UNC-6 and UNC-40 promote dendritic growth through PAR-4 in Caenorhabditis elegans neurons.

ABSTRACT: Axons navigating through the developing nervous system are instructed by external attractive and repulsive cues. Emerging evidence suggests the same cues control dendrite development, but it is not understood how they differentially instruct axons and dendrites. We studied a C. elegans motor neuron whose axon and dendrite adopt different trajectories and lengths. We found that the guidance cue UNC-6 (Netrin) is required for both axon and dendrite development. Its repulsive receptor UNC-5 repelled the axon from the ventral cell body, whereas the attractive receptor UNC-40 (DCC) was dendritically enriched and promotes antero-posterior dendritic growth. Although the endogenous ventrally secreted UNC-6 instructs axon guidance, dorsal or even membrane-tethered UNC-6 could support dendrite devel

SUBMITTER: Teichmann HM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3908881 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature