Figure 4. Expression analysis of genes co-expressed in Smed-pou4−2⁺cells.

(A) WISH images of genes predominantly expressed in mechanosensory neuron regions, dorsal and peripheral ciliated stripes (dcs, pcs). WISH post-RNAi revealed reduced expression of mechanosensory neuron-patterned genes (labeled on the left) after soxB1-2 and pou4-2 RNAi (labeled on the top). loxhd-1 was also expressed in a punctate pattern (black arrowheads) that appeared largely unaffected following pou4-2 RNAi. The RNAi treatments did not affect nsun-7 expression in the photoreceptors (blue asterisks). (B) In situ hybridization images from whole-mount and cross-sections of genes expressed in mechanosensory neurons and other cell types. Note reduced expression of genes in the stereotypical mechanosensory neuron regions after soxB1-2 and pou4-2 RNAi. The red arrowheads highlight the head tip expression unaffected by soxB1-2 and pou4-2 knockdown in EphR1-labeled cells. The insets show the corresponding cross-section of the worm. Anterior to the left. Blue arrows mark ciliated stripe cell regions. Dashed boxes denote cross-section regions. Abbreviations: cephalic ganglia (cg), dorsal ciliated stripe (dcs), dorsal and ventral peripheral stripes (pcs), epidermis (ep), ventral nerve cords (vnc). Scale bars = 200 µm for intact animals and 100 µm for cross-sections; n ≥3 worms tested with all samples displaying similar expression patterns.