Here, we present a quick and simple ATAC-seq protocol to be implemented in L4-stage Caenorhabditis elegans whole-worm using only 30 µL of worm pellet.
Method Article
julian.valdes@ifc.unam.mx
Corresponding Authors: Victor Julian Valdes <julian.valdes@ifc.unam.mx>
Here, we present a quick and simple ATAC-seq protocol to be implemented in L4-stage Caenorhabditis elegans whole-worm using only 30 µL of worm pellet.
Chromatin accessibility plays essential roles in transcription, DNA repair, and chromosome segregation. Hyper-accessible regions usually correlate with active promoters and enhancers, facilitating transcription factor binding and regulatory activity. The assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing (ATAC-seq) enables genome-wide profiling of chromatin accessibility with very few cells. However, its implementation in Caenorhabditis elegans is limited by the nematode’s rich collagen cuticle that complicates cell dissociation. Here, we present an optimized protocol for performing ATAC-seq in whole worms at the L4 stage. The procedure begins with synchronized cultures and involves cuticle disruption, enzymatic dissociation, and cell-suspension preparation. Permeabilized nuclei are then subjected to Tn5 transposition, followed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and purification of next-generation sequencing (NGS)–ready libraries. This protocol requires 30 µL of worm pellet, can be completed in one day, and generates 5,000–9,000 accessibility peaks in the Bristol N2 reference strain. This streamlined workflow can be adapted to other developmental stages or FACS-purified cell populations. By reducing technical barriers to ATAC-seq in C. elegans, this method expands opportunities to study genome-wide chromatin accessibility in response to genetic and environmental perturbations in a whole-organism context.
Eukaryotic genomes are densely packed inside the cell nucleus. To cope with spatial constraints, DNA is tightly wrapped around nucleosomes, multiprotein complexes composed of eight histones that are highly conserved across different phyla1. Chromatin accessibility patterns vary depending on the cellular state in a tissue, and gene-specific patterns2,3,4. Nucleosome accessibility strongly correlates with active transcription, particularly at promoters and distal regulatory regions such as enhancers, which are accessible to transcription factors5. Open chromatin regions also play important roles in DNA repair, replication, and chromosome segregation3. In contrast, reduced accessibility usually correlates with silenced heterochromatin and repetitive sequences6,7.
Mapping chromatin accessibility has been a powerful approach for understanding gene regulation. Different techniques have been employed to interrogate chromatin accessibility. Among the earliest methods, micrococcal nuclease (MNase) and DNase I digestion were used to map nucleosome positioning and accessibility at specific loci8,9. These techniques were later implemented for genome-wide studies when coupled with next-generation sequencing (NGS)10,11. However, these techniques require careful calibration of enzyme concentration and reaction time, along with a substantial number of cells, for successful implementation.
In 2013, the Greenleaf laboratory established the assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing (ATAC-seq) to seamlessly map chromatin accessibility at a genome-wide level using a low number of cells12. ATAC-seq takes advantage of the commercially available Tn5 transposase to preferentially insert short DNA sequences (i.e, barcodes) into open chromatin regions, typically devoid of nucleosomes, and correlates with active promoters and enhancers. The protocol requires cell permeabilization and nuclei isolation, followed by limited digestion with Tn5 for tagmentation of hyper-accessible chromatin. Later, complementary indexes are incorporated during PCR, facilitating sample multiplexing before NGS13. ATAC-seq has proven to be a robust protocol that also enables in silico transcription factor footprint and has been implemented for single-cell resolution14,15,16,17. In addition to mice and human samples, ATAC-seq has been implemented in various systems, including zebrafish and invertebrates such as Drosophila and the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans18,19,20.
For decades, C. elegans has been a powerful model system in fields such as development, cell biology, and neuroscience, leading to seminal discoveries including the identification of micro RNAs and the RNA interference (RNAi)21,22. It has a compact 100 MB genome with ~20,000 protein-coding genes23. Gene regulation occurs through promoter activity as well as distal enhancers, which have been mapped via ATAC-seq across different tissues, developmental stages, and aging time points24,18. Chromatin accessibility profiling has thus become a valuable tool for understanding gene regulation in C. elegans. Consequently, ATAC-seq holds particular promise for studying epigenetic landscapes across different environmental conditions or wild isolates to uncover diverse transcriptional responses. Additionally, it could provide insights into the chromatin architecture of other pathogenic and non-pathogenic nematodes.
