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Sternberg Lab Homepage  /  Projects  /  cGAL

cGAL Project


We are slowly expandibg the GAL4-UAS system adapted for C. elegans, cGAL and split cGAL, to develop community-wide reagents. Our goal is to create drivers that access all 302 hermaphrodite neurons and all male-specific neurons. The driver strains are created by selecting a single promoter, cGAL, or two intersecting promoters, split cGAL, expressed in the neuron to target specificity. Researchers can then cross the drivers with UAS effector strains, to produce progeny that will express the desired neuron/cell-specific gene expression. Our list of effectors contains inhibitors, reporter genes, neurotoxins, and others to facilitate future exploration.

As of now, we have developed drivers that can access various types of the 302 hermaphroditic neurons, such as sensory (52% completed), motor, interneurons, and polymodal neurons. We have also started the endeavor of creating drivers for male-specific neurons. Below we have listed a table of available drivers. The table includes the neuron name, which promoter/s were used, and driver strain name(s). The effector table includes the gene, its intended use, and effector strain name(s).

Strains are available upon request, for correspondence, you can email Paul orWilber


cGAL Drivers as of 9/22/23

Neuron/Cell type Promoter(s) Description PS#
ADE dat-1
ADF srh-142 Coelomocyte GFP ectopic expression PS8461 available at CGC
ADL srh-220 Very weak expression PS8091 (syEx) PS8462 available at CGC
ADL sre-1 PS9017 PS9018 PS9019 PS9020 PS9021 PS9035 available at CGC
AFD gcy-8 PS8566 PS8567 PS8642 available at CGC
AIM pdf-1, mbr-1 Additional neurons (possibly PVP) PS8843 available at CGC
AIY ttx-3 PS8290 available at CGC
PS8291 PS8405
ALA flp-24 PS8088 PS8089 PS7973 available at CGC
ALM, PLM, AVM, PVM mec-17 PS8052 (syEx) PS8373 available at CGC PS8320 PS8323
ALN, PLN nlp-20 Short process length for both ALN and PLN PS9665 (syEx) available at CGC PS9676 available at CGC PS9677
ALN, PLN T09B9.5 Additional neurons (ventral cord neurons) PS9666 (syEx) PS9675 available at CGC
ALN, PLN C50F7.5 Additional neurons (ventral cord neurons) PS9895 PS9896 PS9897 PS9898
AQR/PQR, URX gcy-32 Coelomocyte GFP ectopic expression PS8844 available at CGC PS8845
ASEL gcy-17 PS8652 PS8653 available at CGC PS8654
ASER gcy-5 PS8650 available at CGC
ASG Y41C4A.6 PS9028 PS9029 PS9030 available at CGC
ASH srj-26 Additional neurons (ventral nerve cord neuron and a tail neuron) PS9439 PS9545 PS9547 available at CGC
ASH nlp-76 Additional neurons (tail neuron) PS9440 PS9549 PS9550 available at CGC
ASI gpa-4 Coelomocyte GFP ectopic expression PS8658 PS9034 available at CGC
ASJ trx-1 PS8768 PS8772 PS8769 available at CGC
ASJ pps-1 Minor fluorescence seen in non-neuronal tissue PS9438 PS9542 available at CGC PS9543
ASJ F47D2.11 PS9441 available at CGC PS9544
ASK sra-9 PS7789 PS7828 PS7829 available at CGC
