the daughter of EMS that contacts P2 .If however only the E side can form gut, then in some cases either gut will form from the daughter away from P2 or gut will not differentiate. Fortunately, P2 and EMS stick immediately upon contact and they do not rotate around each other when placed back together, precluding the possibility that P2 moves back to its original position. Which daughter of EMS formed gut was then determined by one of two methods: In five cases cell division times were watched to see which daughter took on E-like cell division timings, and in another five cases the daughters of EMS were separated from each other and cultured individually to see which produced gut granules. Gut differentiated from the side of EMS on which P2 was placed in all ten cases. This result indicates that any side of EMS can form gut in response to the induction, and hence that the interaction with P2 is what makes E different from MS. Current work is aimed at identifying cellular mechanisms by which the induction makes E different than MS, and determining whether cell interactions are required at other stages for gut fate to be segregated into E.

Hubbard EJA et al. (1994) Worm Breeder's Gazette "Genetic Analysis of sel-10."

Hubbard EJA, Greenwald IS

[Worm Breeder's Gazette, 1994]

Genetic analysis of sel-10 E. Jane Albert Hubbard and Iva Greenwald Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, 10032

Bakaev VV et al. (1998) Worm Breeder's Gazette "An Attempt to Slow Aging in C. elegans. 10. The Slight Positive Effect of C. elegans Larvae Extract"

Bakaev VV, Ivlev-Duntau AP

[Worm Breeder's Gazette, 1998]

C. elegans larvae (1-2 days old) were collected from separate stock, frozen and after 12 hours or more time, thawed, centrifuged and mixed with S medium containing E. coli (1:1), this mixture was used as a medium for worms in experimental group. The medium for the control group was prepared by mixing S medium containing E. coli with S medium without E. coli (1:1). Three adult animals (3-5 days old) were kept in microtitre wells containing 0.5 ml of liquid medium (with E. coli and with or without larvae extract) during 12 hours, then they were transferred in next wells everyday (one worm in one well). Dilutions of larvae extract (1:10, 1:100 and 1:1000) were applied on third day. This investigation was carried out in temperature +24C and in the darkness. The obtained results are presented in the following table.

Avery L (1992) Worm Breeder's Gazette "Use of tra-2(q276) XX Males for Manipulation of X-linked Mutations"

Avery L

[Worm Breeder's Gazette, 1992]

q276 ,a tra-2 mutation isolated by Tim Schedl, is unique among tra-2 mutations in producing XX males that can mate. I have found q276 useful in handling recessive X-linked mutations that prevent hemizygous males from mating. tra-1 mutations have long been used for this purpose, but the fertility of tra-1 XX males, while finite, is low. In contrast, tra-2 (q276)XX males mate and sire progeny efficiently. For instance, in one cross 20 male (i.e., tra-2 )self progeny of tra-2 /+;pha-2 unc-1 /++hermaphrodites were placed on a plate with 5 che-2 hermaphrodites. One day later all 25 were transferred to a new plate, and the day after that removed. 15/16 hermaphrodites picked at random two days later from the second plate were cross progeny. Efficient outcrossing made this construction much easier, since che-2 has no obvious dissecting scope phenotype, and only one of three cross progeny was expected to be the desired che-2 /pha-2 unc-1 heterozygote. This result is typical of several such crosses.