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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2025.02.24.639896

MIG-21 is a novel regulator of Wnt and Netrin signaling in gonad migration identified from published scRNA-seq data and functionally validated in C. elegans

Li, X.·Gordon, K. L.
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Abstract

Using a recently published scRNA-seq dataset of adult C. elegans hermaphrodites, we identified a previously unknown regulator of the germ line stem cell niche (the distal tip cell, or DTC). The gene mig-21 has the highest "marker score"-yet no known role-in the DTC. Using classical genetics techniques, RNAi knockdown, and live cell imaging, we discovered that mig-21 integrates information from the Wnt and Netrin pathways to guide anteroposterior and dorsoventral DTC migration. Our study demonstrates the utility of scRNA-seq datasets in revealing testable hypotheses about genetic networks that were masked by redundancy in traditional screening methods.

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Li, X., Gordon, K. L.. 2025-02-25. MIG-21 is a novel regulator of Wnt and Netrin signaling in gonad migration identified from published scRNA-seq data and functionally validated in C. elegans. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.02.24.639896

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