Sattelle DB et al. (2002) Novartis Found Symp "Functional genomics of ionotropic acetylcholine receptors in Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster."

Sattelle DB, Culetto E, Franks CJ, Grauso M, Towers P, Raymond V

[Novartis Found Symp, 2002]

Genetics, genomics and electrophysiology are transforming our understanding of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). Caenorhabditis elegans contains the largest known family of nAChR subunit genes (27 members), while Drosophila melanogaster contains an exclusively neuronal nAChR gene family (10 members). In C. elegans, several genetic screens have enabled the identification of nAChR subunits, along with novel proteins that act upstream and downstream of functional nAChRs. The C. elegans genome project has identified many new candidate nAChR subunits and the calculated electrostatic potential energy profiles for the M2 channel-lining regions predict considerable functional diversity. The respective roles of subunits are under investigation using forward and reverse genetics. Electrophysiological and reporter genes studies have demonstrated roles for particular subunits in levamisole-sensitive muscle nAChRs and a role for nAChRs in pharyngeal pumping. Recombinant homomeric and heteromeric C. elegans nAChRs have been expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. In D. melanogaster, three new nAChR alpha subunits have been cloned, one of which shows multiple variant transcripts arising from alternative splicing and A-to-I pre-mRNA editing. Thus, studies on the genetic model organisms C. elegans and D. melanogaster have revealed different routes to generating molecular and functional diversity in the nAChR gene family and are providing new insights into the in vivo functions of individual family members.

Culetto E et al. (2000) Hum Mol Genet "A role for Caenorhabditis elegans in understanding the function and interactions of human disease genes."

Culetto E, Sattelle DB

[Hum Mol Genet, 2000]

A growing number of medical research teams have begun to explore the experimental advantages of using a genetic animal model, the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans, with a view to enhancing our understanding of genes underlying human congenital disorders. In this study, we have compared sequences of positionally cloned human disease genes with the C.elegans database of predicted genes. Drawing on examples from spinal muscular atrophy, polycystic kidney disease, muscular dystrophy and Alzheimer's disease, we illustrate how data from C.elegans can yield new insights into the function and interactions of human disease genes.

Jones AK et al. (2004) Bioessays "Functional genomics of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor gene family of the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans."

Sattelle DB, Jones AK

[Bioessays, 2004]

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are ligand-gated ion channels that bring about a diversity of fast synaptic actions. Analysis of the Caenorhabditis elegans genome has revealed one of the most-extensive and diverse nAChR gene families known, consisting of at least 27 subunits. Striking variation with possible functional implications has been observed in normally conserved motifs at the acetylcholine-binding site and in the channel-lining region. Some nAChR subunits are particular to neurons whilst others are present in both neurons and muscles. The localization of subunits in non-synaptic regions suggests novel roles for nAChRs. Genetic and heterologous expression studies have identified a subset of nAChR subunits that are important drug targets while the study of mutants has identified genes functionally-linked to nAChRs. Future studies using C. elegans offer the prospect of increasing our understanding of the functional diversity of a complex nAChR gene family as well as addressing the role of nAChRs and associated proteins in human disorders.

Buckingham SD et al. (2008) Invert Neurosci "Strategies for automated analysis of C. elegans locomotion."

Buckingham SD, Sattelle DB

[Invert Neurosci, 2008]

Automated analysis of C. elegans behaviour is a rapidly developing field, offering the possibility of behaviour-based, high-throughput drug screens and systematic phenotyping. Standard methods for parameterizing worm shapes and movements are emerging, and progress has been made towards overcoming the difficulties introduced by interactions between worms, as well as worm coiling and omega turning. Current methods have facilitated the identification of subtle phenotypes and the characterisation of roles of neurones in forward locomotion and chemotaxis, as well as the quantitative characterisation of behaviour choice and circadian patterns of activity. Given the speed with which C. elegans has been deployed in genetic screens and chemical screens, it is to be hoped that wormtrackers may eventually provide similar rapidity in assaying behavioural phenotypes. However, considerable progress must be made before this can be accomplished. In the case of genome-wide RNAi screens, for example, the presence in the worm genome of some 19,000 genes means that even the minimal user intervention in an automatic phenotyping system will be very costly. Nonetheless, recent advances have shown that drug actions on large numbers of worms can be tracked, raising hopes that high-throughput behavioural screens may soon be available.

Sleigh JN et al. (2010) Translational Neuroscience "C. elegans models of neuromuscular diseases expedite translational research"

Sleigh JN, Sattelle DB

[Translational Neuroscience, 2010]

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a genetic model organism and the only animal with a complete nervous system wiring diagram. With only 302 neurons and 95 striated muscle cells, a rich array of mutants with defective locomotion and the facility for individual targeted gene knockdown by RNA interference, it lends itself to the exploration of gene function at nerve muscle junctions. With approximately 60% of human disease genes having a C. elegans homologue, there is growing interest in the deployment of lowcost, high-throughput, drug screens of nematode transgenic and mutant strains mimicking aspects of the pathology of devastating human neuromuscular disorders. Here we explore the contributions already made by C. elegans to our understanding of muscular dystrophies (Duchenne and Becker), spinal muscular atrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Friedreichs ataxia, inclusion body myositis and the prospects for contributions to other neuromuscular disorders. A bottleneck to low-cost, in vivo, large-scale chemical library screening for new candidate therapies has been rapid, automated, behavioural phenotyping. Recent progress in quantifying simple swimming (thrashing) movements is making such screening possible and is expediting the translation of drug candidates towards the clinic.

