WormBase Tree Display for Analysis: Microarray_Study.WBPaper00041190.cre.mr
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| Microarray_Study.WBPaper00041190.cre.mr | DB_info | Database | GEO | GSE31422 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Title | Developmental milestones punctuate gene expression in the Caenorhabditis embryo | |||
| Description | The complex process by which a metazoan develops from a single cell to a multi-cellular differentiated organism is typically organized by biologists into stages. For example, in the chordate embryo, the gastrula, the neurula and the tail-bud constitute characteristic processes. A debate runs through the history of embryology questioning whether such stages hint at the modularity of embryonic development1-3, or rather, that stages exist in the mind of the biologist, and not in the larva4 or embryo. It thus remains unclear which position accurately reflects the nature of development on a molecular, gene regulatory level. Here we demonstrate that development of five Caenorhabditis species proceeds through multiple distinct stages in which the transcriptome is resistant to differences in species-specific developmental timings. By comparing the complete protein-coding transcriptomes of individually staged embryos across ten morphological markers, we found that time-invariant stages occur throughout development, including a stage we identify as the nematode phylotypic stage. Between such stages, embryos follow transitory states characterized by an acceleration of transcriptional activity. Therefore, on a molecular level, development cannot be viewed as a single process continuously proceeding through time, but rather as a succession of discontinuous stages, or milestones. Comparing the nematode developmental transcriptome with that of the chordate we report on the macro evolution of a milestone by duplication and diversification. This modular view of development by milestones will allow for a more complete understanding of how the functional organization of the embryo has influenced the evolution of animal morphology and diversity. | |||
| Category | developmental time course | |||
| Microarray_experiment (30) | ||||
| Species_in_analysis | Caenorhabditis remanei | |||
| Reference | WBPaper00041190 |
