| Worming His Way into a Cure |
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"We are using genetics to elucidate molecular mechanisms that underlie pioneer axon pathfinding in the developing nervous system of the nematode C. elegans. We have identified mutations in several genes that affect pioneer growth cone and mesodermal cell migrations. Mutants of unc-5 affect migrations in a dorsal direction on the epidermis (nematode neuroepithelium), unc-40 primarily affects migrations in a ventral direction, and unc-6 affects migrations in both directions. In these mutants, pioneer growth cone migrations still occur, but in the wrong orientation. unc-6, encodes a laminin-related path cue molecule, while unc-5 and unc-40, encode integral membrane proteins that presumably act as receptors on the surface of migrating cells which recognize and respond to the unc-6 encoded path cue molecule. Two vertebrate homologs of Unc-6 and unc-40, and several of unc-5 have recently been discovered to guide pioneer axons on the neuroepithelium of the spinal cord and brain."
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