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Garcia-Sanchez JA, Ewbank JJ, Visvikis O. Ubiquitin-related processes and innate immunity in C. elegans. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:4305-4333. [PMID: 33630111 PMCID: PMC11072174 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03787-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Innate immunity is an evolutionary ancient defence strategy that serves to eliminate infectious agents while maintaining host health. It involves a complex network of sensors, signaling proteins and immune effectors that detect the danger, then relay and execute the immune programme. Post-translational modifications relying on conserved ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like proteins are an integral part of the system. Studies using invertebrate models of infection, such as the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, have greatly contributed to our understanding of how ubiquitin-related processes act in immune sensing, regulate immune signaling pathways, and participate to host defence responses. This review highlights the interest of working with a genetically tractable model organism and illustrates how C. elegans has been used to identify ubiquitin-dependent immune mechanisms, discover novel ubiquitin-based resistance strategies that mediate pathogen clearance, and unravel the role of ubiquitin-related processes in tolerance, preserving host fitness during pathogen attack. Special emphasis is placed on processes that are conserved in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan A Garcia-Sanchez
- INSERM, C3M, Côte D'Azur University, Nice, France
- INSERM, CNRS, CIML, Turing Centre for Living Systems, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Jonathan J Ewbank
- INSERM, CNRS, CIML, Turing Centre for Living Systems, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France.
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Fardghassemi Y, Maios C, Parker JA. Small Molecule Rescue of ATXN3 Toxicity in C. elegans via TFEB/HLH-30. Neurotherapeutics 2021; 18:1151-1165. [PMID: 33782863 PMCID: PMC8423969 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-020-00993-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), also known as Machado-Joseph disease (MJD), is a polyglutamine expansion disease arising from a trinucleotide CAG repeat expansion in exon 10 of the gene ATXN3. There are no effective pharmacological treatments for MJD, thus the identification of new pathogenic mechanisms, and the development of novel therapeutics is urgently needed. In this study, we performed a comprehensive, blind drug screen of 3942 compounds (many FDA approved) and identified small molecules that rescued the motor-deficient phenotype in transgenic ATXN3 Caenorhabditis elegans strain. Out of this screen, five lead compounds restoring motility, protecting against neurodegeneration, and increasing the lifespan in ATXN3-CAG89 mutant worms were identified. These compounds were alfacalcidol, chenodiol, cyclophosphamide, fenbufen, and sulfaphenazole. We then investigated how these molecules might exert their neuroprotective properties. We found that three of these compounds, chenodiol, fenbufen, and sulfaphenazole, act as modulators for TFEB/HLH-30, a key transcriptional regulator of the autophagy process, and require this gene for their neuroprotective activities. These genetic-chemical approaches, using genetic C. elegans models for MJD and the screening, are promising tools to understand the mechanisms and pathways causing neurodegeneration, leading to MJD. Positively acting compounds may be promising candidates for investigation in mammalian models of MJD and preclinical applications in the treatment of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmin Fardghassemi
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montreal, Quebec H2X 0A9 Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec H3T 1J4 Canada
| | - Claudia Maios
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montreal, Quebec H2X 0A9 Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec H3T 1J4 Canada
| | - J. Alex Parker
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montreal, Quebec H2X 0A9 Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec H3T 1J4 Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec H3T 1J4 Canada
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Giunti S, Andersen N, Rayes D, De Rosa MJ. Drug discovery: Insights from the invertebrate Caenorhabditis elegans. Pharmacol Res Perspect 2021; 9:e00721. [PMID: 33641258 PMCID: PMC7916527 DOI: 10.1002/prp2.721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic drug development is a long, expensive, and complex process that usually takes 12-15 years. In the early phases of drug discovery, in particular, there is a growing need for animal models that ensure the reduction in both cost and time. Caenorhabditis elegans has been traditionally used to address fundamental aspects of key biological processes, such as apoptosis, aging, and gene expression regulation. During the last decade, with the advent of large-scale platforms for screenings, this invertebrate has also emerged as an essential tool in the pharmaceutical research industry to identify novel drugs and drug targets. In this review, we discuss the reasons why C. elegans has been positioned as an outstanding cost-effective option for drug discovery, highlighting both the advantages and drawbacks of this model. Particular attention is paid to the suitability of this nematode in large-scale genetic and pharmacological screenings. High-throughput screenings in C. elegans have indeed contributed to the breakthrough of a wide variety of candidate compounds involved in extensive fields including neurodegeneration, pathogen infections and metabolic disorders. The versatility of this nematode, which enables its instrumentation as a model of human diseases, is another attribute also herein underscored. As illustrative examples, we discuss the utility of C. elegans models of both human neurodegenerative diseases and parasitic nematodes in the drug discovery industry. Summing up, this review aims to demonstrate the impact of C. elegans models on the drug discovery pipeline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastián Giunti
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca (INIBIBB) CCT UNS‐CONICETBahía BlancaArgentina
- Dpto de Biología, Bioquímica y FarmaciaUniversidad Nacional del SurBahía BlancaArgentina
| | - Natalia Andersen
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca (INIBIBB) CCT UNS‐CONICETBahía BlancaArgentina
- Dpto de Biología, Bioquímica y FarmaciaUniversidad Nacional del SurBahía BlancaArgentina
| | - Diego Rayes
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca (INIBIBB) CCT UNS‐CONICETBahía BlancaArgentina
- Dpto de Biología, Bioquímica y FarmaciaUniversidad Nacional del SurBahía BlancaArgentina
| | - María José De Rosa
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca (INIBIBB) CCT UNS‐CONICETBahía BlancaArgentina
- Dpto de Biología, Bioquímica y FarmaciaUniversidad Nacional del SurBahía BlancaArgentina
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Iškauskienė M, Kadlecová A, Voller J, Janovská L, Malinauskienė V, Žukauskaitė A, Šačkus A. Synthesis of 5-[(1H-indol-3-yl)methyl]-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2(3H)-thiones and their protective activity against oxidative stress. Arch Pharm (Weinheim) 2021; 354:e2100001. [PMID: 33733468 DOI: 10.1002/ardp.202100001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
A small library of 2-[(1H-indol-3-yl)methyl]-5-(alkylthio)-1,3,4-oxadiazoles was prepared, starting from indole-3-acetic acid methyl ester and its 5-methyl-substituted derivative. The synthetic route involved the formation of intermediate hydrazides, their condensation with carbon disulfide, and intramolecular cyclization to corresponding 5-[(1H-indol-3-yl)methyl]-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2(3H)-thiones. The latter were then S-alkylated, and in case of ester derivatives, they were further hydrolyzed into corresponding carboxylic acids. All 5-[(1H-indol-3-yl)methyl]-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2(3H)-thiones and their S-alkylated derivatives were then screened for their protective effects in vitro and in vivo. Methyl substitution on the indole ring and propyl, butyl, or benzyl substitution on sulfhydryl group-possessing compounds were revealed to protect Friedreich's ataxia fibroblasts against the effects of glutathione depletion induced by the γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase inhibitor, buthionine sulfoximine. Two of the active compounds also reproducibly increased the survival of Caenorhabditis elegans exposed to juglone-induced oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Iškauskienė
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Kaunas University of Technology, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Alena Kadlecová
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Voller
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Pathology, Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Lucie Janovská
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic.,Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences & Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Vida Malinauskienė
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Kaunas University of Technology, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Asta Žukauskaitė
- Department of Chemical Biology, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Algirdas Šačkus
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Kaunas University of Technology, Kaunas, Lithuania
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Falk MJ. The pursuit of precision mitochondrial medicine: Harnessing preclinical cellular and animal models to optimize mitochondrial disease therapeutic discovery. J Inherit Metab Dis 2021; 44:312-324. [PMID: 33006762 PMCID: PMC7994194 DOI: 10.1002/jimd.12319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Mitochondria share extensive evolutionary conservation across nearly all living species. This homology allows robust insights to be gained into pathophysiologic mechanisms and therapeutic targets for the heterogeneous class of primary mitochondrial diseases (PMDs) through the study of diverse in vitro cellular and in vivo animal models. Dramatic advances in genetic technologies, ranging from RNA interference to achieve graded knock-down of gene expression to CRISPR/Cas-based gene editing that yields a stable gene knock-out or targeted mutation knock-in, have enabled the ready establishment of mitochondrial disease models for a plethora of individual nuclear gene disorders. These models are complemented and extended by the use of pharmacologic inhibitor-based stressors to characterize variable degrees, onset, duration, and combinations of acute on chronic mitochondrial dysfunction in individual respiratory chain enzyme complexes or distinct biochemical pathways within mitochondria. Herein is described the rationale for, and progress made in, "therapeutic cross-training," a novel approach meant to improve the validity and rigor of experimental conclusions when testing therapies by studying treatment effects in multiple, evolutionarily-distinct species, including Caenorhabditis elegans (invertebrate, worm), Danio rerio (vertebrate, zebrafish), Mus musculus (mammal, mouse), and/or human patient primary fibroblast cell line models of PMD. The goal of these preclinical studies is to identify lead therapies from candidate molecules or library screens that consistently demonstrate efficacy, with minimal toxicity, in specific subtypes of mitochondrial disease. Conservation of in vitro and in vivo therapeutic effects of lead molecules across species has proven extensive, where molar concentrations found to be toxic or efficacious in one species are often consistent with therapeutic effects at similar doses seen in other mitochondrial disease models. Phenotypic outcome studies in all models are prioritized at the level of survival and function, to reflect the ultimate goal of developing highly potent therapies for human mitochondrial disease. Lead compounds that demonstrate significant benefit on gross phenotypes may be further scrutinized in these same models to decipher their cellular targets, mechanism(s), and detailed biochemical effects. High-throughput, automated technologic advances will be discussed that enable efficient, parallel screening in a diverse array of mitochondrial disease disorders and overarching subclasses of compounds, concentrations, libraries, and combinations. Overall, this therapeutic cross-training approach has proven valuable to identify compounds with optimal potency and safety profiles among major biochemical subtypes or specific genetic etiologies of mitochondrial disease. This approach further supports rational prioritization of lead compounds, target concentrations, and specific disease phenotypes, outcomes, and subgroups to optimally inform the design of clinical trials that test their efficacy in human mitochondrial disease subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marni J. Falk
