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Yarmey VR, San-Miguel A. Biomarkers for aging in Caenorhabditis elegans high throughput screening. Biochem Soc Trans 2024; 52:1405-1418. [PMID: 38884801 DOI: 10.1042/bst20231303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Aging is characterized by a functional decline in organism fitness over time due to a complex combination of genetic and environmental factors [ 1-4]. With an increasing elderly population at risk of age-associated diseases, there is a pressing need for research dedicated to promoting health and longevity through anti-aging interventions. The roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans is an established model organism for aging studies due to its short life cycle, ease of culture, and conserved aging pathways. These benefits also make the worm well-suited for high-throughput screening (HTS) methods to study biomarkers of the molecular changes, cellular dysfunction, and physiological decline associated with aging. Within this review, we offer a summary of recent advances in HTS techniques to study biomarkers of aging in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria R Yarmey
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27603, U.S.A
| | - Adriana San-Miguel
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27603, U.S.A
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2
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Karimi S, Gat A, Agazzi C, Oren-Suissa M, Krieg M. Automated dual olfactory device for studying head/tail chemosensation in Caenorhabditis elegans. APL Bioeng 2024; 8:026104. [PMID: 38655543 PMCID: PMC11036369 DOI: 10.1063/5.0187441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The correct interpretation of threat and reward is important for animal survival. Often, the decisions underlying these behavioral programs are mediated by volatile compounds in the animal's environment, which they detect and discriminate with specialized olfactory neurons along their body. Caenorhabditis (C.) elegans senses chemical stimuli with neurons located in the head and the tail of the animal, which mediate either attractive or aversive behaviors. How conflicting stimuli are processed in animals navigating different chemical gradients is poorly understood. Here, we conceived, created, and capitalized on a novel microfluidic device to enable automated and precise stimulation of head and tail neurons, either simultaneously or sequentially, while reading out neuronal activity in sensory and interneurons using genetically encoded calcium indicators. We achieve robust and programmable chemical pulses through the modulation of inlet pressures. To evaluate the device performance, we synchronized the flow control with microscopy data acquisition and characterized the flow properties in the fabricated devices. Together, our design has the potential to provide insight into the neural circuits and behavior of C. elegans simulating the experience of natural environments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Asaf Gat
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Costanza Agazzi
- ICFO—Institut de Ciències Fotòniques, Castelldefels, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Meital Oren-Suissa
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Michael Krieg
- ICFO—Institut de Ciències Fotòniques, Castelldefels, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
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3
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Zhang N, Nie Y, Dong B, Zhang D, Li G, Ning J, Xian B, Chen W, Gao S. An automatic measurement method for the response of Caenorhabditis elegans to chemicals. Technol Health Care 2024; 32:145-154. [PMID: 38759045 PMCID: PMC11191428 DOI: 10.3233/thc-248013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Caenorhabditis elegans is a widely used model animal. Chemotaxis assay is one of the experiments that study the effects of different chemicals on nematodes. It is mainly used to study the effects of different chemicals on the perception behavior of nematodes. By conducting this experiment, not only can the neurotoxicity of chemicals be reflected, but also the impact of chemicals on physiological functions regulated by the nervous system, such as nematode feeding behavior and basic motor ability. OBJECTIVE The experiment of detecting the response of nematode to chemicals is also a common method of chemical toxicity testing based on nematode models. In the analysis of worm tendency behavior, manual operations are generally used. Manually processing a large number of worms under a microscope is very time-consuming and labor-intensive. The current quantitative methods for nematode chemotaxis experiments are not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but also biased in experimental results due to differences in judgment standards among experimenters. The automatic and efficient quantification method for nematode chemotaxis experiments is a very important technical difficulty in the field of nematode experiments. METHODS Here, we have designed an automatic quantification method for nematode chemotaxis experiments by incorporating image acquisition and processing techniques into the nematode experiment. RESULTS The experimental results show that the Pearson correlation coefficient between manual and automatic counting results is 0.978. CONCLUSION This proves the effectiveness of our method. Applying the automatic measurement method to replace manual counting by the experimenter can improve work efficiency, and reduce errors in human counting operations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Zhang
- Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing, China
| | - Yanmin Nie
- Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing, China
| | - Bingyue Dong
- School of Cyber Science and Engineering, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, Shandong, China
| | - Da Zhang
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Guojun Li
- Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing, China
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Junyu Ning
- Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing, China
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Bo Xian
- School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Weiyang Chen
- School of Cyber Science and Engineering, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, Shandong, China
| | - Shan Gao
- Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing, China
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4
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Perry RN. Detection of the Effects of Root Exudates (Diffusates) on Nematode Hatching and Attraction. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2756:271-289. [PMID: 38427299 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3638-1_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Plant-parasitic nematodes have enormous economic and social impacts. The majority of plant-parasitic nematodes are soil dwelling and feed on plant roots. Exudates from actively growing roots initiate hatch of some nematode species, thus ensuring infective juveniles emerge in close proximity to host plant roots. Several gradients of volatile and non-volatile compounds are established around plant roots, at least some of which are used by nematodes to orientate toward the roots. Plant-parasitic nematodes are microscopic in size (less than 1 mm in length and between 15 and 20 μm in diameter), so investigations into behavior are challenging. Various in vitro techniques have been used to evaluate the effects of root exudates. The techniques can also be used to evaluate the comparative attractiveness of different plants or cultivars of the same plant species. This chapter describes some examples of different types of basic in vitro assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland N Perry
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK.
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5
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Kirchweger B, Zwirchmayr J, Grienke U, Rollinger JM. The role of Caenorhabditis elegans in the discovery of natural products for healthy aging. Nat Prod Rep 2023; 40:1849-1873. [PMID: 37585263 DOI: 10.1039/d3np00021d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Covering: 2012 to 2023The human population is aging. Thus, the greatest risk factor for numerous diseases, such as diabetes, cancer and neurodegenerative disorders, is increasing worldwide. Age-related diseases do not typically occur in isolation, but as a result of multi-factorial causes, which in turn require holistic approaches to identify and decipher the mode of action of potential remedies. With the advent of C. elegans as the primary model organism for aging, researchers now have a powerful in vivo tool for identifying and studying agents that effect lifespan and health span. Natural products have been focal research subjects in this respect. This review article covers key developments of the last decade (2012-2023) that have led to the discovery of natural products with healthy aging properties in C. elegans. We (i) discuss the state of knowledge on the effects of natural products on worm aging including methods, assays and involved pathways; (ii) analyze the literature on natural compounds in terms of their molecular properties and the translatability of effects on mammals; (iii) examine the literature on multi-component mixtures with special attention to the studied organisms, extraction methods and efforts regarding the characterization of their chemical composition and their bioactive components. (iv) We further propose to combine small in vivo model organisms such as C. elegans and sophisticated analytical approaches ("wormomics") to guide the way to dissect complex natural products with anti-aging properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Kirchweger
- Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Julia Zwirchmayr
- Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Ulrike Grienke
- Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Judith M Rollinger
- Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
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Lee MB, Blue B, Muir M, Kaeberlein M. The million-molecule challenge: a moonshot project to rapidly advance longevity intervention discovery. GeroScience 2023; 45:3103-3113. [PMID: 37432607 PMCID: PMC10643437 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-023-00867-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Targeting aging is the future of twenty-first century preventative medicine. Small molecule interventions that promote healthy longevity are known, but few are well-developed and discovery of novel, robust interventions has stagnated. To accelerate longevity intervention discovery and development, high-throughput systems are needed that can perform unbiased drug screening and directly measure lifespan and healthspan metrics in whole animals. C. elegans is a powerful model system for this type of drug discovery. Combined with automated data capture and analysis technologies, truly high-throughput longevity drug discovery is possible. In this perspective, we propose the "million-molecule challenge", an effort to quantitatively assess 1,000,000 interventions for longevity within five years. The WormBot-AI, our best-in-class robotics and AI data analysis platform, provides a tool to achieve the million-molecule challenge for pennies per animal tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell B Lee
- Ora Biomedical, Inc., 12101 Tukwila International Blvd Suite 210, Seattle, WA, 98168, USA.
