Elsevier

Developmental Biology

Volume 194, Issue 1, 1 February 1998, Pages 72-85
Developmental Biology

Regular Article
Suppressors of Ectopic UNC-5 Growth Cone Steering Identify Eight Genes Involved in Axon Guidance inCaenorhabditis elegans

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Abstract

The UNC-5 guidance receptor, in response to the UNC-6/netrin path cue, orients growing axons in a dorsal direction along the epidermis ofCaenorhabditis elegans.When ectopically expressed in the touch neurons, which normally extend ventrally or longitudinally, UNC-5 is able to reorient their axons toward the dorsal side in an UNC-6-dependent manner. This forms the basis of a genetic screen to identify other mutations that, likeunc-6mutations, suppressunc-5-induced growth cone guidance. These mutations may identify new components required for pioneer axon guidance byunc-5.In this paper, we describe eight genes that are required for ectopicunc-5-induced growth cone steering. Mutations in four of these identify the previously known axon guidance genesunc-6, unc-40, unc-34,andunc-44and mutations in four others identify the novel genesunc-129, seu-1, seu-2,andseu-3.Several of these mutations cause axon guidance defects similar to those found inunc-5mutants. We propose that some or all of these genes may function in a developmentally importantunc-5signaling pathway.

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H. F. EpsteinD. C. Shakes

1

To whom correspondence should be addressed at Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mt. Sinai Hospital, 600 University Ave., Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1X5. Fax: 416-586-8588. E-mail:[email protected].