Key resources table.

Reagent type (species) or resource	Designation	Source or reference	Identifiers	Additional information
Genetic reagent (Caenorhabditis elegans)	SGR30	This paper	n/a	greEx17[sur-5p::FLAG::PCKRS::GFP]Figure 2D, Figure 2—figure supplement 1B
Genetic reagent (C. elegans)	SGR31	This paper	n/a	greEx18[sur-5p::p120cts::PCKRS::GFP]Figure 2D, Figure 2—figure supplement 1B
Genetic reagent (C. elegans)	SGR32	This paper	n/a	greEx19[sur-5p::PKI$\alpha$::PCKRS::GFP]Figure 2D, Figure 2—figure supplement 1B
Genetic reagent (C. elegans)	SGR33	This paper	n/a	greEx20[sur-5p::smad-4::PCKRS::GFP]Figure 2D, Figure 2—figure supplement 1B
Genetic reagent (C. elegans)	SGR34	This paper	n/a	greEx21[sur-5p::S-NES::PCKRS::GFP]Figure 2D, Figure 2—figure supplement 1B
Genetic reagent (C. elegans)	SGR35	This paper	n/a	greEx22[sur-5p::PCKRS; rpr-1p::tRNA(Pyl); rps-0p::GFP(am)::mCherry::HA]; smg-2(e2008)Figure 2C, E, F and G, Figure 2—figure supplement 1A
Genetic reagent (C. elegans)	SGR36	This paper	n/a	greEx23[sur-5p::p120cts::PCKRS; rpr-1p::tRNA(Pyl); rps-0p::GFP(am)::mCherry::HA];smg-2(e2008)Figure 2C, Figure 2—figure supplement 1A
Genetic reagent (C. elegans)	SGR37	This paper	n/a	greEx24[sur-5p::PKI$\alpha$::PCKRS; rpr-1p::tRNA(Pyl); rps-0p::GFP(am)::mCherry::HA]; smg-2(e2008)Figure 2C, Figure 2—figure supplement 1A
Genetic reagent (C. elegans)	SGR38	This paper	n/a	greEx25[sur-5p::smad-4::PCKRS; rpr-1p::tRNA(Pyl); rps-0p::GFP(am)::mCherry::HA]; smg-2(e2008)Figure 2C, Figure 2—figure supplement 1A
Genetic reagent (C. elegans)	SGR39	This paper	n/a	greEx26[sur-5p::SNES::PCKRS; rpr-1p::tRNA(Pyl); rps-0p::GFP(am)::mCherry::HA]; smg-2(e2008)Figure 2C, Figure 2—figure supplement 1A
Genetic reagent (C. elegans)	SGR40	This paper	n/a	greEx27[sur-5p::PCKRS; rpr-1p::tRNA(Pyl); rps-0p::GFP(am)::mCherry::HA]; smg-2(e2008) Figure 2F,G
Genetic reagent (C. elegans)	SGR45	This paper	n/a	greEx32[sur-5p::PKI$\alpha$::PCKRS; rpr-1p::tRNA(C15); rps-0p::GFP(am)::mCherry::HA]; smg-2(e2008)Figure 2C, E, F and G, Figure 2—figure supplement 1A,CA
Genetic reagent (C. elegans)	SGR46	This paper	n/a	greEx33[sur-5p::smad-4::PCKRS; rpr-1p::tRNA(C15); rps-0p::GFP(am)::mCherry::HA]; smg-2(e2008)Figure 2C, E, F and G, Figure 2—figure supplement 1A,CA
Genetic reagent (C. elegans)	SGR47	This paper	n/a	greEx34[sur-5p:: PKI $\alpha$ ::PCKRS; rpr-1p::tRNA(C15); rps-0p::GFP(am)::mCherry::HA];smg-2(e2008) Figure 2F,G
Genetic reagent (C. elegans)	SGR48	This paper	n/a	greEx35[sur-5p::smad-4::PCKRS; rpr-1p::tRNA(C15); rps-0p::GFP(am)::mCherry::HA];smg-2(e2008) Figure 2F,G
Genetic reagent (C. elegans)	SGR49	This paper	n/a	greEx36[glr-1p::PCKRS rpr-1p::tRNA(Pyl); glr-1p::PC-Cre; glr-1p::B-gal terminator+ loxP::ChR2::mKate2]Figure 3D,G, Figure 3—figure supplement 1C
Genetic reagent (C. elegans)	SGR50	This paper	n/a	greEx37[glr-1p::PCKRS; rpr-1p::tRNA(Pyl); glr-1p::PC-Cre; glr-1p::B-gal terminator+ loxP::ChR2::mKate2]Figure 3D,G, Figure 3—figure supplement 1C
