Developmental expression pattern screen for genes predicted in the C. elegans genome sequencing project

Maximum use should be made of information generated in the genome sequencing projects. Toward this end, we have initiated a genome sequence-based, expression pattern screen of genes predicted from the Caenorhabditis elegans genome sequence data. We examined beta-galactosidase expression patterns in C. elegans lines transformed with lacZ reporter gene fusions constructed using predicted C. elegans gene promoter regions. Of the predicted genes in the cosmids analysed so far, 67% are amenable to the approach and 54% of examined genes yielded a developmental expression pattern. Expression pattern information is being made generally available using computer databases.