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Worm Breeder's Gazette,
1989]
In the May '88 WBG (WBG 10(2): 39), I described a screen for mutants whose feeding is abnormal. The collection, still growing, stands as
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Neuron,
2001]
Weighing in at about 5 ug, with 302 neurons and 5000 synapses, C. elegans is unlikely to prove theorems, write poetry, or challenge Mike Tyson. Still, remarkable behavioral complexity is packed into this tiny worm.
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Nat Methods,
2006]
RNA interference (RNAi) and automated high-throughput screening is a promising combination. But the first systematic large-scale mapping of genetic interactions in an animal shows that manual methods still have advantages over sophisticated automated screens.
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Curr Biol,
2012]
The genetics and predictable cell death lineages in Caenorhabditis elegans have been critical for identifying a conserved apoptosis pathway. Yet, cells still die in mutants that disrupt this pathway. A recent study shows that this death occurs by cell shedding.
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Science,
1983]
Mutations in two nonessential genes specifically block the phagocytosis of cells programmed to die during development. With few exceptions, these cells still die, suggesting that, in nematodes, engulfment is not necessary for most programmed deaths. Instead, these deaths appear to occur by cell suicide.
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Epigenet Insights,
2018]
How organisms retain a memory of ancestral environmental exposure is a phenomenon that is still poorly understood. Recently published work by our group and others, regarding environmentally induced transgenerational effects, have identified an array of mechanisms, with a particular focus on histone modifications, that shed some light on the underlying epigenetic processes driving long-term generational effects.
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International Worm Meeting,
2003]
We are Abraham Lincoln High School students using C. elegans in an after-school research class with a sufficiently equipped lab. C. elegans is a good model system for us because there are no ethical issues surrounding its use, it is safe, has a short life span, is easy to grow in a small space, doesn't require special facilities, and is cheap! C. elegans was new to us, so we began the year by learning the basics: mixing media pouring plates, culturing bacteria, seeding plates, identifying males and hermaphrodites, staging worms, comparing N2 and mutants, and setting up crosses. In two months, we became skilled at pipetting, microscopy, sterile technique, chunking, and picking worms. After we had acquired basic skills, we learned how to search the literature. To understand abstracts, we learned new vocabulary. In the process of researching previous work we developed our own questions, and each of us wrote a research proposal. We then merged our ideas and formed two research teams. One team grew C. elegans on Bacillus subtilis, and the other tested the ability of hermaphrodites and males to negotiate a maze. The B. subtilis team first asked whether worms would survive on the thick, malodorous lawn. We then asked if there would be morphological, life cycle, or chemotaxis differences between worms fed B. subtilis and worms fed E. coli. Our data indicated that worms grew on B. subtilis and that, after many generations, they progressed normally through development and continued to show normal morphology. We are continuing to look for sensory disparity using a chemotaxis assay with benzaldehyde or diacetyl as the attractant. The maze team designed a maze using copper to repel worms. We are collecting data comparing the ability of E. coli-fed hermaphrodites versus males to negotiate our maze. We would like to expand the study to include assays with B. subtilis-fed worms. Worm research has gone well at Abraham Lincoln High School. We have asked our own questions, and designed and conducted our own experiments to find answers. We highly recommend that other high schools work with C. elegans. To be successful, the schools need equipment to culture worms, funding for disposable materials, dedicated teachers, and motivated students willing to spend time to do scientific research. The assistance of a scientist with knowledge about C. elegans is also helpful.
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Biochem J,
2016]
Aging is often accompanied by a decline in mitochondrial mass and function in different tissues. Additionally, cell resistance to stress is frequently found to be prevented by higher mitochondrial respiratory capacity. These correlations strongly suggest mitochondria are key players in aging and senescence, acting by regulating energy homeostasis, redox balance and signalling pathways central in these processes. However, mitochondria display a wide array of functions and signalling properties, and the roles of these different characteristics are still widely unexplored. Furthermore, differences in mitochondrial properties and responses between tissues and cell types, and how these affect whole body metabolism are also still poorly understood. This review uncovers aspects of mitochondrial biology that have an impact upon aging in model organisms and selected mammalian cells and tissues.
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Curr Opin Neurobiol,
1999]
Analysis of axon guidance mechanisms in vertebrates, Caenorhabditis elegans, and Drosophila melanogaster has led to the identification of several signaling pathways, many of which are strikingly conserved in function. Recent studies indicate that several axon guidance mechanisms are highly conserved in all animals, whereas others, though still conserved in a general sense, show strong evolutionary divergence at a detailed mechanistic level.
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Development,
1999]
One hundred years after Weismann's seminal observations, the mechanisms that distinguish the germline from the soma still remain poorly understood. This review describes recent studies in Caenorhabditis elegans, which suggest that germ cells utilize unique mechanisms to regulate gene expression. In particular, mechanisms that repress the production of mRNAs appear to be essential to maintain germ cell fate and viability.