scholarly journals Effects of sugars and lipids on the growth and development of Caenorhabditis elegans

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiong Wang ◽  
Lin Zhang ◽  
Lei Zhang ◽  
Wenli Wang ◽  
Sihan Wei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Stearic Acid ◽  
Growth And Development ◽  
Reproductive Capacity ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
High Sugar ◽  
Expression Of Genes ◽  
High Lipid ◽  
High Stearic Acid ◽  
Excessive Intake

AbstractExcessive intake of carbohydrates and fats causes over-nutrition, leading to a variety of diseases and complications. Here, we characterized the effects of different types of sugar and lipids on the growth and development of Caenorhabditis elegans. We measured the lifespan, reproductive capacity, and length of nematodes after sugars and lipids treatment alone and co-treatment of sugars and lipids. Furthermore, by using transcriptome sequencing technology, we studied the mechanisms underlying the damaged caused by high-sucrose and high-stearic acid on C. elegans. The results showed that a certain concentration of sugar and lipid promoted the growth and development of nematodes. However, excessive sugars and lipids shortened the lifespan and length of nematodes and destroyed their reproductive capacity. Based on the results of the orthogonal test, we selected 400 mmol/L sucrose and 500 μg/mL stearic acid to model a high-sugar and high-lipid diet for C. elegans. High-sugar and high-lipid intake altered the expression of genes involved in biofilm synthesis, genes that catalyze the synthesis and degradation of endogenous substances, and genes involved in innate immunity, resulting in physiological damage.

scholarly journals Study on Caenorhabditis Elegans as a Combined Model of Microdosimetry and Biology

Dose-Response ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 155932582199012
Author(s):  
Wentao Yu ◽  
Huiqiang Long ◽  
Jin Gao ◽  
Yidi Wang ◽  
Yu Tu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Biological Indicators ◽  
Reproductive Capacity ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Entire Body ◽  
Contour Analysis ◽  
Combined Model ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Dose Deposition ◽  
Microscopic Energy

Microdosimetry is a tool for the investigation of microscopic energy deposition of ionizing radiation. This work used Caenorhabditis elegans as a model to estimate the microdosimetric deposition level at the 60Co gamma radiation. Monte Carlo software PHITS was employed to establish irradiated nematodes model. The dose deposition of the entire body and gonad irradiated to 100 Gy was calculated. The injury levels of radiation were evaluated by the detection of biological indicators. The result of microdosimetric experiment suggested that the dose of whole body of nematodes was estimated to be 99.9 ± 57.8 Gy, ranging from 19.6 to 332.2 Gy. The dose of gonad was predicted to be 129.4 ± 558.8 Gy (9.5-6597 Gy). The result of biological experiment suggested that there were little changes in the length of nematodes after irradiation. However, times of head thrash per minute and the spawning yield in 3 consecutive days decreased 27.1% and 94.7%, respectively. Nematodes in the irradiated group displayed heterogeneity. Through contour analysis, trends of behavior kinematics and reproductive capacity of irradiated nematodes proved to be consistent with the dose distribution levels estimated by microdosimetric model. Finally, C. elegans presented a suitable combined model of microdosimetry and biology for studying radiation.

scholarly journals Caenorhabditis elegans Extracts Stimulate IAA Biosynthesis in Arthrobacter pascens ZZ21 via the Indole-3-pyruvic Acid Pathway

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 970
Author(s):  
Mengsha Li ◽  
Teng Li ◽  
Ming Zhou ◽  
Mengdi Li ◽  
Yexin Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Pyruvic Acid ◽  
Tca Cycle ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Expression Of Genes ◽  
Soil Ecosystems ◽  
Beneficial Bacterium ◽  
Acid Pathway ◽  
Reduced Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide ◽  
Iaa Biosynthesis

Inter-organismal metabolites play important roles in regulating organism behavior and the communication between organisms. Nematodes, the most abundant animals on earth, are crucial participants in soil ecosystems through their interactions with microbes. For example, bacterial-feeding nematodes increase the activity of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)-producing bacteria and the IAA content in soil. However, the way in which these nematodes interact with bacteria and affect IAA biosynthesis is not well understood. Here, using the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and the plant-beneficial bacterium Arthrobacter pascens ZZ21, we examined the effects of nematode excretions or extracts on bacterial IAA biosynthesis. To explore the underlying regulatory mechanism in more detail, we performed transcriptome sequencing and metabolomic analysis. Our findings suggest that C. elegans extracts promote IAA biosynthesis in A. pascens ZZ21 by increasing the expression of genes and the abundance of intermediates involved in the indole-3-pyruvic acid (IPyA) pathway. C. elegans extracts also significantly influenced biosynthetic and metabolic activity in A. pascens ZZ21. Treatment with C. elegans extracts promoted pyruvate metabolism, the citrate cycle (TCA) cycle and the production of some TCA-cycle-related amino acids and inhibited oxidative phosphorylation, which induced the accumulation of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH). We propose that the extracts altered the metabolism of A. pascens ZZ21 to help the bacteria resist stress caused by their predator. Our findings indicate that bacterial-feeding nematodes mediate the interaction between nematodes and bacteria via their extracts, providing insights into the ecological function of C. elegans in soil.

