Journal
DEVELOPMENT
Volume 148, Issue 18, Pages -Publisher
COMPANY BIOLOGISTS LTD
DOI: 10.1242/dev.199687
Keywords
C. elegans; Nervous system; Sex specific
Categories
Funding
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke [R37NS039996]
- National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering [R01 EB22913]
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
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Researchers used a multicolor reporter transgene, NeuroPAL, to visualize the distinct identities of all male-specific neurons in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and conducted related studies. By analyzing the effects of removing developmental patterning genes on neuronal identity acquisition, researchers concluded that male-specific neurons execute their terminal differentiation program in a coordinated manner in the fourth larval stage.
Sex differences in the brain are prevalent throughout the animal kingdom and particularly well appreciated in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, where male animals contain a little-studied set of 93 male-specific neurons. To make these neurons amenable for future study, we describe here how a multicolor reporter transgene, NeuroPAL, is capable of visualizing the distinct identities of all male-specific neurons. We used NeuroPAL to visualize and characterize a number of features of the male-specific nervous system. We provide several proofs of concept for using NeuroPAL to identify the sites of expression of gfp-tagged reporter genes and for cellular fate analysis by analyzing the effect of removal of several developmental patterning genes on neuronal identity acquisition. We use NeuroPAL and its intrinsic cohort of more than 40 distinct differentiation markers to show that, even though male-specific neurons are generated throughout all four larval stages, they execute their terminal differentiation program in a coordinated manner in the fourth larval stage. This coordinated wave of differentiation, which we call just-in-time' differentiation, couples neuronal maturation programs with the appearance of sexual organs.
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