- Mitochondrial Medicine Frontier Program, Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
- Corresponding Author: Marni J. Falk, M.D., The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, ARC1002c, 3615 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104, Office 1-267-426-4961, Fax 1-267-476-2876,
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56
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Zimmermann M, Patil KR, Typas A, Maier L. Towards a mechanistic understanding of reciprocal drug-microbiome interactions. Mol Syst Biol 2021; 17:e10116. [PMID: 33734582 PMCID: PMC7970330 DOI: 10.15252/msb.202010116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Broad-spectrum antibiotics target multiple gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, and can collaterally damage the gut microbiota. Yet, our knowledge of the extent of damage, the antibiotic activity spectra, and the resistance mechanisms of gut microbes is sparse. This limits our ability to mitigate microbiome-facilitated spread of antibiotic resistance. In addition to antibiotics, non-antibiotic drugs affect the human microbiome, as shown by metagenomics as well as in vitro studies. Microbiome-drug interactions are bidirectional, as microbes can also modulate drugs. Chemical modifications of antibiotics mostly function as antimicrobial resistance mechanisms, while metabolism of non-antibiotics can also change the drugs' pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetic, and toxic properties. Recent studies have started to unravel the extensive capacity of gut microbes to metabolize drugs, the mechanisms, and the relevance of such events for drug treatment. These findings raise the question whether and to which degree these reciprocal drug-microbiome interactions will differ across individuals, and how to take them into account in drug discovery and precision medicine. This review describes recent developments in the field and discusses future study areas that will benefit from systems biology approaches to better understand the mechanistic role of the human gut microbiota in drug actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Zimmermann
- Structural and Computational Biology UnitEuropean Molecular Biology LaboratoryHeidelbergGermany
| | - Kiran Raosaheb Patil
- Structural and Computational Biology UnitEuropean Molecular Biology LaboratoryHeidelbergGermany
- The Medical Research Council Toxicology UnitUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Athanasios Typas
- Structural and Computational Biology UnitEuropean Molecular Biology LaboratoryHeidelbergGermany
- Genome Biology UnitEuropean Molecular Biology LaboratoryHeidelbergGermany
| | - Lisa Maier
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection MedicineUniversity of TübingenTübingenGermany
- Cluster of Excellence ‘Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections’University of TübingenTübingenGermany
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57
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Beydoun S, Choi HS, Dela-Cruz G, Kruempel J, Huang S, Bazopoulou D, Miller HA, Schaller ML, Evans CR, Leiser SF. An alternative food source for metabolism and longevity studies in Caenorhabditis elegans. Commun Biol 2021; 4:258. [PMID: 33637830 PMCID: PMC7910432 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-01764-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans is an instrumental research model used to advance our knowledge in areas including development, metabolism, and aging. However, research on metabolism and/or other measures of health/aging are confounded by the nematode's food source in the lab, live E. coli bacteria. Commonly used treatments, including ultraviolet irradiation and antibiotics, are successful in preventing bacterial replication, but the bacteria can remain metabolically active. The purpose of this study is to develop a metabolically inactive food source for the worms that will allow us to minimize the confounding effects of bacterial metabolism on worm metabolism and aging. Our strategy is to use a paraformaldehyde (PFA) treated E. coli food source and to determine its effects on worm health, metabolism and longevity. We initially determine the lowest possible concentrations of PFA necessary to rapidly and reproducibly kill bacteria. We then measure various aspects of worm behavior, healthspan and longevity, including growth rate, food attraction, brood size, lifespan and metabolic assessments, such as oxygen consumption and metabolomics. Our resulting data show that worms eat and grow well on these bacteria and support the use of 0.5% PFA-killed bacteria as a nematode food source for metabolic, drug, and longevity experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Safa Beydoun
- Molecular and Integrative Physiology Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Hyo Sub Choi
- Molecular and Integrative Physiology Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Gabrielle Dela-Cruz
- Molecular and Integrative Physiology Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Joseph Kruempel
- Molecular and Integrative Physiology Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Shijiao Huang
- Molecular and Integrative Physiology Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Daphne Bazopoulou
- Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Hillary A Miller
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Megan L Schaller
- Molecular and Integrative Physiology Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Charles R Evans
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Scott F Leiser
- Molecular and Integrative Physiology Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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58
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Li P, Wang Z, Lam SM, Shui G. Rebaudioside A Enhances Resistance to Oxidative Stress and Extends Lifespan and Healthspan in Caenorhabditis elegans. Antioxidants (Basel) 2021; 10:262. [PMID: 33567712 PMCID: PMC7915623 DOI: 10.3390/antiox10020262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-nutritive sweeteners are widely used in food and medicines to reduce energy content without compromising flavor. Herein, we report that Rebaudioside A (Reb A), a natural, non-nutritive sweetener, can extend both the lifespan and healthspan of C. elegans. The beneficial effects of Reb A were principally mediated via reducing the level of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in response to oxidative stress and attenuating neutral lipid accumulation with aging. Transcriptomics analysis presented maximum differential expression of genes along the target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling pathway, which was further confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR); while lipidomics uncovered concomitant reductions in the levels of phosphatidic acids (PAs), phosphatidylinositols (PIs) and lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs) in worms treated with Reb A. Our results suggest that Reb A attenuates aging by acting as effective cellular antioxidants and also in lowering the ectopic accumulation of neutral lipids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; (P.L.); (Z.W.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zehua Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; (P.L.); (Z.W.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Sin Man Lam
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; (P.L.); (Z.W.)
- LipidALL Technologies Company Limited, Changzhou 213022, Jiangsu, China
| | - Guanghou Shui
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; (P.L.); (Z.W.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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Fardghassemi Y, Parker JA. Overexpression of FKH-2/FOXG1 is neuroprotective in a C. elegans model of Machado-Joseph disease. Exp Neurol 2020; 337:113544. [PMID: 33290777 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2020.113544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Machado-Joseph disease (MJD), also known as spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), is the most common form of dominantly inherited ataxia worldwide. This disease is caused by an expanded CAG repeat in the coding region of ATXN3. Due to our incomplete understanding of mechanisms and molecular pathways related to this disease, there are no therapies that successfully treat core MJD patients. Therefore, the identification of new candidate targets related to this disease is needed. In this study, we performed a large-scale RNA interference (RNAi) screen of 387 transcription factor genes leading to the identification of several modifiers (suppressors and enhancers) of impaired motility phenotypes in a mutant ATXN3 transgenic C. elegans model. We showed that inactivation of one particular gene, fkh-2/FOXG1, enhanced the motility defect, neurodegeneration and reduced longevity in our MJD models. Opposite to genetic inactivation, the overexpression of fkh-2 rescued the impaired motility, shortened-lifespan, and neurodegeneration phenotypes of mutant ATXN3 transgenics. We found that overexpression of FKH-2/FOXG1 in ATXN3 mutant worms is neuroprotective. Using our transgenic ATXN3 C. elegans models and the screening of an RNAi library, we gained insights into the pathways contributing to neurodegeneration, and found that FKH-2/FOXG1 has neuroprotective activity. These findings may aid the development of novel therapeutic interventions for MJD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmin Fardghassemi
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), 900 St-Denis Street, Montreal, Quebec H2X 0A9, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Montreal, 2900 Edouard Montpetit Blvd, Montreal, Quebec H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - J Alex Parker
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), 900 St-Denis Street, Montreal, Quebec H2X 0A9, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Montreal, 2900 Edouard Montpetit Blvd, Montreal, Quebec H3T 1J4, Canada; Department of Neuroscience, University of Montreal, 2900 Edouard Montpetit Blvd, Montreal, Quebec H3T 1J4, Canada.
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60
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Abstract
Drugs are developed through basic studies and clinical trials. In basic studies, researchers seek drug candidates using in vitro evaluation systems and subsequently examine their effectiveness in animal experiments as in vivo evaluations. Drug candidates identified in basic studies are tested to determine whether they are effective against human diseases in clinical trials. However, most drug candidates identified in in vitro evaluation systems do not show therapeutic effects in animal experiments due to pharmacokinetics and toxicity problems in the in vivo evaluations. This review outlines drug discovery using insect disease models that allow us to perform in vivo screening. Since insects have various advantages as experimental animals such as low cost for rearing and few ethical concerns, researchers can perform large-scale in vivo screening to find drug candidates. Silkworms are insects frequently used for studies of drug efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity. Based on silkworm research, I describe the benefits of using insect disease models for drug discovery. The use of insect disease models for in vivo screening is expected to facilitate drug discovery.
