Hermaphrodite and Male Single-Cell RNA datasets
The webpage provides an intuitive platform for researchers and interested individuals to explore single-cell gene expression profiles of Caenorhabditis elegans in both hermaphrodite and male sexes, specifically at the Young Adult (YA) developmental stage (Haque et al., submitted). This resource offers valuable insights into sex-specific transcriptional dynamics at the single-neuron level, at a critical phase of development.
The platform integrates single-cell RNA-seq datasets from both sexes, enabling users to investigate gene expression patterns in detail, with a focus on unique expression profiles associated with a particular neuron.
Users can easily search for specific genes of interest and explore their average log fold changes for individual neurons in both sexes. Dimorphic gene expression data is displayed as interactive bubble plots. The size of each bubble represents the average log2 fold change in gene expression, with the bubble color indicating sex-specific enrichment (cyan for males, orange for hermaphrodites). Only genes that meet statistical significance (p-value ≤ 0.05, |Avg_log_fold change| ≥ 1) are included in the plots, ensuring robust and reliable results.
For example, users can examine the expression of genes like egl-30 or mec-8 in both sexes at the YA stage using the platform’s user-friendly interface. This provides easy access to valuable information for understanding sex-biased gene regulation and its role in development.
This resource is designed to facilitate the exploration of sex-specific transcriptional regulation at the YA stage, contributing to a deeper understanding of sexual dimorphism and its biological significance in C. elegans.