Molting in C. elegans. Issue 1 (2nd January 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lažetić, Vladimir; Fay, David S.
• Is Part Of: Worm. Volume 6:Issue 1(2017)
• Publication Date: 2017-01-02
• Subjects: C. elegans -- cuticle -- extracellular matrix -- intracellular trafficking -- molting -- signaling; Caenorhabditis elegans -- Periodicals; 592.57
• DOI: 10.1080/21624054.2017.1330246
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2162-4046

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Molting is an essential developmental process for the majority of animal species on Earth. During the molting process, which is a specialized form of extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, the old apical ECM, or cuticle, is replaced with a new one. Many of the genes and pathways identified as important for molting in nematodes are highly conserved in vertebrates and include regulators and components of vesicular trafficking, steroid-hormone signaling, developmental timers, and hedgehog-like signaling. In this review, we discuss what is known about molting, with a focus on studies in Caenorhabditis elegans . We also describe the key structural elements of the cuticle that must be released, newly synthesized, or remodeled for proper molting to occur.