WormMine: ExpressionPattern Expr3875

• Pattern: As adult animals progressed towards the post-fertile period, COQ-8::GFP expression became restricted to nervous system, whilst in other tissues, including muscles, progressively diminished until it completely disappeared. During the adult stage stained neurons could be individually identified. These included at least the ASIL, ASIR, PHAL, PHAR, PVDR and PVDL sensory neurons. The interneurons AVKL, AVKR, PVT, PVQL, PVQR, and motoneurons AS1 to AS8, DA1 to DA9, DD1 to DD6, and VC1 to VC6, were also stained. COQ-8 expression in hypodermis was not evident until worms reached the L2 stage, however not all hypodermal cells showed similar expression levels. Lateral hypodermal syncytium appeared heavily stained whereas seam cells, that form a protruding hypodermal ridge termed alae, did not show significant fluorescence. Neuronal cells stained in L1 remained stained during L2 stage. COQ-8 expression pattern changed in L4 larvae and young adult stages of very active and fertile young individuals. Hypodermis fluorescence decreased abruptly and GFP signal appeared restricted to muscles and nervous system. It worth noting that hypodermal COQ-8::GFP expression was readily observed during moulting period but decreases abruptly in young adults, that no further moults, allowing the detection of COQ-8::GFP fluorescence in smaller cells as coelomocytes, which were not readily visible in earlier larval stages. Coelomocytes are defensive phagocytes that produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) in worms and other invertebrates and a high Q content would be needed to prevent oxidative damage derived from this particular oxygen metabolism. During egg development fluorescence was readily detectable in early pre-morphogenetic stages about 4 to 5 h post-fertilization, becoming higher in both intensity and number of fluorescent cells during later embryogenesis. 4D microscopy revealed some spatial and temporal variability in the initial expression of COQ-8::GFP from embryo to embryo. The beginning of the COQ-8::GFP expression was detected between the 8th and the 10th embryonic mitosis and was triggered by a group of several blastomeres in all the analyzed embryos. These blastomers are committed to differentiate into specific tissues with high energetic requirements, such as neurons and muscles, but also hypodermis and coelomocytes. These tissues also showed fluorescence during later life stages. Fluorescence reached its maximum intensity in L3 stage of development, supporting a genetic basis to previous observations that showed highest Q content in L2 ~ L4 stages. Longitudinal nervous ventral and dorsal cords showed high fluorescence and some muscular innervations were also stained at this stage. Expression of COQ-8::GFP was clearly evident in hypodermis, neurons and cords, and muscle cells. This expression pattern cannot exclude other tissues showing much weaker fluorescence that may not be readily observed. The expression in muscle and neuronal cells was detected during larval development as early as in the first larval stage (L1). At this stage, longitudinal muscles quadrants were GFP-stained tail and pharyngeal ring neural centres displayed significantly higher COQ-8 expression levels than other tissues. The nervous system of L1 wild type larvae is not entirely developed and contains fewer connections between neurons than in older animals, as it is observed by the GFP staining.
• Primary Identifier: Expr3875
• Remark: The timing expression pattern of coq-8 gene reported herein correlates with the overall Q content in C. elegans. Higher expression of coq-8 gene, and presumably Q biosynthesis activity, correspond with those tissues with particularly active bioenergetics in different development stages during life cycle. Thus coq-8 expression pattern may directly or indirectly reflect bioenergetics and cellular activity in vivo.

