A proneural gene controls C. elegans neuroblast asymmetric division and migration

• Q neuroblasts are generated in two new alleles of a C. elegans proneural gene lin-32.
• LIN-32 functions in parallel with HAM-1 to regulate Q neuroblast asymmetric cell division.
• LIN-32 controls Q cell migration.

Proneural genes control the generation of neuroblasts from the neuroepithelium, but their functions in neuroblast asymmetric division and migration remain elusive. Here, we identified Caenorhabditiselegans mutants of a proneural transcription factor (TF) lin-32, in which Q neuroblasts are produced. We showed that LIN-32 functions in parallel with a storkhead TF, HAM-1, to regulate Q neuroblast asymmetric division, and that Q neuroblast migration is inhibited in lin-32 alleles. Consistently, lin-32 is expressed throughout Q neuroblast lineage, suggesting that LIN-32 may promote different target gene expression. Our studies thus uncovered previously unknown functions of a proneural gene in neuroblast development.