Rebecca D. McWhirter

The paper identifies FMIL-1 as a gene that directs synapse formation in a C. elegans nociceptive circuit by promoting connectivity between PVD neurons and PVC/AVA interneurons.

This study creates a gene expression atlas of C. elegans L1 neurons, identifying differentially expressed genes and regulatory networks involved in postembryonic neurogenesis and maturation.

The paper shows cAMP signaling directs gap junction trafficking to assemble and position electrical synapses in C. elegans motor neurons.

The paper provides a comprehensive gene expression profile of all 302 neurons in the C. elegans nervous system and identifies cis-regulatory elements and adhesion proteins involved in synaptic specificity.

The paper compares two RNA-seq library preparation methods for C. elegans, finding that SoLo Ovation with a custom rRNA depletion kit improves detection of noncoding RNAs and reduces noise in lowly expressed genes.

The paper identifies EGFR signaling in the RIS neuron and its indirect activation via the ALA neuron as mechanisms for sleep induction following cellular stress in C. elegans.

Transcriptomes of 52,412 neurons resolve 109 of the 118 canonical hermaphrodite neuron classes, and neuropeptide genes separate subtypes inside individual classes.

The paper identifies a neuroendocrine neuron, RID, in C. elegans that sustains forward movement through the neuropeptide FLP-14.