Systematic identification of receptors required for nervous system development in C. elegans

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During the development of the brain neurons migrate to their proper locations and send out thin processes (axons and dendrites). Axons grow sometimes over long distances into target regions where they connect to other neurons forming neuronal networks. We are studying the molecular mechanism of neuronal migration and axonal pathfinding. Tools and resources available in C. elegans allow large-scale screening strategies to identify genes controlling developmental processes. In this proposal we plan to screen systematically putative receptors for a role in neuronal migration processes. We established a list of predominantly uncharacterized transmembrane proteins (possibly novel receptors), which are expressed in neurons during embryonic development. We plan to systematically screen available mutants in those genes to identify potentially novel receptors required for neuronal development. We anticipate that this will uncover a number of genes, which are important for the migration of neurons or axons towards their targets. The strong evolutionary conservation of many genes found in C. elegans ensures that our findings will be of general importance for the understanding of migration processes during brain development also in vertebrates including humans.