Semaphorin signaling restricts neuronal regeneration in C. elegans

TY - JOUR

T1 - Semaphorin signaling restricts neuronal regeneration in C. elegans

AU - Harreguy, Maria B.

AU - Tanvir, Zainab

AU - Shah, Esha

AU - Simprevil, Blandine

AU - Tran, Tracy S.

AU - Haspel, Gal

N1 - Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2022 Harreguy, Tanvir, Shah, Simprevil, Tran and Haspel.

PY - 2022/10/17

Y1 - 2022/10/17

N2 - Extracellular signaling proteins serve as neuronal growth cone guidance molecules during development and are well positioned to be involved in neuronal regeneration and recovery from injury. Semaphorins and their receptors, the plexins, are a family of conserved proteins involved in development that, in the nervous system, are axonal guidance cues mediating axon pathfinding and synapse formation. The Caenorhabditis elegans genome encodes for three semaphorins and two plexin receptors: the transmembrane semaphorins, SMP-1 and SMP-2, signal through their receptor, PLX-1, while the secreted semaphorin, MAB-20, signals through PLX-2. Here, we evaluate the locomotion behavior of knockout animals missing each of the semaphorins and plexins and the neuronal morphology of plexin knockout animals; we described the cellular expression pattern of the promoters of all plexins in the nervous system of C. elegans; and we evaluated their effect on the regrowth and reconnection of motoneuron neurites and the recovery of locomotion behavior following precise laser microsurgery. Regrowth and reconnection were more prevalent in the absence of each plexin, while recovery of locomotion surpassed regeneration in all genotypes.

AB - Extracellular signaling proteins serve as neuronal growth cone guidance molecules during development and are well positioned to be involved in neuronal regeneration and recovery from injury. Semaphorins and their receptors, the plexins, are a family of conserved proteins involved in development that, in the nervous system, are axonal guidance cues mediating axon pathfinding and synapse formation. The Caenorhabditis elegans genome encodes for three semaphorins and two plexin receptors: the transmembrane semaphorins, SMP-1 and SMP-2, signal through their receptor, PLX-1, while the secreted semaphorin, MAB-20, signals through PLX-2. Here, we evaluate the locomotion behavior of knockout animals missing each of the semaphorins and plexins and the neuronal morphology of plexin knockout animals; we described the cellular expression pattern of the promoters of all plexins in the nervous system of C. elegans; and we evaluated their effect on the regrowth and reconnection of motoneuron neurites and the recovery of locomotion behavior following precise laser microsurgery. Regrowth and reconnection were more prevalent in the absence of each plexin, while recovery of locomotion surpassed regeneration in all genotypes.

KW - C. elegans

KW - laser microsurgery

KW - locomotion

KW - neuroregeneration

KW - plexins

KW - regeneration

KW - semaphorins

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85140953206&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85140953206&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3389/fcell.2022.814160

DO - 10.3389/fcell.2022.814160

M3 - Article

SN - 2296-634X

VL - 10

JO - Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology

JF - Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology

M1 - 814160

ER -