High impact information on mex-1

• In pie-1 mutants one additional posterior blastomere adopts an MS-like fate, and in mex-1 mutants four additional anterior blastomeres adopt an MS-like fate [1].
• Genetic and molecular analyses of several genes, including six par genes and the mex-1 and mes-1 genes, together with experimental embryological studies, have provided insights into mechanisms controlling polarity and spindle orientations during these cleavages [2].
• Mutations in the maternally expressed gene mex-1 disrupt the segregation of P granules, prevent the formation of germ cells, and cause inappropriate patterns of somatic cell differentiation [3].
• Here, a detailed cell lineage analysis of 9 mex-1 mutants reveals that the fates of all somatic founder cells are affected by mutations in this gene [4].

Anatomical context of mex-1

• The pie-1 and mex-1 genes and maternal control of blastomere identity in early C. elegans embryos [1].

References