Avery L, Horvitz H R
Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139.
Cell. 1987 Dec 24;51(6):1071-8. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(87)90593-9.
Mutations in the C. elegans gene ced-3 prevent almost all programmed cell deaths, so that in a ced-3 mutant there are many extra cells. We show that the pharyngeal neuron M4 is essential for feeding in wild-type worms, but in a ced-3 mutant, one of the extra cells, probably MSpaaaaap (the sister of M4), can sometimes take over M4's function. The function of MSpaaaaap, unlike that of M4, is variable and subnormal. One possible explanation is that its fate, being hidden by death and not subject to selection, has drifted randomly during evolution. We suggest that such cells may play roles in the evolution of cell lineage analogous to those played by pseudogenes in the evolution of genomes.
秀丽隐杆线虫基因ced-3的突变几乎阻止了所有程序性细胞死亡,因此在ced-3突变体中有许多额外的细胞。我们发现,咽部神经元M4对野生型线虫的进食至关重要,但在ced-3突变体中,其中一个额外的细胞,可能是MSpaaaaap(M4的姐妹细胞),有时可以接管M4的功能。与M4不同,MSpaaaaap的功能是可变的且低于正常水平。一种可能的解释是,它的命运因死亡而被隐藏且未受到选择,在进化过程中随机漂移。我们认为,这类细胞可能在细胞谱系的进化中发挥作用,类似于假基因在基因组进化中所起的作用。