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

神经元通常有称为神经突起(轴突和树突)的投射，它们与邻近的神经元或其他细胞相连，通过称为突触的特殊细胞-细胞连接传递信号。有分支突起的神经元通常通过避开邻近神经元的突起以平铺的方式排列它们的突起，以最大限度地扩大覆盖范围，同时最大限度地减少与神经支配区域的重叠。瓦片存在于许多神经元中，包括脊椎动物和无脊椎动物的体感和视觉系统。尽管有观点认为，每类神经元都利用不同的机制来瓦解它们的神经突起，但人们对大多数系统中的瓦解机制知之甚少。关于神经元如何与邻近神经元相互作用的知识有限，很大程度上是因为缺乏系统地标记活动物中单个神经元的技术。因此，我们需要开发新的系统来研究神经元之间的相互作用，以充分了解神经模式形成的分子机制。

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.