Figure 1. Nephrin and Neph1 are conserved across species.

A, Podocytes are crucial for the filtration of blood in the kidney, together with the capillary endothelium and the glomerular basement membrane. Between their interdigitating foot processes, the podocytes form the slit diaphragm, mediated by nephrin and Neph1 cis and trans adhesion junctions, which also function as the signaling platform of the slit diaphragm (lower box). B, In C. elegans, the hermaphrodite specific neuron (HSN) forms synapses onto vulva muscle cells to facilitate egg laying. The specification of synapses is mediated by the vulva epithelial cells which act as guidepost cells. Adhesion of SYG-1 on the HSN to SYG-2 on vulva epithelial cells stabilizes the forming synapses in the primary synaptic region (PSR) (lower box). In syg-1 or syg-2 mutant worms, ectopic synapses are formed anterior of the vulva in the secondary synaptic region (SSR). Anterior (A), posterior (P), ventral (V), dorsal (D).