scholarly journals Natural variations in reproductive aging phenotypes reveal the importance of early reproductive period in Caenorhabditis elegans

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiseon Lim ◽  
Jun Kim ◽  
Junho Lee
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
X Chromosome ◽  
Brood Size ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Reproductive Capacity ◽  
Initial Population ◽  
Reproductive Aging ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Wild Strains ◽  
Chromosome Nondisjunction

Although reproductive capacity is a major factor in individual fitness, aging of the reproductive system precedes somatic aging and may reduce the total brood size. Genetic studies have led to the development of a body of evolutionary theory in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, but these studies did not take into account current knowledge about the natural history of C. elegans. To enhance our understanding of reproductive aging in C. elegans, we measured and compared two reproductive aging-related traitsthe number of progeny and the X-chromosome nondisjunction rateof 96 wild strains during early, late and total reproductive periods. We found that the two traits exhibited natural phenotypic variation, with few outliers, and that the brood size and the X-chromosome nondisjunction rate were not genetically correlated. Contrary to a previous hypothesis, that reproductive aging contributes to the generation of an optimal total number of offspring, we found that the total brood size did not converge to an optimal value, and early brood size was more constant than total brood size among wild strains. We speculate that reproductive aging is a by-product of a rapid increase in the initial population size, which might be related to the boom-and-bust lifestyle of C. elegans. We also identified loci and candidate genetic variants significantly associated with X-chromosome nondisjunction rate in the late and total reproductive periods. Our results provide an insight into reproductive aging in wild C. elegans strains.

scholarly journals Phosphoethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PMT-1) catalyses the first reaction of a new pathway for phosphocholine biosynthesis in Caenorhabditis elegans

2007 ◽  
Vol 404 (3) ◽  
pp. 439-448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine M. Brendza ◽  
William Haakenson ◽  
Rebecca E. Cahoon ◽  
Leslie M. Hicks ◽  
Lavanya H. Palavalli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Growth And Development ◽  
Initial Velocity ◽  
Kinetic Mechanism ◽  
Product Inhibition ◽  
Parasitic Nematodes ◽  
Rnai Phenotype ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Inhibition Studies ◽  
Single Enzyme

The development of nematicides targeting parasitic nematodes of animals and plants requires the identification of biochemical targets not found in host organisms. Recent studies suggest that Caenorhabditis elegans synthesizes phosphocholine through the action of PEAMT (S-adenosyl-L-methionine:phosphoethanolamine N-methyltransferases) that convert phosphoethanolamine into phosphocholine. Here, we examine the function of a PEAMT from C. elegans (gene: pmt-1; protein: PMT-1). Our analysis shows that PMT-1 only catalyses the conversion of phosphoethanolamine into phospho-monomethylethanolamine, which is the first step in the PEAMT pathway. This is in contrast with the multifunctional PEAMT from plants and Plasmodium that perform multiple methylations in the pathway using a single enzyme. Initial velocity and product inhibition studies indicate that PMT-1 uses a random sequential kinetic mechanism and is feedback inhibited by phosphocholine. To examine the effect of abrogating PMT-1 activity in C. elegans, RNAi (RNA interference) experiments demonstrate that pmt-1 is required for worm growth and development and validate PMT-1 as a potential target for inhibition. Moreover, providing pathway metabolites downstream of PMT-1 reverses the RNAi phenotype of pmt-1. Because PMT-1 is not found in mammals, is only distantly related to the plant PEAMT and is conserved in multiple parasitic nematodes of humans, animals and crop plants, inhibitors targeting it may prove valuable in human and veterinary medicine and agriculture.

scholarly journals Red Cabbage Rather Than Green Cabbage Increases Stress Resistance and Extends the Lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 930
Author(s):  
Nan Zhang ◽  
Shunshan Jiao ◽  
Pu Jing
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Antioxidant Properties ◽  
Reproductive Capacity ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Red Cabbage ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Lactate Dehydrogenase Release ◽  
Calmodulin Kinase

