Ma. Patricia. R.

Hariramani

4- Biology 6

Caenorhabditis elegans
- Small, free-living, soil nematode and has been used for developmental
biology research since the 1960s.
- Known as the worm
- Its genome was the first of any animal to be completely sequenced.
- It survives by feeding on bacterias.
- A self-fertilizing hermaphrodite (XX) and a male (XO).

Adult anatomy
Hypodermis- outer layer, one cell thick, largely syncytial and secretes a thick
cuticle.
Pseudo coelom- main body cavity, not lined all around with mesoderm.
Gonad- opens to the mid ventral vulva.
Vulva- the external opening of the vagina.
Spicule- needle like mating structure only found in males.

Why Caenorhabditis elegans?

Convenient model system in which to approach basic questions concerning
the genetic control of development and behavior in multicellular organisms.
Short life cycle is advantageous for genetic study, and, at the same time, it is
small enough to allow complete anatomical studies at the ultrastructural
level.

Overview
Gametogenesis is a biological process by which diploid or haploid precursor
cells undergo cell division and differentiation to form mature haploid
gametes.
Spermatogenesis is the process that creates sperm from initially
undifferentiated germ cells.
Oogenesis is the creation of an ovum (egg cell).

Gametogenesis
Gametogenesis occurs in the proximal part of the gonad arm.
Germ cells have incomplete borders and are connected to one another via a
central canal called the Rachis

At the base of each germ cell, and covering the rachis, is a thickened
extracellular matrix.
This matrix contains hemicentin and is thought to reinforce and stabilize the
opening of the germ cells to the rachis.

Hermaphrodite germ line

- The hermaphrodite germ line ceases spermatogenesis and switches to
oogenesis during the adult stage.

Spermatogenesis

Initiates during the L4 larval stage.

takes place within the proximal gonad

Produces about 150 sperms during L4.

The transition zone is characterized by germ cells entering the early phases
of meiotic prophase (leptotene and zygotene) and is defined as the area

between the distal most transition nucleus and the proximal most transition
nucleus.
After moving through the transition zone, germ cells progress into pachytene
and gradually grow. Pachytene nuclei are characterized by a distinctive
bowl of spaghetti morphology as homologous chromosomes start to align
side by side.

Exit from pachytene requires activation of a MAPK (mitogen-activated

protein kinase) pathway, triggered by a signal from the overlying gonadal
sheath.
Progression of nuclei into diplotene occurs in the loop and cells become
organized in single file as they enter the proximal arm.
After pachytene, spermatocytes detach from the rachis and complete
meiosis, generating haploid spermatids.
Pseudopodium- a temporary protrusion of the surface of an amoeboid cell
for movement and feeding.
The residual body acts as a deposit area for proteins and organelles no
longer required by the developing spermatid.
In the spermatheca, an unknown signal induces these sessile spermatids to
undergo morphogenesis into mature, amoeboid spermatozoa (sperm)
This
process
of
activation
is
known
as
spermiogenesis.

Oogenesis

- In the proximal arm, oocytes progress to diakinesis.

- Where they arrest until oocyte maturation, a prerequisite to ovulation and
fertilization.
- Oocytes enlarge to fill the entire space within the gonad arm, greatly
increasing their cytoplasmic contents and the size of their nucleus.

Oocyte Maturation
- Oocyte maturation takes place in the oocyte closest to the spermatheca.
- major sperm protein (MSP)
- During maturation, nuclear envelope breakdown occurs, the nucleus
becomes less obvious, and cortical rearrangements cause the oocyte to
become more spherical.

Signals from the maturing oocyte and MSP stimulate the rate and intensity
of sheath contraction from a basal rate of 1013 contractions/minute to
approximately 19 contractions/minute
Also stimulates distal spermathecal dilation.
The dilated spermatheca is pulled over the oocyte by the contracting sheath,
and the spermatheca then closes.
Oocyte is immediately penetrated by a sperm and fertilized.
Meiosis is completed, and eggshell secretion commences
The newly formed embryo then passes from the spermathecal to the uterus
via the spermathecal-uterine valve.

Germ-line Programmed Cell Deaths

Programmed cell death (PCD) represents a major cell fate among adult
germ cells.

occur near the loop region of the gonad arm, the region containing
pachytene-stage germ cells
excess germ cells may serve as a nurse cell population, providing proteins
and other cytoplasmic components to surviving germ cells

References:
Achanzar, W.E. and Ward, S. 1997. A nematode gene required for sperm vesicle fusion. J. Cell
Sci. 110: 1073-1081.
Arduengo, P.M., Appleberry, O.K., Chuang, P. and L'Hernault, S.W. 1998. The presenilin protein
family member SPE-4 localizes to an ER/Golgi derived organelle and is required for proper
cytoplasmic partitioning during Caenorhabditis elegans spermatogenesis. J. Cell Sci. 111: 36453654.
Bui, Y.K. and Sternberg, P.W. 2002. Caenorhabditis elegans inositol 5-phosphatase homolog
negatively regulates inositol 1, 4, 5-triphosphate signaling in ovulation. Mol. Biol. Cell 13: 16411651.
Grant, B. and Hirsh, D. 1999. Receptor-mediated endocytosis in the Caenorhabditis
elegans oocyte. Mol .Biol. Cell. 10: 4311-4326.