Expression Profiling of MAP Kinase-Mediated Meiotic Progression in C. elegans

A unique allele of MAP kinase, mpk-1(ga111), displays a reversible, temperature-sensitive, tissue-specific defect in progression through meiotic prophase I. We performed gene expression profiling on mpk-1(ga111) animals at multiple times after shift to permissive temperature to identify candidate downstream effectors of MPK-1 signaling in the germline. This analysis delineated a cohort of genes whose expression requires MPK-1 (MAP kinase) signaling in germ cells in the pachytene stage of meiosis I. Keywords: Timecourse of C. elegans mpk-1 mutants We analyzed six timepoints after MAP kinase mpk-1(ga111) mutants were shifted to a temperature permissive for meiotic progression. Each timepoint was sampled in triplicate. Control (mpk-1+) animals were sampled in triplicate at the beginning and end of the time series. All samples were compared to a common reference sample made of a mixture of both control samples.