Many studies have demonstrated that cabbages possess various biological activities, and our previous studies confirmed that cyanidin-3-diglucoside-5-glucoside (CY3D5G), the major core of red cabbage anthocyanins, exhibited in vitro antioxidant activity. This study further investigated the protective effects of CY3D5G derivative from red cabbage juice (RCJ) on oxidative stress and lifespan in cells and Caenorhabditis elegans, green cabbage juice (GCJ) was used as control. RCJ rather than GCJ significantly improved cell viability and decreased lactate dehydrogenase release in H2O2-induced caco-2 cells. RCJ significantly increased survival during oxidative and heat stress and mean lifespan in C. elegans by 171.63% and 31.64%, and 28.16%, respectively, while GCJ treatment showed no significant effects (p < 0.05). These results might be attributed to significantly (p < 0.05) higher contents of total phenolics, ascorbic acid, glucosinolates, and anthocyanins in RCJ compared to those in GCJ. Additionally, both of them decreased autofluorescence and reproductive capacity, increased body length, but did not alter the intracellular ROS level. Prolonged lifespan by RCJ might require heat-shock transcription factor pathway, sirtuin signaling, and calmodulin kinase II pathway, independent of insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 signaling pathway. RCJ showed promising antioxidant properties in caco-2 cells and C. elegans, which provided more information on the health benefits of cabbage.

scholarly journals mRNA Editing, Processing and Quality Control in Caenorhabditis elegans

Genetics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 215 (3) ◽  
pp. 531-568
Author(s):  
Joshua A. Arribere ◽  
Hidehito Kuroyanagi ◽  
Heather A. Hundley
Keyword(s):  
Quality Control ◽  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Transcription Initiation ◽  
Control Mechanisms ◽  
Mrna Editing ◽  
Protein Coding ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Expression Of Genes ◽  
Dynamic Expression ◽  
Specific Sequences

While DNA serves as the blueprint of life, the distinct functions of each cell are determined by the dynamic expression of genes from the static genome. The amount and specific sequences of RNAs expressed in a given cell involves a number of regulated processes including RNA synthesis (transcription), processing, splicing, modification, polyadenylation, stability, translation, and degradation. As errors during mRNA production can create gene products that are deleterious to the organism, quality control mechanisms exist to survey and remove errors in mRNA expression and processing. Here, we will provide an overview of mRNA processing and quality control mechanisms that occur in Caenorhabditis elegans, with a focus on those that occur on protein-coding genes after transcription initiation. In addition, we will describe the genetic and technical approaches that have allowed studies in C. elegans to reveal important mechanistic insight into these processes.

scholarly journals Metabolic shift from glycogen to trehalose promotes lifespan and healthspan in Caenorhabditis elegans

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (12) ◽  
pp. E2791-E2800 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yonghak Seo ◽  
Samuel Kingsley ◽  
Griffin Walker ◽  
Michelle A. Mondoux ◽  
Heidi A. Tissenbaum
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Metabolic Diseases ◽  
Glycogen Synthase ◽  
Glycogen Synthesis ◽  
Glycogen Storage ◽  
The Body ◽  
Metabolic Shift ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
High Sugar ◽  
Key Enzyme

As Western diets continue to include an ever-increasing amount of sugar, there has been a rise in obesity and type 2 diabetes. To avoid metabolic diseases, the body must maintain proper metabolism, even on a high-sugar diet. In both humans and Caenorhabditis elegans, excess sugar (glucose) is stored as glycogen. Here, we find that animals increased stored glycogen as they aged, whereas even young adult animals had increased stored glycogen on a high-sugar diet. Decreasing the amount of glycogen storage by modulating the C. elegans glycogen synthase, gsy-1, a key enzyme in glycogen synthesis, can extend lifespan, prolong healthspan, and limit the detrimental effects of a high-sugar diet. Importantly, limiting glycogen storage leads to a metabolic shift whereby glucose is now stored as trehalose. Two additional means to increase trehalose show similar longevity extension. Increased trehalose is entirely dependent on a functional FOXO transcription factor DAF-16 and autophagy to promote lifespan and healthspan extension. Our results reveal that when glucose is stored as glycogen, it is detrimental, whereas, when stored as trehalose, animals live a longer, healthier life if DAF-16 is functional. Taken together, these results demonstrate that trehalose modulation may be an avenue for combatting high-sugar-diet pathology.