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61
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Chen CH, Patel R, Bortolami A, Sesti F. A novel assay for drug screening that utilizes the heat shock response of Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0240255. [PMID: 33035268 PMCID: PMC7546469 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Biological organisms respond to environmental stressors by recruiting multiple cellular cascades that act to mitigate damage and ultimately enhance survival. This implies that compounds that interact with any of those pathways might improve organism's survival. Here, we report on an initial attempt to develop a drug screening assay based on the heat shock (HS) response of Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes. The protocol works by subjecting the worms to two HS conditions in the absence/presence of the test compounds. Post-heat shock survival is quantified manually or in semi-automatic manner by analyzing z-stack pictures. We blindly screened a cassette of 72 compounds in different developmental stages provided by Eli Lilly through their Open Innovation Drug Discovery program. The analysis indicated that, on average, therapeutically useful drugs increase survival to HS compared to compounds used in non-clinical settings. We developed a formalism that estimates the probability of a compound to enhance survival based on a comparison with a set of parameters calculated from a pool of 35 FDA-approved drugs. The method correctly identified the developmental stages of the Lilly compounds based on their relative abilities to enhance survival to the HS. Taken together these data provide proof of principle that an assay that measures the HS response of C. elegans can offer physiological and pharmacological insight in a cost- and time-efficient manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Hsiung Chen
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers University, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, United States of America
| | - Rahul Patel
- Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Alessandro Bortolami
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers University, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, United States of America
| | - Federico Sesti
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers University, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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62
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Guest M, Kriek N, Flemming AJ. Studies of an insecticidal inhibitor of acetyl-CoA carboxylase in the nematode C. elegans. PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 169:104604. [PMID: 32828380 DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2020.104604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We have studied the mode of action of the insecticide spirotetramat in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. A combination of symptomology, forward genetics and genome editing show that spirotetramat acts on acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) in C. elegans, as it does in insects. We found C. elegans embryos exposed to spirotetramat show a cell division defect which closely resembles the phenotype of loss-of-function mutations in the gene pod-2, which encodes ACC. We then identified two mutations in the carboxyl transferase domain of pod-2 (ACC) which confer resistance and were confirmed using CRISPR/Cas9. One of these mutations substitutes an invertebrate-specific amino acid with one ubiquitous in other taxa; this residue may, therefore, be a determinant of the selectivity of spirotetramat for invertebrates. Such a mutation may also be the target of selection for resistance in the field. Our study is a further demonstration of the utility of C. elegans in studying bioactive chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Guest
- Syngenta, Jealott's Hill International Research Centre, Bracknell, Berkshire RG42 6EY, UK
| | - N Kriek
- Syngenta, Jealott's Hill International Research Centre, Bracknell, Berkshire RG42 6EY, UK
| | - A J Flemming
- Syngenta, Jealott's Hill International Research Centre, Bracknell, Berkshire RG42 6EY, UK.
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Anjaneyulu J, R V, Godbole A. Differential effect of Ayurvedic nootropics on C. elegans models of Parkinson's disease. J Ayurveda Integr Med 2020; 11:440-447. [PMID: 32978047 PMCID: PMC7772502 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaim.2020.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Globally, there is increased incidence of Parkinson's Disease (PD), which is the second most common age-related neurodegenerative disease. The currently available PD-therapeutics provide only symptomatic relief. Thus, there is an urgent need to devise an effective and safe treatment strategy for PD. The holistic approach of Ayurveda can be a potential effective strategy for treating PD. The integration of different medicine systems, such as modern bio-medicine and Ayurveda can be an effective strategy for treatment of complex diseases, including PD. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the neuroprotective mechanism of six Ayurvedic nootropics that are commonly used to treat PD. MATERIAL AND METHODS Six Ayurvedic herbs, namely Mucuna pruriens (MP), Bacopa monnieri (BM), Withania somnifera (WS), Centella asiatica (CA), Sida cordifolia (SC), and Celastrus paniculatus (CP), were selected after consultation with Ayurvedic scholars and physicians. The mode of action of methanolic herbal extracts was evaluated using the Caenorhabditis elegans BZ555 and NL5901 strains, which can be used to model the two main hallmarks of PD, namely degeneration of dopaminergic neurons and aggregation of α-synuclein protein. RESULTS All six herbal extracts exhibited neuroprotective effect. The extracts of BM and MP exhibited maximum protection against 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium iodide (MPP+ iodide)-induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration in the BZ555 strain. Furthermore, the herbal extracts, except CA extract, inhibited the aggregation of heterologously expressed human α-synuclein in the NL5901 strain. CONCLUSION Ayurvedic herbs used in the treatment of PD exhibited differential neuroprotective and protein aggregation mitigating effects in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jalagam Anjaneyulu
- Centre for Ayurveda Biology and Holistic Nutrition, The University of Trans-disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU)-Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT), No 74/2, Jarakabande Kaval, Post: Attur, Via Yelahanka, Bangalore, Karnataka 560106, India
| | - Vidyashankar R
- Centre for Ayurveda Biology and Holistic Nutrition, The University of Trans-disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU)-Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT), No 74/2, Jarakabande Kaval, Post: Attur, Via Yelahanka, Bangalore, Karnataka 560106, India
| | - Ashwini Godbole
- Centre for Ayurveda Biology and Holistic Nutrition, The University of Trans-disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU)-Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT), No 74/2, Jarakabande Kaval, Post: Attur, Via Yelahanka, Bangalore, Karnataka 560106, India.
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64
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Watson N, Mondal S, DuPlissis A, Kim KH, Ben-Yakar A. Planar Laser Activated Neuronal Scanning (PLANS) System for in vivo Flow Cytometry. FRONTIERS IN OPTICS. ANNUAL MEETING OF THE OPTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2020; 2020:FM5C.3. [PMID: 35350105 PMCID: PMC8958732 DOI: 10.1364/fio.2020.fm5c.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
We present a light-sheet flow cytometer for screening of C. elegans. A machine learning approach is utilized to enable real-time analysis of protein aggregation models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Watson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 107 W Dean Keeton St., Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Sudip Mondal
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 204 E Dean Keeton St., Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Andrew DuPlissis
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 107 W Dean Keeton St., Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Ki Hyun Kim
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 2501 Speedway, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Adela Ben-Yakar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 107 W Dean Keeton St., Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 204 E Dean Keeton St., Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 2501 Speedway, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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65
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AlSheikh HMA, Sultan I, Kumar V, Rather IA, Al-Sheikh H, Tasleem Jan A, Haq QMR. Plant-Based Phytochemicals as Possible Alternative to Antibiotics in Combating Bacterial Drug Resistance. Antibiotics (Basel) 2020; 9:E480. [PMID: 32759771 PMCID: PMC7460449 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics9080480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 07/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The unprecedented use of antibiotics that led to development of resistance affect human health worldwide. Prescription of antibiotics imprudently and irrationally in different diseases progressed with the acquisition and as such development of antibiotic resistant microbes that led to the resurgence of pathogenic strains harboring enhanced armors against existing therapeutics. Compromised the treatment regime of a broad range of antibiotics, rise in resistance has threatened human health and increased the treatment cost of diseases. Diverse on metabolic, genetic and physiological fronts, rapid progression of resistant microbes and the lack of a strategic management plan have led researchers to consider plant-derived substances (PDS) as alternative or in complementing antibiotics against the diseases. Considering the quantitative characteristics of plant constituents that attribute health beneficial effects, analytical procedures for their isolation, characterization and phytochemical testing for elucidating ethnopharmacological effects has being worked out for employment in the treatment of different diseases. With an immense potential to combat bacterial infections, PDSs such as polyphenols, alkaloids and tannins, present a great potential for use, either as antimicrobials or as antibiotic resistance modifiers. The present study focuses on the mechanisms by which PDSs help overcome the surge in resistance, approaches for screening different phytochemicals, methods employed in the identification of bioactive components and their testing and strategies that could be adopted for counteracting the lethal consequences of multidrug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hana Mohammed Al AlSheikh
- Department of Prosthetic Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Kind Saud University, Riyadh P.O. BOX 145111, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Insha Sultan
- Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110025, India;
| | - Vijay Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk 38541, Korea;
| | - Irfan A. Rather
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah P.O. BOX 80200, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Hashem Al-Sheikh
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Arif Tasleem Jan
- School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri 185234, India
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66
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Parallel-Channel Electrotaxis and Neuron Screening of Caenorhabditis elegans. MICROMACHINES 2020; 11:mi11080756. [PMID: 32759767 PMCID: PMC7465510 DOI: 10.3390/mi11080756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, we report a novel microfluidic method to conduct a Caenorhabditis elegans electrotaxis movement assay and neuronal imaging on up to 16 worms in parallel. C. elegans is a model organism for neurodegenerative disease and movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease (PD), and for screening chemicals that alleviate protein aggregation, neuronal death, and movement impairment in PD. Electrotaxis of C. elegans in microfluidic channels has led to the development of neurobehavioral screening platforms, but enhancing the throughput of the electrotactic behavioral assay has remained a challenge. Our device consisted of a hierarchy of tree-like channels for worm loading into 16 parallel electrotaxis screening channels with equivalent electric fields. Tapered channels at the ends of electrotaxis channels were used for worm immobilization and fluorescent imaging of neurons. Parallel electrotaxis of worms was first validated against established single-worm electrotaxis phenotypes. Then, mutant screening was demonstrated using the NL5901 strain, carrying human α-synuclein in the muscle cells, by showing the associated electrotaxis defects in the average speed, body bend frequency (BBF), and electrotaxis time index (ETI). Moreover, chemical screening of a PD worm model was shown by exposing the BZ555 strain, expressing green fluorescence protein (GFP) in the dopaminergic neurons (DNs), to 6-hydroxydopamine neurotoxin. The neurotoxin-treated worms exhibited a reduction in electrotaxis swimming speed, BBF, ETI, and DNs fluorescence intensity. We envision our technique to be used widely in C. elegans-based movement disorder assays to accelerate behavioral and cellular phenotypic investigations.
