Abstract
Robo receptors interact with ligands of the Slit family. The nematode C. elegans has one Robo receptor (SAX-3) and one Slit protein (SLT-1), which direct ventral axon guidance and guidance at the midline. In larvae, slt-1 expression in dorsal muscles repels axons to promote ventral guidance. SLT-1 acts through the SAX-3 receptor, in parallel with the ventral attractant UNC-6 (Netrin). Removing both UNC-6 and SLT-1 eliminates all ventral guidance information for some axons, revealing an underlying longitudinal guidance pathway. In the embryo, slt-1 is expressed at high levels in anterior epidermis. Embryonic expression of SLT-1 provides anterior-posterior guidance information to migrating CAN neurons. Surprisingly, slt-1 mutants do not exhibit the nerve ring and epithelial defects of sax-3 mutants, suggesting that SAX-3 has both Slit-dependent and Slit-independent functions in development.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Axons / physiology*
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Caenorhabditis elegans
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Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins*
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Cell Movement
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Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
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Green Fluorescent Proteins
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Helminth Proteins / genetics
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Helminth Proteins / metabolism
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Indicators and Reagents / metabolism
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Luminescent Proteins / genetics
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Muscles / innervation
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Muscles / physiology
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Mutagenesis / physiology
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Nerve Tissue Proteins / chemistry
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Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics*
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Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism*
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Netrins
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Neurons / physiology
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Neurons / ultrastructure
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Protein Structure, Tertiary
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Receptors, Immunologic / genetics*
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Receptors, Immunologic / metabolism*
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Roundabout Proteins
Substances
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Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
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Helminth Proteins
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Indicators and Reagents
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Luminescent Proteins
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Nerve Tissue Proteins
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Netrins
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Receptors, Immunologic
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UNC-6 protein, C elegans
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slt-1 protein, C elegans
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Green Fluorescent Proteins