scholarly journals Role of insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 signaling pathway genes on the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Siti Bazilah Zulkefli ◽  
Ahmad Nazrun Shuid ◽  
Goon Jo Aan
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Insulin Like Growth Factor ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Expression Of Genes ◽  
Differential Expression Of Genes

Aging process is influenced by the insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 signaling (IIS) pathway or IGF-1 signaling pathway. Studies done on the genes of this pathway were found to affect longevity. However, no conclusive results have been drawn.The purpose of this systematic review is to summarize the function of genes involved in the IIS pathway of Caenorhabditis Elegans (C. elegans), a nematode commonly used as a model organism in molecular genetics and developmental biology. A literature search for relevant studies was done through PubMed and Scopus databases using MeSH keywords Caenorhabditis elegans, C. elegans, nematode, genes, RNA, DNA, IIS pathway, IGF pathway, lifespan, and longevity. The search was limited to studies that were published in the last ten years (2008-May 2018). After exclusion of duplicates, review papers, human, in vitro, and other organismal studies, a total of 76 research articles were selected for further assessments. Data relevant to the effects of IIS genes on the lifespan ofC. eleganswas independently extracted. Reduction of daf-2 and age-1 and overexpression of sir-2.1 were reported to promote increment of the lifespan of C. elegans.  Furthermore, differentially expressed genes that were involved in the protection against oxidative stress, pathogen attack, and toxicity includeins-18, numr-1/-2, sgk-1, and rgs-1. The knockdown of daf-2, age-1, and overexpression of sir-2.1 genes prolonged the lifespan of C. elegans while knockdown of daf-16, hsf-1, sir-2.1 as well as skn-1 shorten the lifespan of C. elegans.In conclusion, the differential expression of genes in the IIS pathway prolongs the lifespan of C. elegans.

The effects of mebendazole on the growth and development of Caenorhabditis elegans

1982 ◽  
Vol 60 (11) ◽  
pp. 2616-2623 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew M. Spence ◽  
Kathleen M. B. Malone ◽  
Marie M. A. Novak ◽  
Robin A. Woods
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Growth And Development ◽  
Critical Period ◽  
Egg Production ◽  
Reproductive Capacity ◽  
Maximum Reduction ◽  
L1 And L2

Mebendazole inhibits the growth, reproductive capacity, and motility of Caenorhabditis elegans. Maximum reduction of length (50%) and volume (80%) was observed at 6.25 μg/mL mebendazole. At this concentration vulva formation was delayed by 18 h and egg production was reduced from 8 eggs/worm per hour to less than 1. The critical period for the effect of mebendazole on length was from 40 to 50 h after hatching. The drug did not affect the viability of eggs, larvae, or adults. L1 and L2 larvae were motile in the presence of mebendazole (6.25 μg/mL); paralysis became apparent during the L3 and was complete in L4 and adult stages. Paralysed worms coiled into a ring and moved feebly and spasmodically. The first two moults occurred at the same time in control and treated worms, the L3/L4 and L4/adult moults were delayed by less than 1 h in the presence of the drug. Evidence is presented that these observed effects are caused by mebendazole and were not the consequence of partial starvation resulting from paralysis.

The glycomes of Caenorhabditis elegans and other model organisms

2002 ◽  
Vol 69 ◽  
pp. 117-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart M. Haslam ◽  
David Gems ◽  
Howard R. Morris ◽  
Anne Dell
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Structural Data ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Entire Genome ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
The Face ◽  
Area Of Concern ◽  
Nematode Worm

There is no doubt that the immense amount of information that is being generated by the initial sequencing and secondary interrogation of various genomes will change the face of glycobiological research. However, a major area of concern is that detailed structural knowledge of the ultimate products of genes that are identified as being involved in glycoconjugate biosynthesis is still limited. This is illustrated clearly by the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans, which was the first multicellular organism to have its entire genome sequenced. To date, only limited structural data on the glycosylated molecules of this organism have been reported. Our laboratory is addressing this problem by performing detailed MS structural characterization of the N-linked glycans of C. elegans; high-mannose structures dominate, with only minor amounts of complex-type structures. Novel, highly fucosylated truncated structures are also present which are difucosylated on the proximal N-acetylglucosamine of the chitobiose core as well as containing unusual Fucα1–2Gal1–2Man as peripheral structures. The implications of these results in terms of the identification of ligands for genomically predicted lectins and potential glycosyltransferases are discussed in this chapter. Current knowledge on the glycomes of other model organisms such as Dictyostelium discoideum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Drosophila melanogaster is also discussed briefly.

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