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cGAL Project


We wish to expand 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 neurons, as well as 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, Wilber, or Stephanie.


cGAL Drivers as of 3/23/22

Neuron/Cell type Promoter(s) Description PS#
ADF srh-142 Coel::GFP ectopic expression PS8461
ADL srh-220 Very weak expression PS8091 (syEx)
PS8462
ADL sre-1 PS9017, PS9018, PS9019, PS9020, PS9021
AFD gcy-8 PS8566
PS8567 PS8642
AIM pdf-1, mbr-1 Additional neurons (possibly PVP) PS8843
AIY ttx-3 PS8290
PS8291 PS8405
ALA flp-24 PS8088
PS8089
ALM, PLM, AVM, PVM mec-17 PS8052 (syEx)
PS8373 PS8320 PS8323
AQR/RQR, URX gcy-32 ectopic coel in gfp PS8844, PS8845
ASE gcy-17 PS8652, PS8653, PS8654
ASEL gcy-5 PS8650
ASG Y41C4A.6 PS9028, PS9029, PS9030
ASH srj-26 gfp in a ventral nerve, cord neuron and a tail neuron PS9439, PS9545, PS9547
ASH nlp-76 gfp in tail neuron PS9440, PS9549, PS9550
ASI gpa-4 Coel::GFP ectopic expression PS8658
ASJ trx-1 PS8768, PS8772, PS8769
ASJ pps-1 Minor fluorescence seen in non-neuronal tissue PS9438, PS9542, PS9543
ASJ F47D2.11 PS9441, PS9544
ASK sra-9 PS7789
PS7828
AVG nmr-1, flp-7 PS8128 (syEx)
PS8287 (syEx) PS8409 PS8410 PS8411 PS8494
AVH hlh-34 PS8087 (syEx)
PS8132 PS8133
AVK flp-1 PS8458
PS8288 PS8289
AWA odr-10 PS8292
PS8293 PS8297
AWB str-1 General body GFP also present, coel::gfp PS8565
PS8564 PS8649
AWC str-2 General body GFP also present PS8496
PS8497
AWC-OFF srt-28 PS9435, PS9535
AWC-ON srt-47 PS9445
BAG gcy-33 PS8562
PS8563
Body muscle myo-3 PS6936
CAN pks-1 PS9031, PS9032
CEP F35D11.1, F09E10.7 PS9443, PS9565
Cholinergic Neuron unc-17 PS7155
DD/VD ttr-39 PS9230, PS9231, PS9232, PS9242, PS9243
Dopaminergic (CEP, ADE, PDE) dat-1 SyEX1708
DVA nlp-12 PS8022 (syEx)
PS8014 (syEx) PS8415 PS8416 PS8417 PS8418
DVC ceh-63 PS8129
PS8131
GABAergic neuron unc-47 PS7166
PS7160 PS7167
Gland cell inx-11, flp-20 PS8453
PS8454
Glutamatergic neuron PS7139, PS7140, PS7141, PS7142, PS7143
Heat shock hsp.16.41 PS7169
PS7170 PS7171 PS7172 PS7173
I1 zag-1, nlp-3
IL1 aqp-6 PS9240, PS9241
IL2 klp-6 PS8872, PS8873, PS8874
Intestine nlp-40 PS6916
PS6933 PS6934 PS6935
M3 flp-13, mnm-2
MC unc-17, ceh-19 PS7521
PS7522 PS7523
MCM pdf-1, grl-2 PS8661
PS8842
NSM tph-1, pdf-1 PS8660
OLL eat4prom11, flp-11 Needs to be reconstructed
OLQ ocr-4 PS9551
Pan-neuronal rab-3 PS6961
PS6962 PS6963
PHA Srg-13 PS8849, PS8850, PS8851
PHA/PHB srb-6, osm-10 PS8846, PS8847, PS8848
Pharyngeal muscle myo-2 PS6844
PS7154
PHC F58F6.6 GFP in ADF and in another plasmid PS9534, PS9567, PS9568, PS9569
PVC nmr-1, flp-20 Weak expression, present in half of the animals. PS8126 (syEx)
PS8282 PS8283
PVQ nlp-17 PS8839
PS8840 PS8841
RIA glr-3 PS8281 (syEx)
PS8279 PS8280
RIC tbh-1 PS9229, PS9236, PS9237, PS9238, PS9239
RMD? rig-5 Better images needed to identify PS8643
RMG nlp-56 PS8834
PS8835 PS8836 PS8837
URB nlp-48 PS9560, PSP9561
URX flp-8 GFP seen in AUA PS8648
URY arrd-16 GFP seen in DVA, DVC, and interneuron syEX1709

Effector Strains as of 7/30/2020

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