RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 High resolution dynamic mapping of the C. elegans intestinal brush border JF bioRxiv FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory SP 2021.06.14.448317 DO 10.1101/2021.06.14.448317 A1 Aurélien Bidaud-Meynard A1 Flora Demouchy A1 Ophélie Nicolle A1 Anne Pacquelet A1 Grégoire Michaux YR 2021 UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2021/06/14/2021.06.14.448317.abstract AB The intestinal brush border is made of an array of microvilli that increases the membrane surface area for nutrient processing, absorption, and host defence. Studies on mammalian cultured epithelial cells uncovered some of the molecular players, structural components and physical constrains required to establish this apical specialized membrane. However, the building and maintenance of a brush border in vivo has not been investigated in detail yet. Here, we combined super-resolution imaging, transmission electron microscopy and genome editing in the developing nematode C. elegans to build a high-resolution and dynamic localization map of known and new markers of the brush border. Notably, we show that microvilli components are dynamically enriched at the apical membrane during microvilli outgrowth and maturation but become highly stable when microvilli are built. This new mapping tool will be instrumental to understand the molecular processes of microvilli growth and maintenance in vivo as well as the effect of genetic perturbations, notably in the context of disorders affecting the brush border integrity.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.