Kron M et al. (2000) Parasitol Today "Lymphatic filariasis in the Philippines."

Kron M, Libranda-Ramirez B, Hernandez L, Torres E, Walker E

[Parasitol Today, 2000]

Lymphatic filariasis caused by Wuchereria bancrofti and Brugia malayi is endemic throughout most of the southern half of the Philippine archipelago. Economic and manpower shortages prior to 1996 made it difficult to acquire new prevalence data and vector control data concurrently from all provinces. Nevertheless, analysis of cumulative prevalence data on filariasis indicates the persistence of filariasis in each of the three major island groups - Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao - including 45 out of 77 provinces. Here, Michael Kron and colleagues summarize the prevalence data, and review host, parasite and vector characteristics relevant to the design and implementation of disease control initiatives in the Philippines planned for the year 2000.

Hemler ME (2001) J Cell Biol "Specific tetraspanin functions."

Hemler ME

[J Cell Biol, 2001]

Relatively little attention has been given to the large family of abundantly expressed transmembrane proteins known as tetraspanins. Now, the importance of tetraspanins is strongly supported by emerging genetic evidence, coupled with new insights into the biochemistry and functions of tetraspanin protein complexes.

Boulton SJ et al. (2001) Curr Opin Chem Biol "Use of protein-interaction maps to formulate biological questions."

Vidal MI, Boulton SJ, Vincent S

[Curr Opin Chem Biol, 2001]

Protein -interaction mapping approaches generate functional information for large numbers of genes that are predicted from complete genome sequences. This information, released as databases available on the Internet, is likely to transform the way biologists formulate and then address their questions of interest.

Kim SK (2001) Curr Biol "Functional genomics: The worm scores a knockout."

Kim SK

[Curr Biol, 2001]

Following the completion of the genome sequence of Caenorhabditis elegans, four independent studies have now assessed the functions of more than a third of the worm's genes by analysing the phenotypes caused when each of a large set of genes is inactivated by RNA interference.

Wang S et al. (2017) Dev Cell "Localized Lysosome Exocytosis Helps Breach Tissue Barriers."

Yamada KM, Wang S

[Dev Cell, 2017]

Cell invasion across basement membrane barriers is important in both normal development and cancer metastasis. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Naegeli etal. (2017) identify a mechanism for breaching basement membranes. Localized lysosome exocytosis fuels generation of large, invasive cellular protrusions that expand tiny basement membrane openings.

Ni Z et al. (2010) Brief Funct Genomics "RNAi screens to identify components of gene networks that modulate aging in Caenorhabditis elegans."

Lee SS, Ni Z

[Brief Funct Genomics, 2010]

Our understanding of the genetic mechanisms of organismal aging has advanced dramatically during the past two decades. With the development of large-scale RNAi screens, the last few years saw the remarkable identifications of hundreds of new longevity genes in the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans. The various RNAi screens revealed many biological pathways previously unknown to be related to aging. In this review, we focus on findings from the recent large-scale RNAi longevity screens, and discuss insights they have provided into the complex biological process of aging and considerations of the RNAi technology will continue to have on the future development of the aging field.

Strange K et al. (2006) Methods Mol Biol "In vitro culture of C. elegans somatic cells."

Strange K, Morrison R

[Methods Mol Biol, 2006]

Because of technical hurdles, large-scale cell culture methods have not been widely exploited until recently for the study of Caenorhabditis elegans. Culturing differentiated cells from larvae and adult worms is probably not technically feasible because of difficulties in removing the animal''s cuticle and dissociating cells. In contrast, large numbers of developing embryo cells can be isolated relatively easily. When placed in culture, embryo cells undergo terminal differentiation within 24 h. Cultured embryo cells have been used recently to characterize ion channel function and regulation and to determine cell specific gene expression patterns. This chapter will provide a detailed description of the methods for isolating and culturing C. elegans embryo cells.

Hodgkin JA et al. (1987) Trends in Genetics "Suppression in the nematode C. elegans."

Waterston RH, Hodgkin JA, Kondo K

[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.

Minke B (2001) Cell Mol Neurobiol "The TRP channel and phospholipase C-mediated signaling."

Minke B

[Cell Mol Neurobiol, 2001]

Drosophila photoreceptors use a phospholipase C-mediated signaling for phototransduction. This pathway begins by light activation of a G-protein-coupled photopigment and ends by activation of the TRP and TRPL channels. The Drosophila TRP protein is essential for the high Ca2+ permeability and constitutes the major component of the light-induced current, thereby affecting both excitation and adaptation of the photoreceptor cell. TRP is the prototype of a large and diverse multigene family whose members are sharing a structure, which is conserved through evolution from the worm Caenorhabditis elegans to humans. TRP-related channel proteins are found in a variety of cells and tissues and show a large functional diversity although the gating mechanism of Drosophila TRP and of other TRP-related channels is still unknown.

Mohr SE et al. (2011) Wiley Interdiscip Rev RNA "RNAi screening: new approaches, understandings, and organisms."

Mohr SE, Perrimon N

[Wiley Interdiscip Rev RNA, 2011]

RNA interference (RNAi) leads to sequence-specific knockdown of gene function. The approach can be used in large-scale screens to interrogate function in various model organisms and an increasing number of other species. Genome-scale RNAi screens are routinely performed in cultured or primary cells or in vivo in organisms such as C. elegans. High-throughput RNAi screening is benefitting from the development of sophisticated new instrumentation and software tools for collecting and analyzing data, including high-content image data. The results of large-scale RNAi screens have already proved useful, leading to new understandings of gene function relevant to topics such as infection, cancer, obesity, and aging. Nevertheless, important caveats apply and should be taken into consideration when developing or interpreting RNAi screens. Some level of false discovery is inherent to high-throughput approaches and specific to RNAi screens, false discovery due to off-target effects (OTEs) of RNAi reagents remains a problem. The need to improve our ability to use RNAi to elucidate gene function at large scale and in additional systems continues to be addressed through improved RNAi library design, development of innovative computational and analysis tools and other approaches.