EPIGENETICS AND THE MAINTENANCE OF GENE ACTIVITY STATES IN CAENORHABDITIS-ELEGANS

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has been the subject of many detai led investigations in developmental biology. Molecular analyses have f ailed to detect covalent alterations to DNA, such as methylation or re arrangement, during development of C. elegans. Genetic experiments ind icate that imprinting of gamete genomes does not occur to any signific ant extent. The maintenance of gene activity states in this organism m ay depend predominantly on regulatory gene circuitry. Some possible ex amples of maintenance circuits are discussed, (C) 1994 Wley-Liss, Inc.