| | - Benjamin Blue
- Ora Biomedical, Inc., 12101 Tukwila International Blvd Suite 210, Seattle, WA, 98168, USA
| | - Michael Muir
- Ora Biomedical, Inc., 12101 Tukwila International Blvd Suite 210, Seattle, WA, 98168, USA
| | - Matt Kaeberlein
- Ora Biomedical, Inc., 12101 Tukwila International Blvd Suite 210, Seattle, WA, 98168, USA
- Optispan Geroscience, Seattle, WA, USA
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7
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Lin Y, Lin C, Cao Y, Chen Y. Caenorhabditis elegans as an in vivo model for the identification of natural antioxidants with anti-aging actions. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 167:115594. [PMID: 37776641 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural antioxidants have recently emerged as a highly exciting and significant topic in anti-aging research. Diverse organism models present a viable protocol for future research. Notably, many breakthroughs on natural antioxidants have been achieved in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, an animal model frequently utilized for the study of aging research and anti-aging drugs in vivo. Due to the conservation of signaling pathways on oxidative stress resistance, lifespan regulation, and aging disease between C. elegans and multiple high-level organisms (humans), as well as the low and controllable cost of time and labor, it gradually develops into a trustworthy in vivo model for high-throughput screening and validation of natural antioxidants with anti-aging actions. First, information and models on free radicals and aging are presented in this review. We also describe indexes, detection methods, and molecular mechanisms for studying the in vivo antioxidant and anti-aging effects of natural antioxidants using C. elegans. It includes lifespan, physiological aging processes, oxidative stress levels, antioxidant enzyme activation, and anti-aging pathways. Furthermore, oxidative stress and healthspan improvement induced by natural antioxidants in humans and C. elegans are compared, to understand the potential and limitations of the screening model in preclinical studies. Finally, we emphasize that C. elegans is a useful model for exploring more natural antioxidant resources and uncovering the mechanisms underlying aging-related risk factors and diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yugui Lin
- Microbiology Laboratory, Zhongshan Bo'ai Hospital, Southern Medical University, Zhongshan 528400, China; Department of Microbiology, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Chunxiu Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510640, China; Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510640, China; State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, College of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Yong Cao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510640, China; Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Yunjiao Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510640, China; Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510640, China.
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Sohrabi S, Cota V, Murphy CT. CeLab, a microfluidic platform for the study of life history traits, reveals metformin and SGK-1 regulation of longevity and reproductive span. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:2738-2757. [PMID: 37221962 PMCID: PMC11067863 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00028a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The potential to carry out high-throughput assays in a whole organism in a small space is one of the benefits of C. elegans, but worm assays often require a large sample size with frequent physical manipulations, rendering them highly labor-intensive. Microfluidic assays have been designed with specific questions in mind, such as analysis of behavior, embryonic development, lifespan, and motility. While these devices have many advantages, current technologies to automate worm experiments have several limitations that prevent widespread adoption, and most do not allow analyses of reproduction-linked traits. We developed a miniature C. elegans lab-on-a-chip device, CeLab, a reusable, multi-layer device with 200 separate incubation arenas that allows progeny removal, to automate a variety of worm assays on both individual and population levels. CeLab enables high-throughput simultaneous analysis of lifespan, reproductive span, and progeny production, refuting assumptions about the disposable soma hypothesis. Because CeLab chambers require small volumes, the chip is ideal for drug screens; we found that drugs previously shown to increase lifespan also increase reproductive span, and we discovered that low-dose metformin increases both. CeLab reduces the limitations of escaping and matricide that typically limit plate assays, revealing that feeding with heat-killed bacteria greatly extends lifespan and reproductive span of mated animals. CeLab allows tracking of life history traits of individuals, which revealed that the nutrient-sensing mTOR pathway mutant, sgk-1, reproduces nearly until its death. These findings would not have been possible to make in standard plate assays, in low-throughput assays, or in normal population assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salman Sohrabi
- Department of Molecular Biology &, LSI Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
- LSI Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76010, USA
| | - Vanessa Cota
- Department of Molecular Biology &, LSI Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
- LSI Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Coleen T Murphy
- Department of Molecular Biology &, LSI Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
- LSI Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
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Zhang N, Zhang W, Wang M, Li G, Ning J, Nie Y, Xian B, Huang Z, Chen W, Gao S. An automatic recognition method of nematode survival rate based on bright field and dark field experimental images. Technol Health Care 2023; 31:199-208. [PMID: 37038792 DOI: 10.3233/thc-236017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The survival rate of experimental animals is a very important index in chemical toxicity evaluation experiments. The calculation of nematode survival rate is used in many experiments. OBJECTIVE Traditional survival rate quantification methods require manual counting. This is a time-consuming and laborious work when using 384-well plate for high-throughput chemical toxicity assessment experiments. At present, there is a great need for an automatic method to identify the survival rate of nematodes in the experiment of chemical toxicity evaluation. METHODS We designed an automatic nematode survival rate recognition method by combining the bright field experimental image of nematodes and the dark field image of nematodes which is captured after adding Propidium Iodide dye, and used it to calculate the nematode survival rate in different chemical environments. Experiment results show that the survival rate obtained by our automatic counting method is very similar to the survival rate obtained by manual counting. RESULTS Through several different chemical experiments, we can see that chemicals with different toxicity have different effects on the survival rate of nematodes. And the survival rate of nematodes under different chemical concentrations has an obvious gradient trend from high concentration to low concentration. In addition, our method can quantify the motility of nematodes. There are also significant differences in the motility of nematodes cultured in different chemical environments. Moreover, the nematode motility under different chemical concentrations showed an obvious gradient change trend from high concentration to low concentration. CONCLUSION Our study provides an accurate and efficient nematode survival rate recognition method for chemical toxicology research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Zhang
- Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing, China
| | - Wenjing Zhang
- Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing, China
| | - Maoli Wang
- School of Cyber Science and Engineering, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, Shandong, China
| | - Guojun Li
- Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing, China
| | - Junyu Ning
- Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing, China
| | - Yanmin Nie
- Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing, China
| | - Bo Xian
- School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Zhihang Huang
- School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Weiyang Chen
- School of Cyber Science and Engineering, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, Shandong, China
| | - Shan Gao
- Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing, China
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Anupom T, Vanapalli SA. A Compact Imaging Platform for Conducting C. elegans Phenotypic Assays on Earth and in Spaceflight. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:200. [PMID: 36676149 PMCID: PMC9862956 DOI: 10.3390/life13010200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The model organism Caenorhabditis elegans is used in a variety of applications ranging from fundamental biological studies, to drug screening, to disease modeling, and to space-biology investigations. These applications rely on conducting whole-organism phenotypic assays involving animal behavior and locomotion. In this study, we report a 3D printed compact imaging platform (CIP) that is integrated with a smart-device camera for the whole-organism phenotyping of C. elegans. The CIP has no external optical elements and does not require mechanical focusing, simplifying the optical configuration. The small footprint of the system powered with a standard USB provides capabilities ranging from plug-and-play, to parallel operation, and to housing it in incubators for temperature control. We demonstrate on Earth the compatibility of the CIP with different C. elegans substrates, including agar plates, liquid droplets on glass slides and microfluidic chips. We validate the system with behavioral and thrashing assays and show that the phenotypic readouts are in good agreement with the literature data. We conduct a pilot study with mutants and show that the phenotypic data collected from the CIP distinguishes these mutants. Finally, we discuss how the simplicity and versatility offered by CIP makes it amenable to future C. elegans investigations on the International Space Station, where science experiments are constrained by system size, payload weight and crew time. Overall, the compactness, portability and ease-of-use makes the CIP desirable for research and educational outreach applications on Earth and in space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taslim Anupom
- Electrical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
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Weinkove D, Zavagno G. Applying C. elegans to the Industrial Drug Discovery Process to Slow Aging. FRONTIERS IN AGING 2022; 2:740582. [PMID: 35821999 PMCID: PMC9261450 DOI: 10.3389/fragi.2021.740582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The increase in our molecular understanding of the biology of aging, coupled with a recent surge in investment, has led to the formation of several companies developing pharmaceuticals to slow aging. Research using the tiny nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans was the first to show that mutations in single genes can extend lifespan, and subsequent research has shown that this model organism is uniquely suited to testing interventions to slow aging. Yet, with a few notable exceptions, C. elegans is not in the standard toolkit of longevity companies. Here we discuss the paths to overcome the barriers to using C. elegans in industrial drug discovery. We address the predictive power of C. elegans for human aging, how C. elegans research can be applied to specific challenges in the typical drug discovery pipeline, and how standardised and quantitative assays will help C. elegans fulfil its potential in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry. We argue that correct application of this model and its knowledge base will significantly accelerate progress to slow human aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Weinkove
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom.,Magnitude Biosciences Ltd., NETpark Plexus, Sedgefield, United Kingdom
| | - Giulia Zavagno
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom.,Magnitude Biosciences Ltd., NETpark Plexus, Sedgefield, United Kingdom
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12
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The evolving role of the Caenorhabditis elegans model as a tool to advance studies in nutrition and health. Nutr Res 2022; 106:47-59. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nutres.2022.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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13
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Zhu A, Zheng F, Zhang W, Li L, Li Y, Hu H, Wu Y, Bao W, Li G, Wang Q, Li H. Oxidation and Antioxidation of Natural Products in the Model Organism Caenorhabditiselegans. Antioxidants (Basel) 2022; 11:antiox11040705. [PMID: 35453390 PMCID: PMC9029379 DOI: 10.3390/antiox11040705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural products are small molecules naturally produced by multiple sources such as plants, animals, fungi, bacteria and archaea. They exert both beneficial and detrimental effects by modulating biological targets and pathways involved in oxidative stress and antioxidant response. Natural products’ oxidative or antioxidative properties are usually investigated in preclinical experimental models, including virtual computing simulations, cell and tissue cultures, rodent and nonhuman primate animal models, and human studies. Due to the renewal of the concept of experimental animals, especially the popularization of alternative 3R methods for reduction, replacement and refinement, many assessment experiments have been carried out in new alternative models. The model organism Caenorhabditis elegans has been used for medical research since Sydney Brenner revealed its genetics in 1974 and has been introduced into pharmacology and toxicology in the past two decades. The data from C. elegans have been satisfactorily correlated with traditional experimental models. In this review, we summarize the advantages of C. elegans in assessing oxidative and antioxidative properties of natural products and introduce methods to construct an oxidative damage model in C. elegans. The biomarkers and signaling pathways involved in the oxidative stress of C. elegans are summarized, as well as the oxidation and antioxidation in target organs of the muscle, nervous, digestive and reproductive systems. This review provides an overview of the oxidative and antioxidative properties of natural products based on the model organism C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- An Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Gastrointestinal Cancer, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350108, China; (Y.W.); (W.B.)
