Promoter toolset for CRE-mediated conditioned expression of genes during somatic gonad development in Caenorhabditis elegans.

This study examines the specificity and temporal dynamics of Cre drivers in Caenorhabditis elegans somatic gonad development. We use regulatory regions from factors known to be expressed within the Distal Tip Cell (DTC) lineage: hnd-1 p and ceh-22 p drivers exhibit broad expression throughout the somatic gonad; lin-32 p expression is confined to Z1a/Z4p derivatives; and hlh-12 p specifically targets the DTC. Temporal profiling shows hnd-1 p activity from early L1, ceh-22 p from early L2, and lin-32 p and hlh-12 p activity emerging later in L2/L3. Collectively, these results enable the application of Cre-mediated drivers to conditional expression in specific somatic gonad cell types.