Neuronal polarity in C. elegans

Neuronal polarity sets the foundation for information processing and signal transmission within neural networks. However, fundamental question of how a neuron develops and maintains structurally and functionally distinct processes, axons and dendrites, is still an unclear. The simplicity and availability of practical genetic tools makes C. elegans as an ideal model to study neuronal polarity in vivo. In recent years, new studies have identified critical polarity molecules that function at different stages of neuronal polarization in C. elegans. This review focuses on how neurons guided by extrinsic cues, break symmetry, and subsequently recruit intracellular molecules to establish and maintain axon-dendrite polarity in vivo.