Worm Breeder's Gazette 13(3): 97 (June 1, 1994)
These abstracts should not be cited in bibliographies. Material contained herein should be treated as personal communication and should be cited as such only with the consent of the author.
The development of the hermaphrodite vulva involves many previously characterized cell-cell interactions. One important interaction is between the anchor cell of the somatic gonad and the vulval precursor cells (VPCs). During the late L2 larval stage the anchor cell has been shown to necessary for the induction of the VPCs. Using Nomarski optics we have shown that during the L3 larval stage another cell interaction occurs between the anchor cell and the VPCs. After the second round of cell division of the P6 .pVPC (four cell stage) the anchor cell begins to invaginate between the two innermost granddaughters of P6 .p(P6.pap and P6 .ppa).This process occurs just prior to the invagination of these cells. Throughout the L3 larval stage the anchor cell remains positioned between these cells.
We have identified an egg-laying defective mutant, sy275 ,with an abnormal contact between the anchor cell and P6 .papand P6 .ppa.In this mutant the anchor cell fails to invaginate between the P6 .papand P6 .ppaand is often observe on top of the two cells. In addition to the anchor cell contact abnormality hermaphrodites have other slight defects. 1 ) The timing of the last round of cell divisions of the P6 .plineage is delayed. 2) In a small fraction of animals there is a third distal tip cell. As adults, the hermaphrodites are completely egg-laying defective and have a slightly protruding vulva. Using criteria outlined in Trent et al. (Genetics 104; 619-647) sy275 has no hermaphrodite specific neuron defect and behaves as a class A egg-laying defective mutant. sy275 is recessive and both males and hermaphrodites are mating competent.
Linkage analyses place sy275 on LGII. Three factor mapping indicates that sy275 is close to unc-52 on the right arm of LGII.