One of the primary methodological challenges in C. elegans is the presence of a collagen-rich cuticle that must be dissociated to obtain a homogenous cell suspension from whole worms25. To address this challenge, we compiled and optimized different protocols to disintegrate the nematodes and then perform ATAC-seq in C. elegans18,26. Using the L4 larval stage is preferred as animals at this developmental point possess a transcriptionally active germline, which translates into open chromatin, providing a consistent and informative source of chromatin accessibility in somatic cells. Here, we present a rapid and efficient protocol for worm dissociation and cell suspension generation, enabling ATAC-seq in C. elegans. Our method is optimized for L4-stage worms and requires as little as 30 µL of worm pellet, with the potential to be adapted for other developmental stages or for smaller samples, such as FACS-purified cells. This protocol can be performed in different C. elegans strains and conditions, enabling the identification of 5,000–9,000 chromatin accessibility peaks in the Bristol-N2 reference strain, laying the foundation for subsequent chromatin accessibility analyses.
It is recommended to wear gloves at all times.
NOTE: Day 1: Preparing the synchronized worm population. All worms were grown on NGM plates seeded with E. coli OP50. Things needed before starting: (per sample or strain), One 90 mm or two 60 mm adult worm plate(s), One 90 mm or two 60 mm plates with food, M9 sterile buffer27 (3 g KH2PO4, 6 g Na2HPO4, 5 g NaCl, 1 ml 1 M MgSO4, H2O to 1 L. Sterilize by autoclaving)
1. Collection of worms
2. Bleaching
3. M9 (liquid) overnight hatching of the eggs
4. Day 2: growth of worms: recovering L1 worms.
5. Day 3: Preparation of stock solutions: The next solutions must be prepared to make fresh solutions on day 4
NOTE: This can be done on day 2 or 3.
6. Solution preparation
Table 1: Stocks for fresh solution preparation. Recipes for stock preparation for nematode dissociation and cell suspension protocol (sections 6 and 7). Please click here to download this Table.
7. Nematode dissociation and cell suspension protocol
NOTE: One 90 mm or two 30 mm plates with an L4 synchronized worm population will be needed.
8. Nuclei isolation and Chromatin tagmentation
NOTE: Use pipette filtered tips. Before starting: Take out Tn5 Buffer, let it thaw, set a thermoblock to 37 °C, take out PCR product purification kit (Table of materials), put EB Buffer at 37 °C, Centrifugation of the columns should be performed at RT.
9. Library amplification
Table 2: Instructions for first library amplification. Recipe and PCR program for first library amplification (section 9). Please click here to download this Table.
Table 3: Instructions for ATAC Library final amplification. Recipe and PCR program for final library amplification (section 9). Please click here to download this Table.
10. Library purification
NOTE: Before starting, take the size selection beads (AMPure, SPRIselect, or homemade calibrated beads) out of the fridge to let them adjust to room temperature. Mix the beads vigorously using the vortex every time before using.
11. Fragment size distribution
Quality control after tagmentation ensures accurate library preparation
During the protocol, it is important to pay special attention to qPCR performed after chromatin tagmentation (section 9), as it is a vital step for assessing DNA quality and the experiment’s performance. Figure 1A shows two amplification curves; the left one (under 15 cycles) represents good quality material that shows that everything was successful until this point, so it is ok to continue. The curve on the right (Figure 1A) shows poor-quality material, so this sample should not be continued with. The next point to pay attention to is that, after amplification and purification of the libraries, it is advisable to run capillary electrophoresis to assess the fragment length distribution. To validate correctly the transposed DNA, fragments corresponding to a nucleosomal pattern should be shown: ~150 bp (mono-nucleosome), ~300 bp (bi-nucleosome), and so on (Figures 1B–D, samples 1 and 2). If the lane shows a smear of fragments, the DNA was overtagmented, and these samples will have to be repeated (Figure 1B and 1E, sample 3).
Sequencing metrics confirm high-quality and scalable library performance
After sequencing, library quality and data yield are evaluated using FastQC. For whole-worm L4 samples, high-quality datasets typically consist of more than 20 million paired-end reads per sample, with duplicate read fractions below 20–30% (Figure 2A). Libraries generated using this protocol are compatible with standard short-read sequencing platforms, such as those from Illumina, and perform robustly with paired-end read lengths of 75 bp. At this sequencing depth, fragment length histograms consistently recapitulate the expected nucleosomal periodicity (Figure 2B), confirming successful chromatin accessibility profiling. Importantly, incorporation of indexed adapters during library amplification enables efficient multiplexing of multiple samples within a single sequencing run, without loss of data quality, making the protocol scalable and cost-effective for comparative studies. Also, Figure 2C quantifies the number of shared peaks between samples 1 and 2, Figure 2D details the annotations of these shared peaks, and Figure 2E visualizes the corresponding read pileup and peak profiles supporting this overlap.

