• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.21 no.3 s.54
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• pp.239-244
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• 2006

Caenorhabditis elegans(C. elegans) is a free-living soil nematode that commonly used as a biological model and recently, much work has been done using C. elegans as a toxicity model. To evaluate the acute toxicity of phenols to C. elegans, worms were subsequently exposed to nine different xenobiotics. This study described lethal toxicity, reproductive toxicity and movement inhibition using 2-propylphenol, 4-propylphenol, 2-tert-butylphenol, 3-tert-butylphenol, 4-tert-butylphenol, 2-phenylphenol, 4-phenylphenol, nonylphenol and 4-dodecylphenol to C. elegans for 24 hr or 72 hr. We found that phenols used in this study were very toxic to C. elegans. The order of lethal toxicity, reproductive toxicity and movement inhibition is as follows. 4-propylphenol > 2-phenylphenol > 2-tert-butylphenol > 2-propylphenol > nonylphenol > B-tert-butylphenol > 4-dodefylphenol > 4-tert-butylphenol > 4-phenylphenol.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.43 no.10
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• pp.880-888
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• 2020

Inherited peripheral neuropathy is a heterogeneous group of peripheral neurodegenerative disorders including Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Many peripheral neuropathies often accompany impaired axonal construction and function. To study the molecular and cellular basis of axon-defective peripheral neuropathy, we explore the possibility of using Caenorhabditis elegans, a powerful nematode model equipped with a variety of genetics and imaging tools. In search of potential candidates of C. elegans peripheral neuropathy models, we monitored the movement and the body posture patterns of 26 C. elegans strains with disruption of genes associated with various peripheral neuropathies and compiled a database of their phenotypes. Our assay showed that movement features of the worms with mutations in HSPB1, MFN2, DYNC1H1, and KIF1B human homologues are significantly different from the control strain, suggesting they are viable candidates for C. elegans peripheral neuropathy models.

• BMB Reports
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.274-279
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• 2018

Mitochondria are crucial organelles that generate cellular energy and metabolites. Recent studies indicate that mitochondria also regulate immunity. In this review, we discuss key roles of mitochondria in immunity against pathogen infection and underlying mechanisms, focusing on discoveries using Caenorhabditis elegans. Various mitochondrial processes, including mitochondrial surveillance mechanisms, mitochondrial unfolded protein response ($UPR^{mt}$), mitophagy, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, contribute to immune responses and resistance of C. elegans against pathogens. Biological processes of C. elegans are usually conserved across phyla. Thus, understanding the mechanisms of mitochondria-mediated defense responses in C. elegans may provide insights into similar mechanisms in complex organisms, including mammals.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.131-138
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• 2011

Some computational approaches are needed for clarifying RNAi sequences, because it takes much time and endeavor that almost of RNAi sequences are verified by experimental data. Incorrectness of RNAi mechanism and other unaware factors in organism system are frequently faced with questions regarding potential use of RNAi as therapeutic applications. Our massive parallelized pair alignment scoring between dsRNA in Genebank and expressed sequence tags (ESTs) in Caenorhabditis elegans Genome Sequencing Projects revealed that this provides a useful tool for the prediction of RNAi induced cosuppression details for practical use. This pair alignment scoring method using high performance computing exhibited some possibility that numerous unwanted gene silencing and cosuppression exist even at high matching scores each other. The classifying the relative higher matching score of them based on GO (Gene Ontology) system could present mapping dsRNA of C. elegans and functional roles in an applied system. Our prediction also exhibited that more than 78% of the predicted co-suppressible genes are located in the ribosomal spot of C. elegans.

• 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.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.21 no.4 s.55
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• pp.323-330
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• 2006

The aim of current study was to evaluate the toxicity of nonylphenol(NP) on soil nematode, Caenorhabditi elegans. The stress-related gene expression, growth, reproduction and development have been employed to monitor soil toxicity. The 24-h median effect concentrations $(LC_{50s})$ of NP was $0.15mg/L$. The expressions of vitellogenin-6, vitellogenin-2, cytochrome P450 family protein 35a2 and apoptosis enhancer-1 genes were upregulated in C. elegans by NP exposure. Alterations in growth, reproduction and development were also observed in NP-exposed group and especially hatching failure was observed. The overall results indicate that C. elegans has considerable potential as sensitive markers for NP toxicity monitoring.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.54-59
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• 2006

The toxicity of cadmium on Caenorhabditis elegans was investigated to identify sensitive biomarkers for environmental monitoring and risk assessment. Stress-related gene expression were estimated as toxic endpoints Cadmium exposure led to an increase in the expression of most of the genes tested. The degree of increase was more significant in heat shock protein-16.1, metallothionein-2, cytochrome p450 family protein 35A2, glutathione S-transferase-4, superoxide dismutase-1, catalase-2, C. elegans p53-like protein-1, and apoptosis enhancer-1 than in other genes. The overall results indicate that the stress-related gene expressions of C. elegans have considerable potential as sensitive biomarkers for cadmium toxicity monitoring and risk assessment.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.44 no.7
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• pp.425-432
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• 2021

Aging is associated with functional and structural declines in organisms over time. Organisms as diverse as the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and mammals share signaling pathways that regulate aging and lifespan. In this review, we discuss recent combinatorial approach to aging research employing C. elegans and mammalian systems that have contributed to our understanding of evolutionarily conserved aging-regulating pathways. The topics covered here include insulin/IGF-1, mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), and sirtuin signaling pathways; dietary restriction; autophagy; mitochondria; and the nervous system. A combinatorial approach employing high-throughput, rapid C. elegans systems, and human model mammalian systems is likely to continue providing mechanistic insights into aging biology and will help develop therapeutics against age-associated disorders.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.379-385
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• 2019

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) comprise various RNA species, including small ncRNAs and long ncRNAs (lncRNAs). ncRNAs regulate various cellular processes, including transcription and translation of target messenger RNAs. Recent studies also indicate that ncRNAs affect organismal aging and conversely aging influences ncRNA levels. In this review, we discuss our current understanding of the roles of ncRNAs in aging and longevity, focusing on recent advances using the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans. Expression of various ncRNAs, including microRNA (miRNA), tRNA-derived small RNA (tsRNA), ribosomal RNA (rRNA), PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA), circular RNA (circRNA), and lncRNA, is altered during aging in C. elegans. Genetic modulation of specific ncRNAs affects longevity and aging rates by modulating established aging-regulating protein factors. Because many aging-regulating mechanisms in C. elegans are evolutionarily conserved, these studies will provide key information regarding how ncRNAs modulate aging and lifespan in complex organisms, including mammals.