Spatial transcriptomics of C. elegans males and hermaphrodites identifies novel fertility genes

Item Type:

Preprint

Title:

Creators Name:

Ebbing, A. and Vertesy, A. and Betist, M. and Spanjaard, B. and Junker, J.P. and van Oudenaarden, A. and Berezikov, E. and Korswagen, H.

Abstract:

To advance our understanding of the genetic programs that drive cell and tissue specialization, it is necessary to obtain a comprehensive overview of gene expression patterns. Here, we have used RNA tomography to generate the first high-resolution, anteroposterior gene expression maps of C. elegans males and hermaphrodites. To explore these maps, we have developed computational methods for discovering region and tissue-specific genes. Moreover, by combining pattern-based analysis with differential gene expression analysis, we have found extensive sex-specific gene expression differences in the germline and sperm. We have also identified genes that are specifically expressed in the male reproductive tract, including a group of uncharacterized genes that encode small secreted proteins that are required for male fertility. We conclude that spatial gene expression maps provide a powerful resource for identifying novel tissue-specific gene functions in C. elegans. Importantly, we found that expression maps from different animals can be precisely aligned, which opens up new possibilities for transcriptome-wide comparisons of gene expression patterns.

Source:

bioRxiv

Publisher:

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press

Article Number:

348201

Date:

15 June 2018

Official Publication:

https://doi.org/10.1101/348201

Related to:

URL	URL Type
https://edoc.mdc-berlin.de/17874/	Final version

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