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67
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Zwirchmayr J, Kirchweger B, Lehner T, Tahir A, Pretsch D, Rollinger JM. A robust and miniaturized screening platform to study natural products affecting metabolism and survival in Caenorhabditis elegans. Sci Rep 2020; 10:12323. [PMID: 32704017 PMCID: PMC7378205 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69186-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study a robust, whole organism screening based on Caenorhabditis elegans is presented for the discovery of natural products (NP) with beneficial effects against obesity and age-related diseases. Several parameters of the elaborated workflow were optimized to be adapted for probing multicomponent mixtures combining knowledge from traditional medicine and NP chemistry by generating optimized small-scale extracts considering scarcity of the natural source, solubility issues, and potential assay interferences. The established miniaturized assay protocol allows for in vivo probing of small amounts of even complex samples (~ 1 mg) to test their ability to increase the nematodes' survival time and the suppression of fat accumulation assessed by Nile red staining as hall marks of "healthy aging". The workflow was applied on 24 herbal and fungal materials traditionally used against symptoms of the metabolic syndrome and revealed promising results for the extracts of Gardenia jasminoides fruits and the sclerotia from Inonotus obliquus. Tested at 100 µg/mL they were able to significantly reduce the Nile red fluorescence and extend the 50% survival rate (DT50) compared to the control groups. This phenotype-directed in vivo approach opens up new horizons for the selection of natural starting materials and the investigation of their active principles as fast drug discovery tool with predictive value for human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Zwirchmayr
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Benjamin Kirchweger
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Theresa Lehner
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ammar Tahir
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Dagmar Pretsch
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Judith M Rollinger
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
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68
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Leucosceptroid B from glandular trichomes of Leucosceptrum canum reduces fat accumulation in Caenorhabditis elegans through suppressing unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis. Chin J Nat Med 2020; 17:892-899. [PMID: 31882042 DOI: 10.1016/s1875-5364(19)30109-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Obesity that is highly associated with numerous metabolic diseases has become a global health issue nowdays. Plant sesterterpenoids are an important group of natural products with great potential; thus, their bioactivities deserve extensive exploration. RNA-seq analysis indicated that leucosceptroid B, a sesterterpenoid previously discovered from the glandular trichomes of Leucosceptrum canum, significantly regulated the expression of 10 genes involved in lipid metabolism in Caenorhabditis elegans. Furthermore, leucosceptroid B was found to reduce fat storage, and downregulate the expression of two stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) genes fat-6 and fat-7, and a fatty acid elongase gene elo-2 in wild-type C. elegans. In addition, leucosceptroid B significantly decreased fat accumulation in both fat-6 and fat-7 mutant worms but did not affect the fat storage of fat-6; fat-7 double mutant. These findings indicated that leucosceptroid B reduced fat storage depending on the downregulated expression of fat-6, fat-7 and elo-2 and thereby inhibiting the biosynthesis of the corresponding unsaturated fatty acid. These findings provide new insights into the development and utilization of plant sesterterpenoids as potential antilipemic agents.
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69
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Krenger R, Burri JT, Lehnert T, Nelson BJ, Gijs MAM. Force microscopy of the Caenorhabditis elegans embryonic eggshell. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2020; 6:29. [PMID: 32382445 PMCID: PMC7196560 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-020-0137-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Assays focusing on emerging biological phenomena in an animal's life can be performed during embryogenesis. While the embryo of Caenorhabditis elegans has been extensively studied, its biomechanical properties are largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that cellular force microscopy (CFM), a recently developed technique that combines micro-indentation with high resolution force sensing approaching that of atomic force microscopy, can be successfully applied to C. elegans embryos. We performed, for the first time, a quantitative study of the mechanical properties of the eggshell of living C. elegans embryos and demonstrate the capability of the system to detect alterations of its mechanical parameters and shell defects upon chemical treatments. In addition to investigating natural eggshells, we applied different eggshell treatments, i.e., exposure to sodium hypochlorite and chitinase solutions, respectively, that selectively modified the multilayer eggshell structure, in order to evaluate the impact of the different layers on the mechanical integrity of the embryo. Finite element method simulations based on a simple embryo model were used to extract characteristic eggshell parameters from the experimental micro-indentation force-displacement curves. We found a strong correlation between the severity of the chemical treatment and the rigidity of the shell. Furthermore, our results showed, in contrast to previous assumptions, that short bleach treatments not only selectively remove the outermost vitelline layer of the eggshell, but also significantly degenerate the underlying chitin layer, which is primarily responsible for the mechanical stability of the egg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Krenger
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jan T. Burri
- Multi-Scale Robotics Laboratory, ETH Zurich, Zürich, 8092 Switzerland
| | - Thomas Lehnert
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bradley J. Nelson
- Multi-Scale Robotics Laboratory, ETH Zurich, Zürich, 8092 Switzerland
| | - Martin A. M. Gijs
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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70
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Soh MS, Cheng X, Vijayaraghavan T, Vernon A, Liu J, Neumann B. Disruption of genes associated with Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2 lead to common behavioural, cellular and molecular defects in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0231600. [PMID: 32294113 PMCID: PMC7159224 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease is an inherited peripheral motor and sensory neuropathy. The disease is divided into demyelinating (CMT1) and axonal (CMT2) neuropathies, and although we have gained molecular information into the details of CMT1 pathology, much less is known about CMT2. Due to its clinical and genetic heterogeneity, coupled with a lack of animal models, common underlying mechanisms remain elusive. In order to gain an understanding of the normal function of genes associated with CMT2, and to draw direct comparisons between them, we have studied the behavioural, cellular and molecular consequences of mutating nine different genes in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (lin-41/TRIM2, dyn-1/DNM2, unc-116/KIF5A, fzo-1/MFN2, osm-9/TRPV4, cua-1/ATP7A, hsp-25/HSPB1, hint-1/HINT1, nep-2/MME). We show that C. elegans defective for these genes display debilitated movement in crawling and swimming assays. Severe morphological defects in cholinergic motors neurons are also evident in two of the mutants (dyn-1 and unc-116). Furthermore, we establish methods for quantifying muscle morphology and use these to demonstrate that loss of muscle structure occurs in the majority of mutants studied. Finally, using electrophysiological recordings of neuromuscular junction (NMJ) activity, we uncover reductions in spontaneous postsynaptic current frequency in lin-41, dyn-1, unc-116 and fzo-1 mutants. By comparing the consequences of mutating numerous CMT2-related genes, this study reveals common deficits in muscle structure and function, as well as NMJ signalling when these genes are disrupted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming S. Soh
- Neuroscience Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Xinran Cheng
- Neuroscience Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Tarika Vijayaraghavan
- Neuroscience Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Arwen Vernon
- Neuroscience Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Jie Liu
- Neuroscience Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Brent Neumann
- Neuroscience Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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71
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Evaluation of Nematocidal Action against Caenorhabditis elegans of Essential Oil of Flesh Fingered Citron and Its Mechanism. J CHEM-NY 2020. [DOI: 10.1155/2020/1740938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Essential oils from flesh fingered citrons were obtained by mechanical pressing extraction under optimal conditions. Thirty-three components, representing 78.25% of the total oil, were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In this study, we explored the toxicity of the essential oil of flesh fingered citrons and the associated regulatory mechanism using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism. The mortality experiment showed that the LD50 value is 1.48 mg/ml. Oxidative stress experiments showed that essential oils of flesh fingered citrons can reduce the antioxidation of nematodes and can shorten their lifespan. In survival rate experiments for verification, d-limonene had a nematocidal effect by destroying the waterproof protective layer on the surface of the worm. β-Pinene can interfere with the normal growth of nematodes according to behavioral experiments, and reproduction experiments showed that α-pinene has very strong nematocidal properties. γ-Terpinene also has good nematocidal activity. The results demonstrated that the essential oil of flesh fingered citron has great potential to act as a new nematicide.
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72
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Sepúlveda-Crespo D, Reguera RM, Rojo-Vázquez F, Balaña-Fouce R, Martínez-Valladares M. Drug discovery technologies: Caenorhabditis elegans as a model for anthelmintic therapeutics. Med Res Rev 2020; 40:1715-1753. [PMID: 32166776 DOI: 10.1002/med.21668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Helminthiasis is one of the gravest problems worldwide. There is a growing concern on less available anthelmintics and the emergence of resistance creating a major threat to human and livestock health resources. Novel and broad-spectrum anthelmintics are urgently needed. The free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans could address this issue through automated high-throughput technologies for the screening of large chemical libraries. This review discusses the strong advantages and limitations for using C elegans as a screening method for anthelmintic drug discovery. C elegans is the best model available for the validation of novel effective drugs in treating most, if not all, helminth infections, and for the elucidation the mode of action of anthelmintic candidates. This review also focuses on available technologies in the discovery of anthelmintics published over the last 15 years with particular attention to high-throughput technologies over conventional screens. On the other hand, this review highlights how combinatorial and nanomedicine strategies could prolong the use of anthelmintics and control resistance problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Sepúlveda-Crespo
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de León, León, Spain
| | - Rosa M Reguera
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de León, León, Spain
| | - Francisco Rojo-Vázquez
- Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña (CSIC-Universidad de León), León, Spain.,Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de León, León, Spain
| | - Rafael Balaña-Fouce
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de León, León, Spain
| | - María Martínez-Valladares
- Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña (CSIC-Universidad de León), León, Spain.,Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de León, León, Spain
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73
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Ellington CT, Hayden AJ, LaGrange ZB, Luccioni MD, Osman MA, Ramlan LI, Vogt MA, Guha S, Goodman MB, O'Connell LA. The plant terpenoid carvone is a chemotaxis repellent for C. elegans. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2020; 2020:10.17912/micropub.biology.000231. [PMID: 32550506 PMCID: PMC7252383 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew J. Hayden
- Organismal Biology Lab BIO161, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Zack B. LaGrange
- Organismal Biology Lab BIO161, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | | | | | | | - Miranda A. Vogt
- Organismal Biology Lab BIO161, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Sujay Guha
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305,
Correspondence to: Sujay Guha (); Miriam B. Goodman (); Lauren A. O'Connell ()
| | - Miriam B. Goodman
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305,
Correspondence to: Sujay Guha (); Miriam B. Goodman (); Lauren A. O'Connell ()
| | - Lauren A. O'Connell
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305,
Correspondence to: Sujay Guha (); Miriam B. Goodman (); Lauren A. O'Connell ()
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74
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Prediction of the potential biological activity of novel spiropyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridines and spiropyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine-5,5'-pyrimidines by a ligand-protein inverse-docking approach. J Mol Graph Model 2020; 97:107581. [PMID: 32199275 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2020.107581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The interaction of a series of spiropyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridines and spiropyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine-5,5'-pyrimidines with 975 molecular targets involved in different diseases and biochemical alterations in humans was assessed. In-silico and in-vivo methods were used to predict the potential biological activity of these compounds. The exposure of several individuals of C. elegans to these compounds shows that their lethality would be less than 10% and that they do not induce any alteration in their locomotion. The compounds identified as PRV-8 and 13-G were the most bioactive, and also showed other advantages such as; better structural properties, adequate pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, and good flexibility and unsaturation, which placed them as the compounds of greatest interest to be tested in-vitro and in-vivo. The series of compounds described here exhibited significant interactions with the estrogen signaling pathway.
