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MicroPubl Biol,
2023]
Gene regulation has been studied in C. elegans for over 30 years. In this analysis of 102 publications, we find that most transcriptional cis-regulatory elements are located within 5,000 bp of the transcription start site. Over 75% of studies conclude that transcriptional elements and 5'UTRs activate-, while 3'UTRs repress gene expression. While gene regulatory mutations make up less than 0.8% of alleles in forward genetics screens, recent CRISPR-Cas approaches are increasing the number of tested mutations. This work provides a resource of known gene regulatory sequences in C.elegans.
[
MicroPubl Biol,
2021]
Although C. elegans is one of the best-studied model organisms, an estimate of its cell sizes and tissues is missing. Here we used the Virtual Worm that is based on electron microscopy images to calculate a zeroth-order approximation of cell and tissue sizes of C. elegans. We conclude that the intestine is the largest tissue, followed by the hypodermis, gonads, body wall muscles, pharynx, and neurons. Thus, we provide an approximation of tissue volumes of young adult C. elegans.