Cell lineage

Dr. Brenner chose this organism due to its transparent body, quick reproduction, ease of access, and small size which made it ideal for following cell lineage under a microscope.

By 1976, Dr. Brenner and his associate, Dr. John Sulston, had identified part of the cell lineage in the developing nervous system of C. elegans.

They later received the 2002 Nobel prize for their work in genetic regulation of organ development and programmed cell death.

He found that some groups, such as nematode worms and ascidians form a pattern of cell division which is identical between individuals and invariable.

[9] Perhaps the most popular method of cell fate mapping in the genetic era is through site-specific recombination mediated by the Cre-Lox or FLP-FRT systems.

[11] Furthermore, some fluorescent reporters have such an extremely low recombination threshold that they may label cell populations at undesired time-points in the absence of induction.

Somatic mutations that arise directly after the formation of the zygote, as well as later in development, can be used as markers to trace cell lineages throughout the body.

In addition, normal development may result in unequal characteristics of symmetrical organs, such as between the left and right frontal and occipital cerebral cortex.