Zornig M et al. (1996) Oncogene "Zinc finger protein GFI-1 cooperates with myc and pim-1 in T-cell lymphomagenesis by reducing the requirements for IL-2."

Grzeschiczek A, Moroy T, Schmidt T, Karsunky H, Zornig M

[Oncogene, 1996]

The clonality of lymphomas that originate in myc/pim-1 bitransgenic mice due to synergistic action of both oncogenes indicates the requirement of additional events for progression to full malignancy. To isolate genes that cooperate with both myc and pim-1, we have used provirus tagging with E mu L-myc/pim-1 double transgenic mice. We find accelerated tumour formation in infected animals and show that the gfi-1 gene and neighbouring loci on mouse chromosome 5 are occupied by proviruses in about 53% of the tumours leading in all cases to high level gfi-1 expression. In agreement with data from Gilks et al. (1993) we find that forced expression of the gfi-1 encoded zinc finger protein in IL-2 dependent T-cells provokes increased survival upon IL-2 depletion and we present evidence that this occurs at least in part through stimulation of proliferation. Our data suggest that gfi-1 is a proto-oncogene cooperation with both myc and pim-1 genes in T-cell lymphomagenesis.

Forrester S et al. (2007) Foodborne Pathog Dis "Evaluation of the pathogenicity of Listeria spp. in Caenorhabditis elegans."

Forrester S, Milillo SR, Wiedmann M, Schwab U, Hoose WA

[Foodborne Pathog Dis, 2007]

Caenorhabditis has proven to be a useful model for studying host-pathogen interactions as well as the ability of nematodes to serve as vectors for the dispersal of foodborne pathogens. In this study, we evaluated whether C. elegans can serve as a host for Listeria spp. While there was an effect of growth media on C. elegans killing, C. elegans exposed to L. monocytogenes and L. innocua pregrown in Luria-Bertani medium showed reduced survival when compared to nonpathogenic E. coli OP50, while L. seeligeri showed survival similar to E. coli OP50. In a preference assay, C. elegans preferred E. coli over L. monocytogenes and L. innocua, but showed no preference between L. monocytogenes and L. innocua. A gentamicin assay indicated that L. monocytogenes did not persist within the C. elegans intestinal tract. Our findings that L. monocytogenes and L. innocua strains tested have equally deleterious effects on C. elegans and that L. monocytogenes did not establish intestinal infection conflict with other recently published results, which found intestinal infection and killing of C. elegans by L. monocytogenes. Further studies are thus needed to clarify the interactions between L. monocytogenes and C. elegans, including effects of environmental conditions and strain differences on killing and intestinal infection.

Abraham D et al. (1989) Am J Trop Med Hyg "Immunity to larval Brugia malayi in BALB/c mice: protective immunity and inhibition of larval development."

Grieve RB, Holy JM, Christensen BM, Abraham D

[Am J Trop Med Hyg, 1989]

The objective of this study was to analyze the immune response of mice to the larval stages of Brugia malayi. Male BALB/c mice were inoculated with 3 doses of irradiated third-stage larvae (L-3) of B. malayi and were subsequently challenged with L-3 implanted ip within diffusion chambers. After 3 weeks, larvae were recovered to determine their viability, length, and stage of development. A significant reduction in parasite survival was observed in immunized mice. Furthermore, larvae recovered from immunized mice were significantly shorter than larvae recovered from control mice. All larvae recovered from immunized mice were L-3, whereas 96% of larvae recovered from controls were fourth-stage larvae (L-4). Sera collected from control and immunized mice were tested for the presence of antibodies reactive with L-3 and L-4 antigens using an indirect fluorescent antibody assay employing frozen larval cross-sections as antigen. Sera recovered after challenge of control mice reacted with internal, but not surface, antigens of L-3 and L-4. Alternatively, sera from immunized mice reacted with both internal and external antigens of both L-3 and L-4.

Fasiuddin A et al. (2000) J Parasitol "Haemonchus contortus (Nematoda: Trichostrongylidae) is much more sensitive than Caenorhabditis elegans (Nematoda: Rhabditidae) to the ovicidal action of thiabendazole."

