Analysis of an RNAi-Induced Defect in the Caenorhabditis elegans Defecation Motor Program

Caenorhabditis elegans undergoes a rhythmic three-step defecation motor program involving the intestine, neurons, and muscles. A genetic screen identified a mutant that dramatically reduces the frequency of the final step of this motor program. The mutant was generated with RNAi, a technique that lowers levels of specific proteins. To determine which cells were important, I limited RNAi to either the intestine or neurons. Intestine-specific RNAi reproduced the defect, while neuron-specific RNAi did not. I also performed optogenetic and pharmacological experiments to further test whether RNAi affected certain neurons and muscles. These experiments suggested that muscles and neurons may be affected