Help with strains for Woods Hole Embryology class

Model Organism: Worms Scientific Discussion
1

Hi all. Our lab is teaching the worm section at the Woods Hole Embryology class this summer. The students enjoy seeing interesting expression patterns in the worm, which helps them identify organs and subcellular structures. Can anyone recommend interesting fluorescent reporter strains? Ideally, these would be bright, integrated, and in a wild-type background. If you have any suggestions, please post to the forum or e-mail me at adam.schindler@duke.edu. Thanks!

Adam Schindler
Postdoc
Dave Sherwood Lab
Duke University

2

Are you going to be looking under dissecting scopes, or mounting and using epifluorescence? If it’s the latter the following could be good:
-SU93-carries ajm-1::GFP fusion transgene marking adherens junctions
-JR667-carries seam cell::GFP marker
-TP-12-col-19:GFP fusion

cheers,

Jordan

3

Thank you, Jordan. Those will be helpful.

4

Jordan,

Are there reporter strains that can be viewed under a dissecting scope? I am trying to identify mini-projects for my students and this sounds interesting!

Thank you

Leya

5

RT130 pwIs23[vit-2::GFP] from CGC

6

Hi Leya,

The seam cell and AJM markers might be too dim for dissecting scopes. A good choice could be an assortment of nlp-29:GFP reporters:
http://www.cgc.cbs.umn.edu/search.php?st=nlp-29&field=all&exst=&exfield=all

These strains carry a GFP reporter for nlp-29 reporter activity, which is activated in response to pathogen exposure, osmotic stress, and PMA exposure. There are also a number of mutants which cause activation
of the reporter under normal growth, or block activation following stress exposure. The strain also carries a col-12::dsRed promoter reporter which is pretty bright. A good teaching module can probably
be generated using these strains.

best regards,

Jordan