WormMine: ExpressionPattern Expr9722

• Pattern: Expression becomes detectable around the comma stage of embryogenesis and persists through adulthood. Expression in vulval precursor cells is strong and can first be seen in L3. PQN-47::GFP is expressed in seam cells, peaking at L2 and ceasing after the seam cells differentiate in late L4, concurrent with the appearance of alae. The intestine shows variably undetectable to low pqn-47 expression (always less than in the neurons) and gets dimmer as development progresses, especially after L3. The two bulbs of the pharynx, specifically pharyngeal muscle cells pm3-8 (not pm6), are variably bright. Overall expression levels are lower in adults than younger animals, with only some expression in head and tail neurons remaining. Head and nerve ring neurons, pharyngeal cells, ventral nerve cord cells, vulval precursor cells, seam (though interestingly not hyp7), as well as cells in the tail show the strongest pqn-47 expression. Muscle, intestine, the distal tip cells of the gonad, the spermatheca, and a large neuron that may be CAN that is essential for survival but of unknown function near the vulva (also bathed in pseudocoelom fluid, and next to the seam and canal cells), as well as a subset of the ciliated neurons of the head (amphid neurons ASI, ADL, ASK, or AWB) and tail including phasmid cilia PHA and PHB, also express pqn-47. We could not detect expression in the pharyngeal glands as reported for a different promoter pqn-47 fusion construct made as part of a high-throughput analysis of gene expression, although other tissues did show similar patterns. Promoter and translational reporters show pqn-47 expression in numerous somatic cells, including cells uniquely poised to mediate or transmit signal(s) involved in the regulation of molting, some of which have been implicated in molting. For example, many cells expressing PQN-47 have significant exposure to the pseudocoelom, and as such are candidates to transmit or detect endocrine signals; the H-shaped excretory cell and its ducts, which form extensive gap junctions with the hypodermis and lie against the pseudocoelom along the entire body of the worm (Nelson and Riddle, 1984), the head mesodermal cell (hmc) lies in the pseudocoelom up against the (excretory) gland cell and forms gap junctions with them and muscle, and the VPI cells at the juncture of the pharynx and intestine are bathed by the pseudocoelom, as well as the intestine itself.
• Primary Identifier: Expr9722