- Correspondence: (A.Z.); (G.L.); (Q.W.); (H.L.)
| | - Fuli Zheng
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350108, China; (F.Z.); (H.H.)
| | - Wenjing Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing 100013, China;
| | - Ludi Li
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China; (L.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Yingzi Li
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China; (L.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Hong Hu
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350108, China; (F.Z.); (H.H.)
| | - Yajiao Wu
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Gastrointestinal Cancer, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350108, China; (Y.W.); (W.B.)
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Wenqiang Bao
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Gastrointestinal Cancer, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350108, China; (Y.W.); (W.B.)
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Guojun Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing 100013, China;
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
- Correspondence: (A.Z.); (G.L.); (Q.W.); (H.L.)
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China; (L.L.); (Y.L.)
- Key Laboratory of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Compatibility Toxicology, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Toxicological Research and Risk Assessment for Food Safety, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
- Correspondence: (A.Z.); (G.L.); (Q.W.); (H.L.)
| | - Huangyuan Li
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350108, China; (F.Z.); (H.H.)
- The Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350108, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environment Factors and Cancer, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350108, China
- Correspondence: (A.Z.); (G.L.); (Q.W.); (H.L.)
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Mollá-Albaladejo R, Sánchez-Alcañiz JA. Behavior Individuality: A Focus on Drosophila melanogaster. Front Physiol 2021; 12:719038. [PMID: 34916952 PMCID: PMC8670942 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.719038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Among individuals, behavioral differences result from the well-known interplay of nature and nurture. Minute differences in the genetic code can lead to differential gene expression and function, dramatically affecting developmental processes and adult behavior. Environmental factors, epigenetic modifications, and gene expression and function are responsible for generating stochastic behaviors. In the last decade, the advent of high-throughput sequencing has facilitated studying the genetic basis of behavior and individuality. We can now study the genomes of multiple individuals and infer which genetic variations might be responsible for the observed behavior. In addition, the development of high-throughput behavioral paradigms, where multiple isogenic animals can be analyzed in various environmental conditions, has again facilitated the study of the influence of genetic and environmental variations in animal personality. Mainly, Drosophila melanogaster has been the focus of a great effort to understand how inter-individual behavioral differences emerge. The possibility of using large numbers of animals, isogenic populations, and the possibility of modifying neuronal function has made it an ideal model to search for the origins of individuality. In the present review, we will focus on the recent findings that try to shed light on the emergence of individuality with a particular interest in D. melanogaster.
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15
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Sohrabi S, Moore RS, Murphy CT. CeAid: a smartphone application for logging and plotting Caenorhabditis elegans assays. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2021; 11:6350650. [PMID: 34568934 PMCID: PMC8473968 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans is used as a model organism to study a wide range of topics in molecular and cellular biology. Conventional C. elegans assays often require a large sample size with frequent manipulations, rendering them labor-intensive. Automated high-throughput workflows may not be always the best solution to reduce benchwork labor, as they may introduce more complexity. Thus, most assays are carried out manually, where logging and digitizing experimental data can be as time-consuming as picking and scoring worms. Here we report the development of CeAid, C. elegans Application for inputting data, which significantly expedites the data entry process, utilizing swiping gestures and a voice recognition algorithm for logging data using a standard smartphone or Android device. This modular platform can also be adapted for a wide range of assays where recording data is laborious, even beyond worm research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salman Sohrabi
- Department of Molecular Biology & LSI Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Rebecca S Moore
- Department of Molecular Biology & LSI Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Coleen T Murphy
- Department of Molecular Biology & LSI Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
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16
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Mondal S, Dubey J, Awasthi A, Sure GR, Vasudevan A, Koushika SP. Tracking Mitochondrial Density and Positioning along a Growing Neuronal Process in Individual C. elegans Neuron Using a Long-Term Growth and Imaging Microfluidic Device. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0360-20.2021. [PMID: 34035072 PMCID: PMC8260276 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0360-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2020] [Revised: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The long cellular architecture of neurons requires regulation in part through transport and anchoring events to distribute intracellular organelles. During development, cellular and subcellular events such as organelle additions and their recruitment at specific sites on the growing axons occur over different time scales and often show interanimal variability thus making it difficult to identify specific phenomena in population averages. To measure the variability in subcellular events such as organelle positions, we developed a microfluidic device to feed and immobilize Caenorhabditis elegans for high-resolution imaging over several days. The microfluidic device enabled long-term imaging of individual animals and allowed us to investigate organelle density using mitochondria as a testbed in a growing neuronal process in vivo Subcellular imaging of an individual neuron in multiple animals, over 36 h in our microfluidic device, shows the addition of new mitochondria along the neuronal process and an increase in the accumulation of synaptic vesicles (SVs) at synapses. Long-term imaging of individual C. elegans touch receptor neurons (TRNs) shows that the addition of new mitochondria takes place along the entire neuronal process length at a rate of ∼0.6 mitochondria/h. The threshold for the addition of a new mitochondrion occurs when the average separation between the two preexisting mitochondria exceeds 24 μm. Our assay provides a new opportunity to move beyond simple observations obtained from in vitro assays to allow the discovery of genes that regulate positioning of mitochondria in neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudip Mondal
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, Karnataka 560065, India
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
| | - Jyoti Dubey
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, Karnataka 560065, India
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400005, India
- Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine, Bangalore, Karnataka 560065, India
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka 576104, India
| | - Anjali Awasthi
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, Karnataka 560065, India
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Rajasthan 333031, India
| | - Guruprasad Reddy Sure
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, Karnataka 560065, India
- Sastra University, Thirumalaisamudram, Tamil Nadu 613401, India
| | - Amruta Vasudevan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400005, India
| | - Sandhya P Koushika
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400005, India
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17
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Small flexible automated system for monitoring Caenorhabditis elegans lifespan based on active vision and image processing techniques. Sci Rep 2021; 11:12289. [PMID: 34112931 PMCID: PMC8192789 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91898-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Traditionally Caenorhabditis elegans lifespan assays are performed by manually inspecting nematodes with a dissection microscope, which involves daily counting of live/dead worms cultured in Petri plates for 21–25 days. This manual inspection requires the screening of hundreds of worms to ensure statistical robustness, and is therefore a time-consuming approach. In recent years, various automated artificial vision systems have been reported to increase the throughput, however they usually provide less accurate results than manual assays. The main problems identified when using these vision systems are the false positives and false negatives, which occur due to culture media changes, occluded zones, dirtiness or condensation of the Petri plates. In this work, we developed and described a new C. elegans monitoring machine, SiViS, which consists of a flexible and compact platform design to analyse C. elegans cultures using the standard Petri plates seeded with E. coli. Our system uses an active vision illumination technique and different image-processing pipelines for motion detection, both previously reported, providing a fully automated image processing pipeline. In addition, this study validated both these methods and the feasibility of the SiViS machine for lifespan experiments by comparing them with manual lifespan assays. Results demonstrated that the automated system yields consistent replicates (p-value log rank test 0.699), and there are no significant differences between automated system assays and traditionally manual assays (p-value 0.637). Finally, although we have focused on the use of SiViS in longevity assays, the system configuration is flexible and can, thus, be adapted to other C. elegans studies such as toxicity, mobility and behaviour.
