A multi-layered and dynamic apical extracellular matrix shapes the vulva lumen in Caenorhabditis elegans.

ABSTRACT: Biological tubes must develop and maintain their proper diameter to transport materials efficiently. These tubes are molded and protected in part by apical extracellular matrices (aECMs) that line their lumens. Despite their importance, aECMs are difficult to image in vivo and therefore poorly understood. The Caenorhabditis elegans vulva has been a paradigm for understanding many aspects of organogenesis. Here we describe the vulva luminal matrix, which contains chondroitin proteoglycans, Zona Pellucida (ZP) domain proteins, and other glycoproteins and lipid transporters related to those in mammals. Confocal and transmission electron microscopy revealed, with unprecedented detail, a complex and dynamic aECM. Different matrix factors assemble on the apical surfaces of each vulva cell

SUBMITTER: Cohen JD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7544507 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature