DYF-4 regulates patched-related/DAF-6-mediated sensory compartment formation in C. elegans

Coordination of neurite extension with surrounding glia development is critical for neuronal function, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Through a genome-wide mutagenesis screen in C. elegans, we identified dyf-4 and daf-6 as two mutants sharing similar defects in dendrite extension. DAF-6 encodes a glia-specific patched-related membrane protein that plays vital roles in glial morphogenesis. We cloned dyf-4 and...