WormBase Tree Display for Expr_pattern: Expr3875

Expr3875 Expression_of: Gene: WBGene00000767
    Reflects_endogenous_expression_of: WBGene00000767
  Expression_data: Life_stage: WBls:0000024
      WBls:0000003
      WBls:0000038
      WBls:0000027
      WBls:0000035
      WBls:0000041
    Anatomy_term (45)
  Type: Reporter_gene
  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.
  Picture: WBPicture0000011865
    WBPicture0000011866
    WBPicture0000011867
  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.
  Reference: WBPaper00027036
  Transgene: WBTransgene00028923