Howells RE et al. (1991) Parasitol Today "Caenorhabditis elegans: A model for parasitic nematodes."

Johnstone IL, Howells RE

[Parasitol Today, 1991]

The free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans offers many advantages as an experimental system and extensive similarities in overall structure and development exist between it and parasitic nematodes. The purpose of the meeting held at Broadway, 17-20 February 1991, with the financial support of the Wellcome Trust, was to stimulate interaction between schools of nematologists.

Helfand SL et al. (2003) Adv Genet "From genes to aging in Drosophila."

Rogina B, Helfand SL

[Adv Genet, 2003]

Despite the intimate nature of the aging process we actually know little about it. In more recent years, work on a variety of organisms, utilizing approaches including demography, molecular genetics, and epidemiology, have challenged some of the more commonly held assumptions about the aging process. These studies have served to reinvigorate the field of aging research and are beginning to lead the way in a renaissance in aging research (Helfand and Inouye, 2002). Invertebrate model systems such as Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans that permit extensive genetic analysis are at the forefront of this renaissance.

Martin RJ et al. (2016) Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist "Anthelmintics: From discovery to resistance II (San Diego, 2016)."

Wolstenholme AJ, Caffrey CR, Martin RJ

[Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist, 2016]

The second scientific meeting in the series: "Anthelmintics: From Discovery to Resistance" was held in San Diego in February, 2016. The focus topics of the meeting, related to anthelmintic discovery and resistance, were novel technologies, bioinformatics, commercial interests, anthelmintic modes of action and anthelmintic resistance. Basic scientific, human and veterinary interests were addressed in oral and poster presentations. The delegates were from universities and industries in the US, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The papers were a great representation of the field, and included the use of C.elegans for lead discovery, mechanisms of anthelmintic resistance, nematode neuropeptides, proteases, B.thuringiensis crystal protein, nicotinic receptors, emodepside, benzimidazoles, P-glycoproteins, natural products, microfluidic techniques and bioinformatics approaches. The NIH also presented NIAID-specific parasite genomic priorities and initiatives. From these papers we introduce below selected papers with a focus on anthelmintic drug screening and development.

Davidson EH et al. (1999) J Exp Zool "Themes from a NASA workshop on gene regulatory processes in development and evolution."

Davidson EH, Ruvkun GB

[J Exp Zool, 1999]

A memorable workshop, focused on causal mechanisms in metazoan evolution and sponsored by NASA, was held in early June 1998, at MBL. The workshop was organized by Mike Levine and Eric H. Davidson, and it included the PI and associates from 12 different laboratories, a total of about 30 people. Each laboratory had about two and one half hours in which to represent its recent research and cast up its current ideas for an often intense discussion. In the following we have tried to enunciate some of the major themes that emerged, and to reflect on their implications. The opinions voiced are our own. We would like to tender apologies over those contributions we have not been able to include, but this is not, strictly speaking, a meeting review. Rather we have focused on those topics that bear more directly on evolutionary mechanisms, and have therefore slighted some presentations (including some of our own), that were oriented mainly toward developmental processes. J. Exp. Zool. (Mol. Dev. Evol. ) 285:104-115, 1999.

Gan Q et al. (2018) Front Cell Neurosci "Synaptic Vesicle Endocytosis in Different Model Systems."

Gan Q, Watanabe S

[Front Cell Neurosci, 2018]

Neurotransmission in complex animals depends on a choir of functionally distinct synapses releasing neurotransmitters in a highly coordinated manner. During synaptic signaling, vesicles fuse with the plasma membrane to release their contents. The rate of vesicle fusion is high and can exceed the rate at which synaptic vesicles can be re-supplied by distant sources. Thus, local compensatory endocytosis is needed to replenish the synaptic vesicle pools. Over the last four decades, various experimental methods and model systems have been used to study the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying synaptic vesicle cycle. Clathrin-mediated endocytosis is thought to be the predominant mechanism for synaptic vesicle recycling. However, recent studies suggest significant contribution from other modes of endocytosis, including fast compensatory endocytosis, activity-dependent bulk endocytosis, ultrafast endocytosis, as well as kiss-and-run. Currently, it is not clear whether a universal model of vesicle recycling exist for all types of synapses. It is possible that each synapse type employs a particular mode of endocytosis. Alternatively, multiple modes of endocytosis operate at the same synapse, and the synapse toggles between different modes depending on its activity level. Here we compile review and research articles based on well-characterized model systems: frog neuromuscular junctions, <i>C. elegans</i> neuromuscular junctions, <i>Drosophila</i> neuromuscular junctions, lamprey reticulospinal giant axons, goldfish retinal ribbon synapses, the calyx of Held, and rodent hippocampal synapses. We will compare these systems in terms of their known modes and kinetics of synaptic vesicle endocytosis, as well as the underlying molecular machineries. We will also provide the future development of this field.

Gruber J et al. (2015) Antioxid Redox Signal "Caenorhabditis elegans: What We Can and Cannot Learn from Aging Worms."

Chen C, Gruber J, Fong S, Halliwell B, Teo JW, Ng LF

[Antioxid Redox Signal, 2015]

SIGNIFICANCE: The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a widely used model organism for research into aging. However, nematodes diverged from other animals between 600 and 1300 million years ago. Beyond the intuitive impression that some aspects of aging appear to be universal, is there evidence that insights into the aging process of nematodes may be applicable to humans? RECENT ADVANCES: There have been a number of results in nematodes that appear to contradict long-held beliefs about mechanisms and causes of aging. For example, ablation of several key antioxidant systems has often failed to result in lifespan shortening in C. elegans. CRITICAL ISSUES: While it is clear that some central signaling pathways controlling lifespan are broadly conserved across large evolutionary distances, it is less clear to what extent downstream molecular mechanisms of aging are conserved. In this review we discuss the biology of C. elegans and mammals in the context of aging and age-dependent diseases. We consider evidence from studies that attempt to investigate basic, possibly conserved mechanisms of aging especially in the context of the free radical theory of aging. Practical points, such as the need for blinding of lifespan studies and for appropriate biomarkers, are also considered. FUTURE DIRECTIONS: As data on the aging process(es) in different organisms increase, it is becoming increasingly clear that there are both conserved (public) and private aspects to aging. It is important to explore the dividing lines between these two aspects and to be aware of the large gray areas in-between.