Loedige I et al. (2009) Cell "TRIM-NHL proteins take on miRNA regulation."

Loedige I, Filipowicz W

[Cell, 2009]

The TRIM-NHL family of proteins is conserved among metazoans and has been shown to regulate cell proliferation and development. In this issue, Hammell et al. (2009) and Schwamborn et al. (2009) identify two members of this protein family, NHL-2 in worms and TRIM32 in mice, as positive regulators of microRNA function.

Lev I et al. (2023) Elife "When neurons split the load."

Zimmer M, Lev I

[Elife, 2023]

Various aspects of olfactory memory are represented as modulated responses across different classes of neurons in <i>C. elegans.</i>

Blanco MG et al. (2023) Elife "How specific molecules can lead to overeating."

Rayes D, Blanco MG

[Elife, 2023]

A molecular pathway involving compounds found in processed foods and biogenic amines increases food intake and aging in the roundworm <i>C. elegans</i>.

Ulm P et al. (2021) Elife "Putting organelles in their place."

Ulm P, Jantsch V

[Elife, 2021]

Experiments in <i>C. elegans</i> reveal new insights into how the ANC-1 protein helps to anchor the nucleus and other organelles in place.

Cram E (2024) Elife "Mechanosensory neurons under pressure."

Cram E

[Elife, 2024]

A build-up of eggs in the uterus of the nematode <i>C. elegans</i> triggers the release of large extracellular vesicles, called exophers, from neurons that are sensitive to mechanical forces.

Corsi AK et al. (2015) Genetics "A Transparent Window into Biology: A Primer on Caenorhabditis elegans."

Corsi AK, Chalfie M, Wightman B

[Genetics, 2015]

A little over 50 years ago, Sydney Brenner had the foresight to develop the nematode (round worm) Caenorhabditis elegans as a genetic model for understanding questions of developmental biology and neurobiology. Over time, research on C. elegans has expanded to explore a wealth of diverse areas in modern biology including studies of the basic functions and interactions of eukaryotic cells, host-parasite interactions, and evolution. C. elegans has also become an important organism in which to study processes that go awry in human diseases. This primer introduces the organism and the many features that make it an outstanding experimental system, including its small size, rapid life cycle, transparency, and well-annotated genome. We survey the basic anatomical features, common technical approaches, and important discoveries in C. elegans research. Key to studying C. elegans has been the ability to address biological problems genetically, using both forward and reverse genetics, both at the level of the entire organism and at the level of the single, identified cell. These possibilities make C. elegans useful not only in research laboratories, but also in the classroom where it can be used to excite students who actually can see what is happening inside live cells and tissues.

Brenkman AB et al. (2007) Cell Metab "Live longer through PHAsting."

Burgering BM, Brenkman AB

[Cell Metab, 2007]

Dietary restriction provides considerable health benefits and may even increase life span in humans. Panowski et al. (2007) have now identified PHA-4/FoxA as an essential and specific component of DR-induced life-span extension in C. elegans.

Antebi A (2004) Neuron "Long life: a matter of taste (and smell)."

Antebi A

[Neuron, 2004]

Insulin/IGF signaling has emerged as a central regulator of metazoan aging. In C. elegans, insulin-like peptides are expressed predominately in neurons. Alcedo and Kenyon demonstrate that removal of specific gustatory and olfactory neurons result in longer life, suggesting that metazoan longevity is influenced by sensory perception.

Hickson GRX (2022) J Cell Biol "A back-up source of microtubules for the midbody during cytokinesis."

Hickson GRX

[J Cell Biol, 2022]

During cytokinesis, microtubules become compacted into a dense midbody prior to abscission. Using genetic perturbations and imaging of C. elegans zygotes, Hirsch et al. (2022. J. Cell Biol.https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202011085) uncover an unexpected source of microtubules that can populate the midbody when central spindle microtubules are missing.

Garrity PA (2007) J Neurophysiol "Role of adaptation in C. elegans thermotaxis. Focus on "Short-term adaptation and temporal processing in the cryophilic response of Caenorabditis elegans"."

Garrity PA

[J Neurophysiol, 2007]

The work of Clark et al. in this issue of J. Neurophysiology extends the analysis of thermotaxis in C. elegans by providing a detailed analysis of the adaptation of thermotactic behavior. Previous work indicates that thermotaxis in C. elegans involves a biased random walk in which changes in temperature alter the duration of the runs that an animal makes between turns. Interestingly, the authors find that although behavioral responses to increases and decreases in temperature have opposite effects on run length, the two responses are of similar magnitude and adapt with similar kinetics. These properties are predicted to allow the system act as a band-pass filter that would be less sensitive to temperature fluctuations occurring on a time-scale significantly faster or slower than the time needed for an average run. This analysis of C. elegans thermotaxis raises potential parallels to bacterial chemotaxis, with the kinetics of adaptation playing an important role in determining the ability of the organism to sense a stimulus gradient. This raises the possibility that diverse organisms may exploit similar system properties to solve similar problems, such as the problem of responding robustly to subtle gradations in an external stimulus.