mls-2 and vab-3 Control glia development, hlh-17/Olig expression and glia-dependent neurite extension in C. elegans.
Glia are essential components of nervous systems. However, genetic programs promoting glia development and regulating glia-neuron interactions have not been extensively explored. Here we describe transcriptional programs required for development and function of the C. elegans cephalic sheath (CEPsh) glia. We demonstrate ventral- and dorsal-restricted roles for the mls-2/Nkx/Hmx and vab-3/Pax6/Pax7 genes, respectively, in CEPsh glia differentiation and expression of the genes hlh-17/Olig and ptr-10/Patched-related. Using mls-2 and vab-3 mutants, as well as CEPsh glia-ablated animals, we show that CEPsh glia are important for sensory dendrite extension, axon guidance/branching within the nerve ring, and nerve ring assembly. We demonstrate that UNC-6/Netrin, expressed in ventral CEPsh glia, mediates glia-dependent axon guidance. Our results suggest possible similarities between CEPsh glia development and oligodendrocyte development in vertebrates, and demonstrate that C. elegans provides a unique environment for studying glial functions in vivo.
Yoshimura
Satoshi
S
The Rockefeller University, Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
Murray
John I
JI
Lu
Yun
Y
Waterston
Robert H
RH
Shaham
Shai
S
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000075385:Netrins; D016501:Neurites; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; D010802:Phylogeny; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C504333:HLH-17 protein, C elegans; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C508613:MLS-2 protein, C elegans; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D000075385:Netrins; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors; C078146:UNC-6 protein, C elegans; C095405:vab-3 protein, C elegans