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18
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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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19
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Nakano Y, Moriuchi M, Fukushima Y, Hayashi K, Suico MA, Kai H, Koutaki G, Shuto T. Intrapopulation analysis of longitudinal lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans identifies W09D10.4 as a novel AMPK-associated healthspan shortening factor. J Pharmacol Sci 2020; 145:241-252. [PMID: 33602504 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphs.2020.12.004] [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: 11/12/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans is a model organism widely used for longevity studies. Current advances have been made in the methods that allow automated monitoring of C. elegans behavior. However, ordinary manual assays as well as automated methods have yet to achieve qualitative whole-life analysis of C. elegans longevity based on intrapopulation variation. Here, we utilized live-cell analysis system to determine the parameters of nematode lifespans. Image-based superposition method enabled to determine not only frailty in worms, but also to measure individual and longitudinal lifespan, healthspan, and frailspan. Notably, k-means clustering via principal component analysis revealed four clusters with distinct longevity patterns in wild-type C. elegans. Physiological relevance of clustering was confirmed by assays with pharmacological and/or genetic manipulation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a crucial regulator of healthspan. Finally, we focused on W09D10.4 among the possible regulators extracted by integrative expression analysis with existing data sets. Importantly, W09D10.4 knockdown increased the high-healthspan populations only in the presence of AMPK, suggesting that W09D10.4 is a novel AMPK-associated healthspan shortening factor in C. elegans. Overall, the study establishes a novel platform of longitudinal lifespan in C. elegans, which is user-friendly, and may be a useful pharmacological tool to identify healthspan modulatory factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshio Nakano
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Science, Kumamoto University, 5-1 Oe-honmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 862-0973, Japan; Program for Leading Graduate Schools "HIGO (Health Life Science: Interdisciplinary and Global Oriented) Program", 5-1 Oe-honmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 862-0973, Japan
| | - Masataka Moriuchi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Science, Kumamoto University, 5-1 Oe-honmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 862-0973, Japan; Program for Leading Graduate Schools "HIGO (Health Life Science: Interdisciplinary and Global Oriented) Program", 5-1 Oe-honmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 862-0973, Japan
| | - Yutaro Fukushima
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Science, Kumamoto University, 5-1 Oe-honmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 862-0973, Japan; Program for Leading Graduate Schools "HIGO (Health Life Science: Interdisciplinary and Global Oriented) Program", 5-1 Oe-honmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 862-0973, Japan
| | - Kyotaro Hayashi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Kumamoto University, 2-39-1 Kurokami, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 860-8555, Japan
| | - Mary Ann Suico
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Science, Kumamoto University, 5-1 Oe-honmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 862-0973, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Kai
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Science, Kumamoto University, 5-1 Oe-honmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 862-0973, Japan
| | - Go Koutaki
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Kumamoto University, 2-39-1 Kurokami, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 860-8555, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Shuto
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Science, Kumamoto University, 5-1 Oe-honmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 862-0973, Japan.
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20
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Reducing Results Variance in Lifespan Machines: An Analysis of the Influence of Vibrotaxis on Wild-Type Caenorhabditis elegans for the Death Criterion. SENSORS 2020; 20:s20215981. [PMID: 33105730 PMCID: PMC7660079 DOI: 10.3390/s20215981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Nowadays, various artificial vision-based machines automate the lifespan assays of C. elegans. These automated machines present wider variability in results than manual assays because in the latter worms can be poked one by one to determine whether they are alive or not. Lifespan machines normally use a “dead or alive criterion” based on nematode position or pose changes, without poking worms. However, worms barely move on their last days of life, even though they are still alive. Therefore, a long monitoring period is necessary to observe motility in order to guarantee worms are actually dead, or a stimulus to prompt worm movement is required to reduce the lifespan variability measure. Here, a new automated vibrotaxis-based method for lifespan machines is proposed as a solution to prompt a motion response in all worms cultured on standard Petri plates in order to better distinguish between live and dead individuals. This simple automated method allows the stimulation of all animals through the whole plate at the same time and intensity, increasing the experiment throughput. The experimental results exhibited improved live-worm detection using this method, and most live nematodes (>93%) reacted to the vibration stimulus. This method increased machine sensitivity by decreasing results variance by approximately one half (from ±1 individual error per plate to ±0.6) and error in lifespan curve was reduced as well (from 2.6% to 1.2%).
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21
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Rahman M, Edwards H, Birze N, Gabrilska R, Rumbaugh KP, Blawzdziewicz J, Szewczyk NJ, Driscoll M, Vanapalli SA. NemaLife chip: a micropillar-based microfluidic culture device optimized for aging studies in crawling C. elegans. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16190. [PMID: 33004810 PMCID: PMC7530743 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73002-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, we report a microfluidic device for the whole-life culture of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans that allows the scoring of animal survival and health measures. This device referred to as the NemaLife chip features: (1) an optimized micropillar arena in which animals can crawl, (2) sieve channels that separate progeny and prevent the loss of adults from the arena during culture maintenance, and (3) ports that allow rapid accessibility for feeding the adult-only population and introducing reagents as needed. The pillar arena geometry was optimized to accommodate the growing body size during culture and emulate the body gait and locomotion of animals reared on agar. Likewise, feeding protocols were optimized to recapitulate longevity outcomes typical of standard plate growth. Key benefits of the NemaLife Chip include eliminating the need to perform repeated manual transfers of adults during survival assays, negating the need for progeny-blocking chemical interventions, and avoiding the swim-induced stress across lifespan in animals reared in liquid. We also show that the culture of animals in pillar-less microfluidic chambers reduces lifespan and introduces physiological stress by increasing the occurrence of age-related vulval integrity disorder. We validated our pillar-based device with longevity analyses of classical aging mutants (daf-2, age-1, eat-2, and daf-16) and animals subjected to RNAi knockdown of age-related genes (age-1 and daf-16). We also showed that healthspan measures such as pharyngeal pumping and tap-induced stimulated reversals can be scored across the lifespan in the NemaLife chip. Overall, the capacity to generate reliable lifespan and physiological data underscores the potential of the NemaLife chip to accelerate healthspan and lifespan investigations in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mizanur Rahman
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA
| | - Hunter Edwards
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA
| | - Nikolajs Birze
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA
| | - Rebecca Gabrilska
- Department of Surgery, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA
| | - Kendra P Rumbaugh
- Department of Surgery, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA
| | - Jerzy Blawzdziewicz
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79430, USA
| | - Nathaniel J Szewczyk
- Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA
| | - Monica Driscoll
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Siva A Vanapalli
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA.
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22
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Bulterijs S, Braeckman BP. Phenotypic Screening in C. elegans as a Tool for the Discovery of New Geroprotective Drugs. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2020; 13:E164. [PMID: 32722365 PMCID: PMC7463874 DOI: 10.3390/ph13080164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Population aging is one of the largest challenges of the 21st century. As more people live to advanced ages, the prevalence of age-related diseases and disabilities will increase placing an ever larger burden on our healthcare system. A potential solution to this conundrum is to develop treatments that prevent, delay or reduce the severity of age-related diseases by decreasing the rate of the aging process. This ambition has been accomplished in model organisms through dietary, genetic and pharmacological interventions. The pharmacological approaches hold the greatest opportunity for successful translation to the clinic. The discovery of such pharmacological interventions in aging requires high-throughput screening strategies. However, the majority of screens performed for geroprotective drugs in C. elegans so far are rather low throughput. Therefore, the development of high-throughput screening strategies is of utmost importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sven Bulterijs
- Laboratory of Aging Physiology and Molecular Evolution, Department of Biology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Bart P. Braeckman
- Laboratory of Aging Physiology and Molecular Evolution, Department of Biology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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23
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An automated platform to monitor long-term behavior and healthspan in Caenorhabditis elegans under precise environmental control. Commun Biol 2020; 3:297. [PMID: 32523044 PMCID: PMC7287092 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-1013-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Health and longevity in all organisms are strongly influenced by the environment. To fully understand how environmental factors interact with genetic and stochastic factors to modulate the aging process, it is crucial to precisely control environmental conditions for long-term studies. In the commonly used model organism Caenorhabditis elegans, existing assays for healthspan and lifespan have inherent limitations, making it difficult to perform large-scale longitudinal aging studies under precise environmental control. To address these constraints, we developed the Health and Lifespan Testing Hub (HeALTH), an automated, microfluidic-based system for robust longitudinal behavioral monitoring. Our system provides long-term (i.e. entire lifespan) spatiotemporal environmental control. We demonstrate healthspan and lifespan studies under a variety of genetic and environmental perturbations while observing how individuality plays a role in the aging process. This system is generalizable beyond aging research, particularly for short- or long-term behavioral assays, and could be adapted for other model systems. Kim N. Le, Mei Zhan et al. develop an automated microfluidic-based system, HeALTH, which provides spatiotemporal environmental control and allows for long-term behavioral monitoring. Using Caenorhabditis elegans they demonstrate the robustness of this platform for health and lifespan studies, and highlight its adaptability to other model systems.