Campbell WC, Fasiuddin A

[J Parasitol, 2000]

When eggs of the trichostrongylid nematode Haemonchus contortus were exposed to thiabendazole, the concentration required to prevent hatching in 90% of the eggs (MIC90) was found to be 0.1 mu g/ ml (using 1% dimethylsulfoxide [DMSO] as solvent). In contrast, eggs of the free-living rhabditid nematode Caenorhabditis elegans hatched at normal rates at a concentration 200 times higher, i.e., 20 mu g/ml, and showed only a partial inhibitory effect at a concentration 1,200 times higher, i.e., 120 mu g/ml (in 3% DMSO). Because solubility limitations precluded the testing of higher concentrations of thiabendazole, a more soluble derivative, 5-([1-methylethoxyl carbonylamino)-2-(4-thiazloyl)-1H-benzimidazolyliminoacetic acid N,N-diethylethanamine salt, was rested against C. elegans eggs. The MIC90 was found to be 400 mu g/ml, and although the derivative was not tested against H. contortus eggs, this finding further suggests that C. elegans eggs have an exceptionally low degree of benzimidazole sensitivity.

Hu KJ et al. (1999) Nematology "Nematicidal metabolites produced by Photorhabdus luminescens (Enterobacteriaceae), bacterial symbiont of entomopathogenic nematodes."

Webster JM, Hu KJ, Li JX

[Nematology, 1999]

The secondary metabolites, 3,5-dihydroxy-4-isopropylstilbene (ST) and indole, from the culture filtrate of Photorhabdus luminescens MD, were shown to have nematicidal properties. ST caused nearly 100% mortality of 54 and adults of Aphelenchoides rhytium, Bursaphelenchus spp. and Caenorhabditis elegans at 100 mu g/ml, but had no effect on J2 of Meloidogyne incognita or infective juveniles (IJ) of Heterorhabditis megidis at 200 mu g/ml. Indole was lethal to several nematode species at 300 mu g/ml, and caused a high percentage of Bursaphelenchus spp. (54 and adults), M, incognita (J2) and Heterorhabditis spp. (IJ) to be paralysed at 300, 100 and 400 mu g/ml, respectively. Both ST and indole inhibited egg hatch of M, incognita. ST repelled IJ of some Steinernema spp. but not IJ of Heterorhabditis spp., and indole repelled IJ of some species of both Steinernema and Heterorhabditis. ST, but not indole, was produced in nematode-infected larval Galleria mellonella. after 24 h infection.

Sese BT et al. (2009) J Toxicol Environ Health A "Toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans."

Grant A, Sese BT, Reid BJ

[J Toxicol Environ Health A, 2009]

The presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the environment has attracted much concern owing to their mutagenic and carcinogenic properties. Regulatory authorities have favored the use of biological indicators as an essential means of assessing potential toxicity of environmental pollutants. This study aimed to assess the toxicity of acenaphthene, phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, and benzo[a]pyrene to Caenorhabditis elegans by measuring LC50 and EC50 values for growth and reproduction. The exposure to all chemicals was carried out in aqueous medium. All PAHs showed a low acute toxicity to C. elegans. There was no significant mortality in C. elegans after 24 h of exposure at PAH concentrations within (and indeed above) their respective solubility limits. Prolonged exposure (72 h) at high concentrations for acenaphthene (70,573 microg/L), phenanthrene (3758 microg/L), anthracene (1600 microg/L), fluoranthene (1955 microg/L), pyrene (1653 microg/L), and benzo[a]pyrene (80 microg/L) produced mortality. Results also showed that reproduction and growth were much more sensitive parameters of adverse response than lethality, and consequently may be more useful in assessing PAH toxicity using C. elegans. In comparison with previous studies, C. elegans was found to be approximately 2-fold less sensitive to acenaphthene, 5-fold less sensitive to phenanthrene, and 20-fold less sensitive to fluoranthene than Daphnia magna. However, the 48-h LC50 for benzo[a]pyrene (174 microg/L) reported in the present study with C. elegans was similar to that reported elsewhere for Daphnia magna (200 microg/L). Although C. elegans indicated greater sensitivity to benzo[a]pyrene than Artemia salina (174 microg/L vs. 10000 microg/L), the organism showed less sensitivity to pyrene (8 microg/L vs. 2418 microg/L), fluoranthene (40 microg/L vs. 2719 microg/L), and phenanthrene (677 microg/L vs. 4772 microg/L) than Artemia salina. Caenorhabditis elegans, while not the most sensitive of species for PAH toxicity assessment, may still hold applicability in screening of contaminated soils and sediments.

Park SM et al. (1994) Biochim Biophys Acta "Purification of Caenorhabditis elegans DNA topoisomerase I."

