Project description:To identify genes differentially expressed during the molt, we collected RNA 30-40 minutes after feeding cessation at the start of the fourth larval stage (L4) lethargus. Additional time points for RNA collection were in the mid-L4 stage, approximately four hours prior to lethargus, and in the young adult stage, four hours after lethargus. These samples were interrogated with the Affymetrix C. elegans Genome Array. A total of 1,804 gene transcripts were up regulated, and 1,088 gene transcripts were down regulated, during the L4 lethargus period compared to the L4 and Adult stages (false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.05). There were a total of 3 groups and 5x replication for each group, for 15 total samples that were analyzed. The groups were (1) L4, (2) L4-lethargus, (3) Adult. We generated the following pairwise comparisons using R/maanova: L4-lethargus vs L4, L4-lethargus vs Adult. The permutation based p-values for each test were multiplied by 2 and transcripts with an FDRM-bM-^IM-$5% were selected.
Project description:In the current study a systematic investigation of life stage, tissue and cell dependent sensitivity to ionizing radiation in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans was conducted. This revealed that individuals that have reached the post-mitotic L4 stage showed no significant effects with respect to mortality, morbidity or reproduction when subjected to either acute dose ?6 Gy(1500 mGy/h) or chronic exposure ?4 Gy( ? 100 mGy/h). In contrast, chronic exposure from embryo to young adult stage caused a dose and dose rate dependent reprotoxicitiy with 43% reduction in total brood size at 6.7Gy (107 mGy/h). Systematic targeted irradiation of developmental stages showed that exposure during L1 to young L4 was sufficient to induce reprotoxic effects. Exposure during these stages was associated with a dose rate dependent genotoxic effects on gonads with 1.7 to 3.2 fold increase in germ cell apoptosis in larvae subjected to 40-100 mGy/h, respectively. Importantly, exposure to gamma radiation significantly impaired spermatogenesis in a dose rate dependent manner. The observed reduction in the number of spermatids accounted for xx% of the reprotoxic effects, thus signifying spermatids as the most radiosensitive cell type in C. elegans. Molecular responses analyzed by RNAseq of nematodes irradiated from L1 to L4 stage revealed a significant enrichment of genes related to both male and hermaphrodite reproductive processes. Gene network analysis identified adverse genotoxic effects related to down-regulation of genes required for spindle formation and sperm meiosis/maturation, including smz-1, smz-2 and htas-1. The expression of a subset of 28 set-17 regulated Major Sperm Proteins (MSP) required for spermatids production was correlated to the reduction in reproduction and the number of spermatids, thus corroborating the impairment of spermatogenesis as the major cause of gamma radiation induced life-stage dependent reprotoxic effect. Furthermore, the progeny of irradiated nematodes showed significant embryonal DNA damage that was associated with persistent effect on somatic growth. Unexpectedly, these nematodes did however maintain much of their reproductive capacity in spite of the reduced growth.
Project description:Cellular RdRPs play a critical role in the development of many organisms. Using high-throughput small RNA and messenger RNA sequencing we found that the Caenorhabditis elegans RdRP, EGO-1, is required to produce small RNAs antisense to a number of germline-expressed genes through several developmental stages. We found that these genes fall into distinct classes including genes required for kinetochore and nuclear pore assembly, as well as the production of histone-modifying and centromeric proteins. We also found several RNAi-related genes to be targets of EGO-1. Finally, we show a strong correlation between the loss of small RNAs and the rise of mRNA levels in ego-1 mutant animals. mRNA sequencing from ego-1(om84) and control L3, L4, and adult C. elegans hermaphrodites
Project description:Recent work has shown that small non-coding RNAs, including miRNAs, serve an important role in controlling gene expression during development and disease. However, little detailed information exists concerning the relative expression patterns of small RNAs during development of C. elegans. Here we use recent advances in high-throughput sequencing technology to show that expression of non-coding small RNAs, including miRNAs, changes dynamically during development and in the different sexes of C. elegans; approximately 16% of known miRNAs changed over 10 fold in expression during C. elegans development and about 12% of miRNAs showed major changes in expression between males and hermaphrodites of C. elegans. These results should lead to a better understanding of the expression and function of small RNAs in C. elegans development. For data usage terms and conditions, please refer to http://www.genome.gov/27528022 and http://www.genome.gov/Pages/Research/ENCODE/ENCODEDataReleasePolicyFinal2008.pdf Examination of small RNA expression in six different developmental stages of hermaphrodites (Embryo, mid-L1, mid-L2, mid-L3, mid-L4, young adult), and young adult males (dpy-28;him-8) and spermatogenesis-defective young adult hermaphrodites (spe-9). The number of sequence reads for miRNA was assessed from the raw sequence data from Solexa sequencing using perfect sequence matching to known miRNAs (miRBase Release 11.0).
