{
  "abstract": "Understanding how fully differentiated cells can change their identity remains a fundamental question in developmental and regenerative biology. C. elegans offers unique in vivo models at a single-cell resolution, notably natural K-to-DVB transdifferentiation event, where a rectal cell converts into a neuron during postembryonic development. Our previous work showed that complex molecular events involving sox-2 and Wnt signalling led to the erasure of the rectal identity and the triggering of the lim-6 DVB terminal selector. However, lim-6 does not account for all DVB neuronal re-differentiation. Here we show that hlh-14, the C. elegans ortholog of Ascl1, acts as a proneural factor during the K-to-DVB natural transdifferentiation. hlh-14 acts downstream of Wnt signalling, and is required for the expression of lim-6 and neuronal redifferentiation. Moreover, overexpression of the sole hlh-14 reprograms additional rectal cells into neurons, while revealing lineage biases in reprogramming competence. Together, our results identify hlh-14 as a key determinant of both natural and induced epithelial-to-neuron transdifferentiation in vivo, linking developmental plasticity to induced reprogramming and revealing the deep conservation of Ascl1 reprogramming abilities from worms to mammals.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 4,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Jeanne Cury"
    },
    {
      "name": "Louise Bucher"
    },
    {
      "name": "Claudia Riva"
    },
    {
      "name": "Sophie Jarriault"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/dhd3gbvmkrrr8.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": null,
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "dhd3gbvmkrrr8",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://hal.science/hal-05789152v1",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "hal",
      "0.sdv"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": "https://hal.science/hal-05789152/document",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-09",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/dhd3gbvmkrrr8.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:52Z",
      "native_id": "hal-05789152",
      "source": "hal",
      "url": "https://hal.science/hal-05789152v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "hal:0.sdv",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "hlh-14/Ascl1 acts as a proneural factor during natural and induced epithelial-to-neuron transdifferentiation in vivo",
  "title_text": "hlh-14/Ascl1 acts as a proneural factor during natural and induced epithelial-to-neuron transdifferentiation in vivo",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:52Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/dhd3gbvmkrrr8",
  "venue": "HAL",
  "versions": []
}