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

Using a recently published scRNA-seq dataset of adult hermaphrodites, we identified a previously unknown regulator of the germ line stem cell niche (the distal tip cell, or DTC). The gene 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 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.