Project description:Small endogenous C. elegans RNAs from L4 and young adult worms were prepared for sequencing using a protocol derived from Batista et al., (2008) and Lau et al. (2001). The small-RNA libraries were constructed using a method that does not require a 5’ monophosphate (called 5’ monophosphate-independent method, Ambros et al., 2003) to profile secondary siRNAs that have 5’ triphosphorylated G. All preprocessed small-RNA reads were mapped to genome (ce6), allowing no mismatches. After excluding miRNAs, 21U RNAs, rRNAs, and other structural ncRNAs, the remaining reads were classified as 22G RNAs, 26G RNAs, and other siRNAs, based on their length and 5′ terminal nucleotide. Small-RNA libraries were sequenced in L4 and young adult stages in C.elegans.
Project description:Piwi-related Argonaute proteins play important roles in maintaining germline integrity and fertility and have been linked to a class of germline-enriched small RNAs termed piRNAs. Caenorhabditis elegans encodes two Piwi family proteins called PRG-1 and PRG-2, and PRG-1 interacts with the C. elegans piRNAs (21U-RNAs). Previous studies found that the prg-1 mutation causes a marked reduction in the expression of 21U-RNAs, temperature-sensitive defects in fertility and other phenotypic defects.To systematically demonstrate the function of PRG-1 on regulating small RNAs and their targets. We use recent advances in high-throughput sequencing technology to show that expression of non-coding small RNAs in six stages(embryo,L1,L2,L3,L4,young audlt) and mRNAs in four stages (L1,L2,L3,L4) after prg-1 mutation. prg-1 mutation can not only lead to a decrease in the expression of 21U-RNAs, but also cause 35~40% of miRNAs to be significantly down-regulated; approximately 3% (6.00% in L4) of protein-coding genes are differentially expressed after mutating prg-1, and 60~70% of these substantially changed protein-coding genes are up-regulated. Examination of small RNA expression in six different developmental stages (embryo, L1, L2, L3, L4, young adult) and mRNA expression in four stages (L1,L2,L3,L4) of C. elegans prg-1 mutant (wm161) .
Project description:Piwi-related Argonaute proteins play important roles in maintaining germline integrity and fertility and have been linked to a class of germline-enriched small RNAs termed piRNAs. Caenorhabditis elegans encodes two Piwi family proteins called PRG-1 and PRG-2, and PRG-1 interacts with the C. elegans piRNAs (21U-RNAs). Previous studies found that the prg-1 mutation causes a marked reduction in the expression of 21U-RNAs, temperature-sensitive defects in fertility and other phenotypic defects.To systematically demonstrate the function of PRG-1 on regulating small RNAs and their targets. We use recent advances in high-throughput sequencing technology to show that expression of non-coding small RNAs in six stages(embryo,L1,L2,L3,L4,young audlt) and mRNAs in four stages (L1,L2,L3,L4) after prg-1 mutation. prg-1 mutation can not only lead to a decrease in the expression of 21U-RNAs, but also cause 35~40% of miRNAs to be significantly down-regulated; approximately 3% (6.00% in L4) of protein-coding genes are differentially expressed after mutating prg-1, and 60~70% of these substantially changed protein-coding genes are up-regulated. Examination of small RNA expression in six different developmental stages (embryo, L1, L2, L3, L4, young adult) and mRNA expression in four stages (L1,L2,L3,L4) of C. elegans prg-1 mutant (wm161) .
Project description:To determine if an endogenous 22G siRNA sensor transgene is subject to siRNA amplification, small RNAs were deep sequenced from the sensor and from a control transgene that is identical to the sensor but lacks an siRNA target site. Small RNAs were isolated from synchronized young adult C. elegans and subjected to deep sequencing.
Project description:To determine if an endogenous 22G siRNA sensor transgene is subject to siRNA amplification, small RNAs were deep sequenced from the sensor and from a control transgene that is identical to the sensor but lacks an siRNA target site. Overall design: Small RNAs were isolated from synchronized young adult C. elegans and subjected to deep sequencing.