Global study of mRNA degradation in C. elegans using bulk and single-cell RNA-sequencing

Although the regulation of mRNA degradation contributes to gene expression patterns and can be highly complex, the extent of its impact on developmental gene expression remains largely unexplored. To measure mRNA decay throughout C. elegans embryogenesis, we measured changes in gene expression after a transcription inhibition time course using both bulk and single-cell RNA-sequencing. We were able to measure mRNA half-lives within the embryo as a whole and within specific cell types and developmental stages, thus allowing us to probe the extent of differential mRNA degradation throughout embryogenesis.