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Taub DG

[J Neurosci, 2014]

Ellis RE et al. (2015) Elife "Size isn't everything."

Wei Q, Ellis RE

[Elife, 2015]

Male nematode worms may make larger sperm than hermaphrodite worms, but this is not the only reason that sperm from males have a competitive edge.

Ma L et al. (2020) J Cell Biol "Membrane fusion drives pronuclear meeting in the one-cell embryo."

Starr DA, Ma L

[J Cell Biol, 2020]

The mechanisms that control how the two parental pronuclei fuse in the first mitosis of the embryo are poorly understood. In this issue, Rahman et al. (2020. J. Cell Biol.https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201909137) found that membrane fusion between pronuclear envelopes, followed by fenestration, promotes pronuclear fusion.

Kumsta C et al. (2019) J Cell Biol "Getting under the skin: Cuticle damage elicits systemic autophagy response in C. elegans."

Hansen M, Kumsta C

[J Cell Biol, 2019]

In this issue, Zhang et al. (2019. <i>J. Cell. Biol.</i> https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201907196) describe a molecular mechanism by which cuticular damage in the nematode <i>C. elegans</i> leads to systemic induction of autophagy by signals propagated from sensory neurons via the TGF- signaling pathway.

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.

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Bellen HJ, Lloyd TE

[Nat Neurosci, 2001]

A characterization of C. elegans lacking the gene for Rim suggests that this protein may be involved in pruning synaptic vesicles for fusion, not in docking or organizing active zones.

Adoutte A (2000) Nature "Evolutionary biology. Small but mighty timekeepers."

Adoutte A

[Nature, 2000]

A tiny RNA molecule ensures that the larvae of a roundworm develop into adults. The discovery of this RNA in many other animal groups implies that this way of keeping developmental time may be universal.

Little P (1992) Nature "DNA sequencing. The worm turns and delivers."

Little P

[Nature, 1992]

Supporters of large DNA sequencing projects will take heart (and find much to learn) from the report by J. Sulston and colleagues that appears on page 37 of this issue. Sulston et al. describe the first results of the Caenorhabditis elegans genome sequencing project, and have come up with not only hitherto unknown genes but also with fresh and biologically relevant information.

Wood W (2012) Curr Biol "Wound healing: calcium flashes illuminate early events."

Wood W

[Curr Biol, 2012]

What are the earliest signals produced at a wound edge that mobilise epithelial cells to heal the wound? Live analysis of wound healing in the worm Caenorhabditis elegans shows that calcium may be the key early trigger.

Alkema MJ (2009) Curr Biol "Oxygen sensation: into thick air."

Alkema MJ

[Curr Biol, 2009]

Two recent studies show that a neural globin tunes oxygen responses in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Analysis of wild C. elegans strains suggests that the commonly used Bristol strain may have adapted to life in the laboratory.