Transcriptional patterns of sexual dimorphism and in host developmental programs in the model parasitic nematode Heligmosomoides bakeri

Background
Heligmosomoides bakeri (often mistaken for Heligmosomoides polygyrus) is a promising model for parasitic nematodes with the key advantage of being amenable to study and manipulation within a controlled laboratory environment. While draft genome sequences are available for this worm, which allow for comparative genomic analyses between nematodes, there is a notable lack of information on its gene expression.
Methods
We generated biologically replicated RNA-seq datasets from samples taken throughout the parasitic life of H. bakeri. RNA from tissue-dwelling and lumen-dwelling worms, collected under a dissection microscope, was sequenced on an Illumina platform.
Results
We find extensive transcriptional sexual dimorphism throughout the fourth larval and adult stages of this parasite and identify alternative splicing, glycosylation, and ubiquitination as particularly important processes for establishing and/or maintaining sex-specific gene expression in this species. We find se..., Adult worms were removed from the intestinal tract day 10 post-infection and isolated using a modified Baerman apparatus. They were washed three times with water and placed in Dulbecco’s modified eagle’s medium–high glucose (Sigma cat. D5796) where they were sexed and counted. Worms were either used immediately for feeding assays. Mixed sex groups of worms were incubated with or without beads ((108 beads per 5mL of media, Polysciences Inc., Cat. 18859-1for two days. Worms were euthanised with 70% ethanol. Images were acquired using the Zeiss Axio ZoomV.16 stereoscopic microscope (Bio Core Facility, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary). Brightfield and fluorescence images were taken either under the the PlanNeoFluar Z 1x/0.25 FWD 56mm objective objective with the AxioCam High Resolution colour (HRc) and High-Resolution mono (HRm) cameras. Beads were counted manually by zooming into images by two independent observers., , # Bead feeding assay for *Heligmosomoides bakeri*: females vs males

One Excel file (H.bakeri\_SPbulktranscriptomes\_xpn\_data) which contains all of the transcript expression data we generated in the study.

63 image files (TIF format) of the nematode *Heligmosomoides* bakeri. Male and female adult worms were fed beads to determine whether the rates of feeding differed between the sexes.

Method: Adult worms were removed from the intestinal tract day 10 post-infection and isolated using a modified Baerman apparatus. They were washed three times with water and placed in Dulbecco’s modified eagle’s medium–high glucose (Sigma cat. D5796) where they were sexed and counted. Worms were either used immediately for feeding assays. Mixed sex groups of worms were incubated with or without beads ((108 beads per 5mL of media, Polysciences Inc., Cat. 18859-1for two days. Worms were euthanised with 70% ethanol. Images were acquired using the Zeiss Axio ZoomV.16 stereoscopic microscope (Bio Core Faci...