Innexin function dictates the spatial relationship between distal somatic cells in the Caenorhabditis elegans gonad without impacting the germline stem cell pool.

ABSTRACT: Gap-junctional signaling mediates myriad cellular interactions in metazoans. Yet, how gap junctions control the positioning of cells in organs is not well understood. Innexins compose gap junctions in invertebrates and affect organ architecture. Here, we investigate the roles of gap-junctions in controlling distal somatic gonad architecture and its relationship to underlying germline stem cells in Caenorhabditis elegans. We show that a reduction of soma-germline gap-junctional activity causes displacement of distal sheath cells (Sh1) towards the distal end of the gonad. We confirm, by live imaging, transmission electron microscopy, and antibody staining, that bare regions-lacking somatic gonadal cell coverage of germ cells-are present between the distal tip cell (DTC) and Sh1, and w

SUBMITTER: Tolkin T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9473689 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature