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Ma L, Li X, Liu C, Yan W, Ma J, Petersen RB, Peng A, Huang K. Modelling Parkinson's Disease in C. elegans: Strengths and Limitations. Curr Pharm Des 2022; 28:3033-3048. [PMID: 36111767 DOI: 10.2174/1381612828666220915103502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease that affects the motor system and progressively worsens with age. Current treatment options for PD mainly target symptoms, due to our limited understanding of the etiology and pathophysiology of PD. A variety of preclinical models have been developed to study different aspects of the disease. The models have been used to elucidate the pathogenesis and for testing new treatments. These models include cell models, non-mammalian models, rodent models, and non-human primate models. Over the past few decades, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) has been widely adopted as a model system due to its small size, transparent body, short generation time and life cycle, fully sequenced genome, the tractability of genetic manipulation and suitability for large scale screening for disease modifiers. Here, we review studies using C. elegans as a model for PD and highlight the strengths and limitations of the C. elegans model. Various C. elegans PD models, including neurotoxin-induced models and genetic models, are described in detail. Moreover, met.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Ma
- Department of Pharmacy, Wuhan Mental Health Center, Wuhan, China.,Department of Pharmacy, Wuhan Hospital for Psychotherapy, Wuhan, China
| | - Xi Li
- Tongji School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Chengyu Liu
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Wuhan Hospital of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Wanyao Yan
- Department of Pharmacy, Wuhan Fourth Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jinlu Ma
- Human Resources Department, Wuhan Mental Health Center, Wuhan, China.,Human Resources Department, Wuhan Hospital for Psychotherapy, Wuhan, China
| | - Robert B Petersen
- Foundational Sciences, Central Michigan University College of Medicine, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA
| | - Anlin Peng
- Department of Pharmacy, The Third Hospital of Wuhan, Tongren Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Kun Huang
- Tongji School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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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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Mojena-Medina D, Martínez-Hernández M, de la Fuente M, García-Isla G, Posada J, Jorcano JL, Acedo P. Design, Implementation, and Validation of a Piezoelectric Device to Study the Effects of Dynamic Mechanical Stimulation on Cell Proliferation, Migration and Morphology. SENSORS 2020; 20:s20072155. [PMID: 32290334 PMCID: PMC7180771 DOI: 10.3390/s20072155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 04/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cell functions and behavior are regulated not only by soluble (biochemical) signals but also by biophysical and mechanical cues within the cells' microenvironment. Thanks to the dynamical and complex cell machinery, cells are genuine and effective mechanotransducers translating mechanical stimuli into biochemical signals, which eventually alter multiple aspects of their own homeostasis. Given the dominant and classic biochemical-based views to explain biological processes, it could be challenging to elucidate the key role that mechanical parameters such as vibration, frequency, and force play in biology. Gaining a better understanding of how mechanical stimuli (and their mechanical parameters associated) affect biological outcomes relies partially on the availability of experimental tools that may allow researchers to alter mechanically the cell's microenvironment and observe cell responses. Here, we introduce a new device to study in vitro responses of cells to dynamic mechanical stimulation using a piezoelectric membrane. Using this device, we can flexibly change the parameters of the dynamic mechanical stimulation (frequency, amplitude, and duration of the stimuli), which increases the possibility to study the cell behavior under different mechanical excitations. We report on the design and implementation of such device and the characterization of its dynamic mechanical properties. By using this device, we have performed a preliminary study on the effect of dynamic mechanical stimulation in a cell monolayer of an epidermal cell line (HaCaT) studying the effects of 1 Hz and 80 Hz excitation frequencies (in the dynamic stimuli) on HaCaT cell migration, proliferation, and morphology. Our preliminary results indicate that the response of HaCaT is dependent on the frequency of stimulation. The device is economic, easily replicated in other laboratories and can support research for a better understanding of mechanisms mediating cellular mechanotransduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dahiana Mojena-Medina
- Department of Electronics Technology, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 28911 Madrid, Spain; (J.P.); (P.A.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Marina Martínez-Hernández
- Department of Bioengineering and Aerospace Engineering, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 28911 Madrid, Spain; (M.M.-H.); (M.d.l.F.); (G.G.-I.); (J.L.J.)
| | - Miguel de la Fuente
- Department of Bioengineering and Aerospace Engineering, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 28911 Madrid, Spain; (M.M.-H.); (M.d.l.F.); (G.G.-I.); (J.L.J.)
| | - Guadalupe García-Isla
- Department of Bioengineering and Aerospace Engineering, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 28911 Madrid, Spain; (M.M.-H.); (M.d.l.F.); (G.G.-I.); (J.L.J.)
| | - Julio Posada
- Department of Electronics Technology, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 28911 Madrid, Spain; (J.P.); (P.A.)
| | - José Luis Jorcano
- Department of Bioengineering and Aerospace Engineering, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 28911 Madrid, Spain; (M.M.-H.); (M.d.l.F.); (G.G.-I.); (J.L.J.)
| | - Pablo Acedo
- Department of Electronics Technology, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 28911 Madrid, Spain; (J.P.); (P.A.)
