EFN-4 functions in LAD-2-mediated axon guidance in Caenorhabditis elegans

Bingyun Dong; Melinda Moseley-Alldredge; Alicia A. Schwieterman; Cory J. Donelson; Jonathan L. McMurry; Martin L. Hudson; Lihsia Chen

doi:10.1242/dev.128934

EFN-4 functions in LAD-2-mediated axon guidance in Caenorhabditis elegans

Bingyun Dong, Melinda Moseley-Alldredge, Alicia A. Schwieterman, Cory J. Donelson, Jonathan L. McMurry, Martin L. Hudson, Lihsia Chen

Genetics, Cell Biology and Development (TMED)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

During development of the nervous system, growing axons rely on guidance molecules to direct axon pathfinding. A well-characterized family of guidance molecules are the membrane-associated ephrins, which together with their cognate Eph receptors, direct axon navigation in a contact-mediated fashion. In C. elegans, the ephrin-Eph signaling system is conserved and is best characterized for their roles in neuroblast migration during early embryogenesis. This study demonstrates a role for the C. elegans ephrin EFN-4 in axon guidance. We provide both genetic and biochemical evidence that is consistent with the C. elegans divergent L1 cell adhesion molecule LAD-2 acting as a non-canonical ephrin receptor to EFN-4 to promote axon guidance. We also show that EFN-4 probably functions as a diffusible factor because EFN-4 engineered to be soluble can promote LAD-2-mediated axon guidance. This study thus reveals a potential additional mechanism for ephrins in regulating axon guidance and expands the repertoire of receptors by which ephrins can signal.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1182-1191
Number of pages	10
Journal	Development (Cambridge)
Volume	143
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1242/dev.128934
State	Published - Apr 1 2016

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work is supported in part by Kennesaw State University’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning and the Office of the Vice President for Research to M.L.H. and by the National Institutes of Health [R15 GM080701 to J.M. and RO1 NS045873 to L.C.]. Deposited in PMC for release after 12 months.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2016, Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Keywords

Axon guidance
C. elegans
Ephrin
L1CAM

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title = "EFN-4 functions in LAD-2-mediated axon guidance in Caenorhabditis elegans",

abstract = "During development of the nervous system, growing axons rely on guidance molecules to direct axon pathfinding. A well-characterized family of guidance molecules are the membrane-associated ephrins, which together with their cognate Eph receptors, direct axon navigation in a contact-mediated fashion. In C. elegans, the ephrin-Eph signaling system is conserved and is best characterized for their roles in neuroblast migration during early embryogenesis. This study demonstrates a role for the C. elegans ephrin EFN-4 in axon guidance. We provide both genetic and biochemical evidence that is consistent with the C. elegans divergent L1 cell adhesion molecule LAD-2 acting as a non-canonical ephrin receptor to EFN-4 to promote axon guidance. We also show that EFN-4 probably functions as a diffusible factor because EFN-4 engineered to be soluble can promote LAD-2-mediated axon guidance. This study thus reveals a potential additional mechanism for ephrins in regulating axon guidance and expands the repertoire of receptors by which ephrins can signal.",

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author = "Bingyun Dong and Melinda Moseley-Alldredge and Schwieterman, {Alicia A.} and Donelson, {Cory J.} and McMurry, {Jonathan L.} and Hudson, {Martin L.} and Lihsia Chen",

note = "Funding Information: This work is supported in part by Kennesaw State University{\textquoteright}s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning and the Office of the Vice President for Research to M.L.H. and by the National Institutes of Health [R15 GM080701 to J.M. and RO1 NS045873 to L.C.]. Deposited in PMC for release after 12 months. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016, Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.",

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AU - Hudson, Martin L.

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N2 - During development of the nervous system, growing axons rely on guidance molecules to direct axon pathfinding. A well-characterized family of guidance molecules are the membrane-associated ephrins, which together with their cognate Eph receptors, direct axon navigation in a contact-mediated fashion. In C. elegans, the ephrin-Eph signaling system is conserved and is best characterized for their roles in neuroblast migration during early embryogenesis. This study demonstrates a role for the C. elegans ephrin EFN-4 in axon guidance. We provide both genetic and biochemical evidence that is consistent with the C. elegans divergent L1 cell adhesion molecule LAD-2 acting as a non-canonical ephrin receptor to EFN-4 to promote axon guidance. We also show that EFN-4 probably functions as a diffusible factor because EFN-4 engineered to be soluble can promote LAD-2-mediated axon guidance. This study thus reveals a potential additional mechanism for ephrins in regulating axon guidance and expands the repertoire of receptors by which ephrins can signal.

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EFN-4 functions in LAD-2-mediated axon guidance in Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract

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