Genetic dissection of cell-cell interaction in neuronal patterning in C. elegans

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Neurons typically have projections called neurites (axons and dendrites), which are connected with neighboring neurons or other cells to pass signals via special cell-cell junction called synapses. Neurons with branched neurites often arrange their neurites in a tiled pattern by avoiding neurites of their neighboring neurons to maximize coverage while minimizing the overlap with which the territory is innervated. Tiling is observed in many neurons including the somatosensory and visual system of both vertebrates and invertebrates. Despite the notion that each class of neurons utilizes various mechanisms to tile their neurites, little is known about the tiling mechanisms in most systems. The limitation of knowledge on how neurons interact with their neighboring neurons is largely due to the lack of techniques to systematically label individual neurons in living animals. Therefore, we are in need of developing new systems to study inter-neuronal interactions to fully understand the molecular machineries of neural pattern formation.