Assessing the function of Caenorhabditis elegans Ror receptor tyrosine kinase CAM-1 in cell migration, cell polarity, and axon protrusion

Coordinated cell migrations are important in metazoan development, such as in human, mouse, Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans. Cell migrations are crucial for tissue repair, immune surveillance, inflammation, angiogenesis, arthritis, osteoporosis, and cancer metastasis. Therefore, exploring cell migration is both critical for understanding biology and human diseases. Many of the key molecules governing migration are conserved among species. Previous work from our lab defined CAM-1 as a key molecule that guides cell migration and functions in other developmental events such as asymmetric cell division.; This research concentrates on the role of the Ror-type receptor tyrosine kinase CAM-1 in C. elegans cell migration, cell polarity and axon protrusion. cam-1 was identified by screening for canal-associated neurons (CANs) migration-defective mutants. CANs are a cell type that migrates a long distance during C. elegans development. I have found that CAM-1 uses its cysteine rich domain (CRD) to regulate specific cell migrations, apparently by inhibiting a second signaling pathway. This function of CAM-1 does not require its kinase domain. In contrast, CAM-1 functions as a kinase to regulate neuronal polarity. This research highlights how a single protein can modulate diverse ways to regulate animal development.