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24
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Felker DP, Robbins CE, McCormick MA. Automation of C. elegans lifespan measurement. TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE OF AGING 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tma.2019.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
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25
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Midkiff D, San-Miguel A. Microfluidic Technologies for High Throughput Screening Through Sorting and On-Chip Culture of C. elegans. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24234292. [PMID: 31775328 PMCID: PMC6930626 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24234292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2019] [Revised: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a powerful model organism that has been widely used to study molecular biology, cell development, neurobiology, and aging. Despite their use for the past several decades, the conventional techniques for growth, imaging, and behavioral analysis of C. elegans can be cumbersome, and acquiring large data sets in a high-throughput manner can be challenging. Developments in microfluidic “lab-on-a-chip” technologies have improved studies of C. elegans by increasing experimental control and throughput. Microfluidic features such as on-chip control layers, immobilization channels, and chamber arrays have been incorporated to develop increasingly complex platforms that make experimental techniques more powerful. Genetic and chemical screens are performed on C. elegans to determine gene function and phenotypic outcomes of perturbations, to test the effect that chemicals have on health and behavior, and to find drug candidates. In this review, we will discuss microfluidic technologies that have been used to increase the throughput of genetic and chemical screens in C. elegans. We will discuss screens for neurobiology, aging, development, behavior, and many other biological processes. We will also discuss robotic technologies that assist in microfluidic screens, as well as alternate platforms that perform functions similar to microfluidics.
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26
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Zeng L, Yang Z, Yun T, Fan S, Pei Z, Chen Z, Sun C, Xu F. Antiaging effect of a Jianpi-yangwei formula in Caenorhabditis elegans. BMC COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2019; 19:313. [PMID: 31730453 PMCID: PMC6858738 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-019-2704-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Background Jianpi-yangwei (JPYW), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), helps to nourish the stomach and spleen and is primarily used to treat functional declines related to aging. This study aimed to explore the antiaging effects and mechanism of JPYW by employing a Caenorhabditis elegans model. Methods Wild-type C. elegans N2 worms were cultured in growth medium with or without JPYW, and lifespan analysis, oxidative and heat stress resistance assays, and other aging-related assays were performed. The effects of JPYW on the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the expression of specific genes were examined to explore the underlying mechanism of JPYW. Results Compared to control worms, JPYW-treated wild-type worms showed increased survival times under both normal and stress conditions (P < 0.05). JPYW-treated worms also exhibited enhanced reproduction, movement and growth and decreased intestinal lipofuscin accumulation compared to controls (P < 0.05). Furthermore, increased activity of SOD, downregulated expression levels of the proaging gene clk-2 and upregulated expression levels of the antiaging genes daf-16, skn-1, and sir-2.1 were observed in the JPYW group compared to the control group. Conclusion Our findings suggest that JPYW extends the lifespan of C. elegans and exerts antiaging effects by increasing the activity of an antioxidant enzyme (SOD) and by regulating the expression of aging-related genes. This study not only indicates that this Chinese compound exerts antiaging effects by activating and repressing target genes but also provides a proven methodology for studying the biological mechanisms of TCMs.
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27
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WormBot, an open-source robotics platform for survival and behavior analysis in C. elegans. GeroScience 2019; 41:961-973. [PMID: 31728898 PMCID: PMC6925079 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-019-00124-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans is a popular organism for aging research owing to its highly conserved molecular pathways, short lifespan, small size, and extensive genetic and reverse genetic resources. Here we describe the WormBot, an open-source robotic image capture platform capable of conducting 144 parallel C. elegans survival and behavioral phenotyping experiments. The WormBot uses standard 12-well tissue culture plates suitable for solid agar media and is built from commercially available robotics hardware. The WormBot is controlled by a web-based interface allowing control and monitoring of experiments from any internet connected device. The standard WormBot hardware features the ability to take both time-lapse bright field images and real-time video micrographs, allowing investigators to measure lifespan, as well as heathspan metrics as worms age. The open-source nature of the hardware and software will allow for users to extend the platform and implement new software and hardware features. This extensibility, coupled with the low cost and simplicity of the system, allows the automation of C. elegans survival analysis even in small laboratory settings with modest budgets.
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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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Yang WH, Chen CY, Wang KL, Kwok HL, Stern A, Lo SJ, Yang HC. Reflex and habituation behavior of Caenorhabditis elegans assessed by a mechanical vibration system and image analysis. J Neurosci Methods 2019; 328:108415. [PMID: 31470028 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2019.108415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Revised: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is an emerging invertebrate animal model for investigating neuronal functions in behavioral assays. C. elegans mechanosensation was characterized by the use of a constant mechanical stimulation transmitter followed by quantitative imaging. NEW METHOD C. elegans reflex and habituation behaviors were characterized by mechanical vibration followed by image analysis. A custom-designed system consists of an aluminum alloy Petri dish holder frame coupled with a mechanical vibration buzzer delivering adjustable pulsed vibration to an agar plate. The basal and evoked movements of C. elegans were recorded by a microscopic digital camera followed by quantitative analysis using microscopic imaging software. RESULTS Application of the platform in C. elegans was demonstrated with three proof-of-concept experiments: (1) Evaluation of the reflex response stimulated by tapping and mechanical vibration with a mechano-sensation defective mutant. (2) Comparison of the reflex response stimulated by mechanical vibration between wild type and aging mutants. (3) Assessment of the efficacy of the mechanical vibration system on long-term memory for habituation. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Conventional C. elegans mechanosensation techniques depend on stimulation either by manually touching a single animal or tapping the Petri dish followed by scoring via visual observation from the examiner. The mechanical vibration method has greater capacity compared to conventional methods which are labor-intensive, have low throughput and lack quantifiable parameters. CONCLUSIONS The mechanical vibration system followed by image analysis is a convenient and integrated platform for investigatingC. elegans reflex and habituation in aging and neural behavioral assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Hua Yang
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Yuanpei University of Medical Technology, Hsinchu, Taiwan; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Hsinchu Branch, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Yi Chen
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | | | - Hong Luen Kwok
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Yuanpei University of Medical Technology, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Arnold Stern
- New York University School of Medicine, New York, USA
| | - Szecheng J Lo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Chi Yang
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Yuanpei University of Medical Technology, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
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Banse SA, Blue BW, Robinson KJ, Jarrett CM, Phillips PC. The Stress-Chip: A microfluidic platform for stress analysis in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0216283. [PMID: 31042764 PMCID: PMC6493750 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
An organism's ability to mount a physiological response to external stressors is fundamental to its interaction with the environment. Experimental exploration of these interactions benefits greatly from the ability to maintain tight control of the environment, even under conditions in which it would be normal for the subject to flee the stressor. Here we present a nematode research platform that pairs automated image acquisition and analysis with a custom microfluidic device. This platform enables tight environmental control in low-density, single-worm arenas, which preclude animal escape while still allowing a broad range of behavioral activities. The platform is easily scalable, with two 50 arena arrays per chip and an imaging capacity of 600 animals per scanning device. Validating the device using dietary, osmotic, and oxidative stress indicates that it should be of broad use as a research platform, including eventual adaptation for additional stressors, anthelmintic-drug screening, and toxicology studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen A. Banse
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Benjamin W. Blue
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Kristin J. Robinson
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Cody M. Jarrett
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Patrick C. Phillips
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
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Hewitt JE, Pollard AK, Lesanpezeshki L, Deane CS, Gaffney CJ, Etheridge T, Szewczyk NJ, Vanapalli SA. Muscle strength deficiency and mitochondrial dysfunction in a muscular dystrophy model of Caenorhabditis elegans and its functional response to drugs. Dis Model Mech 2018; 11:dmm036137. [PMID: 30396907 PMCID: PMC6307913 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.036137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Muscle strength is a key clinical parameter used to monitor the progression of human muscular dystrophies, including Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies. Although Caenorhabditis elegans is an established genetic model for studying the mechanisms and treatments of muscular dystrophies, analogous strength-based measurements in this disease model are lacking. Here, we describe the first demonstration of the direct measurement of muscular strength in dystrophin-deficient C. elegans mutants using a micropillar-based force measurement system called NemaFlex. We show that dys-1(eg33) mutants, but not dys-1(cx18) mutants, are significantly weaker than their wild-type counterparts in early adulthood, cannot thrash in liquid at wild-type rates, display mitochondrial network fragmentation in the body wall muscles, and have an abnormally high baseline mitochondrial respiration. Furthermore, treatment with prednisone, the standard treatment for muscular dystrophy in humans, and melatonin both improve muscular strength, thrashing rate and mitochondrial network integrity in dys-1(eg33), and prednisone treatment also returns baseline respiration to normal levels. Thus, our results demonstrate that the dys-1(eg33) strain is more clinically relevant than dys-1(cx18) for muscular dystrophy studies in C. elegans This finding, in combination with the novel NemaFlex platform, can be used as an efficient workflow for identifying candidate compounds that can improve strength in the C. elegans muscular dystrophy model. Our study also lays the foundation for further probing of the mechanism of muscle function loss in dystrophin-deficient C. elegans, leading to knowledge translatable to human muscular dystrophy.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E Hewitt
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
| | - Amelia K Pollard
- MRC/ARUK Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research, Royal Derby Hospital, University of Nottingham & National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Derby, UK
