EVA-1 Functions as an UNC-40 Co-receptor to Enhance Attraction to the MADD-4 Guidance Cue in Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract

We recently discovered a secreted and diffusible midline cue called MADD-4 (an ADAMTSL) that guides migrations along the dorsoventral axis of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We showed that the transmembrane receptor, UNC-40 (DCC), whose canonical ligand is the UNC-6 (netrin) guidance cue, is required for extension towards MADD-4. Here, we demonstrate that MADD-4 interacts with an EVA-1/UNC-40 co-receptor complex to attract cell extensions. EVA-1 is a conserved transmembrane protein with predicted galactose-binding lectin domains. EVA-1 functions in the same pathway as MADD-4, physically interacts with both MADD-4 and UNC-40, and enhances UNC-40's sensitivity to the MADD-4 cue. This enhancement is especially important in the presence of UNC-6. In EVA-1's absence, UNC-6 interferes with UNC-40's responsiveness to MADD-4; in UNC-6's absence, UNC-40's responsiveness to MADD-4 is less dependent on EVA-1. By enabling UNC-40 to respond to MADD-4 in the presence of UNC-6, EVA-1 may increase the precision by which UNC-40-directed processes can reach their MADD-4-expressing targets within a field of the UNC-6 guidance cue.

Author Summary

During animal development, cells and cell extensions migrate along stereotypical paths to their target destination by interacting with guidance cues in their environment. The guidance receptors on the surface of these cells can each interact with several different cues, and many of the cues can each interact with multiple receptors. How a migrating cell can reach its target amid this apparent receptor-cue promiscuity is poorly understood. Here, we extend our earlier investigation of how the UNC-40 receptor, which is known to interact with the UNC-6 guidance cue, mediates attraction towards the MADD-4 guidance cue. We show that another transmembrane protein called EVA-1 increases the sensitivity of UNC-40 to MADD-4. This increase in sensitivity allows UNC-40 to respond to MADD-4 in the presence of UNC-6. Without EVA-1, UNC-6 dominates UNC-40 function and restricts its response to MADD-4. Hence, the presence of EVA-1 acts like a switch to change UNC-40's sensitivity from UNC-6 to MADD-4, and in turn allows UNC-40-expressing cells to migrate towards the source of MADD-4 within a field of the UNC-6 guidance cue.