Koo H-S, Park SM

[Biochim Biophys Acta, 1994]

DNA topoisomerase I was partially purified from Caenorhabditis elegans worms. The enzyme is a 95 kDa polypeptide and its proteolytically degraded form of 70 kDa was also observed. The enzyme removed not only negative but also positive DNA supercoils. The optimum salt concentration for the DNA relaxation activity was 100 mM KCl, and divalent cations were not required but stimulated the activity. The DNA elaxation activity was weakly sensitive to 125 mu-M camptothecin but was completely inhibited by 125 mu-M berenil.

Manalo RVM et al. (2020) Pharm Biol "Caffeine reduces deficits in mechanosensation and locomotion induced by L-DOPA and protects dopaminergic neurons in a transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans model of Parkinson's disease."

Manalo RVM, Medina PMB

[Pharm Biol, 2020]

CONTEXT: L-DOPA is the first-line drug for Parkinson's disease (PD). However, chronic use can lead to dyskinesia. Caffeine, which is a known neuroprotectant, can potentially act as an adjunct to minimise adverse effects of L-DOPA. OBJECTIVES: (Rhabditidae) strain UA57 overexpressing tyrosine hydroxylase (CAT-2) when treated with caffeine, L-DOPA or their combinations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: =20). Meanwhile, mechanosensation and locomotion under vehicle (0.1% DMSO), L-DOPA (60mM), caffeine (10mM) or 60mM L-DOPA + 10 or 20mM caffeine (60LC10 and 60LC20) treatments were scored for 3days. RESULTS: Taken together, we show that caffeine can protect DAergic neurons and can reduce aberrant locomotion and loss of sensation when co-administered with L-DOPA, which can potentially impact PD treatment and warrants further investigation.

Tang D et al. (2024) Appl Microbiol Biotechnol "Effect of L-HSL on biofilm and motility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and its mechanism."

Liu Y, Li M, Tang D, Mao A, Xi Y, Lin Y, Yao H

[Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 2024]

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) biofilm formation is a crucial cause of enhanced antibiotic resistance. Quorum sensing (QS) is involved in regulating biofilm formation; QS inhibitors block the QS signaling pathway as a new strategy to address bacterial resistance. This study investigated the potential and mechanism of L-HSL (N-(3-cyclic butyrolactone)-4-trifluorophenylacetamide) as a QS inhibitor for P. aeruginosa. The results showed that L-HSL effectively inhibited the biofilm formation and dispersed the pre-formed biofilm of P. aeruginosa. The production of extracellular polysaccharides and the motility ability of P. aeruginosa were suppressed by L-HSL. C. elegans infection experiment showed that L-HSL was non-toxic and provided protection to C. elegans against P. aeruginosa infection. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that L-HSL downregulated genes related to QS pathways and biofilm formation. L-HSL exhibits a promising potential as a therapeutic drug for P. aeruginosa infection. KEY POINTS: • Chemical synthesis of N-(3-cyclic butyrolactone)-4-trifluorophenylacetamide, named L-HSL. • L-HSL does not generate survival pressure on the growth of P. aeruginosa and can inhibit the QS system. • KEGG enrichment analysis found that after L-HSL treatment, QS-related genes were downregulated.

Pohl C (2011) Commun Integr Biol "Left-right patterning in the C. elegans embryo: Unique mechanisms and common principles."

Pohl C

[Commun Integr Biol, 2011]

The development of bilateral symmetry during the evolution of species probably 600 million years ago brought about several important innovations: It fostered efficient locomotion, streamlining and favored the development of a central nervous system through cephalization. However, to increase their functional capacities, many organisms exhibit chirality by breaking their superficial left-right (l-r) symmetry, which manifests in the lateralization of the nervous system or the l-r asymmetry of internal organs. In most bilateria, the mechanisms that maintain consistent l-r asymmetry throughout development are poorly understood. This review highlights insights into mechanisms that couple early embryonic l-r symmetry breaking to subsequent l-r patterning in the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans. A recently identified strategy for l-r patterning in the early C. elegans embryo is discussed, the spatial separation of midline and anteroposterior axis, which relies on a rotational cellular rearrangement and non-canonical Wnt signaling. Evidence for a general relevance of rotational/torsional rearrangements during organismal l-r patterning and for non-canonical Wnt signaling/planar cell polarity as a common signaling mechanism to maintain l-r asymmetry is presented.