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75
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Preez GD, Fourie H, Daneel M, Miller H, Höss S, Ricci C, Engelbrecht G, Zouhar M, Wepener V. Oxygen consumption rate of Caenorhabditis elegans as a high-throughput endpoint of toxicity testing using the Seahorse XF e96 Extracellular Flux Analyzer. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4239. [PMID: 32144330 PMCID: PMC7060326 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61054-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans presents functioning, biologically relevant phenotypes and is frequently used as a bioindicator of toxicity. However, most C. elegans in vivo effect-assessment methods are laborious and time consuming. Therefore, we developed a novel method to measure the oxygen consumption rate of C. elegans as a sublethal endpoint of toxicity. This protocol was tested by exposing 50 larval stage one C. elegans individuals for 48 h (at 20 °C) to different concentrations of two toxicants i.e. benzylcetyldimethylammonium chloride (BAC-C16) and cadmium (Cd). Following exposures, the oxygen consumption rate of the C. elegans individuals were measured using the high-throughput functionality of the Seahorse XFe96 Extracellular Flux Analyzer. Dose-response curves for BAC-C16 (R2 = 0.93; P = 0.001) and Cd (R2 = 0.98; P = 0.001) were created. Furthermore, a strong, positive correlation was evidenced between C. elegans oxygen consumption rate and a commonly used, ecologically relevant endpoint of toxicity (growth inhibition) for BAC-C16 (R2 = 0.93; P = 0.0001) and Cd (R2 = 0.91; P = 0.0001). The data presented in this study show that C. elegans oxygen consumption rate can be used as a promising functional measurement of toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Du Preez
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa.
- Agricultural Research Council - Institute for Tropical and Subtropical Crops, Private Bag X11208, Nelspruit, 1200, South Africa.
| | - H Fourie
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa
| | - M Daneel
- Agricultural Research Council - Institute for Tropical and Subtropical Crops, Private Bag X11208, Nelspruit, 1200, South Africa
| | - H Miller
- Human Metabolomics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa
| | - S Höss
- Ecossa, Giselastrasse 6, 82319, Starnberg, Germany
- University of Bielefeld, Department of Animal Ecology, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - C Ricci
- Centre of Excellence for Nutrition (CEN), North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
- Pediatric Epidemiology, Department of Pediatrics, University Medicine Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - G Engelbrecht
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa
| | - M Zouhar
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa
- Czech University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Department of Plant Protection, Kamycka 129, 165 21, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - V Wepener
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa
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76
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Krenger R, Cornaglia M, Lehnert T, Gijs MAM. Microfluidic system for Caenorhabditis elegans culture and oxygen consumption rate measurements. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:126-135. [PMID: 31729516 DOI: 10.1039/c9lc00829b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Mitochondrial respiration is a key signature for the assessment of mitochondrial functioning and mitochondrial dysfunction is related to many diseases including metabolic syndrome and aging-associated conditions. Here, we present a microfluidic Caenorhabditis elegans culture system with integrated luminescence-based oxygen sensing. The material used for the fabrication of the microfluidic chip is off-stoichiometry dual-cure thiol-ene-epoxy (OSTE+), which is well-suited for reliably recording on-chip oxygen consumption rates (OCR) due to its low gas permeability. With our microfluidic approach, it was possible to confine a single nematode in a culture chamber, starting from the L4 stage and studying it over a time span of up to 6 days. An automated protocol for successive worm feeding and OCR measurements during worm development was applied. We found an increase of OCR values from the L4 larval stage to adulthood, and a continuous decrease as the worm further ages. In addition, we performed a C. elegans metabolic assay in which exposure to the mitochondrial uncoupling agent FCCP increased the OCR by a factor of about two compared to basal respiration rates. Subsequent treatment with sodium azide inhibited completely mitochondrial respiration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Krenger
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Matteo Cornaglia
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Thomas Lehnert
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Martin A M Gijs
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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77
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Atakan HB, Ayhan F, Gijs MAM. PDMS filter structures for size-dependent larval sorting and on-chip egg extraction of C. elegans. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:155-167. [PMID: 31793616 DOI: 10.1039/c9lc00949c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
C. elegans-based assays require age-synchronized populations prior to experimentation to achieve standardized sets of worm populations, due to which age-induced heterogeneous phenotyping effects can be avoided. There have been several approaches to synchronize populations of C. elegans at certain larval stages; however, many of these methods are tedious, complex and have low throughput. In this work, we demonstrate a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic filtering device for high-throughput, efficient, and extremely rapid sorting of mixed larval populations of C. elegans. Our device consists of three plasma-activated and bonded PDMS parts and permits sorting of mixed populations of two consecutive larval stages in a matter of minutes. After sorting, we also retain the remaining larval stage of the initially mixed worm population on the chip, thereby enabling collection of the two sorted larval populations from the device. We demonstrated that the target larvae could be collected from a mixed worm population by cascading these devices. Our approach is based on only passive hydrodynamics filter structures, resulting in a user-friendly and reusable tool. In addition, we employed the equivalent of a standard bleaching procedure that is practiced in standard worm culture on agar plates for embryo harvesting on our chip, and we demonstrated rapid egg extraction and subsequent harvesting of a synchronized L1 larvae population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huseyin Baris Atakan
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Furkan Ayhan
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Martin A M Gijs
- Laboratory of Microsystems, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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78
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A high throughput drug screening paradigm using transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans model of Alzheimer’s disease. TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE OF AGING 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tma.2019.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
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79
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O’Callaghan FE, Neilson R, MacFarlane SA, Dupuy LX. Dynamic biospeckle analysis, a new tool for the fast screening of plant nematicide selectivity. PLANT METHODS 2019; 15:155. [PMID: 31889979 PMCID: PMC6921579 DOI: 10.1186/s13007-019-0523-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 11/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plant feeding, free-living nematodes cause extensive damage to plant roots by direct feeding and, in the case of some trichodorid and longidorid species, through the transmission of viruses. Developing more environmentally friendly, target-specific nematicides is currently impeded by slow and laborious methods of toxicity testing. Here, we developed a bioactivity assay based on the dynamics of light 'speckle' generated by living cells and we demonstrate its application by assessing chemicals' toxicity to different nematode trophic groups. RESULTS Free-living nematode populations extracted from soil were exposed to methanol and phenyl isothiocyanate (PEITC). Biospeckle analysis revealed differing behavioural responses as a function of nematode feeding groups. Trichodorus nematodes were less sensitive than were bacterial feeding nematodes or non-trichodorid plant feeding nematodes. Following 24 h of exposure to PEITC, bioactivity significantly decreased for plant and bacterial feeders but not for Trichodorus nematodes. Decreases in movement for plant and bacterial feeders in the presence of PEITC also led to measurable changes to the morphology of biospeckle patterns. CONCLUSIONS Biospeckle analysis can be used to accelerate the screening of nematode bioactivity, thereby providing a fast way of testing the specificity of potential nematicidal compounds. With nematodes' distinctive movement and activity levels being visible in the biospeckle pattern, the technique has potential to screen the behavioural responses of diverse trophic nematode communities. The method discriminates both behavioural responses, morphological traits and activity levels and hence could be used to assess the specificity of nematicidal compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Roy Neilson
- The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee, D2 5DA Scotland, UK
| | | | - Lionel X. Dupuy
- The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee, D2 5DA Scotland, UK
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80
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Milišiūnaitė V, Kadlecová A, Žukauskaitė A, Doležal K, Strnad M, Voller J, Arbačiauskienė E, Holzer W, Šačkus A. Synthesis and anthelmintic activity of benzopyrano[2,3-c]pyrazol-4(2H)-one derivatives. Mol Divers 2019; 24:1025-1042. [DOI: 10.1007/s11030-019-10010-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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81
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Automated Platform for Long-Term Culture and High-Content Phenotyping of Single C. elegans Worms. Sci Rep 2019; 9:14340. [PMID: 31586133 PMCID: PMC6778082 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-50920-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a suitable model organism in drug screening. Traditionally worms are grown on agar plates, posing many challenges for long-term culture and phenotyping of animals under identical conditions. Microfluidics allows for 'personalized' phenotyping, as microfluidic chips permit collecting individual responses over worms' full life. Here, we present a multiplexed, high-throughput, high-resolution microfluidic approach to culture C. elegans from embryo to the adult stage at single animal resolution. We allocated single embryos to growth chambers, for observing the main embryonic and post-embryonic development stages and phenotypes, while exposing worms to up to 8 different well-controlled chemical conditions. Our approach allowed eliminating bacteria aggregation and biofilm formation-related clogging issues, which enabled us performing up to 80 hours of automated single worm culture studies. Our microfluidic platform is linked with an automated phenotyping code that registers organism-associated phenotypes at high-throughput. We validated our platform with a dose-response study of the anthelmintic drug tetramisole by studying its influence through the life cycle of the nematodes. In parallel, we could observe development effects and variations in single embryo and worm viability due to the bleaching procedure that is standardly used for harvesting the embryos from a worm culture agar plate.
