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The UNC-6/netrin pathway plays an important role in cell migration and axon guidance. Ventral sources of UNC-6 guide axons from the ventral to dorsal surface by activating the repulsive UNC-5 receptor and UNC-40 co-receptor, and from dorsal to ventral by activating the attractive UNC-40 receptor. In C. elegans, UNC-129 is a TGF-beta family member expressed in dorsal body wall muscles and is thought to promote the interaction between UNC-5 and UNC-40 for long range repulsion away from ventral sources of UNC-6, while inhibiting UNC-5-alone function. The promotion of UNC-5+UNC-40 signaling could act to increase sensitivity where the UNC-6/netrin concentration is relatively low away from its source. unc-130 encodes a transcription factor that represses expression of unc-129 ventrally. In an unc-130(ev505) mutant, UNC-129 is ectopically expressed, effectively abolishing the gradient of UNC-129 causing migration and axon guidance defects. This project aims to provide better understanding of the UNC-129 pathway by 1) investigating potential UNC-129 receptors and 2) characterizing suppressors of ectopic UNC-129 function. PUR-7 is a candidate UNC-129 receptor discovered in silico that shares similarity to the extracellular domain of canonical TGF-beta receptors. A deletion of genomic DNA that deletes pur-7 and part of the neighbouring srd-4 gene enhances the distal tip cell migration and axon guidance defects of a hypomorphic unc-5 allele, and enhances the migration defects of the unc-130 mutant. Efforts to disentangle the genetic interaction of pur-7 from srd-4 were unfortunately not fruitful. The sup7-2 mutant suppresses distal tip cell migration defects in the unc-130(ev505) mutant, suggesting a role in the UNC-129 pathway. Using mapping and bioinformatical analysis, sup7-2 was located to a genomic region between 5-6 Mb on chromosome X. There are mutations in five candidate genes in this region: ifa-4, tbc-7, gakh-1, actl-1 and C03B1.1. RNAi knockdown of gakh-1 and tbc-7 have an effect on unc-130(ev505) DTC migration defects. Injection of fosmids containing tbc-7 rescue the suppression by sup7-2. Although tbc-7 is likely the sup-7-2 gene, both candidates have an effect on DTC migration and are of interest for future study.
Migrating cells and axonal growth cones require directional information in order to guide them to their destinations. Although many molecules that help guide migrations have now been isolated, many aspects of the guidance of cellular migrations remain to be elucidated. In particular, many extracellular ligands and their respective receptors have been shown to provide cues that direct migrations. However, little is known about the control of expression of these cues or intracellular signaling events downstream of their receptors. It is also likely that other guidance cues remain undiscovered. In order to better understand the mechanisms that govern the guidance of migrating cells and axonal growth cones, I have taken a genetic approach, cloning a gene whose disruption causes phenotypes similar to those caused by mutations in genes known to affect guidance. I have cloned and characterized ' unc-130', which encodes a Forkhead transcription factor required for the guidance of dorso-ventral migrations in 'C. elegans'. The predominant role of 'unc-130' in guidance is to repress transcription of 'unc-129' cell-autonomously in ventral muscle. This, in turn, allows 'unc-129' to perform its normal functions in guidance (Colavita, et al, 1998). In addition to a role in guidance, 'unc-130 ' is also required during embryogenesis and male tail ray morphogenesis, where the phenotypes of 'unc-130' mutants suggest a role in specifying the fates of sister cells at several points within the male tail ray lineage. Genetic interactions between 'unc-130' and other genes confirm that several partially redundant genetic pathways cooperate in order to guide the migration of distal tip cells (DTCs) and axonal growth cones in 'C. elegans'. This helps to explain how the guidance of cellular movements can be highly reproducible. In addition, genetic tests confirm that 'unc-129', which encodes a TGF-ß ligand, does not act via the known conventional type II TGF-ß receptor in ' C. elegans' (Colavita, et al., 1998). Finally, the finding that mutations in 'unc-129' partially suppress the DTC migration defects seen in 'unc-130' mutant backgrounds provides the basis for a screen to identify genes that act in the 'unc-129' pathway. This screen may help determine how 'unc-129' function is mediated.