ASK srd-36 PS9670 (syEx) PS9678 PS9893 available at CGC
PS9894
AVG nmr-1, flp-7 PS8128 (syEx) PS8287 PS8409 available at CGC PS8410 PS8411 PS8494
AVH hlh-34 PS8087 (syEx) PS8132 available at CGC PS8133
AVK flp-1 PS8458 PS8288 available at CGC PS8289
AWA odr-10 PS8292 PS8293 available at CGC PS8297
AWB str-1 General body GFP, coelomocyte GFP ectopic expression PS8565 available at CGC PS8564 PS8649
AWC str-2 General body GFP also present PS8496 available at CGC PS8497
AWC-OFF srt-47 PS9435 available at CGC PS9535
AWC-ON srt-28 PS9445 available at CGC
BAG gcy-33 PS8562 available at CGC PS8563
Body muscle myo-3 PS6963 available at CGC
CAN pks-1 PS9031 available at CGC PS9032
CEP F35D11.1, F09E10.7 PS9443 available at CGC
Cholinergic neurons unc-17 PS7155 available at CGC
DD, VD ttr-39 PS9230 PS9231 PS9232 available at CGC PS9242 PS9243
Dopaminergic (CEP, ADE, PDE) dat-1 PS9663 (syEx) available at CGC PS9569
DVA nlp-12 PS8022 (syEx)
PS8014 (syEx) PS8415 PS8416 available at CGC PS8417 PS8418
DVC ceh-63 PS8129
PS8131 available at CGC
FLP, PVD Y48G110A.6, F58F6.6 PS9673 available at CGC
PS10078
PS10079
PS10080
PS10081
GABAergic neurons unc-47 PS7166 PS7160 available at CGC PS7167
Gland cell inx-11, flp-20 PS8453 available at CGC PS8454
Glutamatergic neuron eat-4 PS7139 PS7140 PS7141 PS7142 PS7143
Heat shock hsp.16.41 PS7169
PS7170 PS7171 PS7172 PS7173
Hypodermis dpy-7 PS10084 (syEx)
PS10085 (syEx)
I1 zag-1, nlp-3
IL1 aqp-6 PS9240 PS9241 PS9235 available at CGC
IL2 klp-6 PS8872 available at CGC PS8873 PS8874
Intestine nlp-40 PS6916 available at CGC
PS6933 available at CGC PS6934 available at CGC PS6935 available at CGC
M3 flp-13, mnm-2
MC unc-17, ceh-19 PS7521 available at CGC
PS7522 PS7523
MCM pdf-1, grl-2 PS8661 available at CGC
PS8842
NSM tph-1, pdf-1 PS8660 available at CGC
OLL eat4prom9, seb-3 PS9668 (syEx) available at CGC
PS9901
PS9902
PS10076
PS10077
OLQ ocr-4 PS9551 available at CGC
Pan-neuronal rab-3 PS6961 available at CGC
PS6962   PS6963 available at CGC
PHA srg-13 PS8849 available at CGC PS8850 PS8851
PHA, PHB srb-6, osm-10 PS8846 available at CGC PS8847 PS8848
Pharyngeal muscle myo-2 PS6844 available at CGC
PS7154 available at CGC
PHC F58F6.6 Additional neurons (ADF and phasmid) PS9534 available at CGC
PHC capa-1, F58F6.6 PS9899 PS9900
PHC kcnl-4, F58F6.6 PS9672 (syEx) available at CGC PS9557
PVC nmr-1, flp-20 Weak expression, present in half of the animals PS8126 (syEx)
PS8282 available at CGC PS8283
PQR gcy-32
PVD Y48G10A.6, kcnl-4
PVQ nlp-17 PS8839 available at CGC
PS8840 PS8841
RIA glr-3 PS8281 (syEx)
PS8279 available at CGC PS8280
RIC tbh-1 PS9229 available at CGC PS9236 PS9237 PS9238 PS9239
rig-5 Better images needed to identify PS8643 available at CGC
RMG nlp-56 PS8834 available at CGC
PS8835 PS8836 PS8837
URB nlp-48 PS9560 PSP9561
URX gcy-32 PS8648 available at CGC
URY arrd-16 Additional neurons  (DVA, DVC, and interneuron) PS9664 available at CGC
PS10082
PS10083

