title: Transmembrane protein MIG-13 links the Wnt signaling and Hox genes to the cell polarity in neuronal migration.
abstract: Directional cell migration is a fundamental process in neural development. In Caenorhabditis elegans, Q neuroblasts on the left (QL) and right (QR) sides of the animal generate cells that migrate in opposite directions along the anteroposterior body axis. The homeobox (Hox) gene lin-39 promotes the anterior migration of QR descendants (QR.x), whereas the canonical Wnt signaling pathway activates another Hox gene, mab-5, to ensure the QL descendants' (QL.x) posterior migration. However, the regulatory targets of LIN-39 and MAB-5 remain elusive. Here, we showed that MIG-13, an evolutionarily conserved transmembrane protein, cell-autonomously regulates the asymmetric distribution of the actin cytoskeleton in the leading migratory edge. We identified mig-13 as a cellular target of LIN-39 and MAB-5. LIN-39 establishes QR.x anterior polarity by binding to the mig-13 promoter and promoting mig-13 expression, whereas MAB-5 inhibits QL.x anterior polarity by associating with the lin-39 promoter and downregulating lin-39 and mig-13 expression. Thus, MIG-13 links the Wnt signaling and Hox genes that guide migrations, to the actin cytoskeleton, which executes the motility response in neuronal migration.
authors.affiliation: National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
authors.forename: Xiangming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Fanli
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Sijing
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Peishan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Zhiwen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Yihong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Guoxin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Guangshuo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ou
mesh_terms: D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D016764:Cell Polarity / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D017238:Genes, Helminth; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C120452:MIG-13 protein, Caenorhabditis elegans; C081538:Mab-5 protein, C elegans; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C108673:lin-39 protein, C elegans