Wnt ligands regulate the asymmetric divisions of neuronal progenitors in C. elegans embryos

Abstract

Wnt/β-catenin signaling has been implicated in the terminal asymmetric divisions of neuronal progenitors in vertebrates and invertebrates. However, the role of Wnt ligands in this process remains poorly characterized. Here we used the terminal divisions of the embryonic neuronal progenitors in C. elegans to characterize the role of Wnt ligands during this process focusing on a lineage that produces the cholinergic interneuron AIY. We observed that during interphase the neuronal progenitor is elongated along the anteroposterior axis, then divides along its major axis, generating an anterior and a posterior daughter with different fates. Using time-controlled perturbations, we show that three Wnt ligands, which are transcribed at higher levels at the posterior of the embryo, regulate the orientation of the neuronal progenitor and its asymmetric division. We also identified a role for a Wnt receptor (MOM-5) and a cortical transducer APC (APR-1), which are respectively enriched at the posterior and anterior poles of the neuronal progenitor. Our study establishes a role for Wnt ligands in the regulation of the shape and terminal asymmetric divisions of neuronal progenitors, and identifies downstream components.