Buckingham SD et al. (2014) Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist "Automated, high-throughput, motility analysis in Caenorhabditis elegans and parasitic nematodes: Applications in the search for new anthelmintics."

Partridge FA, Sattelle DB, Buckingham SD

[Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist, 2014]

The scale of the damage worldwide to human health, animal health and agricultural crops resulting from parasitic nematodes, together with the paucity of treatments and the threat of developing resistance to the limited set of widely-deployed chemical tools, underlines the urgent need to develop novel drugs and chemicals to control nematode parasites. Robust chemical screens which can be automated are a key part of that discovery process. Hitherto, the successful automation of nematode behaviours has been a bottleneck in the chemical discovery process. As the measurement of nematode motility can provide a direct scalar readout of the activity of the neuromuscular system and an indirect measure of the health of the animal, this omission is acute. Motility offers a useful assay for high-throughput, phenotypic drug/chemical screening and several recent developments have helped realise, at least in part, the potential of nematode-based drug screening. Here we review the challenges encountered in automating nematode motility and some important developments in the application of machine vision, statistical imaging and tracking approaches which enable the automated characterisation of nematode movement. Such developments facilitate automated screening for new drugs and chemicals aimed at controlling human and animal nematode parasites (anthelmintics) and plant nematode parasites (nematicides).

Jones AK et al. (2005) Nat Rev Drug Discov "Chemistry-to-gene screens in Caenorhabditis elegans."

Jones AK, Sattelle DB, Buckingham SD

[Nat Rev Drug Discov, 2005]

The nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans is a genetic model organism linked to an impressive portfolio of fundamental discoveries in biology. This free-living nematode, which can be easily and inexpensively grown in the laboratory, is also a natural vehicle for screening for drugs that are active against nematode parasites. Here, we show that chemistry-to-gene screens using this animal model can define targets of antiparasitic drugs, identify novel candidate drug targets and contribute to the discovery of new drugs for treating human diseases.

Baylis HA et al. (1996) J Neurocytol "Genetic analysis of cholinergic nerve terminal function in invertebrates."

Sattelle DB, Lane NJ, Baylis HA

[J Neurocytol, 1996]

Genetic analysis of nerve terminal function is proving fruitful and studies on invertebrates are making a substantial impact. In this survey, particular emphasis has been placed on cholinergic chemical synaptic transmission. The advanced genetics of Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans with their rich diversity of behavioural and biochemical mutants is providing new insights into the functions of key molecular components of synapses. A 'space-invader' mutant of Periplaneta americana permits investigations of competition between neurons during synaptogenesis and its impact on neurotransmitter release. The growing importance of the C. elegans genome as a major research resource is emphasized in this survey.

Buckingham SD et al. (2004) Human Molecular Genetics "RNA interference: from model organisms towards therapy for neural and neuromuscular disorders."

Wood M, Sattelle DB, Esmaeili B, Buckingham SD

[Human Molecular Genetics, 2004]

Experimental RNA interference (RNAi) leading to the selective knockdown of gene function is induced by introducing into cells either double stranded RNA (dsRNA), or short interfering RNA (siRNA) fragments into which dsRNA is cut. The siRNA triggers degradation of homologous messenger RNA (mRNA). Widely used as a research tool in the genetic model organisms Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster and mouse to investigate the function of individual genes, RNAi has also been deployed in genome-wide, specific gene-knockdown screens. Recent rapid progress in the application of RNAi to mammalian cells, including neurons and muscle cells, offers new approaches to drug target identification and validation. Advances in targeted delivery of RNAi-inducing molecules has raised the possibility of using RNAi directly as a therapy for a variety of human genetic and other neural and neuromuscular disorders. Here, we review examples of the application of RNAi to worm, fly and mouse models of such diseases aimed at understanding their pathophysiology and we address problems to be solved in developing RNAi-based therapies.

Fleming JT et al. (1997) Parasitology "Molecular cloning and in vitro expression of C. elegans and parasitic nematode ionotropic receptors."

Baylis HA, Sattelle DB, Lewis JA, Fleming JT

[Parasitology, 1997]

The free living nematode, C. elegans is understood at a level of detail equalled by few other organisms, and much of the cell biology and sequence information is proving of considerable utility in the study of parasitic nematodes. Already, C. elegans provides a convenient vehicle for investigating anthelmintic drug action and resistance mechanisms. Among the ionotropic receptors, with their important roles in the behaviour and development of the organism, are targets for anthelmintics. The subunits of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors of C. elegans form a large and diverse multigene family. Members of this family are among the 11 genes associated with resistance to the anthelmintic drug levamisole.