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Advances in tools and strategies for spatiotemporal regulation of gene expression in Caenorhabditis elegans

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  • 1. Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute, Zhejiang University, Haining 314400 China

    2. Department of Colorectal Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000 China

Online published: 2026-09-01

Abstract

Spatiotemporal manipulation of gene expression is essential for dissecting gene function, elucidating developmental processes, and uncovering complex physiological mechanisms. As a model organism, Caenorhabditis elegans has played an important role in basic biology research and provides an ideal experimental system for achieving such precise control. With the development of single-copy transgenesis, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing, and conditional recombination and inducible systems, the genetic toolkits for spatiotemporal regulation of gene expression, and even at the single-cell-resolution, have been greatly expanded in C. elegans. In this review, we systematically summarize the major strategies for spatiotemporal regulation of gene expression in C. elegans, with a focus on tissue-specific RNA interference, conditional protein degradation systems, inducible transcriptional regulation systems, and recently developed approaches such as Ribo-on/Ribo-off. These methods are compared in terms of regulatory levels, technical advantages, limitations, and suitable applications. Together, these tools cover multiple layers of regulation, ranging from transcriptional and post-transcriptional control to protein-level manipulation, and provide powerful approaches for developmental biology, aging, inter-tissue signaling, and disease models, while also establishing a methodological foundation for dissecting cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous regulatory mechanisms in complex biological processes.

Cite this article

Yimeng Wang, Xiao Zang . Advances in tools and strategies for spatiotemporal regulation of gene expression in Caenorhabditis elegans[J]. Hereditas(Beijing), 0 : 0 . DOI: 10.16288/j.yczz.26-140

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