[
WormBook,
2013]
The proper understanding and use of statistical tools are essential to the scientific enterprise. This is true both at the level of designing one's own experiments as well as for critically evaluating studies carried out by others. Unfortunately, many researchers who are otherwise rigorous and thoughtful in their scientific approach lack sufficient knowledge of this field. This methods chapter is written with such individuals in mind. Although the majority of examples are drawn from the field of Caenorhabditis elegans biology, the concepts and practical applications are also relevant to those who work in the disciplines of molecular genetics and cell and developmental biology. Our intent has been to limit theoretical considerations to a necessary minimum and to use common examples as illustrations for statistical analysis. Our chapter includes a description of basic terms and central concepts and also contains in-depth discussions on the analysis of means, proportions, ratios, probabilities, and correlations. We also address issues related to sample size, normality, outliers, and non-parametric approaches.
[
Dev Biol,
2007]
For a nonessential diminutive organ comprised of only 22 nuclei, the Caenorhabditis elegans vulva has done very well for itself. The status of the vulva as an overachiever is in part due to its inherent structural simplicity as well as to the intricate regulation of its induction and development. Studies over the past twenty years have shown the vulva to be a microcosm for organogenesis and a model for the integration of complex signaling pathways. Furthermore, many of these signaling molecules are themselves associated with cancer in mammals. This review focuses on what is perhaps the most intriguing and complex story to emerge from these studies thus far, the role of the Synthetic Multivulval (SynMuv) genes in controlling vulval cell-fate adoption. Recent advances have led to a greater mechanistic understanding of how these genes function during vulval development and have also identified roles for these genes in diverse developmental processes.
[
Semin Cell Dev Biol,
2005]
The invariant developmental cell lineage of Caenorhabditis elegans (and other similar nematodes) provides one of the best examples of how cell division patterns can be precisely coordinated with cell fates. Although the field has made substantial progress towards elucidating the many factors that control the acquisition of individual cell or tissue-specific identities, the interplay between these determinants and core regulators of the cell cycle is just beginning to be understood. This review provides an overview of the known mechanisms that govern somatic cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation in C. elegans. In particular, I will focus on those studies that have uncovered novel genes or mechanisms, and which may enhance our understanding of corresponding processes in other organisms.
[
Genesis,
2000]
Development of the C. elegans vulva requires coordination between a strikingly complex set of molecular regulators and pathways. In particular, the correct specification of vulval cell-fates requires both the activation of RTK/Ras/Map kinase members as well as negative regulation by a set of genes known as the SynMuvs. SynMuvs comprise two functionally redundant sets of genes that appear to antagonize Ras pathway signaling. In this way, SynMuv genes act to limit the number of cells adopting vulval fates. Recently, a number of SynMuv genes have been shown to encode worm homologs of the Rb transcriptional-regulatory complex. These and other results are discussed and we present several models for understanding the role of SynMuv genes in vulval development.