The precise cutting of axons in C. elegans using short laser pulses permits the investigation of parameters that may influence axonal regeneration. This study began by building and optimizing a femtosecond laser axotomy setup
that we first used to monitor the effect of cutting axons near or far from the cell body of the PLM mechanosensory
neurons in C. elegans. To assess regeneration, we developed a scoring system where the angle between the
regenerating trajectory and its direct line to the target is measured; we called this measurement the "angle of
regeneration". The results indicate that axons cut near the cell body regenerate better than those cut far from the
cell body but nearer their target. The role of teneurins, which are transmembrane proteins with a large extracellular
domain that are thought to regulate the remodelling of the extracellular matrix, has not yet been explored as a
potential contributor to axon regeneration. We cut PLM axons in wild-type or ten-1 mutant worms, and measured
the angle of regeneration 48 hours later, and the frequency of reconnection to the target. Our results show that
functional ten-1 contributes to successful axon regeneration.
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