• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.219-225
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• 2017

We investigated the anti-oxidative effect of the blueberry duke (Vaccinium corymbosum L., Ericaceae) ethanol extract in Caenorhabditis elegans model. The ethanol extract of blueberry duke showed relatively significant DPPH radical scavenging and superoxide quenching activities. To prove antioxidant activity of the extract, we checked the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, intracellular ROS, and oxidative stress tolerance in C. elegans. In addition, to verify if the increased stress tolerance of C. elegans by treating with the extract was due to regulation of stress-response genes, we checked SOD-3 expression using a transgenic strain. As a consequence, the blueberry duke ethanol extract increased SOD and catalase activities of C. elegans, and reduced intracellular ROS accumulation in a dose-dependent manner. Besides, blueberry duke ethanol extract-treated CF1553 worms showed higher SOD-3::GFP intensity.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.30
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• pp.1.1-1.8
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• 2015

Objectives In this study, the effect of tube length and outer diameter (OD) size of hydroxylated-multi walled carbon nanotubes (OH-MWCNTs) on their uptake and toxicity was investigated in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans using a functional mutant analysis. Methods The physicochemical properties of three different OH-MWCNTs were characterized. Uptake and toxicity were subsequently investigated on C. elegans exposed to MWCNTs with different ODs and tube lengths. Results The results of mutant analysis suggest that ingestion is the main route of MWCNTs uptake. We found that OH-MWCNTs with smaller ODs were more toxic than those with larger ODs, and OH-MWCNTs with shorter tube lengths were more toxic than longer counterparts to C. elegans. Conclusions Overall the results suggest the aspect ratio affects the toxicity of MWCNTs in C. elegans. Further thorough study on the relationship between physicochemical properties and toxicity needs to be conducted for more comprehensive understanding of the uptake and toxicity of MWCNTs.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.96-101
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• 2019

Methanol extract of Helianthus tuberosus L. (Compositae) flower was investigated to research the anti-oxidative activity by using a Caenorhabditis elegans model system. Ethyl acetate soluble fraction of the methanol extract showed the most potent DPPH radical scavenging activity. The ethyl acetate fraction was measured on its activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and oxidative stress tolerance with reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in C. elegans. Furthermore, in order to verify if regulation of stress-response gene is responsible for the increased stress tolerance of C. elegans which treated by the ethyl acetate fraction, we checked SOD-3 expression using a transgenic strain. Consequently, the ethyl acetate fraction of H. tuberosus flower increased the catalase and SOD activities in a dose-dependent manner in C. elegans, reduced ROS accumulation dose-dependently. Besides, the ethyl acetate fraction-treated CF1553 worms showed higher SOD-3::GFP intensity than the control group.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.322-327
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• 2018

Methanol extract of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Labiatae) root was investigated to research the anti-oxidative activity, by using a Caenorhabditis elegans model system. The methanol extract of this plant showed significant DPPH radical scavenging and superoxide quenching activities. Ethyl acetate soluble fraction of the methanol extract that showed the most potent DPPH radical scavenging and superoxide quenching activities. The ethyl acetate fraction was tested on its activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and oxidative stress tolerance in C. elegans. Furthermore, in order to see if regulation of stress-response genes is responsible for the increased stress tolerance of the ethyl acetate fraction treated C. elegans, we checked SOD-3 expression using a transgenic strain. Consequently, the ethyl acetate fraction of S. miltiorrhiza root increased the catalase and SOD activities in a dose-dependent manner in C. elegans. Besides, the ethyl acetate fraction-treated CF1553 worms showed higher SOD-3::GFP intensity than the non-treated ones.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.50-54
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• 2008

The vesicular glutamate transporter (VGLUT) transports glutamate into pre-synaptic vesicles. Three isoforms of VGLUT have been identified in humans, but their functional differences remain largely unknown. EAT-4 is the only homologue of human VGLUT in C. elegans. Here we report that mutants of eat-4 exhibit hyperforaging behavior and that each of the isoforms of human VGLUT functionally rescues the defects in eat-4 worms.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.11
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• pp.864-870
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• 2017

