BioProject

In animal germlines, regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation is particularly important but poorly understood. More...

In animal germlines, regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation is particularly important but poorly understood. Here, using a cryo-cut approach, we mapped RNA expression along the Caenorhabditis elegans germline and, using mutants, dissected gene regulatory mechanisms that control spatio-temporal expression. We detected, at near single-cell resolution, > 10,000 mRNAs, > 300 miRNAs and numerous unannotated miRNAs. Most RNAs were organized in distinct spatial patterns. Germline-specific miRNAs and their targets were co-localized. Moreover, we observed differential 3’ UTR isoform usage for hundreds of mRNAs. In tumorous gld-2 gld-1 mutants, gene expression was strongly perturbed. In particular, differential 3’ UTR usage was significantly impaired. We propose that PIE-1, a transcriptional repressor, functions to maintain spatial gene expression. Our data also suggest that cpsf-4 and fipp-1 control differential 3’ UTR usage for hundreds of genes. Finally, we constructed a “virtual gonad” enabling “virtual in situ hybridizations” and access to all data (https://shiny.mdc-berlin.de/spacegerm/). Overall design: Investigation of the spatio-temporal gene expression in the Caenorhabditis elegans germline using a cryo-based approach and single cell protocols. Less...