The proprotein convertase KPC-1/furin controls branching and self-avoidance of sensory dendrites in Caenorhabditis elegans.

ABSTRACT: Animals sample their environment through sensory neurons with often elaborately branched endings named dendritic arbors. In a genetic screen for genes involved in the development of the highly arborized somatosensory PVD neuron in C. elegans, we have identified mutations in kpc-1, which encodes the homolog of the proprotein convertase furin. We show that kpc-1/furin is necessary to promote the formation of higher order dendritic branches in PVD and to ensure self-avoidance of sister branches, but is likely not required during maintenance of dendritic arbors. A reporter for kpc-1/furin is expressed in neurons (including PVD) and kpc-1/furin can function cell-autonomously in PVD neurons to control patterning of dendritic arbors. Moreover, we show that kpc-1/furin also regulates the developme

SUBMITTER: Salzberg Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4169376 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature