WormMine: AnatomyTerm WBbt:0006941

• Definition: male sensory organ; nine bilateral pairs of finger-like rays (numbered 1 to 9, Left/Right) radiate from the tail and are embedded in a cuticlar fan.
• Name: ray
• Primary Identifier: WBbt:0006941
• Synonym: male sensory ray

10 Children

Definition	Name	Synonym	Primary Identifier
neuron in the male ray.	ray neuron		WBbt:0006971
male sensory organ, seventh from most anterior.	ray 7		WBbt:0006952
male sensory organ, most posterior.	ray 9		WBbt:0006954
male sensory organ, eighth from most anterior.	ray 8		WBbt:0006953
male sensory organ, most anterior.	ray 1		WBbt:0006942
male sensory organ, second from most anterior.	ray 2		WBbt:0006945
male sensory organ, fourth from most anterior.	ray 4		WBbt:0006949
male sensory organ, third from most anterior.	ray 3		WBbt:0006948
male sensory organ, fifth from most anterior.	ray 5		WBbt:0006950
male sensory organ, sixth from most anterior.	ray 6		WBbt:0006951

1 Expression Clusters

Regulated By Treatment	Description	Algorithm	Primary Identifier
	Genes enriched in male rays.	CyberT algorithm	WBPaper00013489:Ray_Enriched

35 Expression Patterns

• Primary Identifier: Expr4591
• Pattern: The full-length dyf-5::gfp construct showed weak GFP expression in many neurons in the head, including amphid and labial sensory neurons and three pairs of neurons in the tail, including the phasmid sensory neurons. In addition, expression was observed in many cells in the male tail.
• Subcellular Localization: This DYF-5::GFP fusion could be detected uniformly in axons, cell bodies, and dendrites. In addition, authors observed strong fluorescence at the transition zones, which connect the cilia with the dendrites, and weak fluorescence uniformly in the cilia.

• Primary Identifier: Expr4592
• Pattern: The full-length dyf-5::gfp construct (see Expr4591) showed weak GFP expression in many neurons in the head, including amphid and labial sensory neurons and three pairs of neurons in the tail, including the phasmid sensory neurons. In addition, expression was observed in many cells in the male tail. The dyf-5ex4::gfp fusion construct essentially showed the same dyf-5 expression pattern, albeit stronger and more restricted to the cell bodies. In addition, DYF-5ex4::GFP could be detected in the CAN cells, neurons associated with the excretory canal and in a pair of neurons in the posterior lateral ganglion.
• Subcellular Localization: This DYF-5::GFP fusion could be detected uniformly in axons, cell bodies, and dendrites. In addition, authors observed strong fluorescence at the transition zones, which connect the cilia with the dendrites, and weak fluorescence uniformly in the cilia.

• Primary Identifier: Expr9099
• Remark: Picture: Fig 3.
• Pattern: This mab-31 2Kb 5' flanking sequence was active in gut cells of the pretzel-stage embryo and throughout the larval stages. In adult males and hermaphrodites, gfp reporter signal was observed in the pharynx, body hypodermis, and intestine. On the other hand, mab-31 expression is also observed in support cells of neuronal sensilla, like amphid socket cells and phasmid socket cells. In the wild-type male tail, the mab-31 transcriptional reporter expression was detected in structural cells highlighting the cell bodies and processes of all sensory rays.

• Primary Identifier: Expr9040
• Remark: Picture: Fig 5J, 5K, 5L.
• Pattern: The expression of nhr-208 GFP reporters started in embryos at the 1.5-fold stage within the pharynx, intestinal sphincter, and epidermal cells in the tail. By the 3-fold stage of embryogenesis, additional expression was observed in rectal gland and surrounding cells. During all larval stages, strong expression of the transgenes was visible in pharyngeal and unidentified head neurons, the pharyngeal-intestinal valve cell, the posterior part of the intestine, the intestinal sphincter, two rectal gland cells, the intestinal-rectal valve cell, and the epidermal hyp10 cell. In males, the expression was seen in several rays (6-8) and other male specific neurons.

• Primary Identifier: Expr9041
• Remark: Picture: Fig 5M, 5N, 5O, 5P.
• Pattern: The expression of nhr-207 GFP reporters began in 1.5-fold embryos in pharyngeal and epidermal cells. In 3-fold stage embryos, expression was observed in pharyngeal neurons, intestinal cells, the intestinal-rectal valve, and the sphincter. This pattern of expression was present during all larval stages and in adults. In larvae and in adults, additional expression was observed in the pharyngeal-intestinal valve and spermathecae. In males, the expression was seen in male specific neurons, including rays.

• Primary Identifier: Expr9253
• Remark: The general distribution pattern of Venus::UNC-6 in the wild-type genetic background was similar to that of 3xHA-tagged UNC-6, reported previously (Wadsworth et al. 1996), except for an additional observation of Venus::UNC-6 expression in P6.p descendants, ventral muscle, dorsal muscle in the tail, and in the ray of the male tail. These differences were probably due to the different fixation methods used.
• Pattern: Venus::UNC-6 was mainly detected in ventral cells, including epidermoblasts, glia, neurons, muscle cells, and vulval precursor cells. Venus::UNC-6 was detected in dorsal muscle cells in the tail. In male worms, Venus::UNC-6 was expressed in the ray.

• Primary Identifier: Expr16012
• Pattern: The strongest GFP signals that we identified came from the pharyngeal gland cells. Additionally, we visualized pezo- 1::GFP in a series of cells surrounding the muscle of the corpus and the isthmus (Albertson and Thomson, 1976). We also recognized the arcade cells as putative pezo-1-expressing cells, according to their morphology and location. We also observed many other anterior cells labeled with GFP; however, we cannot currently confirm if they represent neurons and/or amphids.By crossing pezo-1::GFP with a tph-1::DsRed marker-carrying strain, we were able to identify pezo-1 expression in the pha- ryngeal neurosecretory, motor, and sensory (propioceptive/ mechanosensory) neurons (NSML/R). In addition to the pharyngeal cells, we observed expression of pezo-1 in the ventral nerve cord neurons, according to their morphology and location, striated muscles, coelomocytes, spermatheca, vulval muscles, and various male neurons, including the ray neurons.

• Primary Identifier: Expr14012
• Pattern: ASK, ASI, ASH, ASJ, one pair posterior to AWB (some space in btw), PHA, PHB, one pair just posterior to PHB (sometimes dimmer), HSN, AVM, BDU, Amso, ray expression in males

• Primary Identifier: Expr14068
• Remark: Other Strains: OH14267 / OH14268
• Pattern: IL2, ASK, ASI (dim), ASG, one pair above ASJ, pharynx, sometimes PVT, PHA and one other non-phasmid pair, ray expression in males

• Primary Identifier: Expr14114
• Remark: Other strain: OH14231
• Pattern: pharynx, several dim neurons (sensory and not-sensory), ASI (a bit more prominent), sometimes dim VNC, PVT, 3 male specific cells in the posterior VNC, male rays

• Primary Identifier: Expr8171
• Remark: Picture: Figure 3.
• Pattern: Cells with neuronal-like processes were visible immediately after the embryonic stage and remained through the life of the worm. GFP-positive cells were visible in the head anterior and posterior ganglia, which contain most of the C. elegans neurons as well as other associated cells. GFP-positive neuronal-like processes were also found in the nerve ring encircling the isthmus of the pharynx. Whether the GFP-positive cells were indeed neurons could not be determined solely on their localization. However, the finding of GFP-positive processes in the nerve ring suggested that at least some neurons were expressing T27A3.1. When a shorter promoter region, only 2 kb of genomic DNA upstream from the start codon of T27A3.1a, was used to drive the expression of GFP, a similar expression pattern was seen; however, fewer GFP-expressing neurons were visible. This data suggest that the larger 4-kb promoter region contains regulatory elements necessary for specific neuronal expression that are not contained within the smaller 2-kb promoter segment. Each transgenic line displayed similar expression patterns. GFP expression was visible late in embryogenesis but before morphogenesis and continued through the larval stages into adulthood. In adults, expression was found in a variety of cell types: GFP was found in the cells of the pharynx, in the epithelial cells of the intestine, in the seam cells that line the sides of the worm, in cells of the vulval region, in the somatic gonads, and in cells of the tail region. In males, GFP expression was found in the bilateral sensory rays and in the spicules. In the pharyngeal bulbs, the morphology and striated appearance of GFP-positive cells is consistent with muscle cell characteristics. In the vulval region, the GFP-positive cells did not appear to be neurons or muscle cells, and their identity remains unclear. In the gonads, GFP expression was visible in the distal tip cell (DTC), as well as in the distal sheath cell pair 1 that can be identified by its fish-net-like appearance. In the tail, GFP-positive cells most likely include the rectal gland cells, the rectum epithelial cells, and phasmid sheath cells (Phsh) and socket cells (Phso1 and 2).

• Primary Identifier: Expr9212
• Pattern: nck-1 genomic::gfp is expressed in many tissues including epidermal cells, nervous system, intestine and pharynx. In the adults, GFP was observed in the intestine, pharynx, vulva, uterus, head neurons, ventral nerve cord, excretory canal cell, seam cells, gonads, ray sub lineages and the adult male tail.