Effector Strains as of 9/22/23

Transgene Description
UAS::-PKA(DN)-SL2-GFP Dominant negative form of Protein Kinase A (PKA). Lowers PKA activity in targeted neurons. PS8124 PS8125
UAS::-FEM-3 Gene involved in sex determination, induces masculinization PS8509
UAS::-TRA-2 (IC) Gene involved in sex determination, induces feminization PS8408
UAS::-Lin-3C Epidermal growth factor PS8278
UAS::-GtACR2-SL2-GFP Natural light-gated anion channels, inhibition with blue light PS8284 PS8285 PS8286
UAS::-destabilized-YFP PS8406 PS8407
UAS::-wrmScarlet C. elegans optimized version of mScarlet PS8459 PS8460
UAS::-sbt-1 Tissue specific sbt-1 expression is sufficient to rescue dauer entry defect in sbt-1 mutant PS7901 (syEx) PS8420 PS8421 PS8422
UAS::-TeTX-SL2-mKate In vivo blocking of synaptic signaling through Tetanus toxin mediated cleavage of synptobrevin proteins. PS8412 PS8413 PS8414
UAS::-TeTX-SL2-GFP In vivo blocking of synaptic signaling through Tetanus toxin mediated cleavage of synptobrevin proteins. PS9432 PS9433 PS9434
UAS::-GCaMP7s-SL2-mKate In vivo calcium indicator. Presence of calcium (Ca2+) increases reporter signal intensity. Latest GCaMP, improved SNR, slow kinetics PS8419
UAS::-GCaMP7f-SL2-mKate In vivo calcium indicator. Presence of calcium (Ca2+) increases reporter signal intensity. Latest GCaMP, improved SNR, fast kinetics PS8423 PS8424
UAS::-GCaMP7b-SL2-mKate In vivo calcium indicator. Presence of calcium (Ca2+) increases reporter signal intensity. Latest GCaMP, improved SNR, higher baseline fluorescence PS8473 PS8495
UAS::-lmp1-venus Lysosomal associated membrane protein PS8474 PS8475 PS8476 PS8477
UAS::-iC1-c2-TS-EYFP Chloride-conducting channelrhodopsin PS8466 PS8467
UAS::-rpl-22HA-SL2-mKate For tissue specific RNA-seq PS8463 PS8464 PS8465
UAS::-act2-venus Localizes to actin filament and cell cortex PS8555
PS8556, PS8557
UAS::-nCRE-SL2-GFP Nucleolus-transport-enhanced Cre protein. Recombination-mediated gene expression knockout. PS8469
PS8470 PS8471 PS8472
UAS::-ChR2(C128S)-EYFP Stable step function ChR2 variant. Activated by blue light, terminated by green light. PS8498
PS8499 PS8500
UAS::-SwiCHR-TS-EYFP Step-Waveform Inhibitory Channelrhodopsin PS8508
PS8510
UAS::-hChR2 (C128S, D156A)-EYFP Stabilized step function Opsins ChR2 variant PS8503
PS8504 PS8507
UAS::-miniSOG-130L-VAMP2-mCherry Inhibition of synaptic vessel release due to disruption of synaptic vessel function by reactive oxygen species production. PS8505
PS8506
UAS::-myri-mCherry Fluorophore used to target and label cell membrane. Leaky RFP (seen in tails) PS8501
PS8502
UAS::PTX-SL2-GFP Inactivation of G protein subunits through Pertussis toxin (PTX) *plasmid available *
UAS::VSFP-Butterfly-1-2 Voltage-sensitive fluorescent protein PS8552
PS8553 PS8554
UAS::miniSOG-103L::mCherry Inhibition of synaptic vessel release due to disruption of synaptic vessel function by reactive oxygen species production. PS8558
UAS::GCaMP6s::SL2::mKate2 In vivo calcium indicator. Presence of calcium (Ca2+) increase reporter signal intensity. PS7203
PS7205 PS7206 PS7207 PS7208
UAS::hChR2(H134R)::YFP Direct light-gated cation channel from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii that allows neuron depolarization through brief pulses of blue light. PS7043
PS7044 PS7045
UAS::HisCl1::SL2::GFP In vivo neuronal inhibition through histamine-gated chloride channel. Neurons expressing HisCl1 trasngene are inhibited after addition of histamine. PS7199
PS7107 PS7108
UAS::TeTx In vivo blocking of synaptic signaling through Tetanus toxin mediated cleavage of synptobrevin proteins. PS7200
PS7201 PS7202
UAS::ICE Human caspase 1 (ICE) directed cell death. PS7192
PS7193 PS7194 PS7195 PS7195
UAS::Chrimson-GFP Red light-activated channelrhodopsin PS7900 PS8023 PS8024
UAS::Chrimson-tdTomato Red light-activated channelrhodopsin PS9436 PS9538