Huang MM et al. (1996) Midwest Worm Meeting "Progress in Cloning the unc-27 Gene"

Barstead RJ, Huang MM

[Midwest Worm Meeting, 1996]

Mutations in the unc-27 gene lead to disorganized muscle in adult C. elegans. Ultrastructurally, unc-27 mutants show aberrant patches of thin filaments (Zengle and Epstein, 1980). unc-27 maps to the C. elegans X chromosome between mec-10 and sup-28. To identify the unc-27 gene product, we are working to rescue unc-27 mutants with cosmids from this region of the X chromosome. We will report our progress.

Huang MM et al. (1997) International C. elegans Meeting "PROGRESS IN CLONING THE UNC-27 GENE"

Barstead RJ, Huang MM

[International C. elegans Meeting, 1997]

Mutations in the unc-27 gene lead to disorganized muscle in adult C. elegans. Ultrastructurally, unc-27 mutants show aberrant patches of thin filaments (Zengle and Epstein, 1980). unc-27 maps to the C. elegans X chromosome between mec-10 and sup-28. To identify the unc-27 gene product, we are working to rescue unc-27 mutants with cosmids from this region of the X chromosome. We will report our progress.

Huang MM et al. (1998) Midwest Worm Meeting "Analysis of a C. elegans homologue of the Von Hippel Lindau Tumor Suppressor Gene"

Huang MM, Barstead RJ, Pause A, Takagi Y, Conaway RC, Conaway JW, Moulder GL

[Midwest Worm Meeting, 1998]

von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is a dominantly inherited complex cancer syndrome in which patients develop a number of tumors in specific target organs (1). Moreover, mutations at the VHL locus may account for up to 90% of sporadic cases of clear cell renal carcinoma. In mammalian cells the protein product of the VHL gene is found in a complex with Elongins B and C, positive regulatory subunits of the heterotrimeric RNA polymerase II elongation factor Elongin (2). A C. elegans gene with significant sequence homology to the human VHL gene is found on cosmid F08G12. The protein encoded by this C. elegans homologue interacts in vitro with the mammalian Elongin BC heterodimer. The C. elegans gene is expressed in nearly all somatic cells based on experiments with a GFP reporter construct containing about 2 KBp of upstream DNA sequence. From a PCR screen of a large bank of mutagenized C. elegans strains we identified and recovered animals carrying a deletion within the C. elegans VHL homologue. Animals homozygous for the deletion were viable but exhibited defects in several tissue types. We will present a detailed phenotypic analysis of the mutant. 1. Gnarra, J. R. et al. Biochim Biophys Acta 1242, 201-10 (1996). 2. Takagi, Y., Pause, A., Conaway, R. C. & Conaway, J. W. J Biol Chem 272, 27444-9 (1997).

Kwiatkowski AV et al. (2011) "Correction for Kwiatkowski et al., In vitro and in vivo reconstitution of the cadherincateninactin complex from Caenorhabditis elegans"

Lynch AM, Benjamin JM, Weis WI, Hardin J, Maiden SL, Pokutta S, Nelson WJ, Kwiatkowski AV, Choi HJ

[2011]

The authors note that in the Materials and Methods under the section Actin Pelleting Assay, the 10 stock concentration was listed instead of the 1 final working concentration for the polymerization and reaction buffers. The correct concentrations are as follows: polymerization buffer (20 mM Imidazole pH 7.0, 100 mM KCl, 2 mM MgCl2, 0.5 mM ATP, 1 mM EGTA) and reaction buffer (20 mM Imidazole pH 7.0, 150 mM NaCl, 2 mM MgCl2, 0.5 mM ATP, 1 mM EGTA, 1 mM DTT).

Siete C et al. (2024) MicroPubl Biol "Immobilization of C. elegans with different concentrations of an anesthetic for time-lapse imaging of dynamic protein trafficking in neurons."

Siete C, Hsieh YW, Xiong R, Khalid A, Chuang CF

[MicroPubl Biol, 2024]

Here we compare the percentage of anterograde and retrograde trafficking events as well as the average velocity of these events in worms immobilized with microbeads or 0.5-7.5 mM tetramisole. Our results show that the percentage and average velocity of TIR-1 ::GFP moving events in the <i>C. elegans</i> AWC axons are not significantly different between worms immobilized with 7.5 mM tetramisole and other conditions. Our results suggest that 7.5 mM tetramisole, compared to 0.5 mM, 1 mM, and 2 mM tetramisole, does not have a significant effect on the axonal transport of TIR-1 ::GFP along the AWC axons.

Mitsui Y et al. (2017) J Helminthol "Chemoattractant activity of tris-(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane for Brugia pahangi infective third-stage larvae."