• Primary Identifier: Expr14080
• Remark: Other Strain: OH14302
• Pattern: pharynx, pharyngeal-intestinal valve, head mesodermal cell, vulva, ASH, few head and RVG neurons (not distinct expression), PVT sometimes, phasmids (variable), male rays

• Primary Identifier: Expr14124
• Remark: Other Strain: OH15136 / OH15137
• Pattern: glia, pharynx, male rays

• Primary Identifier: Expr10756
• Pattern: acr-18, which encodes a DEG-3 type acetylcholine receptor, is expressed in AVA. acr-18 reporter expression is not limited to AVA. In both sexes, acr-18 expression is apparent in a number of sex-shared head and ventral nerve cord neurons and, in the male, in a subset of ray and pre-anal ganglion neurons.

• Primary Identifier: Expr14002
• Pattern: ADL, ASJ, 1 pair anterior to AWB, RID, PHA, PHB, 1 pair a bit posterior to PHB, 1 more neuron in the tail, ray expression in males

• Primary Identifier: Expr14064
• Pattern: ASJ, AIB, head muscle, vulval cells?, PQR, PVT, ray expression in males

• Primary Identifier: Expr9213
• Pattern: In embryos NCK-1A is expressed in neuroblasts in the anterior, lateral and posterior regions of the embryo. NCK-1A is also expressed in the hypodermal cells of the developing embryo. During the Larval stages, animals show NCK-1A expression in the head neurons, dorsal nerve cord (DNC), motor neurons in the ventral nerve cord and some tail neurons. In adult animals NCK-1A is expressed in the VC neurons, commissure neurons, head and tail neurons, SDQ neurons, mechanosensory neurons (PLM, PVM, and AVM), CAN neurons, HSN neurons, uterine-seam cell (utse), spermathecal-uterine junction (sujn), and excretory canal cell. NCK-1A is also expressed in uv2 and uv3 cells of the developing uterus. In males, NCK-1A is expressed in all the ray sub lineages and the adult male tail. NCK-1A promoter were expressed in head neurons, ventral and dorsal nerve cords, CANs, HSNs, the Q neuroblast descendants SDQs, mechanosensory neurons, hypodermal cells and the spermathecal-uterine junction. The NCK-1A isoform was expressed exclusively in the motor neurons and VC neuronal cell bodies, the excretory canal cell, uterus (utse, uv2 and uv3 cells), the ray sub lineage and male tail.
• Subcellular Localization: NCK-1A is predominantly localized to the cytoplasm.

• Primary Identifier: Expr8965
• Remark: Picture: Fig 3, 4, 5.
• Pattern: ELP-1::GFP was associated with the nine pairs of rays of the male tale. The relatively diffuse and broad band of fluorescence appears to originate from the hypodermal cells (hyp7) and one or more of the neuronal cells of the ray (RnA, RnB). In embryos, ELP-1::GFP expression first appeared during the comma stage. As the embryo matured into the 1-1.5 fold stage, the strongest expression was seen in the hypodermal cells, with only diffuse staining throughout the rest of the embryo. During larval development, expression of the fusion protein was progressively refined to muscle, neurons and epithelial cells. In the adult, ELP-1::GFP and ELP-1(truncated)::NLS::GFP were expressed in body wall muscle, spermatheca, vulval muscle, seam cells, the intestine, touch receptor neurons (TRNs) and inner labial 1 (IL1) neurons of the head.
• Subcellular Localization: At the subcellular level, ELP-1::GFP was associated with adhesion sites in both males and hermaphrodites. In the hermaphrodite body wall muscle, ELP-1::GFP was associated with the muscle arms that terminate in neuromuscular junctions. The ELP-1::GFP fluorescence is found throughout the muscle arm. In males, ELP-1::GFP associated with repeating focal attachment points in the sex-specific muscles of the worm. ELP-1 expression was prominent at the adhesion sites located at the sarcolemma.

• Primary Identifier: Expr14087
• Remark: Other Strain: OH14338
• Pattern: ADL, other head neurons in anterior and ventral ganglion (much dimmer), PHA, PHB, vulva, anterior sheath/socket cells (Amsh/Amso?), males - expression in rays

• Primary Identifier: Expr13675
• Pattern: RGBA-­1 is expressed in the intestine, cephalic sheath, socket cell, rays, and ray structural cells.

• Primary Identifier: Expr8988
• Remark: Picture: Fig 3.
• Pattern: Analysis of the transformed animals revealed that sti-1 was ubiquitously expressed in the whole body of worms. Expression was predominantly observed in pharyngeal muscles, vulva epithelial cells, intestines, and striated body-wall muscles. GFP was also observed in tail regions of hermaphrodite and in sensory rays and spicules of male animals.

