The spectrin-based membrane skeleton is asymmetric and remodels during neural development in C. elegans

• DOI: 10.1242/jcs.248583
• Publication Date: 2020-07-03T20:35:22Z
• Authors: Ru Jia; Yongping Chai; Chao Xie; Gai Liu; Zhiwen Zhu; Kaiyao Huang; Wei Li; Guangshuo Ou
• Keywords: EPB41; Ankyrin

Perturbation of spectrin-based membrane mechanics causes hereditary elliptocytosis and spinocerebellar ataxia, but the underlying cellular basis pathogenesis remains unclear. Here, we introduced conserved disease-associated spectrin mutations into Caenorhabditis elegans genome studied contribution to neuronal migration dendrite formation in developing larvae. The loss resulted ectopic actin polymerization outside existing front secondary protrusions, leading defective positioning morphology adult animals. Spectrin accumulated lateral region rear migrating neuroblasts redistributes from soma newly formed dendrites, indicating that skeleton is asymmetric remodels regulate assembly cell shape during development. We affinity-purified C. showed its binding partner ankyrin functions with spectrin. Asymmetry remodeling might enable spatiotemporal modulation for distinct developmental events.