Urena-Tatis KE, Aoki Y, Mitsui Y

[J Helminthol, 2017]

Urocanic acid (UCA) is known as a major chemoattractant for Strongyloides stercoralis infective third-stage larvae (L3). Since Brugia pahangi is a skin-penetrating parasitic nematode similar to S. stercoralis, UCA was expected to be a chemoattractant for B. pahangi L3. Thus, the chemoattractant activity of UCA for B. pahangi L3 was assessed. The chemotactic responses of B. pahangi L3 to UCA or acetic acid (CH3COOH) dissolved in amine solutions were assessed using an agar-plate assay. A test solution of 200 mm UCA dissolved in aqueous 270 mm tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris) significantly attracted B. pahangi L3 compared with deionized water (DW), while neither a solution of 200 mm UCA dissolved in aqueous 230 mm ammonia (NH3) nor 290 mm triethylamine (TEA) significantly attracted L3. Similarly, a test solution of 200 mm CH3COOH dissolved with 200 mm Tris significantly attracted L3, but neither a test solution of 200 mm CH3COOH plus 200 mm NH3 nor 200 mm TEA attracted L3. Furthermore, L3 were significantly attracted to 200 mm Tris alone, compared with DW, but avoided 200 mm NH3 and 200 mm TEA. Moreover, the chemoattractant activity of Tris for L3 was observed even at a low concentration of 25 mm, and it was observed in a mild alkaline condition but not in an acidic condition. The present study reveals that Tris is a potential chemoattractant for B. pahangi L3 while UCA is not. This finding will contribute to an understanding of the mechanisms of skin-penetrating infection of filarial L3.

Walter RD et al. (1986) Trop Med Parasitol "Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase from Onchocerca volvulus and O. gibsoni."

Albiez EJ, Walter RD

[Trop Med Parasitol, 1986]

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, a rate-limiting enzyme at the branchpoint of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), was demonstrated in Onchocerca volvulus and O. gibsoni. The activity of PEP-carboxykinase from both filarial worms depends absolutely on the presence of divalent cations; in addition to Mg2+ the enzyme activity was strongly activated by Mn2+. The Michaelis constants for PEP, GDP and KHCO3 of the PEP-carboxykinase from O. volvulus were determined to be 0.16 mM, 0.15 mM and 20 mM, respectively; those of the enzyme from O. gibsoni were 0.16 mM, 0.13 mM and 12 mM. Quinolinate was found to be a potent inhibitor of the enzyme from both filarial worms. The inhibition constants were determined to be 11 microM and 15 microM for the enzyme from O. volvulus and O. gibsoni. It is suggested that the activity of PEP-carboxykinase, the initial enzyme of the alternate route from PEP to succinate, may be regulated by ATP-levels. The inhibition constants for ATP were determined to be 0.26 mM and 0.13 mM for the enzyme from O. volvulus and O. gibsoni.

Dusenbery DB (1976) Comp Biochem Physiol C "Attraction of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to pyridine."

Dusenbery DB

[Comp Biochem Physiol C, 1976]

1. The nematode C. elegans is attracted to pyridine. 2. The threshold is about 0.1 mM. 3. At concentrations above 1 mM the response weakens. 4. No indication of avoidance of high concentrations could be found.

Gonzales-Moreno C et al. (2023) MicroPubl Biol "Low-dose N-acetyl cysteine prevents paraquat-induced mortality in Caenorhabditis elegans."

Holgado A, Fernandez-Hubeid LE, Virgolini MB, Gonzales-Moreno C

[MicroPubl Biol, 2023]

Exposure to the herbicide paraquat (PQ; 1,1'-dimethyl-4,4'-bipyridinium dichloride) affects the redox balance of the cell, an effect that can be restored by antioxidants, including N-acetyl cysteine (NAC). One hour of exposure to PQ (0 mM, 10 mM, 50 mM, or 100 mM) dose-dependently increased mortality in <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> after exposure (immediate toxicity), while this effect was more evident 24 hours thereafter (delayed toxicity). Importantly, pretreatment with NAC 0.5 mM for one hour partially prevented mortality in the immediate assay, while it had no effect in the delayed test, revealing the importance of long-term studies when evaluating toxicity.

Caveness FE et al. (1970) J Nematol "Nematode electrocution."

Caveness CE, Caveness FE

[J Nematol, 1970]

The effects of electric shock on Panagrellus redivivus adults and larvae and Meloidogyne incognita acrita larvae were studied. The nematodes were placed in tap water between two stainless steel electrodes, spaced 2 mm apart and cemented to a glass slide. Electric potentials of 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, and 60 vdc/mm and vac/mm were applied for periods of 1 sec to 5 rain at 0.05 to 77 ma. The results demonstrated that ac or dc electric shocks as low as 5 v/mm for larvae and 10 v/mm for adults can be lethal. Some larvae and eggs within the body of P. redivivus females were not affected at 600 v/ram. Potentials of 20 and 60 vdc/mm for 2-sec stimulated hatch of Meloidogyne eggs.