• Primary Identifier: Expr8041
• Remark: Picture: Figure 5.
• Pattern: Expression of both constructs (a) and (b) was documented in many different cell types, beginning in embryogenesis. The strongest expression of nhr-60::gfp was in seam cells. Seam cell expression of nhr-60::gfp started in embryonic precursors of these cells at about 260 minutes after fertilization and continued during all larval stages. It was present in the proliferating seam cells and expression levels were constant through larval development, disappearing in adult animals after seam cells undergo homotypic cell fusion. Additionally, authors saw strong GFP signals in four pharyngeal gland cells, VC4, VC5 neurons, and the hemaphrodite uterine vulval uv1 cells. In males, the two expressing nhr-60::gfp transgenes were expressed in all ray cells of the mature tail.

• Primary Identifier: Expr14341
• Pattern: IFA-4::mKate2 showed expression in several of the same locations as exc-2: the excretory canals, the pharyngeal-intestinal valve, and the intestinal-rectal valve. IFA-4 is additionally located in the spermathecal-uterine valve and cells in the vulva, including the uterine muscles and two neurons in the tail. The IFA-4 protein was also found in the gut of dauer-stage but not well-fed worms, and appeared as well in the tips of the rays and neurons of the male tail.

• Primary Identifier: Expr10636
• Reporter Gene: [aqp-8p::aqp-8::gfp] and [aqp-8p::aqp-8::mCherry] translational fusions. aqp-8 full-length genomic DNA with a 1.0 kilobase (kb) upstream sequence was amplified by PCR and cloned into the GFP vector pPD95.75 by Sph1 and BamH1. The amplified mCherry DNA was ligated to the 3' end of the aqp-8 full-length genomic DNA by BamH1-KpnI into pPD95.75. [aqp-8p::gfp] transcriptional fusion.
• Pattern: The aqp-8p::gfp-derived transcriptional GFP reporter exhibits uniform labeling of the excretory canal cytoplasm, whereas aqp-8p::aqp-8::gfp- derived translational AQP-8::GFP fusion proteins identify the subcellular canalicular compartment. AQP-8 is also expressed outside the excretory system. Low levels of AQP-8 can be detected in several other tissues, such as coelomocytes, a posterior intestinal cell pair (INT 9), rectum, vulval muscles, male germline and ray, hypodermic or mesodermal cell near the pharynx, pharynx muscle.

• Primary Identifier: Expr9232
• Remark: In addition, PTC-3::GFP was expressed in five cells found in the valve region between the seminal vesicle and vas deferens of the somatic gonad.
• Pattern: In L4 and adult males, PTC-3::GFP was associated with the precursor and mature sensory rays, the cloaca, and pre-anal ganglia and cephalic neurons.

• Primary Identifier: Expr10785
• Pattern: Expression of this reporter gene started at the embryonic comma stage. Larval expression was detected in pharyngeal neurons, ventral and dorsal nerve cords, tail neurons, egg-laying neurons, and egg-laying muscles. In males, GFP was observed in male- specific tail ganglia and rays. In addition, the authors noted gei-8 expression in the germline by analyzing Y. Kohara's in situ hybridization results.

• Primary Identifier: Expr14524
• Pattern: Pcdc-25.4::gfp was expressed in many neurons, including pharyngeal neurons, the ventral nerve cord, and tail neurons in both hermaphrodites and males. However, the signal was not detected in the dorsal nerve cord. Pcdc-25.4::gfp expression was also observed in pharyngeal muscles, the head ganglion, preanal ganglion, and lumbar ganglion. In particular, Pcdc-25.4::gfp was expressed in ray cell bodies, spicule neurons, hook neurons, and postcloacal sensilla neurons in male tails. cdc-25.4 was also expressed in germ cells, including oocytes and sperm.

• Primary Identifier: Expr15030
• Pattern: In addition to male sex muscles, EGL-2::YFP is also expressed on the cell bodies, neural processes, and sensory endings of the male ray, post-cloacal, and spicule sensory neurons. the protractor muscles' EGL-2::YFP levels also increased between 24 and 48 h in wild-type males.

• Primary Identifier: Expr12598
• Pattern: chpf-2 is expressed from a single promoter solely in the excretory cell of hermaphrodites. In males, the chpf-2 promoter also drove expression in the ray support cells. chpf-2. It is expressed from a single promoter solely in the excretory cell of hermaphrodites. In males, the chpf-2 promoter also drove expression in the ray support cells.

0 Life Stages

2 Parents

Definition	Name	Synonym	Primary Identifier
cells or anatomical parts specific to the male sex	male-specific anatomical entity		WBbt:0005757
sensory organ, consists of sensory neurons and supporting cells.	sensillum		WBbt:0006929