Figure 1: Outcomes for positive and negative results after conducting the ATAC-seq method. (A) Real-time PCR amplification curve. For the first curve (left), the cycle estimation for amplification is under 15, which corresponds to good-quality DNA material. For the second curve (right), the cycle estimation is over 20, which corresponds to a suboptimal quality. (B) Capillary electrophoresis. Samples 1 and 2: the fragment length distribution corresponding to the nucleosomal pattern: ~150 bp (mono-nucleosome), ~300 bp (bi-nucleosome), and so on. Sample 3 shows overtagmentation, indicating that the method did not work. (C and D) Fragment distribution between 150 and 1000 bp corresponding to samples 1 and 2. (E) Fragment distribution corresponding to sample 3, which is the smear of fragments of the failed experiment. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.

Figure 2: Quality control bioinformatic metrics for two different samples done with this ATAC-seq method. (A) Quality control metrics for samples 1 and 2. For good quality: > 20 M seqs (million sequences); < 20% Dupl (duplicated reads); 35–40% GC. (B) Shows the fragment length histogram that corresponds to the nucleosomal pattern of samples 1 and 2: ~150 bp (mono-nucleosome), ~300 bp (bi-nucleosome), and so on. (C) Number of shared peaks for samples 1 and 2. (D) Shared peak annotations from samples 1 and 2. (E) Pileup and peaks of reads from samples 1 and 2. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Here we describe an optimized protocol for profiling genome-wide chromatin accessibility by ATAC-seq in whole L4-stage Caenorhabditis elegans worms. Chromatin accessibility directly influences gene expression, DNA repair, replication, and recombination, and while ATAC-seq has become a standard approach for cell and tissue samples, its application to intact organisms poses unique technical challenges, particularly in nematodes with an impermeable, collagen-rich cuticle. At the same time, assessing whole-organism assays provides a unique opportunity to capture global epigenetic responses. Our method addresses these challenges by refining worm dissociation, permeabilization, nuclei preparation, chromatin tagmentation, and library preparation from small numbers of synchronized L4-stage worms. This protocol can be fully performed in one or two days and allows parallel processing of several samples.
Several steps are critical for the success of this protocol. (1) Freshly prepared buffers and regents are important to reduce sample variability. (2) The protocol is optimized for L4-stage worms from a synchronized population; we expect that the protocol can be adapted to other developmental stages, but worm dissociation should be carefully optimized to prevent cell lysis. (3) During dissociation, the SDS-DTT incubation should not exceed 5 min, and the pronase digestion should be no longer than 15 min; inspection under a microscope is recommended to prevent over-digestion and cell death. (4) In library amplification, it is not advisable to continue with samples that require more than 15 cycles during the first qPCR, as they typically yield low-complexity libraries. (5) The final fragment distribution should ideally display a nucleosomal pattern; although in our experience, libraries with overrepresentation of internucleosomal fragments above 150 bp or showing a flat, wide profile can still yield usable results, but caution is advised. (6) Because the C. elegans genome is 1/30 the size of the human genome, 5–10 million pair-end reads are generally sufficient. (7) ATAC is sensitive to intrinsic and uncontrolled environmental perturbation, generating batch effects; therefore, experimental and control samples should be processed and sequenced together. If sequencing in multiple runs is unavoidable, a representative control should be included in each run for batch correction.
This method is effective with limited worm material (~30 µL worm pellet). If starting with a different amount, reagent volumes during dissociation can be escalated proportionally, but care must be taken not to over-dilute. In our hands, variation in incubation time or temperature during tagmentation was robust across the tested ranges, suggesting flexibility at this step. By contrast, the ratio of nuclei versus Tn5 is critical: excess Tn5 or low cell number promotes over-tagmentation. Overtagmented libraries are typically detected as a single band about 150 bp on electropherograms; in such cases, increasing the input cell number is more effective than reducing the Tn5 exposure/amount.
This protocol is optimized for L4 worms, and although adaptable, each developmental stage will require empirical adjustment, in particular desegregation. Another limitation is the use of whole worms, which yield average chromatin accessibility profiles that mask tissue- or cell-specific signatures. While single-cell ATAC-seq is possible, its implementation in nematodes will depend on the purification of specific cell populations. Given the extensive collection of tissue reporter strains in C. elegans, combining this method with FACS-purified cell populations will enable tissue-restricted chromatin profiling. Future improvements may include the addition of spike-in (e.g., bacterial gDNA or mammalian/Drosophila cells at 1–5%) for normalization of signal across conditions.