| | - Leila Lesanpezeshki
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
| | - Colleen S Deane
- Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, St Luke's Campus, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK
| | - Christopher J Gaffney
- Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, St Luke's Campus, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK
- Lancaster Medical School, Furness College, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YG, UK
| | - Timothy Etheridge
- Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, St Luke's Campus, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK
| | - Nathaniel J Szewczyk
- MRC/ARUK Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research, Royal Derby Hospital, University of Nottingham & National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Derby, UK
| | - Siva A Vanapalli
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
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Bosari SS, Huayta J, Miguel AS. A microfluidic platform for lifelong high-resolution and high throughput imaging of subtle aging phenotypes in C. elegans. LAB ON A CHIP 2018; 18:3090-3100. [PMID: 30192357 PMCID: PMC6195199 DOI: 10.1039/c8lc00655e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Aging produces a number of changes in the neuronal structure and function throughout a variety of organisms. These aging-induced changes encompass a wide range of phenotypes, from loss of locomotion ability to defective production of synaptic vesicles. C. elegans is one of the primary systems used to elucidate phenotypes associated with aging processes. Conventional aging studies in C. elegans are typically labor-intensive, low-throughput, and incorporate fluorodeoxyuridine (FUdR) as a sterilizing agent to keep the population age-synchronized throughout the assay. However, FUdR exposure induces lifespan extension, and can potentially mask the phenotypes associated with the natural aging process. In addition, studying cellular or subcellular structures requires anesthetics or adhesives to immobilize nematodes while acquiring high-resolution images. In this platform, we are able to maintain a population (∼1000 worms) age-synchronized throughout its lifespan and perform a series of high-resolution microscopy studies in a drug-free environment. The device is composed of two main interconnected sections, one with the purpose of filtering progeny while keeping the parent population intact, and one for trapping nematodes in individual compartments for microscopy. Immobilization is carried out by decreasing the temperature of the device where nematodes are trapped by placing a heat sink on top of the chip. We were able to perform periodic high-resolution microscopy of fluorescently tagged synapses located at the dorsal side of the nematode's tail throughout the worms' lifespan. To characterize the subtle phenotypes that emerge as nematodes age, computer vision was implemented to perform automated unbiased detection of synapses and quantitative analysis of aging-induced synaptic changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahand Saberi Bosari
- Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Department, North Carolina State University, USA.
| | - Javier Huayta
- Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Department, North Carolina State University, USA.
| | - Adriana San Miguel
- Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Department, North Carolina State University, USA.
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Genetic inhibition of an ATP synthase subunit extends lifespan in C. elegans. Sci Rep 2018; 8:14836. [PMID: 30287841 PMCID: PMC6172204 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-32025-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mild inhibition of mitochondrial respiration leads to longevity. Disruption of mitochondrial respiratory components extends lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans, but the effects appear to be complex and the underlying mechanism for lifespan regulation by mitochondrial respiratory genes is still not fully understood. Here, we investigated the role of Y82E9BR.3, a worm homolog of the ATP synthase subunit C, in modulating longevity in C. elegans. We found that the Y82E9BR.3 protein is localized in mitochondria and expressed in various tissues throughout development. RNAi knockdown of Y82E9BR.3 extends lifespan, decreases the accumulation of lipofuscin, and affects various physiological processes, including development delay, reproduction impairment and slow behavior. Further tissue-specific RNAi analysis showed that the intestine is a crucial organ for the longevity effects conferred by Y82E9BR.3 RNAi. Moreover, we demonstrated that lifespan extension by Y82E9BR.3 RNAi is associated with reduced mitochondrial function, as well as the suppression of complex I activity in mitochondria. Unexpectedly, Y82E9BR.3 RNAi knock down did not influence the whole-worm ATP level. Our findings first reveal the crucial role of Y82E9BR.3 in mitochondrial function and the underlying mechanism of how Y82E9BR.3 regulates lifespan in C. elegans.
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Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE Aging is a complex trait that is influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Although many cellular and physiological changes have been described to occur with aging, the precise molecular causes of aging remain unknown. Given the biological complexity and heterogeneity of the aging process, understanding the mechanisms that underlie aging requires integration of data about age-dependent changes that occur at the molecular, cellular, tissue, and organismal levels. Recent Advances: The development of high-throughput technologies such as next-generation sequencing, proteomics, metabolomics, and automated imaging techniques provides researchers with new opportunities to understand the mechanisms of aging. Using these methods, millions of biological molecules can be simultaneously monitored during the aging process with high accuracy and specificity. CRITICAL ISSUES Although the ability to produce big data has drastically increased over the years, integration and interpreting of high-throughput data to infer regulatory relationships between biological factors and identify causes of aging remain the major challenges. In this review, we describe recent advances and survey emerging omics approaches in aging research. We then discuss their limitations and emphasize the need for the further development of methods for the integration of different types of data. FUTURE DIRECTIONS Combining omics approaches and novel methods for single-cell analysis with systems biology tools would allow building interaction networks and investigate how these networks are perturbed with aging and disease states. Together, these studies are expected to provide a better understanding of the aging process and could provide insights into the pathophysiology of many age-associated human diseases. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 29, 985-1002.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared S Lorusso
- 1 Department of Dermatology, Boston University School of Medicine , Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Oleg A Sviderskiy
- 2 Department of Ecology and Life Safety, Samara National Research University , Samara, Russia
| | - Vyacheslav M Labunskyy
- 1 Department of Dermatology, Boston University School of Medicine , Boston, Massachusetts
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Wong SQ, Jones A, Dodd S, Grimes D, Barclay JW, Marson AG, Cunliffe VT, Burgoyne RD, Sills GJ, Morgan A. A Caenorhabditis elegans assay of seizure-like activity optimised for identifying antiepileptic drugs and their mechanisms of action. J Neurosci Methods 2018; 309:132-142. [PMID: 30189284 PMCID: PMC6200019 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2018.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Revised: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 09/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Worms with mutant GABAA receptors exhibit convulsions upon exposure to pentylenetetrazol. Convulsions are prevented by the approved anti-epileptic drug, ethosuximide. C. elegans model is a higher throughput, ethical alternative to rodent seizure models.
Background Epilepsy affects around 1% of people, but existing antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) only offer symptomatic relief and are ineffective in approximately 30% of patients. Hence, new AEDs are sorely needed. However, a major bottleneck is the low-throughput nature of early-stage AED screens in conventional rodent models. This process could potentially be expedited by using simpler invertebrate systems, such as the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. New method Head-bobbing convulsions were previously reported to be inducible by pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) in C. elegans with loss-of-function mutations in unc-49, which encodes a GABAA receptor. Given that epilepsy-linked mutations in human GABAA receptors are well documented, this could represent a clinically-relevant system for early-stage AED screens. However, the original agar plate-based assay is unsuited to large-scale screening and has not been validated for identifying AEDs. Therefore, we established an alternative streamlined, higher-throughput approach whereby mutants were treated with PTZ and AEDs via liquid-based incubation. Results Convulsions induced within minutes of PTZ exposure in unc-49 mutants were strongly inhibited by the established AED ethosuximide. This protective activity was independent of ethosuximide’s suggested target, the T-type calcium channel, as a null mutation in the worm cca-1 ortholog did not affect ethosuximide’s anticonvulsant action. Comparison with existing method Our streamlined assay is AED-validated, feasible for higher throughput compound screens, and can facilitate insights into AED mechanisms of action. Conclusions Based on an epilepsy-associated genetic background, this C. elegans unc-49 model of seizure-like activity presents an ethical, higher throughput alternative to conventional rodent seizure models for initial AED screens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi Quan Wong
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
| | - Alistair Jones
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
| | - Steven Dodd
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
| | - Douglas Grimes
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
| | - Jeff W Barclay
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
| | - Anthony G Marson
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
| | - Vincent T Cunliffe
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
| | - Robert D Burgoyne
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
| | - Graeme J Sills
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
| | - Alan Morgan
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
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Rahman M, Hewitt JE, Van-Bussel F, Edwards H, Blawzdziewicz J, Szewczyk NJ, Driscoll M, Vanapalli SA. NemaFlex: a microfluidics-based technology for standardized measurement of muscular strength of C. elegans. LAB ON A CHIP 2018; 18:2187-2201. [PMID: 29892747 PMCID: PMC6057834 DOI: 10.1039/c8lc00103k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Muscle strength is a functional measure of quality of life in humans. Declines in muscle strength are manifested in diseases as well as during inactivity, aging, and space travel. With conserved muscle biology, the simple genetic model C. elegans is a high throughput platform in which to identify molecular mechanisms causing muscle strength loss and to develop interventions based on diet, exercise, and drugs. In the clinic, standardized strength measures are essential to quantitate changes in patients; however, analogous standards have not been recapitulated in the C. elegans model since force generation fluctuates based on animal behavior and locomotion. Here, we report a microfluidics-based system for strength measurement that we call 'NemaFlex', based on pillar deflection as the nematode crawls through a forest of pillars. We have optimized the micropillar forest design and identified robust measurement conditions that yield a measure of strength that is independent of behavior and gait. Validation studies using a muscle contracting agent and mutants confirm that NemaFlex can reliably score muscular strength in C. elegans. Additionally, we report a scaling factor to account for animal size that is consistent with a biomechanics model and enables comparative strength studies of mutants. Taken together, our findings anchor NemaFlex for applications in genetic and drug screens, for defining molecular and cellular circuits of neuromuscular function, and for dissection of degenerative processes in disuse, aging, and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mizanur Rahman
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA.
