Janine Pearl G.

Villaflor
Embryology Lecture
Fertilization and Cleavage of C. elegans
FERTILIZATION
Fertilization is process of combining the male gamete (sperm) with the female
gamete (ovum) and the product is a diploid ovum. It is the central molecular
process of sexual reproduction. The male-derived sperm are introduced to the
hermaphrodite reproductive tract through the uterus during copulation. Immature
sperm or spermatids are stored in the seminal vesicle of males and undergo
spermiogenesis as they are ejaculated into the hermaphrodite. The sperm is
amoeboid, they do not have flagellum or acrosome.
The site of sperm entry specifies the future posterior end of the embryo. An early
sign of this is the appearance of a smooth posterior cortical region, while the
remainder of the egg cortex becomes ruffled.

Primary oocytes are fertilized before the first meiotic division

Major sperm protein (MSP) initiates maturation of the egg

Fertilization occurs in spermatheca

Centriole and Microtubule Organizing Center (MTOCs) comes from the sperm,
while cytoplasm comes from the egg

CLEAVAGE

Rotational holoblastic cleavage

Asymmetrical and asynchronous division- caused by polarization

P-granules: posterior end of the cell

o

P cell: cell that contains the P-granules

Founder cells: AB, MS, E, C and D

Stem cells: P1-P4 lineage

Stem cell lineage: divides transversely

o
o

Anterior founder cell

Posterior cell that will continue the stem cell lineage

Naming:
o ABa: anterior daughter cell of AB cell
o

ABal: left hand daughter cell of the anterior daughter cell of AB cell

One-cell stage
Decision as to which end will become the anterior and which the
posterior will depend on the position of the sperm pronucleus.
Centriole with the sperm pronucleus initiates cytoplasmic movements
that push the male pronucleus to posterior pole
A second anterior-posterior asymmetry seen shortly after fertilization is
the migration of the P-granules.
o P-granules are ribonucleoprotein complexes that probably
function in specifying the germ cells.
Two-Cell Stage

Occurs after the pronuclei have fused

Zygote (P0) divides
o Anterior AB cell
o Posterior P1 cell

RNA-rich P-granules are concentrated at the P1 cell

Four-Cell Stage
The AB cell is divided into anterior (ABa) and posterior (ABp) cells
o ABa - gives rise to neurons, hypodermis, and anterior pharynx cells
o ABp - gives rise to neurons and hypodermal cells only
P1 undergoes an asymmetric division that yields the EMS cell and P2 cell
The ABp cell slides over the EMS cell which is result of division of P1 cell.

ABp cell becomes the dorsal part and EMS becomes the ventral part.

8-Cell Stage

The ABa cell further divides into ABal and ABar cells which represent the left
and right side respectively.

The ABp cell divides into ABpr and ABpl cells

After the ABa and ABp cells divide, EMS divides asymmetrically to produce E
and MS
o

E - precursor of all intestinal tissue

MS - major muscular precursor

P2 divides asymmetrically to produce C and P3

o C - a muscle and hypodermis precursor
P3 divides asymmetrically to produce D and P4
o D - a muscle precursor
P4 - the germ-line precursor -the germ-line precursor

References
Gilbert, S. (2000). Developmental Biology (6th ed.). Sunderland: Sinauer Associates.
Gnczy, P. & Rose, L.S. (2005). Assymetric cell division and axis formation in the
embryo. Wormbook. doi/10.1895/wormbook.1.30.1
Riddle, D. L., Blumenthal, T., & Meyer, B. J. (1997). C. elegans II (2nd ed.). Cold
Spring Harbor, New York: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.
Slack, J.M.W. (2013). Essential developmental biology (3rd ed.). Oxford: Blackwell
Publishing Ltd.
Ward, S., Korman, G., & Carrel, J. (n.d.). Fertilization in C. elegans. Worm Breeders'
Gazette, 2(2).