Ras effector switching promotes divergent cell fates in C. elegans vulval patterning. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • The C. elegans vulva is patterned by epidermal growth factor (EGF) activation of Ras to control 1 fate, and 1 fate induces antagonistic Notch-dependent 2 fate. Furthermore, a spatial EGF gradient, in addition to inducing 1 fate, directly contributes to 2 fate via an unknown pathway. We find that in addition to its canonical effector, Raf, vulval Ras utilizes an exchange factor for the Ral small GTPase (RalGEF), such that Ras-RalGEF-Ral antagonizes Ras-Raf pro-1 fate activity. Consistent with its restricted expression pattern, Ral participates in EGF pro-2 activity. Thus, we have delineated a Ras effector-switching mechanism whereby position within the morphogen gradient dictates that Ras effector usage is switched to RalGEF from Raf to promote 2 instead of 1 fate. Our observations define the utility of Ras effector switching during normal development and may provide a possible mechanistic basis for cell and cancer-type differences in effector dependency and activation.

published proceedings

  • Dev Cell

altmetric score

  • 1.25

author list (cited authors)

  • Zand, T. P., Reiner, D. J., & Der, C. J.

citation count

  • 56

complete list of authors

  • Zand, Tanya P||Reiner, David J||Der, Channing J

publication date

  • January 2011