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82
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Antioxidant Activity of an Aqueous Leaf Extract from Uncaria tomentosa and Its Major Alkaloids Mitraphylline and Isomitraphylline in Caenorhabditis elegans. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24183299. [PMID: 31510078 PMCID: PMC6766911 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24183299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Revised: 08/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Uncaria tomentosa (Rubiaceae) has a recognized therapeutic potential against various diseases associated with oxidative stress. The aim of this research was to evaluate the antioxidant potential of an aqueous leaf extract (ALE) from U. tomentosa, and its major alkaloids mitraphylline and isomitraphylline. The antioxidant activity of ALE was investigated in vitro using standard assays (DPPH, ABTS and FRAP), while the in vivo activity and mode of action were studied using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism. The purified alkaloids did not exhibit antioxidant effects in vivo. ALE reduced the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in wild-type worms, and was able to rescue the worms from a lethal dose of the pro-oxidant juglone. The ALE treatment led to a decreased expression of the oxidative stress response related genes sod-3, gst-4, and hsp-16.2. The treatment of mutant worms lacking the DAF-16 transcription factor with ALE resulted in a significant reduction of ROS levels. Contrarily, the extract had a pro-oxidant effect in the worms lacking the SKN-1 transcription factor. Our results suggest that the antioxidant activity of ALE in C. elegans is independent of its alkaloid content, and that SKN-1 is required for ALE-mediated stress resistance.
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83
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Liang X, Luo D, Luesch H. Advances in exploring the therapeutic potential of marine natural products. Pharmacol Res 2019; 147:104373. [PMID: 31351913 PMCID: PMC6839689 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2019.104373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Marine natural products represent novel and diverse chemotypes that serve as templates for the discovery and development of therapeutic agents with distinct mechanisms of action. These genetically encoded compounds produced by an evolutionary optimized biosynthetic machinery are usually quite complex and can be difficult to recreate in the laboratory. The isolation from the source organism results in limited amount of material; however, the development of advanced NMR technologies and dereplication strategies has enabled the structure elucidation on small scale. In order to rigorously explore the therapeutic potential of marine natural products and advance them further, the biological characterization has to keep pace with the chemical characterization. The limited marine natural product supply has been a serious challenge for thorough investigation of the biological targets. Several marine drugs have reached the markets or are in clinical trials, where those challenges have been overcome, including through the development of scalable syntheses. However, the identification of mechanisms of action of marine natural products early in the discovery process is potentially game changing, since effectively linking marine natural products to potential therapeutic applications in turn triggers motivation to tackle challenging syntheses and solve the supply problem. An increasing number of sensitive technologies and methods have been developed in recent years, some of which have been successfully applied to marine natural products, increasing the value of these compounds with respect to their biomedical utility. In this review, we discuss advances in overcoming the bottlenecks in marine natural product research, emphasizing on the development and advances of diverse target identification technologies applicable for marine natural product research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Liang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development (CNPD3), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32610, United States
| | - Danmeng Luo
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development (CNPD3), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32610, United States
| | - Hendrik Luesch
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development (CNPD3), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32610, United States.
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84
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Drug Screening for Discovery of Broad-spectrum Agents for Soil-transmitted Nematodes. Sci Rep 2019; 9:12347. [PMID: 31451730 PMCID: PMC6710243 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-48720-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Soil-transmitted nematodes (STNs), namely hookworms, whipworms, and ascarids, are extremely common parasites, infecting 1-2 billion of the poorest people worldwide. Two benzimidazoles, albendazole and mebendazole, are currently used in STN mass drug administration, with many instances of low/reduced activity reported. New drugs against STNs are urgently needed. We tested various models for STN drug screening with the aim of identifying the most effective tactics for the discovery of potent, safe and broad-spectrum agents. We screened a 1280-compound library of approved drugs to completion against late larval/adult stages and egg/larval stages of both the human hookworm parasite Ancylostoma ceylanicum and the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, which is often used as a surrogate for STNs in screens. The quality of positives was further evaluated based on cheminformatics/data mining analyses and activity against evolutionarily distant Trichuris muris whipworm adults. From these data, two pairs of positives, sulconazole/econazole and pararosaniline/cetylpyridinium, predicted to target nematode CYP-450 and HSP-90 respectively, were prioritized for in vivo evaluation against A. ceylanicum infections in hamsters. One of these positives, pararosaniline, showed a significant impact on hookworm fecundity in vivo. Taken together, our results suggest that anthelmintic screening with A. ceylanicum larval stages is superior to C. elegans based on both reduced false negative rate and superior overall quality of actives. Our results also highlight two potentially important targets for the discovery of broad-spectrum human STN drugs.
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85
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Brown DG, Wobst HJ. Opportunities and Challenges in Phenotypic Screening for Neurodegenerative Disease Research. J Med Chem 2019; 63:1823-1840. [PMID: 31268707 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b00797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Toxic misfolded proteins potentially underly many neurodegenerative diseases, but individual targets which regulate these proteins and their downstream detrimental effects are often unknown. Phenotypic screening is an unbiased method to screen for novel targets and therapeutic molecules and span the range from primitive model organisms such as Sacchaomyces cerevisiae, which allow for high-throughput screening to patient-derived cell-lines that have a close connection to the disease biology but are limited in screening capacity. This perspective will review current phenotypic models, as well as the chemical screening strategies most often employed. Advances in in 3D cell cultures, high-content screens, robotic microscopy, CRISPR screening, and use of machine learning methods to process the enormous amount of data generated by these screens are certain to change the paradigm for phenotypic screening and will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dean G Brown
- Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, 35 Gatehouse Drive, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, United States
| | - Heike J Wobst
- Neuroscience, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, 35 Gatehouse Drive, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, United States
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86
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Ji J, Yuan J, Guo X, Ji R, Quan Q, Ding M, Li X, Liu Y. Harmine suppresses hyper-activated Ras-MAPK pathway by selectively targeting oncogenic mutated Ras/Raf in Caenorhabditis elegans. Cancer Cell Int 2019; 19:159. [PMID: 31198408 PMCID: PMC6558680 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-019-0880-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mutationally activated Ras proteins are closely linked to a wide variety of human cancers. Hence, there has been an intensive search for anti-Ras therapies for cancer treatment. The sole Ras gene, which encodes LET-60, in Caenorhabditis elegans regulates vulval development. While the loss of let-60 function leads to failure of vulva formation, the let-60(n1046gf) allele, which contains a missense mutation mimicking a Ras codon 13 mutation found in human cancers, results in extra vulval tissue, a phenotype named Muv (multiple vulvas). Methods By taking advantage of the easy-to-score Muv phenotype of let-60(n1046gf), we used a step-by-step screening approach (from crude extract to active fraction to active natural compound) to search for inhibitors of oncogenic Ras. Mutants of other key components in the Ras-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway were used to identify other candidate targets. Results The natural compound harmine, isolated from the plant Peganum harmala, was found to suppress the Muv phenotype of let-60(n1046gf). In addition, harmine targets the hyper-activation of the Ras/MAPK pathway specifically caused by overexpression or mutated forms of LET-60/Ras and its immediate downstream molecule LIN-45/Raf. Finally, harmine can be absorbed into the worm body and probably functions in its native form, rather than requiring metabolic activation. Conclusion In sum, we have revealed for the first time the anti-Ras activity of harmine in a C. elegans model system. Our results revealed the potential anti-cancer mechanism of harmine, which may be useful for the treatment of specific human cancers that are associated with oncogenic Ras mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaojiao Ji
- 1Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Jiang Yuan
- 1Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoyu Guo
- 1Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Ruifang Ji
- 1Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Qinghua Quan
- 1Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Mei Ding
- 2State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xia Li
- 2State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yonggang Liu
- 1Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
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87
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Youssef K, Tandon A, Rezai P. Studying Parkinson’s disease using Caenorhabditis elegans models in microfluidic devices. Integr Biol (Camb) 2019; 11:186-207. [DOI: 10.1093/intbio/zyz017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurological disorder associated with the loss of dopaminergic neurons (DNs) in the substantia nigra and the widespread accumulation of α-synuclein (α-syn) protein, leading to motor impairments and eventual cognitive dysfunction. In-vitro cell cultures and in-vivo animal models have provided the opportunity to investigate the PD pathological hallmarks and identify different therapeutic compounds. However, PD pathogenesis and causes are still not well understood, and effective inhibitory drugs for PD are yet to be discovered. Biologically simple but pathologically relevant disease models and advanced screening technologies are needed to reveal the mechanisms underpinning protein aggregation and PD progression. For instance, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) offers many advantages for fundamental PD neurobehavioral studies including a simple, well-mapped, and accessible neuronal system, genetic homology to humans, body transparency and amenability to genetic manipulation. Several transgenic worm strains that exhibit multiple PD-related phenotypes have been developed to perform neuronal and behavioral assays and drug screening. However, in conventional worm-based assays, the commonly used techniques are equipment-intensive, slow and low in throughput. Over the past two decades, microfluidics technology has contributed significantly to automation and control of C. elegans assays. In this review, we focus on C. elegans PD models and the recent advancements in microfluidic platforms used for manipulation, handling and neurobehavioral screening of these models. Moreover, we highlight the potential of C. elegans to elucidate the in-vivo mechanisms of neuron-to-neuron protein transfer that may underlie spreading Lewy pathology in PD, and its suitability for in-vitro studies. Given the advantages of C. elegans and microfluidics technology, their integration has the potential to facilitate the investigation of disease pathology and discovery of potential chemical leads for PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khaled Youssef
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Anurag Tandon
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Pouya Rezai
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
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88
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DiLegge MJ, Manter DK, Vivanco JM. A novel approach to determine generalist nematophagous microbes reveals Mortierella globalpina as a new biocontrol agent against Meloidogyne spp. nematodes. Sci Rep 2019; 9:7521. [PMID: 31101887 PMCID: PMC6525257 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-44010-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Root-knot nematodes (RKN) such as Meloidogyne spp. are among the most detrimental pests in agriculture affecting several crops. New methodologies to manage RKN are needed such as efficient discovery of nematophagous microbes. In this study, we developed an in vitro high-throughput method relying on the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and the infection of those nematodes with a soil slurry containing a microbiome likely to house nematophagous microbes. Nematodes were monitored for presence of infection and sub-cultured repeatedly for the purpose of isolating pure cultures of the microbe responsible for conferring the nematicidal activity. Once soil microbes were confirmed to be antagonistic to C. elegans, they were tested for pathogenicity against Meloidogyne chitwoodi. Using this methodology, the fungal isolate Mortierella globalpina was confirmed to be pathogenic in vitro against M. chitwoodi by nematode trapping via hyphal adhesion to the cuticle layer, penetration of the cuticle layer, and subsequently digestion of its cellular contents. M. globalpina was also observed to reduce disease symptomology of RKNs in vivo via significant reduction of root-galls on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum var. Rutgers).
