Expression data from the PVD and OLL neurons in C. elegans

Nociceptive neurons develop a complex dendritic arbor to sense noxious stimuli, which enables animals to react to environmental insults and perform self-protective behaviours. The genetic programs controlling neuronal dendritic morphogenesis are poorly understood. In C. elegans, the PVD sensory neuron generates a complex dendritic arbor that envelops the body of the animal. This nociceptive neuron enables study of dendrite formation in vivo. We used expression arrays to identify genes highly enriched in the PVD neuron while undergoing dendritic morphogenesis. These genes could function in pathways controlling dendrite formation. We employ the mRNA-tagging method to isolate poly(A) RNA from the PVD and OLL neurons by expressing a 3X FLAG-tagged poly(A) binding protein PAB-1 in PVD and OLL under control of the ser-2prom3B promoter. The enriched poly(A) RNA is amplified using the NuGEN WT-Pico amplification system and applied to Affymetrix C. elegans gene expression microarrays. A reference sample was obtained by isolating total RNA from whole animals at the L3/L4 stages and processed as above.