34 Anatomy Terms

Definition	Name	Synonym	Primary Identifier
an accordion-like tube that contains sperm and is the site of oocyte fertilization.	spermatheca		WBbt:0005319
A group of six equivalent cells forms a tightly constructed `valve` that links the posterior bulb of the pharynx to the anterior four cells of the intestine. These six cells comprise a small epithelial channel with a cuticular lining in continuity with the pharyngeal cuticle and link the lumen of the pharynx to the large lumen of the anterior intestine.	pharyngeal-intestinal valve	cardia	WBbt:0005767
A chain of very large cuboidal cells forming a wide central lumen in which food arrives from the posterior pharynx, is digested, and from which waste products proceed to the rectum. Intestinal rings form in groups of two and four cells surrounding the common lumen; thus the epithelium is only one cell deep at any point, with neighboring cells firmly secured to their neighbors by apical adherens junctions. These cells have very large nuclei and many large vacuoles, yolk granules, and other inclusions; the latter increase in number and electron density as the animal ages.	intestine	gut	WBbt:0005772
somatic cell that situates at the tip of a gonad arm.	distal tip cell	DTC	WBbt:0006865
a large process bundle that runs along the vental mid-line extending from the ventral region of the nerve ring.	ventral nerve cord	ventral cord	WBbt:0005829
neuron with its cell body situated in the head, excluding the pharynx.	head neuron		WBbt:0006751
Contractile cell that makes up muscle tissue.	muscle cell		WBbt:0003675
H-shaped cell associated with the excretory system, largest cell in C. elegans.	excretory cell	excretory canal cell	WBbt:0005812
a group of hypodermal cells that lie along the apical midline of the hypodermis, at the extreme left and right sides between nose and tail	seam cell	lateral hypodermis	WBbt:0005753
	pharyngeal cell		WBbt:0005460
posterior region, from rectum to the end	tail		WBbt:0005741
The extracellular sinus formed by the excretory duct and pore cells.	Excretory duct		WBbt:0005777
Amphid wing cells, neurons having ciliated sheet-like sensory endings closely associated with amphid sheath	AWBL	lineage name: ABalpppppap	WBbt:0003829
Amphid wing cells, neurons having ciliated sheet-like sensory endings closely associated with amphid sheath	AWBR	lineage name: ABpraaappap	WBbt:0003828
one member of Amphid neurons, single ciliated endings, probably chemo-sensory; project into ring via commissure from ventral ganglion, make diverse synaptic connections in ring neuropil	ASKL	lineage name: ABalpppapppa	WBbt:0003884
one member of Amphid neurons, single ciliated endings, probably chemo-sensory; project into ring via commissure from ventral ganglion, make diverse synaptic connections in ring neuropil	ASKR	lineage name: ABpraaaapppa	WBbt:0003883
one member of amphid neurons, single ciliated ending, probably chemo-sensory; project into ring via commissure from ventral ganglion, make diverse synaptic connections in ring neuropil	ASIL	lineage name: ABplaapapppa	WBbt:0003888
one member of Amphid neurons, single ciliated endings, probably chemo-sensory; project into ring via commissure from ventral ganglion, make diverse synaptic connections in ring neuropil	ASIR	lineage name: ABpraapapppa	WBbt:0003887
Amphid neuron, prob. chemosensory	ADLL	lineage name: ABalppppaad	WBbt:0003997
Amphid neuron, prob. chemosensory	ADLR	lineage name: ABpraaapaad	WBbt:0003995
Phasmid neurons, probably chemosensory	PHAL	lineage name: ABplpppaapp	WBbt:0004366
Phasmid neurons, probably chemosensory	PHAR	lineage name: ABprpppaapp	WBbt:0004365
Phasmid neurons, probably chemosensory	PHBL	lineage name: ABplapppappp	WBbt:0004364
Phasmid neuron, probably chemosensory	PHBR	lineage name: ABprapppappp	WBbt:0005659
Head mesodermal cell, function unknown	head mesodermal cell	hmc	WBbt:0004697
seventh pharyngeal muscle cell layer	pm7	m7	WBbt:0003721
Process runs along excretory canal, no synapses, essential for survival	CANL	lineage name: ABalapaaapa	WBbt:0004949
Process runs along excretory canal, no synapses, essential for survival	CANR	lineage name: ABalappappa	WBbt:0004947
cell that has the potential to form structural part of a vulva.	vulval precursor cell	VPC	WBbt:0007809
eighth pharyngeal muscle cell layer (single cell)	pm8	lineage name: MSaaapapp	WBbt:0004302

1 Genes

WormBase Gene ID	Gene Name	Sequence Name	Organism
WBGene00004134	myrf-1	F59B10.1	Caenorhabditis elegans

5 Life Stages

Remark	Definition	Other Name	Public Name	Primary Identifier
	The stage that begins when a C.elegans individual is fully-developed and has reached maturity.		adult Ce	WBls:0000041
	The C. elegans life stage spanning 390-420min after first cleavage at 20 Centigrade. Cell number remains at ~560 cells, with some new cells generated and some cells go through programmed cell death. The shape of embryo looks like a comma. A stage between bean embryo and 1.5-fold embryo.		comma embryo Ce	WBls:0000017
	The C. elegans life stage spanning 460-520min after first cleavage at 20 Centigrade. Cell number remains at ~560 cells, with some new cells generated and some cells go through programmed cell death. The shape of embryo is elongated and double fold. A stage between 1.5-fold embryo and 3-fold embryo.		2-fold embryo Ce	WBls:0000019
	The C. elegans life stage spanning 520-620min after first cleavage at 20 Centigrade. Cell number remains at ~560 cells, with some new cells generated and some cells go through programmed cell death. The shape of embryo is elongated and tripple fold. A stage between 2-fold embryo and fully-elongated embryo. Also called pretzel embryo or pretzel stage.		3-fold embryo Ce	WBls:0000020
	The C. elegans life stage spanning 420-460min after first cleavage at 20 Centigrade. Cell number remains at ~560 cells, with some new cells generated and some cells go through programmed cell death. The shape of embryo is elongated and fold back 50%. A stage between comma embryo and 2-fold embryo.		1.5-fold embryo Ce	WBls:0000018