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J DiLegge
- Center for Rhizosphere Biology, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Daniel K Manter
- USDA-ARS, Soil Management and Sugar Beet Research, Fort Collins, Colorado, CO, USA
| | - Jorge M Vivanco
- Center for Rhizosphere Biology, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, CO, 80523, USA.
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89
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Lloyd MG, Vossler JL, Nomura CT, Moffat JF. Blocking RpoN reduces virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from cystic fibrosis patients and increases antibiotic sensitivity in a laboratory strain. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6677. [PMID: 31040330 PMCID: PMC6491466 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43060-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Multidrug-resistant organisms are increasing in healthcare settings, and there are few antimicrobials available to treat infections from these bacteria. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen in burn patients and individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF), and a leading cause of nosocomial infections. P. aeruginosa is inherently resistant to many antibiotics and can develop resistance to others, limiting treatment options. P. aeruginosa has multiple sigma factors to regulate transcription. The alternative sigma factor, RpoN (σ54), regulates many virulence genes and is linked to antibiotic resistance. Recently, we described a cis-acting peptide, RpoN*, which is a "molecular roadblock", binding consensus promoters at the -24 site, blocking transcription. RpoN* reduces virulence of P. aeruginosa laboratory strains, but its effects in clinical isolates was unknown. We investigated the effects of RpoN* on phenotypically varied P. aeruginosa strains isolated from CF patients. RpoN* expression reduced motility, biofilm formation, and pathogenesis in a P. aeruginosa-C. elegans infection model. Furthermore, we investigated RpoN* effects on antibiotic susceptibility in a laboratory strain. RpoN* expression increased susceptibility to several beta-lactam-based antibiotics in strain P. aeruginosa PA19660 Xen5. We show that using a cis-acting peptide to block RpoN consensus promoters has potential clinical implications in reducing virulence and improving antibiotic susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- M G Lloyd
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - J L Vossler
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - C T Nomura
- Department of Chemistry, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY, USA
- Center for Applied Microbiology, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - J F Moffat
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
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90
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Li H, Roxo M, Cheng X, Zhang S, Cheng H, Wink M. Pro-oxidant and lifespan extension effects of caffeine and related methylxanthines in Caenorhabditis elegans. Food Chem X 2019; 1:100005. [PMID: 31432005 PMCID: PMC6694850 DOI: 10.1016/j.fochx.2019.100005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Caffeine and related purine alkaloids are common ingredients of many stimulating drinks. Studies have shown that lower concentrations of caffeine have a protective role in aging-related disorders. However, the associated mode of action of caffeine and its related methylxanthines is still not clear. In this study, we demonstrated that caffeine and theophylline promote longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans. Lifespan studies with the wild type, DAF-16 and SKN-1 mutant strains indicated that the methylxanthines-mediated lifespan extension in C. elegans was independent of DAF-16/FOXO and SKN-1. All the tested methylxanthines could protect C. elegans against acute oxidative stress. At early stages of life, an increase of ROS (reactive oxygen species) induced the translocation of DAF-16 and SKN-1, resulting in upregulation of several antioxidant genes, for example, sod-3p::GFP, gst-4p::GFP, gcs-1p::GFP; and downregulation of hsp-16.2p::GFP. RT-PCR corroborates the upregulation of gst-4 and skn-1 genes. The expression of DAF-16 decreased although its nuclear translocation was induced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanmei Li
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mariana Roxo
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Xinlai Cheng
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Shaoxiong Zhang
- College of Horticulture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Haoran Cheng
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Wink
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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Respiratory analysis as a tool to detect physiological changes in Anisakis larvae subjected to stress. Parasitol Res 2019; 118:1127-1135. [PMID: 30790039 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-019-06260-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Human infection due to eating fish parasitized by live Anisakis larvae in the third stage is considered an important health problem, and the application of treatments to ensure their mortality in the fish products is crucial to prevent the risk of infection. Mobility is used to assess viability, but mobile larvae may not always be infective and immobile larvae may be erroneously considered as non-viable. The objective was to establish whether the analysis of respiratory activity by means of the oxygen consumption rate (OCR) of Anisakis could be used to identify subtle differences between larvae that were still considered viable in terms of their mobility but had been subjected to thermal and/or chemical stress. The metabolic modulators FCCP [carbonyl cyanide 4-(trifluoromethoxy) phenylhydrazone] and sodium azide were used and the basal, maximum, spare and residual respiration rates calculated. Results showed that maximum respiratory capacity of larvae subjected to freezing significantly decreased immediately after thawing, but after some acclimatization, they recovered their capacity fully. However, when these larvae were stored at 4.6 °C, their mitochondria became dysfunctional faster than those of untreated larvae. OCR also showed that mitochondria of larvae were affected by incubation at 37 °C in NaCl or gastric juice. To conclude, OCR of Anisakis in the presence of metabolic modulators can help to identify subtle changes that occur in the larva. These measurements could be used to characterize larvae subjected to various stresses so that a broader picture of Anisakis pathogenic potential can be gained.
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Aiweixin, a Traditional Uyghur Medicinal Formula, Extends the Lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2019; 2019:3684601. [PMID: 30755775 PMCID: PMC6348922 DOI: 10.1155/2019/3684601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Revised: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Aiweixin (AWX) is a traditional Uyghur medicine prescription, which has been used to treat senile diseases for a long time. We investigate whether the AWX extends the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans. The AWX decoction was the conventional product for clinical use. The wild-type Caenorhabditis elegans (N2) and mutational worms, daf-16(mu86), glp-1(e2141), daf-2(e1370), and eat-2(ad465), were applied for the lifespan analysis. We found that the lifespan of the N2 adults' worm received 0.005 and 0.01 volume of AWX/total volume was extended significantly, compared to the control without treatment of AWX. The AWX at 0.01 volume of AWX/total volume significantly prolonged the life of both mutational worms, daf-16 (mu86) and eat-2(ad465), but did not increase the lifespan of the mutational worms, daf-2(e1370) and glp-1(e2141). These results indicated that the AWX significantly extended the lifespan of wild-type nematodes, and the life extension effect of AWX was related to the germline longevity pathway and IIS signaling pathway but independent of DAF-16/FOXO.
