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Coupling of growth rate and developmental tempo reduces body size heterogeneity in C. elegans

Author

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  • Klement Stojanovski

    (University of Bern)

  • Helge Großhans

    (Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI)
    University of Basel)

  • Benjamin D. Towbin

    (University of Bern
    Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI))

Abstract

Animals increase by orders of magnitude in volume during development. Therefore, small variations in growth rates among individuals could amplify to a large heterogeneity in size. By live imaging of C. elegans, we show that amplification of size heterogeneity is prevented by an inverse coupling of the volume growth rate to the duration of larval stages and does not involve strict size thresholds for larval moulting. We perturb this coupling by changing the developmental tempo through manipulation of a transcriptional oscillator that controls the duration of larval development. As predicted by a mathematical model, this perturbation alters the body volume. Model analysis shows that an inverse relation between the period length and the growth rate is an intrinsic property of genetic oscillators and can occur independently of additional complex regulation. This property of genetic oscillators suggests a parsimonious mechanism that counteracts the amplification of size differences among individuals during development.

Suggested Citation

  • Klement Stojanovski & Helge Großhans & Benjamin D. Towbin, 2022. "Coupling of growth rate and developmental tempo reduces body size heterogeneity in C. elegans," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-29720-8
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29720-8
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    1. Klement Stojanovski & Ioana Gheorghe & Peter Lenart & Anne Lanjuin & William B. Mair & Benjamin D. Towbin, 2023. "Maintenance of appropriate size scaling of the C. elegans pharynx by YAP-1," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.

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