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Growth and Activity of Caenorhabditis elegans Exposed to Mechanical Vibration During the Embryonic Period. BIOTECHNOL BIOPROC E 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s12257-019-0433-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Park JS, Oh G, Kim J, Park EY, Shin JH. Reversible Thermal Gradient Device to Control Biased Thermotactic Response of C. elegans. ANAL SCI 2019; 35:1367-1373. [PMID: 31474659 DOI: 10.2116/analsci.19p194] [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] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
C. elegans exhibits a directional migration toward a remembered temperature setpoint (Ts) by activating thermo-sensorimotor neurons. While cryophilic thermotaxis is well reproduced, thermophilic thermotaxis requires very stringent temperature regulations - otherwise, worms exhibit random migration in colder side of Ts. Here, we introduce a thermal stimulus device developed to control worms with different thermotactic behaviors on both colder and warmer sides of the Ts. On a linear gradient, the worm population displayed a Gaussian distribution near Ts but in a skewed shape with a peak shifted to the colder side due to their atactic motion in colder temperature than Ts. By repetitive application of thermal gradient-reversals, we found that their population density became higher near Ts because the speed at which the worms accumulate toward Ts was much faster than that of the dispersion by diffusion to the cold side, resulting in forced aggregation of worms at the desired temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Sung Park
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
| | - Geunseob Oh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
| | - Jiwon Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
| | - Eun Young Park
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
| | - Jennifer H Shin
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
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How Caenorhabditis elegans Senses Mechanical Stress, Temperature, and Other Physical Stimuli. Genetics 2019; 212:25-51. [PMID: 31053616 PMCID: PMC6499529 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.118.300241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans lives in a complex habitat in which they routinely experience large fluctuations in temperature, and encounter physical obstacles that vary in size and composition. Their habitat is shared by other nematodes, by beneficial and harmful bacteria, and nematode-trapping fungi. Not surprisingly, these nematodes can detect and discriminate among diverse environmental cues, and exhibit sensory-evoked behaviors that are readily quantifiable in the laboratory at high resolution. Their ability to perform these behaviors depends on <100 sensory neurons, and this compact sensory nervous system together with powerful molecular genetic tools has allowed individual neuron types to be linked to specific sensory responses. Here, we describe the sensory neurons and molecules that enable C. elegans to sense and respond to physical stimuli. We focus primarily on the pathways that allow sensation of mechanical and thermal stimuli, and briefly consider this animal’s ability to sense magnetic and electrical fields, light, and relative humidity. As the study of sensory transduction is critically dependent upon the techniques for stimulus delivery, we also include a section on appropriate laboratory methods for such studies. This chapter summarizes current knowledge about the sensitivity and response dynamics of individual classes of C. elegans mechano- and thermosensory neurons from in vivo calcium imaging and whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology studies. We also describe the roles of conserved molecules and signaling pathways in mediating the remarkably sensitive responses of these nematodes to mechanical and thermal cues. These studies have shown that the protein partners that form mechanotransduction channels are drawn from multiple superfamilies of ion channel proteins, and that signal transduction pathways responsible for temperature sensing in C. elegans share many features with those responsible for phototransduction in vertebrates.
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Holbrook RI, Mortimer B. Vibration sensitivity found in Caenorhabditis elegans. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:jeb.178947. [PMID: 29903836 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.178947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Mechanical sensing is important for all organisms, but is the least understood of the senses. As mechanical stimuli come in diverse forms, organisms often have sensors or sensory systems that specialise in a form of mechanical stimuli, such as touch or vibration. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans exhibits a behavioural response to vibration that is distinct from its responses to touch. We show that wild-type strain worms respond to sustained low-frequency vibration in a manner distinct from the known responses to non-localised mechanical stimuli. Furthermore, the behavioural responses of mutant strains suggest different roles for ciliated versus non-ciliated neurons in mediating the response. Although further study is required to identify the vibration-sensing pathway, our data support that C. elegans can sense substrate-borne vibrations using cells distinct from those used in gentle touch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert I Holbrook
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.,School of Computing, Faculty of Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Beth Mortimer
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK .,Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
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Liu M, Sharma AK, Shaevitz JW, Leifer AM. Temporal processing and context dependency in Caenorhabditis elegans response to mechanosensation. eLife 2018; 7:e36419. [PMID: 29943731 PMCID: PMC6054533 DOI: 10.7554/elife.36419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A quantitative understanding of how sensory signals are transformed into motor outputs places useful constraints on brain function and helps to reveal the brain's underlying computations. We investigate how the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans responds to time-varying mechanosensory signals using a high-throughput optogenetic assay and automated behavior quantification. We find that the behavioral response is tuned to temporal properties of mechanosensory signals, such as their integral and derivative, that extend over many seconds. Mechanosensory signals, even in the same neurons, can be tailored to elicit different behavioral responses. Moreover, we find that the animal's response also depends on its behavioral context. Most dramatically, the animal ignores all tested mechanosensory stimuli during turns. Finally, we present a linear-nonlinear model that predicts the animal's behavioral response to stimulus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mochi Liu