Compared with earlier protocols relying on large input material or complex dissociation steps, our method is faster, simpler, and reproducible, making it accessible for laboratories with limited experience in nematode chromatin biology. Importantly, the streamlined workflow allows simultaneous processing of multiple samples, enabling comparative studies of chromatin accessibility under different environmental or genetic conditions. This expands the potential of C. elegans as a model for investigating epigenetic responses to diet, stress, pathogens, drugs, or aging. Whole-animal profiling can provide broad insights into how the organismal epigenome adapts, while the protocol’s adaptability to wild isolates or related nematodes broadens its relevance for evolutionary and parasitology research.
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. No generative AI was used in the writing, analysis, or preparation of this manuscript.
J Hersch-González received a doctoral scholarship from the Consejo Nacional de Humanidades, Ciencias y Tecnologías, CONAHCYT (now Secretaría de Ciencia, Humanidades, Tecnología e Innovación, SECIHTI) (#CVU 846476). J Hersch-González was supported by a CONAHCYT (now SECIHTI) scholarship (788519). This project was supported by the PAPIIT-UNAM grant IN217824 and SECIHTI grant CBF-2025-I-2275 to VJV. At IFC, we thank the UBM: Laura Ongay-Larios, Guadalupe Códiz Huerta, and Minerva Mora Cabrera; the UBMI: Augusto César Poot-Hernández and Carlos Peralta Alvarez; and Unidad de Cómputo, Imagenología, Taller, and Biblioteca. We gratefully acknowledge the Caenorhabditis Genetics Center (CGC) for providing the strains used in this work. The CGC is funded by the NIH Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (P40 OD010440).
| Name | Company | Catalog Number | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250 mL, 0.22 µm PES | Ultra Curz | sc-200253 | |
| Agar | BD | 214010 | |
| Agencourt AMPURE XP | Nalgene | A63886 | |
| Bovine Serum Albumin | Maplica | 200100 | |
| Calcium Chloride | Sigma | C5670-100G | |
| CellTrics 20 µm | Sysmex | 04-0042-2315 | |
| Cholesterol | Sigma | C8503-25G | |
| Digitonin | Sigma | D141-500 mg | |
| Disposable gloves | Microflex | 94-243 | |
| DL-Dithiothreitol | sigma | D0632-10G | Harmful |
| Ethyl alcohol, pure | Sigma | 1003661421 | |
| Fetal Bovine Serum | biowest | S181S-500 | |
| HEPES | Sigma | H3375-250 G | |
| Illumina Tagment DNA Enzyme and Buffer (large Kit) | Illumina | 20034211 | |
| Kapa Syber 50 mL | Sigma | KK4618 | |
| L-15 Medium (Leivobitz) | sigma | L4386-10L | |
| Magnesium Chloride anhydrous | Sigma | M8266-100G | |
| Magnesium Sulfate Heptahydrate | Sigma | M1880-500G | |
| Magnesium Sulfate Heptahydrate | Sigma | M1880-500G | |
| MinElute PCR Purification Kit (50 preps) | Qiagen | 28004 | |
| NEBNext® High-Fidelity 2X PCR Master Mix | NEB | M0541S | |
| Nonidet P40 Substitute | Sigma | 74835-1L | |
| Pen Strep | Gibco | 15140-122 | |
| Peptone | BD | 211677 | |
| Petri dish 60 mm | Tritech | T3308 | |
| Petri dish 90 mm | Interlux | C9015-2C | |
| Pipet tips 10 µL, filter | Cellpro | 800108 | |
| Pipet tips 20 µL, filter | Cellpro | 800708 | |
| Pipet tips 200 µL, filter | Cellpro | 800608 | |
| Potassium Chloride | Sigma | P9541 -500G | |
| Potassium Phosphate Dibasic Powder | J.T. Baker | 3252-01 | |
| Potassium Phosphate Monobasic, Crystal | J.T. Baker | 3246-01 500G | |
| Sodium Chloride | JT Baker | 3624-01 | |
| Sodium dodecyl sulfate | sigma | L4509-100G | |
| Sodium Hydroxide | Macron | 7708-10 | |
| Sodium Hypochlorite | Cloralex | 544394479 | |
| Sodium Phosphate Dibasic 7-Hydrated Crystal | J.T. Baker | 3824-01 | |
| SPRIselect | Beckman | B23318 | |
| Sucrose | Sigma | S0389-500G | |
| Syringe Filter PVDF 0.22 µm | Ultra Curz | Sc-358812 | |
| Trizma base | Sigma | T1503 1KG | |
| Tween 20 | Sigma | P9416-50ML |
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