LET-756/FGF is Implicated in the Control of C. elegans Body Size
Cornel Popovici1, 2, Sylvain Hiver1, Daniel Birnbaum1, Régine Roubin*, 1
1 Inserm UMR891, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille; Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Université de la Méditerranée, 13009, Marseille, France
2 Present Address : Département de Génétique Médicale, Hôpital de la Timone – Enfants, Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Marseille, 13005, Marseille, France
Abstract
LET-756 is one of the two fibroblast growth factors (FGF) of Caenorhabditis elegans. We have previously shown that worms homozygote for the let-756 null allele (s2887) die at larval stage and that homozygotes for the partial loss-of-function allele (s2613) are viable but shorter than wild-type animals. We now show that expression of let-756 in any region of the s2887 worm can rescue the lethal phenotype but with variations in body size depending on the site of expression, harmonious growth being achieved by let-756 expression in body wall muscles. Local action of let-756 was also observed in mosaic animals homozygotes for the s2613 allele. Our results support a paracrine activity for LET-756 exerting its effect locally on body size whether by acting as an actual growth factor or by acting on EGL-15/FGFR expressing hypodermal cells thereby regulating fluid balance.
Article Information
Article History:
Received Date: 13/8/2008
Revision Received Date: 15/9/2008
Acceptance Date: 16/9/2008
Electronic publication date: 9/10/2008
Collection year: 2008
© Popovici et al.; Licensee Bentham Open.
open-access license: This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.
* Address correspondence to this author at the Inserm UMR891, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Université de la Méditerranée, 13009, Marseille, France;
E-mail:
regine.roubin@inserm.fr
Open Peer Review Details |
Manuscript submitted on 13-8-2008 |
Original Manuscript |
LET-756/FGF is Implicated in the Control of C. elegans Body Size |