Worm Breeder's Gazette 10(1): 77
These abstracts should not be cited in bibliographies. Material contained herein should be treated as personal communication and should be cited as such only with the consent of the author.
Specific asymmetric DNA probes for the GAPDH genes in C. elegans have been made by chain elongation with specific primers in the presence of biotinylated nucleotide analogues. The biotinylated probes were used to in situ hybridize embryo and adult worm squashes. The results showed that GAPDH mRNAs of the two nearly identical copies (Ia and Ib) are present in all cells; whereas GAPDH mRNAs of the two tandem direct repeats (IIa and IIb) are preferentially located in body- wall muscle cells. This confirms the notion that Genes Ia and Ib code for the GAPDH-1 isoenzyme; genes IIa and IIb code for the GAPDH-2 isoenzyme. Also the developmental expression analysis showed that genes Ia and Ib mRNAs are enriched in embryos while genes IIa and IIb mRNAs increase during postembryonic development. These results are expected based on our earlier ontogenetic study of GAPDH-1 and GAPDH-2 isoenzyme expression.