C. elegans CEH-43/DLX drives convergent astrocyte differentiation by sequential control of axon guidance and synaptic gene expression programs.

CEH-43/DLX drives convergent astrocyte-like glia differentiation in C. elegans by regulating axon guidance and synaptic gene expression programs.

• Why it matters: Understanding how diverse radial glia transform into functionally similar astrocytes is crucial for insights into brain development and evolution. The molecular mechanisms behind this convergence remain unclear, limiting knowledge of glial cell identity and function.
• What they did: Using lineage-restricted single-cell RNA sequencing, researchers characterized the transcriptional program of CEPsh glia development in C. elegans, focusing on the role of the transcription factor CEH-43 during two developmental phases.
• The result: CEH-43 directly controls genes involved in axon guidance and mature glial functions, revealing conserved molecular features with mammalian astrocytes, including DLX1 expression, and suggesting evolutionarily conserved mechanisms of astrocyte development.