Grant: Project Grant

We are interested in central nerve cord formation in the microscopic worm C. elegans. This model organism provides an excellent system to study the molecular and cellular mechanisms that drive nerve cord formation, a structure essential for coordinating movement and neural function. Newly hatched C. elegans have a ventral nerve cord (VNC) consisting of three distinct motor neuron classes, DD, DA, and DB, arranged along a tract that extends from head to tail. Our previous findings reveal that the mechanisms guiding VNC morphogenesis are strikingly similar to those driving neural tube formation in vertebrates. This similarity highlights C. elegans as a valuable model for studying shared mechanisms between its VNC and the vertebrate neural tube. Our research focuses on the stereotypical arrangement of neuronal cell bodies in the VNC. The DD, DA, and DB neurons display a highly consistent order, spacing, and precise positioning along the cord. Our goal is to uncover the mechanisms that drive the sorting and positioning mechanisms underlying this precise assembly. We anticipate identifying new genetic pathways and molecular mechanisms involved in central nerve cord formation, such as those the underlie cell sorting and pattern formation. In the long-term, our findings may help us better understand and prevent developmental disorders such as neural tube defects.