The uncoupling protein 4 (ucp-4) gene is involved in age-dependent neurodegeneration in C. elegans. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the mechanism underlying the association between mitochondrial uncoupling and neurodegeneration by examining the effects of uncoupling agents and ucp-4 overexpression in C. elegans. Treatment with either DNP or CCCP improved neuronal defects in wild type during aging. Uncoupling agents also restored neuronal phenotypes of ucp-4 mutants to those exhibited by wild type, while ucp-4 overexpression attenuated the severity of age-dependent neurodegeneration. Neuronal improvements were further associated with reductions in mitochondrial membrane potentials. However, these age-dependent neuroprotective effects were limited in mitophagy-deficient mutant, pink-1, background. These results suggest that membrane uncoupling can attenuate age-dependent neurodegeneration by stimulating mitophagy.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
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• 2003.07e
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• pp.1743-1746
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• 2003

C. elegans often used to study of function of gene, but it is difficult for human observation to distinguish the mutants of C. elegans. To solve this problem, the system, which can be classified automatically using the computer vision, is studying now. In the previous works , they described the auto-tracking system and the egg-laying timing modeling, which are used to automated-classily system. In this paper, we use three kinds of features, which are related to movement , size and posture of the worm, and each feature is described mathematically and normalized. In experimental result, we validated the features for the hierarchical clustering, And we used the Calinski and Harabasz's method to find the appropriate cluster number.

• BMB Reports
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.107-113
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• 2004

Since the completion of the genome project of the nematode C. elegans in 1998, functional genomic approaches have been applied to elucidate the gene and protein networks in this model organism. The recent completion of the whole genome of C. briggsae, a close sister species of C. elegans, now makes it possible to employ the comparative genomic approaches for identifying regulatory mechanisms that are conserved in these species and to make more precise annotation of the predicted genes. RNA interference (RNAi) screenings in C. elegans have been performed to screen the whole genome for the genes whose mutations give rise to specific phenotypes of interest. RNAi screens can also be used to identify genes that act genetically together with a gene of interest. Microarray experiments have been very useful in identifying genes that exhibit co-regulated expression profiles in given genetic or environmental conditions. Proteomic approaches also can be applied to the nematode, just as in other species whose genomes are known. With all these functional genomic tools, genetics will still remain an important tool for gene function studies in the post genome era. New breakthroughs in C. elegans biology, such as establishing a feasible gene knockout method, immortalized cell lines, or identifying viruses that can be used as vectors for introducing exogenous gene constructs into the worms, will augment the usage of this small organism for genome-wide biology.

• BMB Reports
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.249-253
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• 1998

The developmental regulation of Caenorhabditis elegans DNA topoisomerase I expression was examined using synchronized Caenorhabditis elegans cultures. Variations of the relative mRNA and protein levels of the enzyme during their development were measured by Northern and Western analyses, respectively. The mRNA level was the highest at the embryonic stage, decreasing rapidly to the one tenth level at the L1 stage, and then increasing by a few fold at the L4 and young adult stages. The protein level was the highest at the L1 stage, with gradual decreasing at the following stages until it showed a slight increase at the young adult stage. Based on our results of the expressional regulation, the possible roles of DNA topoisomerase I in the development of C. elegans are discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Visualization
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.22-27
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• 2015

Caenorhabditis elegans (C.elegans) has various interesting behavioral properties, such as chemotaxis, thermotaxis, and electrotaxis. However, most previous research were only focused on single-stimulus for studying its behavioral properties. In this paper, we propose a simple and effective device for analyzing the behavior of C.elegans with combined stimuli, electric field and temperature. We compared and analyzed wild type worms (N2) and four mutant worms (tax-4, ttx-7, unc-54, unc-6). We analyzed the reaction of worms to certain stimulus and identified that this device is effective to apply a combined stimulus.