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Real-time monitoring of immune responses under pathogen invasion and drug interference by integrated microfluidic device coupled with worm-based biosensor. Biosens Bioelectron 2018; 110:233-238. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2018.03.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2017] [Revised: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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Cornwell AB, Llop JR, Salzman P, Thakar J, Samuelson AV. The Replica Set Method: A High-throughput Approach to Quantitatively Measure Caenorhabditis elegans Lifespan. J Vis Exp 2018. [PMID: 30010651 DOI: 10.3791/57819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The Replica Set method is an approach to quantitatively measure lifespan or survival of Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes in a high-throughput manner, thus allowing a single investigator to screen more treatments or conditions over the same amount of time without loss of data quality. The method requires common equipment found in most laboratories working with C. elegans and is thus simple to adopt. The approach centers on assaying independent samples of a population at each observation point, rather than a single sample over time as with traditional longitudinal methods. Scoring entails adding liquid to the wells of a multi-well plate, which stimulates C. elegans to move and facilitates quantifying changes in healthspan. Other major benefits of the Replica Set method include reduced exposure of agar surfaces to airborne contaminants (e.g. mold or fungus), minimal handling of animals, and robustness to sporadic mis-scoring (such as calling an animal as dead when it is still alive). To appropriately analyze and visualize the data from a Replica Set style experiment, a custom software tool was also developed. Current capabilities of the software include plotting of survival curves for both Replica Set and traditional (Kaplan-Meier) experiments, as well as statistical analysis for Replica Set. The protocols provided here describe the traditional experimental approach and the Replica Set method, as well as an overview of the corresponding data analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam B Cornwell
- Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester Medical Center
| | - Jesse R Llop
- Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester Medical Center
| | - Peter Salzman
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center; Non-Clinical Statistics, Bristol-Myers Squibb
| | - Juilee Thakar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center
| | - Andrew V Samuelson
- Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester Medical Center;
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Kamili F, Lu H. Recent Advances and Trends in Microfluidic Platforms for C. elegans Biological Assays. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY (PALO ALTO, CALIF.) 2018; 11:245-264. [PMID: 29894230 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-anchem-061417-125604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidics has proven to be a key tool in quantitative biological research. The C. elegans research community in particular has developed a variety of microfluidic platforms to investigate sensory systems, development, aging, and physiology of the nematode. Critical for the growth of this field, however, has been the implementation of concurrent advanced microscopy, hardware, and software technologies that enable the discovery of novel biology. In this review, we highlight recent innovations in microfluidic platforms used for assaying C. elegans and discuss the novel technological approaches and analytic strategies required for these systems. We conclude that platforms that provide analytical frameworks for assaying specific biological mechanisms and those that take full advantage of integrated technologies to extract high-value quantitative information from worm assays are most likely to move the field forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farhan Kamili
- Interdisciplinary Program in Bioengineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, USA
| | - Hang Lu
- Interdisciplinary Program in Bioengineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, USA
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, USA;
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Letizia MC, Cornaglia M, Trouillon R, Sorrentino V, Mouchiroud L, Bou Sleiman MS, Auwerx J, Gijs MAM. Microfluidics-enabled phenotyping of a whole population of C. elegans worms over their embryonic and post-embryonic development at single-organism resolution. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2018; 4:6. [PMID: 31057896 PMCID: PMC6220190 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-018-0003-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2017] [Revised: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/22/2017] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The organism Caenorhabditis elegans is a performant model system for studying human biological processes and diseases, but until now all phenome data are produced as population-averaged read-outs. Monitoring of individual responses to drug treatments would however be more informative. Here, a new strategy to track different phenotypic traits of individual C. elegans nematodes throughout their full life-cycle-i.e., embryonic and post-embryonic development, until adulthood onset, differently from life-span-is presented. In an automated fashion, single worms were synchronized, isolated, and cultured from egg to adulthood in a microfluidic device, where their identity was preserved during their whole development. Several phenotypes were monitored and quantified for each animal, resulting in high-content phenome data. Specifically, the method was validated by analyzing the response of C. elegans to doxycycline, an antibiotic fairly well-known to prolong the development and activate mitochondrial stress-response pathways in different species. Interestingly, the obtained extensive single-worm phenome not only confirmed the dramatic doxycycline effect on the worm developmental delay, but more importantly revealed subtle yet severe treatment-dependent phenotypes that are representative of minority subgroups and would have otherwise stayed hidden in an averaged dataset. Such heterogeneous response started during the embryonic development, which makes essential having a dedicated chip that allows including this early developmental stage in the drug assay. Our approach would therefore allow elucidating pharmaceutical or therapeutic responses that so far were still being overlooked.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cristina Letizia
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Laboratory of Microsystems, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Matteo Cornaglia
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Laboratory of Microsystems, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Raphaël Trouillon
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Laboratory of Microsystems, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Vincenzo Sorrentino
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Laboratory of Integrative Systems Physiology, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Laurent Mouchiroud
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Laboratory of Integrative Systems Physiology, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Maroun S. Bou Sleiman
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Laboratory of Integrative Systems Physiology, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Johan Auwerx
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Laboratory of Integrative Systems Physiology, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Martin A. M. Gijs
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Laboratory of Microsystems, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Classification and prediction of toxicity of chemicals using an automated phenotypic profiling of Caenorhabditis elegans. BMC Pharmacol Toxicol 2018; 19:18. [PMID: 29669598 PMCID: PMC5907177 DOI: 10.1186/s40360-018-0208-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Traditional toxicological studies have relied heavily on various animal models to understand the effect of various compounds in a biological context. Considering the great cost, complexity and time involved in experiments using higher order organisms. Researchers have been exploring alternative models that avoid these disadvantages. One example of such a model is the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. There are some advantages of C. elegans, such as small size, short life cycle, well defined genome, ease of maintenance and efficient reproduction. Methods As these benefits allow large scale studies to be initiated with relative ease, the problem of how to efficiently capture, organize and analyze the resulting large volumes of data must be addressed. We have developed a new method for quantitative screening of chemicals using C. elegans. 33 features were identified for each chemical treatment. Results The compounds with different toxicities were shown to alter the phenotypes of C. elegans in distinct and detectable patterns. We found that phenotypic profiling revealed conserved functions to classify and predict the toxicity of different chemicals. Conclusions Our results demonstrate the power of phenotypic profiling in C. elegans under different chemical environments. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s40360-018-0208-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Shen P, Yue Y, Zheng J, Park Y. Caenorhabditis elegans: A Convenient In Vivo Model for Assessing the Impact of Food Bioactive Compounds on Obesity, Aging, and Alzheimer's Disease. Annu Rev Food Sci Technol 2018; 9:1-22. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-food-030117-012709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peiyi Shen
- Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA
| | - Yiren Yue
- Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA
| | | | - Yeonhwa Park
- Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA
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Abstract
Systems biology is an approach to collect high-dimensional data and analyze in an integrated manner. As aging is a complicated physiological functional decline in biological system, the methods in systems biology could be utilized in aging studies. Here we reviewed recent advances in systems biology in aging research and divide them into two major parts. One is the data resource, which includes omics data from DNA, RNA, proteins, epigenetic changes, metabolisms, and recently single-cell-level variations. The other is the data analysis methods consisting of network and modeling approaches. With all the data and the tools to analyze them, we could further promote our understanding of the systematic aging.
