High-Throughput In Vivo Analysis of Gene Expression in Caenorhabditis elegans

Using DNA sequences 5�� to open reading frames, we have constructed green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusions and generated spatial and temporal tissue expression profiles for 1,886 specific genes in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. This effort encompasses about 10% of all genes identified in this organism. GFP-expressing wild-type animals were analyzed at each stage of development from embryo to adult. We have identified 5�� DNA regions regulating expression at all developmental stages and in 38 different cell and tissue types in this organism. Among the regulatory regions identified are sequences that regulate expression in all cells, in specific tissues, in combinations of tissues, and in single cells. Most of the genes we have examined in C. elegans have human orthologs. All the images and expression pattern data generated by this project are available at WormAtlas (http://gfpweb.aecom.yu.edu/index) and through WormBase (http://www.wormbase.org).我们采用开放阅读框上游5'端的DNA序列，构建了绿色荧光蛋白（GFP）融合载体，并为秀丽隐杆线虫（Caenorhabditis elegans）的1886个特定基因生成了时空组织表达谱。本研究覆盖该物种已鉴定基因的约10%。我们对表达GFP的野生型线虫开展了从胚胎到成体的全发育阶段分析，鉴定出了可在该线虫所有发育阶段以及38种不同细胞和组织类型中调控基因表达的5'端DNA区域。所鉴定的调控区域涵盖可调控全局细胞表达、特定组织表达、多组织组合表达以及单细胞表达的序列。本研究中检测的秀丽隐杆线虫基因大多存在人类直系同源基因。本项目产生的所有图像及表达模式数据均可通过WormAtlas（http://gfpweb.aecom.yu.edu/index）及WormBase（http://www.wormbase.org）获取。