Morphogenesis

Epithelial invagination is involved in many cases of morphogenesis during animal development. We are analyzing the epithelial invagination that occurs during C. elegans vulval development. We have identified eight genes required for this process and have determined that these genes encode proteins involved in the biosynthesis of the glycosaminoglycan chondroitin. Our findings indicate that chondroitin is crucial for both early embryogenesis and vulval morphogenesis and that chondroitin probably acts to facilitate changes in cell shape by attaching to the extracellular matrix and driving the formation of fluid-filled extracellular spaces.