Cell Identification and Cell Lineage Analysis - Caenorhabditis Elegans: Molecular Genetics and Development - page 321

CHAPTER 12
Cell Identification and Cell Lineage
Analysis
Claudiu A. Giurumescu and Andrew D. Chisholm
Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California,
San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
Abstract
I. Introduction
II. Rationale
A. Analysis of Mutant Phenotypes
B. Cell Division Pattern as the Focus of Interest
C. Cellular Patterns of Gene Expression
D. Cell Killing by Laser Ablation
E. Genetic Mosaic Analysis
F. Comparative Developmental Biology
III. Resources
IV. Nomenclature and Conventions
V. Cell Identification and Lineage Analysis
A. Embryonic Cell Identification and Lineage Analysis
B. Postembryonic Cell Identification and Lineage Analysis
VI. Materials, Methods, and Protocols
A. Protocol 1: Analysis of Embryonic Cell Lineages
B. Protocol 2: Post-Embryonic Cell-Lineage Analysis
VII. Discussion
Acknowledgments
References
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans is uniquely suited to the analysis of cell lineage pat-
terns. C. elegans has a small number of somatic cells whose position and mor-
phology are almost invariant from animal to animal. Because C. elegans is
virtually transparent, cells can be identified in live animals using a simple
bright-field microscopy technique, Nomarski differential interference contrast