Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Overview of gene structure.

John Spieth1, Daniel Lawson

  • 1Genome Sequencing Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA. jspieth@watson.wustl.edu

Wormbook : the Online Review of C. Elegans Biology
|November 21, 2007
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Ultracompact Programmable Silicon Photonics Using Layers of Low-Loss Phase-Change Material Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub> of Increasing Thickness.

ACS photonics·2025
Same author

Author Correction: Continental influx and pervasive matrilocality in Iron Age Britain.

Nature·2025
Same author

Continental influx and pervasive matrilocality in Iron Age Britain.

Nature·2025
Same author

Limited historical admixture between European wildcats and domestic cats.

Current biology : CB·2023
Same author

Beyond Mechanical Tension: A Review of Resistance Exercise-Induced Lactate Responses & Muscle Hypertrophy.

Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology·2022
Same author

VEuPathDB: the eukaryotic pathogen, vector and host bioinformatics resource center.

Nucleic acids research·2021
Same journal

Caenorhabditis nomenclature.

WormBook : the online review of C. elegans biology·2018
Same journal

Tubulins in C. elegans.

WormBook : the online review of C. elegans biology·2018
Same journal

History of research on C. elegans and other free-living nematodes as model organisms.

WormBook : the online review of C. elegans biology·2017
Same journal

Development, structure, and maintenance of C. elegans body wall muscle.

WormBook : the online review of C. elegans biology·2016
Same journal

Working with dauer larvae.

WormBook : the online review of C. elegans biology·2016
Same journal

Small GTPases.

WormBook : the online review of C. elegans biology·2016
See all related articles

The C. elegans genome contains over 22,000 protein-coding genes, with many confirmed by transcription evidence. Gene structures are generally small, featuring numerous short exons and introns, with denser gene distribution on autosomes.

Area of Science:

  • Genomics
  • Bioinformatics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Gene prediction programs like Genefinder were crucial for the C. elegans sequencing project.
  • Manual curation by WormBase staff refines initial gene predictions using diverse data.
  • The WormBase WS133 release details the current state of C. elegans gene annotation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide an overview of the annotated protein-coding genes in C. elegans.
  • To describe the characteristics of C. elegans gene structures and their genomic distribution.
  • To report on the extent of experimental validation for predicted gene features.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing Genefinder for initial protein-coding gene prediction.
  • Manual curation and data integration by WormBase staff.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analysis of gene structure metrics (size, exon/intron counts and lengths) and distribution.

    • Main Results:

    • WormBase WS133 annotates 22,227 protein-coding genes, including 2,575 alternatively spliced forms.
    • Transcription evidence confirms all bases in 28% of exons and some bases in an additional 51%.
    • Genes average 3 kb, with 6.4 coding exons; exons (median 123 bp) and introns (mode 47 bp) are typically small. Gene density is higher on autosomes than chromosome X and higher centrally than on arms.

    Conclusions:

    • The C. elegans genome is well-annotated, with substantial experimental support for gene structures.
    • C. elegans genes exhibit compact structures with small exons and introns, and non-uniform genomic distribution.
    • Ongoing curation efforts continue to refine our understanding of the C. elegans proteome.