BIO 448
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF
DIFFERENTIATION
Nuclear totipotens
• a differentiated cell “dedifferentiates =
wrongly differentiates uncontrollably” and divides, as with most cancers formed as
tumor.
Genes are differentially expressed in cell differentiation
selector (selective) genes
The Role of Cytoplasmic Separation in Cell Identification
• Cytoplasmic Separation
• Induction
Eggs, Zygotes and Embryos Develop with Poles
• Polarity; one end different from another is evident in development.
• In some animals, the original polar distribution of materials in the egg's cytoplasm varies as a result of fertilization.
Cytoplasmic determinants
• To manage embryonic development of uneven distribution of materials in egg cytoplasm
• Exp: C. elegans
Induction
• The fate of some tissues is determined by
their interaction with other specific tissues in the embryo.
• Tissues manage the development of their neighbors by secreting inducers
• Ex: Signals in the vertebrate eye
Induction
• Even single cells can alert changes to their neighbors
• Ex. Anchor cell and vulva formation