RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Differential regulation of developmental stages supports a linear model for C. elegans postembryonic development JF bioRxiv FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory SP 2021.05.03.442510 DO 10.1101/2021.05.03.442510 A1 Alejandro Mata-Cabana A1 Francisco Javier Romero-Expósito A1 Mirjam Geibel A1 Francine Amaral Piubeli A1 Martha Merrow A1 María Olmedo YR 2021 UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2021/05/04/2021.05.03.442510.abstract AB The repetitive nature of C. elegans postembryonic development is considered an oscillatory process, a concept that has gained traction from regulation by a circadian clock gene homolog. Nevertheless, each larval stage has a defined duration and entails specific events. We have measured the duration of each stage of development for over 2,500 larvae, under varied environmental conditions known to alter overall developmental rate. Our results show that distinct developmental stages respond differently to environmental perturbations, including changes in temperature, in food quantity and quality, and amount of insulin signaling. Furthermore, our high-resolution measurement of the effect of temperature on the stage-specific duration of development has unveiled novel features of temperature dependence in C. elegans postembryonic development. Altogether, our results support a model of linear progression of C. elegans development, with the duration of each stage determined by a unique program.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.