45 Anatomy Terms

Definition	Name	Synonym	Primary Identifier
Epidermal layer.	hypodermis	epidermis	WBbt:0005733
Neuron class of one interneuron, projects along ventral cord to ring.	PVT	lineage name: ABplpappppa	WBbt:0004070
Major cell type of nervous tissue, specialized for transmission of information in the form of patterns of impulses.	neuron	neurone	WBbt:0003679
Contractile cell that makes up muscle tissue.	muscle cell		WBbt:0003675
Hermaphrodite specific ventral cord motor neuron innervates vulval muscles and ventral body muscles	VC4	lineage name: P6.aap	WBbt:0004617
Hermaphrodite specific ventral cord motor neuron innervates vulval muscles and ventral body muscles	VC5	lineage name: P7.aap	WBbt:0004613
A free-floating spherical cell lying in the pseudocoelomic cavity of larvae and adult C. elegans which can endocytose many compounds, possibly for immune surveillance. There are six coelomocytes in adult hermaphrodites, and they display prominent cytoplasmic inclusions and vacuoles.	coelomocyte		WBbt:0005751
Interneuron, projects along ventral cord to ring	PVQL	lineage name: ABplapppaaa	WBbt:0004076
Interneuron, projects along ventral cord to ring	PVQR	lineage name: ABprapppaaa	WBbt:0004074
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
Phasmid neurons, probably chemosensory	PHAL	lineage name: ABplpppaapp	WBbt:0004366
Phasmid neurons, probably chemosensory	PHAR	lineage name: ABprpppaapp	WBbt:0004365
Ventral cord motor neurons, innervate dorsal muscles	DA2	lineage name: ABplppapapa	WBbt:0004869
Ventral cord motor neurons, innervate dorsal muscles	DA6	lineage name: ABplpppaaap	WBbt:0004861
Ventral cord motor neurons, innervate dorsal muscles	DA7	lineage name: ABprpppaaap	WBbt:0004859
Ventral cord motor neurons, innervate dorsal muscles	DA3	lineage name: ABprppapapa	WBbt:0004867
Ventral cord motor neurons, innervate dorsal muscles	DA4	lineage name: ABplppapapp	WBbt:0004865
Ventral cord motor neurons, innervate dorsal muscles	DA5	lineage name: ABprppapapp	WBbt:0004863
Neuron, lateral process adjacent to excretory canal	PVDR	lineage name: V5R.paapa	WBbt:0004088
Neuron, lateral process adjacent to excretory canal	PVDL	lineage name: V5L.paapa	WBbt:0004090
Hermaphrodite specific ventral cord motor neuron innervates vulval muscles and ventral body muscles	VC1	lineage name: P3.aap	WBbt:0004621
Hermaphrodite specific ventral cord motor neuron innervates vulval muscles and ventral body muscles	VC2	lineage name: P4.aap	WBbt:0004619
Hermaphrodite specific ventral cord motor neuron innervates vulval muscles and ventral body muscles	VC3	lineage name: P5.aap	WBbt:0004618
Hermaphrodite specific ventral cord motor neuron innervates vulval muscles and ventral body muscles	VC6	lineage name: P8.aap	WBbt:0004611
Ring and ventral cord interneuron.	AVKL	lineage name: ABplpapapap	WBbt:0003845
Ring and ventral cord interneuron.	AVKR	lineage name: ABprpapapap	WBbt:0003844
Ventral cord motor neurons, reciprocal inhibitors, chnage synaptic pattern during postembryonic development	DD6	lineage name: ABprppapppp	WBbt:0004824
Ventral cord motor neuron, innervates dorsal muscles, no ventral counterpart	AS6	lineage name: P6.apa	WBbt:0003910
Ventral cord motor neuron, innervates dorsal muscles, no ventral counterpart	AS4	lineage name: P4.apa	WBbt:0003912

1 Genes

WormBase Gene ID	Gene Name	Sequence Name	Organism
WBGene00000767	coq-8	C35D10.4	Caenorhabditis elegans

6 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 third stage larva. At 25 Centigrade, it ranges 32.5-40 hours after fertilization, 18.5-26 hours after hatch.		L3 larva Ce	WBls:0000035
	The second stage larva. At 25 Centigrade, it ranges 25.5-32.5 hours after fertilization, 11.5-18.5 hours after hatch.		L2 larva Ce	WBls:0000027
	The fourth stage larva. At 25 Centigrade, it ranges 40-49.5 hours after fertilization, 26-35.5 hours after hatch.		L4 larva Ce	WBls:0000038
	The first stage larva. At 25 Centigrade, it ranges 14-25.5 hours after fertilization, 0-11.5 hours after hatch.		L1 larva Ce	WBls:0000024
	The whole period of embryogenesis in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, from the formation of an egg until hatching.		embryo Ce	WBls:0000003