Genetic reagent (C. elegans)	SGR51	This paper	n/a	greEx38[glr-1p::smad-4::PCKRS; rpr-1p::tRNA(C15); glr-1p::PC-Cre; glr-1p::B-gal terminator+ loxP::ChR2::mKate2]Figure 3D,G, Figure 3—figure supplement 1B,C
Genetic reagent (C. elegans)	SGR52	This paper	n/a	greEx39[glr-1p::smad-4::PCKRS; rpr-1p::tRNA(C15); glr-1p::PC-Cre; glr-1p::B-gal terminator+ loxP::ChR2::mKate2]Figure 3D,G, Figure 3—figure supplement 1C
Genetic reagent (C. elegans)	SGR53	This paper	n/a	greEx40[glr-1p::smad-4::PCKRS; rpr-1p::tRNA(C15); glr-1p::optPC-Cre; glr-1p::B-gal terminator+ loxP::ChR2::mKate2]Figure 3D, F and G, Figure 3—figure supplement 1C, Video 1, Video 2
Genetic reagent (C. elegans)	SGR54	This paper	n/a	greEx41[glr-1p::smad-4::PCKRS; rpr-1p::tRNA(C15); glr-1p::optPC-Cre; glr-1p::B-gal terminator+ loxP::ChR2::mKate2]Figure 3D,G, Figure 3—figure supplement 1C
Genetic reagent (C. elegans)	SGR55	This paper	n/a	greEx42[mec-7p::smad-4::PCKRS; rpr-1p::tRNA(C15); mec-7p::optPC-Cre; Pmaco-1::B-gal terminator+ loxP::ChR2::mKate2]
Genetic reagent (C. elegans)	SGR56	This paper	n/a	greIs1[mec-7p::smad-4::PCKRS; rpr-1p::tRNA(C15); mec-7p::optPC-Cre; Pmaco-1::terminator+ loxP::ChR2::mKate2]Figure 4C–E generated by gamma integration from SGR55, backcrossed 2×
Genetic reagent (C. elegans)	SGR96	This paper	n/a	greIs1[mec-7p::smad-4::PCKRS; rpr-1p::tRNA(C15); mec-7p::optPC-Cre; Pmaco-1::terminator+ loxP::ChR2::mKate2]Figure 4—figure supplement 1C,D, Figure 5, Figure 5—figure supplements 1–3 SGR56 backcrossed 2x
Genetic reagent (C. elegans)	SGR98	This paper	n/a	greEx18[sur-5p::p120cts::PCKRS::GFP] Figure 2—figure supplement 1B
Genetic reagent (C. elegans)	SGR99	This paper	n/a	greEx19[sur-5p::PKI $\alpha$ ::PCKRS::GFP] Figure 2—figure supplement 1B
Genetic reagent (C. elegans)	SGR100	This paper	n/a	greEx20[sur-5p::smad-4::PCKRS::GFP] Figure 2—figure supplement 1B
Genetic reagent (C. elegans)	SGR101	This paper	n/a	greEx21[sur-5p::S-NES::PCKRS::GFP] Figure 2—figure supplement 1B
Strain, strain background (C. elegans)	N2	CGC	WBStrain00000001	Wild type Figure 4—figure supplement 1C
Genetic reagent (C. elegans)	CZ10175	CGC	WBStrain00005421	zdIs5[mec-4p::GFP+ lin-15(+)]Figure 4—figure supplement 1C ("mec-4p::gfp")
Genetic reagent (C. elegans)		Chalfie and Au 1989(10.1126/science.2646709)	WBVar00266589	mec-4(u231)Figure 4—figure supplement 1C ("mec-4(d)")
Antibody	Mouse anti-GFP, monoclonal (clones 7.1 and 13.1)	Roche	Cat# 11814460001RRID:AB_390913	Figure 2C, F and G, Figure 2—figure supplement 1A(1:4000)
Antibody	Rat anti-HA, monoclonal (clone 3F10)	Roche	Cat# 11867423001RRID:AB_390918	Figure 2C,G (1:2000)
Antibody	Horse anti-mouse IgG HRP	Cell Signaling Technology	Cat# 7076SRRID:AB_330924	Figure 2C, F and G, Figure 2—figure supplement 1A(1:5000)
Antibody	Goat anti-Rat IgG (H + L) HRP	Thermo Fisher Scientific	Cat# 31470RRID:AB_228356	Figure 2C,G (1:5000)
Chemical compound	Photocaged lysine (6-nitropiperonyl-L-Lysine)	ChiroBlock GmbH;Gautier et al., 2010	CAS number:1221189-11-2	Custom synthesised by ChiroBlock GmbH, Germany.Synthesis described in Gautier et al. (10.1021/ja910688s)