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative GenomicsPrinceton UniversityNew JerseyUnited States
| | - Anuj K Sharma
- Department of PhysicsPrinceton UniversityNew JerseyUnited States
| | - Joshua W Shaevitz
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative GenomicsPrinceton UniversityNew JerseyUnited States
- Department of PhysicsPrinceton UniversityNew JerseyUnited States
| | - Andrew M Leifer
- Department of PhysicsPrinceton UniversityNew JerseyUnited States
- Princeton Neuroscience InstitutePrinceton UniversityNew JerseyUnited States
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Sugi T, Igarashi R, Nishimura M. Noninvasive Mechanochemical Imaging in Unconstrained Caenorhabditis elegans. MATERIALS 2018; 11:ma11061034. [PMID: 29921777 PMCID: PMC6025516 DOI: 10.3390/ma11061034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Revised: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Physical forces are transduced into chemical reactions, thereby ultimately making a large impact on the whole-animal level phenotypes such as homeostasis, development and behavior. To understand mechano-chemical transduction, mechanical input should be quantitatively delivered with controllable vibration properties⁻frequency, amplitude and duration, and its chemical output should be noninvasively quantified in an unconstrained animal. However, such an experimental system has not been established so far. Here, we develop a noninvasive and unconstrained mechanochemical imaging microscopy. This microscopy enables us to evoke nano-scale nonlocalized vibrations with controllable vibration properties using a piezoelectric acoustic transducer system and quantify calcium response of a freely moving C. elegans at a single cell resolution. Using this microscopy, we clearly detected the calcium response of a single interneuron during C. elegans escape response to nano-scale vibration. Thus, this microscopy will facilitate understanding of in vivo mechanochemical physiology in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuma Sugi
- Molecular Neuroscience Research Center, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga 520-2192, Japan.
- PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan.
| | - Ryuji Igarashi
- PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan.
- QST Future Laboratory, National Institute for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Anagawa 4-9-1, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555, Japan.
- Department of Molecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan.
| | - Masaki Nishimura
- Molecular Neuroscience Research Center, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga 520-2192, Japan.
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Yoon S, Piao H, Jeon TJ, Kim SM. Microfluidic Platform for Analyzing the Thermotaxis of C. elegans in a Linear Temperature Gradient. ANAL SCI 2017; 33:1435-1440. [PMID: 29225236 DOI: 10.2116/analsci.33.1435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), which shares a considerable amount of characteristics with human genes is one of the important model organisms for the study of behavioral responses. Thermotaxis is a representative behavior response of C. elegans; C. elegans stores the cultivation temperature in thermosensory neurons and moves to the cultivation temperature region in a temperature variation. In this study, we developed a microfluidic system for effective thermotaxis analysis of C. elegans. The microfluidic channel was fabricated using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) by soft lithography process. The temperature gradient (15 - 20°C) was generated in the microchannel and controlled by Peltier modules attached to the bottom of the channel. The thermotaxis of wild type (N2), tax-4(p678) and ttx-7(nj50) mutants were effectively analyzed using this microfluidic system. We believe that this system can be employed as a basic platform for studying the neural circuit of C. elegans responding to external stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunhee Yoon
- Department of Biological Engineering, Inha University.,WCSL of Integrated Human Airway-on-a-Chip, Inha University
| | - Hailing Piao
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Inha University
| | - Tae-Joon Jeon
- Department of Biological Engineering, Inha University.,WCSL of Integrated Human Airway-on-a-Chip, Inha University
| | - Sun Min Kim
- WCSL of Integrated Human Airway-on-a-Chip, Inha University.,Department of Mechanical Engineering, Inha University
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McClanahan PD, Xu JH, Fang-Yen C. Comparing Caenorhabditis elegans gentle and harsh touch response behavior using a multiplexed hydraulic microfluidic device. Integr Biol (Camb) 2017; 9:800-809. [PMID: 28914311 PMCID: PMC5645015 DOI: 10.1039/c7ib00120g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans is an important model system for understanding the genetics and physiology of touch. Classical assays for C. elegans touch, which involve manually touching the animal with a probe and observing its response, are limited by their low throughput and qualitative nature. We developed a microfluidic device in which several dozen animals are subject to spatially localized mechanical stimuli with variable amplitude. The device contains 64 sinusoidal channels through which worms crawl, and hydraulic valves that deliver touch stimuli to the worms. We used this assay to characterize the behavioral responses to gentle touch stimuli and the less well studied harsh (nociceptive) touch stimuli. First, we measured the relative response thresholds of gentle and harsh touch. Next, we quantified differences in the receptive fields between wild type worms and a mutant with non-functioning posterior touch receptor neurons. We showed that under gentle touch the receptive field of the anterior touch receptor neurons extends into the posterior half of the body. Finally, we found that the behavioral response to gentle touch does not depend on the locomotion of the animal immediately prior to the stimulus, but does depend on the location of the previous touch. Responses to harsh touch, on the other hand, did not depend on either previous velocity or stimulus location. Differences in gentle and harsh touch response characteristics may reflect the different innervation of the respective mechanosensory cells. Our assay will facilitate studies of mechanosensation, sensory adaptation, and nociception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick D McClanahan
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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