MIG-21 is a novel regulator of Wnt and Netrin signaling in gonad migration identified from published scRNA-seq data and functionally validated in C. elegans

Using a recently published scRNA-seq dataset of adult C. elegans hermaphrodites, we identified a previously unknown regulator of the germ line stem cell niche (the distal tip cell, or DTC). The gene mig-21 has the highest "marker score"-yet no known role-in the DTC. Using classical genetics techniques, RNAi knockdown, and live cell imaging, we discovered that mig-21 integrates information from the Wnt and Netrin pathways to guide anteroposterior and dorsoventral DTC migration. Our study demonstrates the utility of scRNA-seq datasets in revealing testable hypotheses about genetic networks that were masked by redundancy in traditional screening methods.