Generation of Caenorhabditis elegans Transgenic Animals by DNA Microinjection

Abstract

Microinjection is the most frequently used tool for genetic transformation of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, facilitating the transgenic expression of genes, genome editing by the clustered regularly interspersed short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 system, or transcription of dsRNA for RNA intereference (RNAi). Exogenous DNA is delivered into the developing oocytes in the germline of adult hermaphrodites, which then generate transgenic animals among their offspring. In this protocol, we describe the microinjection procedure and the subsequent selection of transgenic progeny.