TGF beta-related pathways. Roles in Caenorhabditis elegans development.

Genetic and molecular analysis in Caenorhabditis elegans has produced new insights into how TGF beta-related pathways transduce signals and the developmental processes in which they function. These pathways are essential regulators of dauer formation, body-size determination, male copulatory structures and axonal guidance. Here, we review the insights that have come from standard molecular genetic experiments and discuss how the recently completed genome sequence has contributed to our understanding of these pathways.