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Lee MB, Kaeberlein M. Translational Geroscience: From invertebrate models to companion animal and human interventions. TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE OF AGING 2018; 2:15-29. [PMID: 32368707 PMCID: PMC7198054 DOI: 10.1016/j.tma.2018.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Translational geroscience is an interdisciplinary field descended from basic gerontology that seeks to identify, validate, and clinically apply interventions to maximize healthy, disease-free lifespan. In this review, we describe a research pipeline for the identification and validation of lifespan extending interventions. Beginning in invertebrate model systems, interventions are discovered and then characterized using other invertebrate model systems (evolutionary translation), models of genetic diversity, and disease models. Vertebrate model systems, particularly mice, can then be utilized to validate interventions in mammalian systems. Collaborative, multi-site efforts, like the Interventions Testing Program (ITP), provide a key resource to assess intervention robustness in genetically diverse mice. Mouse disease models provide a tool to understand the broader utility of longevity interventions. Beyond mouse models, we advocate for studies in companion pets. The Dog Aging Project is an exciting example of translating research in dogs, both to develop a model system and to extend their healthy lifespan as a goal in itself. Finally, we discuss proposed and ongoing intervention studies in humans, unmet needs for validating interventions in humans, and speculate on how differences in survival among human populations may influence intervention efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell B. Lee
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Matt Kaeberlein
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
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45
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Cornaglia M, Lehnert T, Gijs MAM. Microfluidic systems for high-throughput and high-content screening using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. LAB ON A CHIP 2017; 17:3736-3759. [PMID: 28840220 DOI: 10.1039/c7lc00509a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In a typical high-throughput drug screening (HTS) process, up to millions of chemical compounds are applied to cells cultured in well plates, aiming to find molecules that exhibit a robust dose-response, as evidenced for example by a fluorescence signal. In high-content screening (HCS), one goes a step further by linking the tested compounds to phenotypic information, obtained, for instance, from microscopic cell images, thereby creating richer data sets that also require more advanced analysis methods. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans came into the screening picture due to the wide availability of its mutants and human disease models, its relatively easy culture and short life cycle. Being a whole-organism model, it allows drug testing under physiological conditions at multi-tissue levels and provides additional observable phenotypes with respect to cell models, related, for instance, to development, aging, behavior or motility. Worm-based HTS studies in liquid environments on microwell plates have been demonstrated, while microfluidic devices allowed surpassing the performance of plates by enabling more versatile and accurate assays, precise and dynamic dosing of compounds, and readouts down to single-animal resolution. In this review, we discuss microfluidic devices for C. elegans analysis and related studies, published in the period from 2012 to 2017. After an introduction to the different screening approaches, we first focus on microfluidic systems with potential for screening applications. Various enabling technologies, e.g. electrophysiological on-chip recordings or laser axotomy, have been implemented, as well as techniques for reversible worm immobilization and high-resolution imaging, combined with algorithms for automated experimentation and analysis. Several devices for developmental or behavioral assays, and worm sorting based on different phenotypes, have been proposed too. In a subsequent section, we review the application of microfluidic-based systems for medium- and high-throughput screens, including neurobiology and neurodegeneration studies, aging and developmental assays, toxicity and pathogenesis screens, as well as behavioral and motility assays. A thorough analysis of this work reveals a trend towards microfluidic systems more and more capable of offering high-quality analyses of large worm populations, based on multi-phenotypic and/or longitudinal readouts, with clear potential for their application in larger HTS/HCS contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Cornaglia
- Laboratory of Microsystems, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland.
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46
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Geissmann Q, Garcia Rodriguez L, Beckwith EJ, French AS, Jamasb AR, Gilestro GF. Ethoscopes: An open platform for high-throughput ethomics. PLoS Biol 2017; 15:e2003026. [PMID: 29049280 PMCID: PMC5648103 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2003026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Here, we present the use of ethoscopes, which are machines for high-throughput analysis of behavior in Drosophila and other animals. Ethoscopes provide a software and hardware solution that is reproducible and easily scalable. They perform, in real-time, tracking and profiling of behavior by using a supervised machine learning algorithm, are able to deliver behaviorally triggered stimuli to flies in a feedback-loop mode, and are highly customizable and open source. Ethoscopes can be built easily by using 3D printing technology and rely on Raspberry Pi microcomputers and Arduino boards to provide affordable and flexible hardware. All software and construction specifications are available at http://lab.gilest.ro/ethoscope.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quentin Geissmann
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Esteban J. Beckwith
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alice S. French
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Arian R. Jamasb
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Giorgio F. Gilestro
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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47
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Chen W, Liao B, Li W, Dong X, Flavel M, Jois M, Li G, Xian B. Segmenting Microscopy Images of Multi-Well Plates Based on Image Contrast. MICROSCOPY AND MICROANALYSIS : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPY SOCIETY OF AMERICA, MICROBEAM ANALYSIS SOCIETY, MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 2017; 23:932-937. [PMID: 28712372 DOI: 10.1017/s1431927617012375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Image segmentation is a key process in analyzing biological images. However, it is difficult to detect the differences between foreground and background when the image is unevenly illuminated. The unambiguous segmenting of multi-well plate microscopy images with various uneven illuminations is a challenging problem. Currently, no publicly available method adequately solves these various problems in bright-field multi-well plate images. Here, we propose a new method based on contrast values which removes the need for illumination correction. The presented method is effective enough to distinguish foreground and therefore a model organism (Caenorhabditis elegans) from an unevenly illuminated microscope image. In addition, the method also can solve a variety of problems caused by different uneven illumination scenarios. By applying this methodology across a wide range of multi-well plate microscopy images, we show that our approach can consistently analyze images with uneven illuminations with unparalleled accuracy and successfully solve various problems associated with uneven illumination. It can be used to process the microscopy images captured from multi-well plates and detect experimental subjects from an unevenly illuminated background.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiyang Chen
- School of Information, Qilu University of Technology, Jinan 250353, China
| | - Bo Liao
- College of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Weiwei Li
- School of Information, Qilu University of Technology, Jinan 250353, China
| | - Xiangjun Dong
- School of Information, Qilu University of Technology, Jinan 250353, China
| | - Matthew Flavel
- School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia
| | - Markandeya Jois
- School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia
| | - Guojun Li
- Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control/Beijing Center of Preventive Medicine Research, Beijing 100013, China
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100086, China
| | - Bo Xian
- Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Max Planck Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
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48
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Shen P, Yue Y, Park Y. A living model for obesity and aging research:Caenorhabditis elegans. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2017; 58:741-754. [DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2016.1220914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peiyi Shen
- Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yiren Yue
- Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yeonhwa Park
- Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
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49
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Kinser HE, Pincus Z. High-throughput screening in the C. elegans nervous system. Mol Cell Neurosci 2017; 80:192-197. [PMID: 27265309 PMCID: PMC5136351 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2016.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2016] [Revised: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is widely used as a model organism in the field of neurobiology. The wiring of the C. elegans nervous system has been entirely mapped, and the animal's optical transparency allows for in vivo observation of neuronal activity. The nematode is also small in size, self-fertilizing, and inexpensive to cultivate and maintain, greatly lending to its utility as a whole-animal model for high-throughput screening (HTS) in the nervous system. However, the use of this organism in large-scale screens presents unique technical challenges, including reversible immobilization of the animal, parallel single-animal culture and containment, automation of laser surgery, and high-throughput image acquisition and phenotyping. These obstacles require significant modification of existing techniques and the creation of new C. elegans-based HTS platforms. In this review, we outline these challenges in detail and survey the novel technologies and methods that have been developed to address them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly E Kinser
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, United States
| | - Zachary Pincus
- Department of Developmental Biology, Department of Genetics, Washington University, St. Louis, United States
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50
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Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans is an important model organism with many useful features, including rapid development and aging, easy cultivation, and genetic tractability. Survival assays using C. elegans are powerful methods for studying physiological processes. In this review, we describe diverse types of C. elegans survival assays and discuss the aims, uses, and advantages of specific assays. C. elegans survival assays have played key roles in identifying novel genetic factors that regulate many aspects of animal physiology, such as aging and lifespan, stress response, and immunity against pathogens. Because many genetic factors discovered using C. elegans are evolutionarily conserved, survival assays can provide insights into mechanisms underlying physiological processes in mammals, including humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hae-Eun H. Park
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673,
Korea
| | - Yoonji Jung
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673,
Korea
| | - Seung-Jae V. Lee
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673,
Korea
- School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673,
Korea
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