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94
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Shin N, Cuenca L, Karthikraj R, Kannan K, Colaiácovo MP. Assessing effects of germline exposure to environmental toxicants by high-throughput screening in C. elegans. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1007975. [PMID: 30763314 PMCID: PMC6375566 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 01/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemicals that are highly prevalent in our environment, such as phthalates and pesticides, have been linked to problems associated with reproductive health. However, rapid assessment of their impact on reproductive health and understanding how they cause such deleterious effects, remain challenging due to their fast-growing numbers and the limitations of various current toxicity assessment model systems. Here, we performed a high-throughput screen in C. elegans to identify chemicals inducing aneuploidy as a result of impaired germline function. We screened 46 chemicals that are widely present in our environment, but for which effects in the germline remain poorly understood. These included pesticides, phthalates, and chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing and crude oil processing. Of the 46 chemicals tested, 41% exhibited levels of aneuploidy higher than those detected for bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine disruptor shown to affect meiosis, at concentrations correlating well with mammalian reproductive endpoints. We further examined three candidates eliciting aneuploidy: dibutyl phthalate (DBP), a likely endocrine disruptor and frequently used plasticizer, and the pesticides 2-(thiocyanomethylthio) benzothiazole (TCMTB) and permethrin. Exposure to these chemicals resulted in increased embryonic lethality, elevated DNA double-strand break (DSB) formation, activation of p53/CEP-1-dependent germ cell apoptosis, chromosomal abnormalities in oocytes at diakinesis, impaired chromosome segregation during early embryogenesis, and germline-specific alterations in gene expression. This study indicates that this high-throughput screening system is highly reliable for the identification of environmental chemicals inducing aneuploidy, and provides new insights into the impact of exposure to three widely used chemicals on meiosis and germline function. The ever-increasing number of new chemicals introduced into our environment poses a significant problem for risk assessment. In addition, assessing the direct impact of toxicants on human meiosis remains challenging. We successfully utilized a high-throughput platform in the nematode C. elegans, a genetically tractable model organism which shares a high degree of gene conservation with humans, to identify chemicals that affect the germline leading to aneuploidy. We assessed chemicals that are highly prevalent in the environment in worms carrying a fluorescent reporter construct allowing for the identification of X chromosome nondisjunction combined with a mutation increasing cuticle permeability for analysis of low doses of exposure. Follow up analysis of three chemicals: DBP, permethrin and TCMTB, further validated the use of this strategy. Exposure to these chemicals resulted in elevated levels of DNA double-strand breaks, activation of a DNA damage checkpoint, chromosome morphology defects in late meiotic prophase I as well as impaired early embryogenesis and germline-specific changes in gene expression. Our results support the use of this high-throughput screening system to identify environmental chemicals inducing aneuploidy, and provide new insights into the effects of exposure to DBP, permethrin, and TCMTB on meiosis and germline function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nara Shin
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Luciann Cuenca
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Rajendiran Karthikraj
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Kurunthachalam Kannan
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York, United States of America
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Monica P. Colaiácovo
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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95
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Zhou L, Wang L, Zhang J, Li J, Bai S, Ma J, Fu X. Didymin improves UV irradiation resistance in C. elegans. PeerJ 2019; 6:e6218. [PMID: 30643686 PMCID: PMC6330030 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Didymin, a type of flavono-o-glycoside compound naturally present in citrus fruits, has been reported to be an effective anticancer agent. However, its effects on stress resistance are unclear. In this study, we treated Caenorhabditis elegans with didymin at several concentrations. We found that didymin reduced the effects of UV stressor on nematodes by decreasing reactive oxygen species levels and increasing superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Furthermore, we found that specific didymin-treated mutant nematodes daf-16(mu86) & daf-2(e1370), daf-16(mu86), akt-1(ok525), akt-2(ok393), and age-1(hx546) were susceptible to UV irradiation, whereas daf-2(e1371) was resistant to UV irradiation. In addition, we found that didymin not only promoted DAF-16 to transfer from cytoplasm to nucleus, but also increased both protein and mRNA expression levels of SOD-3 and HSP-16.2 after UV irradiation. Our results show that didymin affects UV irradiation resistance and it may act on daf-2 to regulate downstream genes through the insulin/IGF-1-like signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Zhou
- National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
| | - Lu Wang
- National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
| | - Jialing Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
| | - Jiahe Li
- National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
| | - Shuju Bai
- National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
| | - Junfeng Ma
- National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
| | - Xueqi Fu
- National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
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96
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Lenz KA, Miller TR, Ma H. Anabaenopeptins and cyanopeptolins induce systemic toxicity effects in a model organism the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. CHEMOSPHERE 2019; 214:60-69. [PMID: 30253257 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.09.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Revised: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Cyanobacterial blooms represent a significant risk to environmental and human health due to their production of toxic secondary metabolites, cyanopeptides. Anabaenopeptins and cyanopeptolins are cyanopeptides increasingly detected in surface waters at concentrations exceeding regulatory toxicity levels for other cyanotoxins such as microcystins. Yet their toxicity to aquatic organisms are not well understood. Here we assessed the toxicological effects of three anabaenopeptins (AP-A, AP-B, and AP-F) and three cyanopeptolins (CYP-1007, CYP-1020, and CYP-1041) to a model organism the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Examined toxicity endpoints included reproduction, hatching time, growth rate, lifespan, and age-related vulval integrity. Microcystin RR (MC-RR) and microginin 690 were also included in the study for comparisons. At an identical mass concentration (10 μg/L, corresponding to a molar concentration ranging 0.01-0.014 μM depending on the specific peptide), anabaenopeptins (APs) showed the greatest toxicity among all cyanopeptides tested. APs decreased worm reproduction by 23%-34% and shortened worm lifespan by 5 days (a 30% reduction) compared to the controls. APs also induced a remarkable age-related vulval integrity defect (Avid phenotype) in the worm, where over 95% of exposed worms developed the phenotype, compared to a less than 15% in control worms. CYPs showed similar toxicity as MC-RR, and Microginin 690 was the least toxic. These findings suggest that APs and CYPs may pose significant health risks to aquatic organisms. More toxicological studies of these cyanopeptides using different species across different trophic levels are needed to gain a thorough understanding of their potential impact on ecological systems and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kade A Lenz
- Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI, 53201, USA
| | - Todd R Miller
- Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI, 53201, USA
| | - Hongbo Ma
- Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI, 53201, USA.
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97
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Worms on a Chip. Bioanalysis 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/978-981-13-6229-3_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
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98
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Yin J, Liu R, Jian Z, Yang D, Pu Y, Yin L, Wang D. Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate-induced reproductive toxicity involved in dna damage-dependent oocyte apoptosis and oxidative stress in Caenorhabditis elegans. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2018; 163:298-306. [PMID: 30056344 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.07.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2018] [Revised: 07/15/2018] [Accepted: 07/18/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a widely used plasticizer with a high environmental exposure level. As a persistent organic pollutant, DEHP causes reproductive and developmental toxicity in mammals. In this paper, the reproductive toxicity of DEHP was discussed using the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans to determine the sensitivity indices for evaluating the ecotoxicological effects of DEHP. L4 C. elegans larvae to evaluate the LC50 of DEHP and the changes in brood size and generation time, we found that the LC50 of DEHP to C. elegans exceeded 100 mg/L. And 10 mg/L DEHP exposure significantly reduced the brood sizes but not the generation time. Results of oocyte and distal-tip cell (DTC) counting suggested that the number of oocytes were decreased and apoptotic cells that from the unilateral gonad arm were increased in the 1 mg/L and 10 mg/L DEHP exposed groups. In contrast, there was no significant difference in the fluorescence intensity of DTC. Fluorescence analysis of HUS-1 showed that HUS-1 protein was overexpressed after DEHP exposure. The H2O2 level and DNA damage were measured by Bradford protein assay and AP staining respectively. The results showed that there was no significant difference in H2O2 level after DEHP exposure, in contrast, DNA damage was increased significantly. Moreover, 10 mg/L concentration DEHP exposure significantly increased the expression levels of apoptosis-related genes cep-1, egl-1, ced-4, and ced-3 and decreased the expression levels of ced-9. It suggested that cep-1, egl-1, ced-4, and ced-3 genes promote apoptosis and the ced-9 gene inhibits apoptosis. Meanwhile, 10 mg/L concentration DEHP exposure decreased the expression of oxidative stress-related genes mev-1 and gas-1. The mev-1 and gas-1 are mainly involved in the inhibition of oxidative stress in nematodes. In short, the decreased oocyte numbers and increased apoptosis oocyte numbers in C. elegans when exposed to DEHP, which may involve in the DNA damage induced by oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiechen Yin
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Ran Liu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Zihai Jian
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Dong Yang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yuepu Pu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Lihong Yin
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Dayong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
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99
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Migliozzi D, Cornaglia M, Mouchiroud L, Uhlmann V, Unser MA, Auwerx J, Gijs MAM. Multimodal imaging and high-throughput image-processing for drug screening on living organisms on-chip. JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL OPTICS 2018; 24:1-9. [PMID: 30484295 PMCID: PMC6987638 DOI: 10.1117/1.jbo.24.2.021205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
A major step for the validation of medical drugs is the screening on whole organisms, which gives the systemic information that is missing when using cellular models. Caenorhabditis elegans is a soil worm that catches the interest of researchers who study systemic physiopathology (e.g., metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases) because: (1) its large genetic homology with humans supports translational analysis; (2) worms are much easier to handle and grow in large amounts compared with rodents, for which (3) the costs and (4) the ethical concerns are substantial. Here, we demonstrate how multimodal optical imaging on such an organism can provide high-content information relevant to the drug development pipeline (e.g., mode-of-action identification, dose-response analysis), especially when combined with on-chip multiplexing capability. After designing a microfluidic array to select small separated populations of C. elegans, we combine fluorescence and bright-field imaging along with high-throughput feature recognition and signal detection to enable the identification of the mode-of-action of an antibiotic. For this purpose, we use a genetically encoded fluorescence reporter of mitochondrial stress, which we studied in living specimens during their entire development. Furthermore, we demonstrate real-time, very large field-of-view capability on multiplexed motility assays for the assessment of the dose-response relation of an anesthetic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Migliozzi
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Laboratory of Microsystems, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Matteo Cornaglia
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Laboratory of Microsystems, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Laurent Mouchiroud
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Laboratory of Integrative Systems Physiology, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Virginie Uhlmann
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Michael A. Unser
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Johan Auwerx
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Laboratory of Integrative Systems Physiology, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Martin A. M. Gijs
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Laboratory of Microsystems, Lausanne, Switzerland
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100
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Jiang Q, Li K, Lu WJ, Li S, Chen X, Liu XJ, Yuan J, Ding Q, Lan F, Cai SQ. Identification of small-molecule ion channel modulators in C. elegans channelopathy models. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3941. [PMID: 30258187 PMCID: PMC6158242 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06514-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Ion channels are important therapeutic targets, but the discovery of ion channel drugs remains challenging due to a lack of assays that allow high-throughput screening in the physiological context. Here we report C. elegans phenotype-based methods for screening ion channel drugs. Expression of modified human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG) potassium channels in C. elegans results in egg-laying and locomotive defects, which offer indicators for screening small-molecule channel modulators. Screening in worms expressing hERGA561V, which carries a trafficking-defective mutation A561V known to associate with long-QT syndrome, identifies two functional correctors Prostratin and ingenol-3,20-dibenzoate. These compounds activate PKCε signaling and consequently phosphorylate S606 at the pore region of the channel to promote hERGA561V trafficking to the plasma membrane. Importantly, the compounds correct electrophysiological abnormalities in hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes bearing a heterozygous CRISPR/Cas9-edited hERGA561V. Thus, we have developed an in vivo high-throughput method for screening compounds that have therapeutic potential in treating channelopathies. Mutations in the voltage-gated K+ channel human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG) lead to Long-QT syndrome, causing life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia. Here the authors use C. elegans as a platform to run a channelopathy drug screen, identifying drugs to target hERG mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Jiang
- Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 200031, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Kai Li
- Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 200031, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Wen-Jing Lu
- Beijing Laboratory for Cardiovascular Precision Medicine, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, 100029, Beijing, China
| | - Shuang Li
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Xin Chen
- Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 200031, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China.,Developmental and Stem Cell Program, Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumor Research Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, M5G 1X8, ON, Canada
| | - Xi-Juan Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 200031, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Yuan
- Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 200031, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Qiurong Ding
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Feng Lan
- Beijing Laboratory for Cardiovascular Precision Medicine, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, 100029, Beijing, China.
| | - Shi-Qing Cai
- Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 200031, Shanghai, China.
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