Abstract 1406 Analyzing Neuron Direct Reprogramming Ability in Caenorhabditis elegans

The direct reprogramming of one committed post-mitotic cell type into another is known as transdifferentiation (Td). With the applications of the Td mechanisms and the discovery of more tissues that can undergo Td, this direct reprogramming can lead to organ regeneration. In the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), the expression of elt-7, a transcription factor, promotes endoderm development through a molecular pathway largely conserved from nematodes to humans. The ectopic expression of this gene is capable of converting differentiated cells of two organs, the pharynx and somatic gonads, into cells with gene expression patterns and ultrastructural characteristics of normal gut cells.