A Genome-wide analysis of genetic interactions in early embryogenesis in C. elegans

MUNARRIZ E, CIPRIANI PG, WHITE A, KAO HL, ERICKSON K, GUZMAN S, LUCAS J, YOUNG J, GUNSALUS KC AND F. PIANO.

Los Angeles

Congreso; 18th Internacional C. elegans Meeting; 2011

Genetic interaction studies have been useful in showing buffering between molecular pathways and predict function of non-lethal genes in many organisms. We undertook a large RNA interference (RNAi) based genome-wide screen to find genetic interactions (enhancers and suppressors) for genes involved in embryogenesis in C. elegans. To this end we have used 26 available temperature sensitive (ts) alleles of 24 essential genes (dhc-1, div-1, dnc-1, emb-8, emb-27, emb-30, glp-1, hcp-6, lin-5, mat-1, mbk-2, mel-26, par-1, par-2, par-4, pod-2, rme-8, spd-5, spn-4, tba-1, zen-4, zyg-1, zyg-8, zyg-9), whose strong loss-of-function phenotype affects the early embryo. We have developed an image acquisition system (1) and have archived over 3 million images from all RNAi experiments. To provide a rapid quantitative output, we have developed an image alysis system (DevStaR)(2). DevStaR produces an automatic classification of the developmental stages of C. elegans animals from a population of mixed stages, and achieves near real-time scoring of image data in a fully automated manner. The output is equivalent to the quantification of progeny survival in every experiment (See poster by White et al). Current analysis of the data shows that the distribution of the quantitative phenotypes allows us to compare the results of the ts mutant alleles and the controls, and to select potential positive genetic interactions for each ts allele with high accuracy. We will present data showing the trends of how genetic interaction networks are built around this set of essential genes. We are using these results to construct a comprehensive network of genetic interactions in early embryogenesis in C. elegans.