Transcriptional Response to a Dauer-Inducing Ascaroside Cocktail in Late L1 in C. elegans

The dauer diapause stage in C. elegans is a non-feeding alternative to the L3 larval stage that is highly resistant to harsh environmental conditions. The decision to enter dauer is a two-step process. First, L1 larvae encounter adverse conditions such as lack of food or overcrowding and decide to enter the L2d rather than the L2 stage. Second, L2d worms that continue to experience disadvantageous conditions decide to enter dauer instead of L3. Here, we have used RNA-seq to characterize the transcriptional response to a cocktail of dauer-inducing ascaroside pheromones at the late L1 stage as worms enter the L2d phase. We find that, in response to ascarosides, C. elegans L1 larvae preparing to enter the L2d stage begin upregulating genes involved in stress response and downregulating genes associated with growth and metabolism.