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Trends in Genetics,
1987]
Suppressor mutations (both dominant and recessive) are easily obtained in Caenorhabditis elegans, as a result of efficient selection methods and the ability to grow large populations by self-fertilization. Several different genetic phenomena are revealed by the study of suppression. A set of five amber suppressors is being used to analyse a family of tRNA genes.
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Curr Biol,
2009]
For ectotherms, lifespan is increased at low temperature and decreased at high temperature. A new study in Caenorhabditis elegans shows that thermosensory neurons can counteract the effects of high temperature on lifespan by controlling the activity of a steroid signaling pathway.
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N Biotechnol,
2012]
The discovery of RNAi in Caenorhabditis elegans has generated a paradigm shift in how research is performed. Targeted gene knockdown using high throughput screening approaches is becoming a routine feature of the scientific landscape, and researchers can now evaluate the function of each gene in the genome in a relatively short period of time. This review compares and contrasts high throughput screening methodologies in C. elegans and mammalian cells and highlights the breadth of applications of this technology.
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Methods Mol Biol,
2006]
High-pressure freezing (HPF) is capable of converting liquid water, to a depth of approx 0.6 mm, into amorphous ice nearly instantaneously. At midbody, an adult Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodite approaches its widest girth of approx 0.1 mm. In theory, an entire living adult animal can be physically immobilized instantly in amorphous ice by HPF, thus, providing a unique opportunity to examine cellular architecture with exquisite spatial preservation. The following chapter will discuss, in detail, procedures for freezing C. elegans under high pressure, for embedding frozen samples in resin after a freeze-substitution step, and for the postembedding immunogold labeling of proteins contained within thin sections of embedded animals. These protocols enable high-resolution analysis of both morphological features and molecular domains within most tissues of C. elegans.
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Genome Biol,
2011]
High-throughput phenotyping approaches (phenomics) are being combined with genome-wide genetic screens to identify alterations in phenotype that result from gene inactivation. Here we highlight promising technologies for 'phenome-scale' analyses in multicellular organisms.
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Curr Biol,
2006]
Through experience, the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans learns to distinguish high quality bacteria--food--from low quality or toxic bacteria. Increased release of the neurotransmitter serotonin onto identified interneurons determines whether C. elegans chooses to feed or leave.
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Cells,
2021]
Health and lifespan are influenced by dietary nutrients, whose balance is dependent on the supply or demand of each organism. Many studies have shown that an increased carbohydrate-lipid intake plays a critical role in metabolic dysregulation, which impacts longevity. <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> has been successfully used as an in vivo model to study the effects of several factors, such as genetic, environmental, diet, and lifestyle factors, on the molecular mechanisms that have been linked to healthspan, lifespan, and the aging process. There is evidence showing the causative effects of high glucose on lifespan in different diabetic models; however, the precise biological mechanisms affected by dietary nutrients, specifically carbohydrates and lipids, as well as their links with lifespan and longevity, remain unknown. Here, we provide an overview of the deleterious effects caused by high-carbohydrate and high-lipid diets, as well as the molecular signals that affect the lifespan of <i>C. elegans</i>; thus, understanding the detailed molecular mechanisms of high-glucose- and lipid-induced changes in whole organisms would allow the targeting of key regulatory factors to ameliorate metabolic disorders and age-related diseases.
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ACS Chem Biol,
2007]
Invertebrate animal models (mainly the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster) are gaining momentum as screening tools in drug discovery. These organisms combine genetic amenability, low cost, and culture conditions compatible with large-scale screens. Their main advantage is to allow high-throughput screening in a physiological context. On the down side, protein divergence between invertebrates and humans causes a high rate of false negatives. Despite important limitations, invertebrate models are an imperfect yet much needed tool to bridge the gap between traditional in vitro and preclinical animal assays.
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Neurodegener Dis,
2007]
Parkinson''s disease (PD) is one of the most common age-related neurodegenerative diseases that is characterized by selective loss of dopaminergic neurons. Despite recent findings from mammalian model systems, molecular mechanisms of the pathophysiology are poorly understood. Given the high conservation of molecular pathways from invertebrates to mammalians, combined with technical advantages, such as high-throughput approaches, Caenorhabditis elegans represents a powerful system for the identification of factors involved in neurodegeneration. In this review we describe that C. elegans can be used to advance our understanding of the genetic mechanisms implicated in these disorders. Copyright (c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.
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Cytometry A,
2021]
Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) as a well-established multicellular model organism has been widely used in the biological field for half a century. Its numerous advantages including small body size, rapid life cycle, high-reproductive rate, well-defined anatomy, and conserved genome, has made C. elegans one of the most successful multicellular model organisms. Discoveries obtained from the C. elegans model have made great contributions to research fields such as development, aging, biophysics, immunology, and neuroscience. Because of its transparent body and giant cell size, C. elegans is also an ideal subject for high resolution and high-throughput optical imaging and analysis. During the past decade, great advances have been made to develop biomolecule-targeting techniques for noninvasive optical imaging. These novel technologies expanded the toolbox for qualitative and quantitative analysis of biomolecules in C. elegans. In this review, we summarize recently developed fluorescent probes or labeling techniques for visualizing biomolecules at the cellular, subcellular or molecular scale by using C. elegans as the major model organism or designed specifically for the applications in C. elegans. Combining the technological advantages of the C. elegans model with the novel fluorescent labeling techniques will provide new horizons for high-efficiency quantitative optical analysis in live organisms.