• Molecules and Cells
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.452-457
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• 2005

The adaptor protein (AP) complexes are involved in membrane transport of many proteins. There are 3 AP complexes in C. elegans unlike mammals that have four. To study the biological functions of the AP-3 complexes of C. elegans, we sought homologues of the mouse and human genes that encode subunits of the AP-3 complexes by screening C. elegans genomic and EST sequences. We identified single copies of homologues of the ${\mu}3$, ${\sigma}3$, ${\beta}3$ and ${\delta}$ genes. The medium chain of AP-3 is encoded by a single gene in C. elegans but two different genes in mammals. Since there are no known mutations in these genes in C. elegans, we performed RNAi to assess their functions in development. RNAi of each of the genes caused embryonic and larval lethal phenotypes. APM-3 is expressed in most cells, particularly strongly in spermatheca and vulva. We conclude that the products of the C. elegans ${\mu}3$, ${\sigma}3$, ${\beta}3$ and d genes are essential for embryogenesis and larval development.

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

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

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.90-99
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• 2017

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.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Visualization
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.18-22
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• 2014

Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is an undulatory nematode which exhibits two distinct locomotion types of swimming and crawling. Although in its natural habitat C. elegans lives in a non-Newtonian fluidic environment, our current understanding has been limited to the behavior of C. elegans in a simple Newtonian fluid. Here, we present some experimental results on the penetrating behavior of C. elegans at the interface from liquid to solid environment. Once C. elegans, which otherwise swims freely in a liquid, makes a contact to the solid gel boundary, it begins to penetrate vertically to the surface by changing its stroke motion characterized by a stiffer body shape and a slow stroke frequency. The particle image velocimetry (PIV) analysis reveals the flow streamlines produced by the stroke of worm. For the worm that crawls on a solid surface, we utilize a technique of traction force microscopy (TFM) to find that the crawling nematode forms localized force islands along the body where makes direct contacts to the gel surface.

• BMB Reports
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.525-529
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• 1996

Ligand binding properties of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) were characterized by using filtration binding assays. Scatchard analysis using $[^{3}H]N-methylscopolamine$ ($[^{3}H]NMS$) showed that the dissociation constant ($K_d$) and the maximum binding value ($B_{max}$) were $3.3{\pm}0.8{\times}10^{10}$ M and $9.0{\pm}1.1$ fmol/mg protein, respectively. Binding competition experiments indicated that the affinities of C. elegans mAChRs to atropine, scopolamine, and oxotremorine were similar to those of mammalian mAChRs. Pirenzepine binding experiments revealed that the binding pattern of mAChRs in C. elegans closely resembled that of mAChRs in rat brain, suggesting that the receptors consist primarily of Ml subtype. The affinity of mAChRs for oxotrernorine was significantly affected by guanylylimidodiphosphate (Gpp(NH)p), a non hydrolyzable GTP analog, suggesting that mAChRs in C. elegans might be coupled to G proteins. The data presented here indicate the possibility that C. elegans provides a living animal model to study the action mode of the muscarinic cholinergic system.

• BMB Reports
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.81-92
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• 2016

Insulin/insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 signaling (IIS) pathway regulates aging in many organisms, ranging from simple invertebrates to mammals, including humans. Many seminal discoveries regarding the roles of IIS in aging and longevity have been made by using the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans and the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. In this review, we describe the mechanisms by which various IIS components regulate aging in C. elegans and D. melanogaster. We also cover systemic and tissue-specific effects of the IIS components on the regulation of lifespan. We further discuss IIS-mediated physiological processes other than aging and their effects on human disease models focusing on C. elegans studies. As both C. elegans and D. melanogaster have been essential for key findings regarding the effects of IIS on organismal aging in general, these invertebrate models will continue to serve as workhorses to help our understanding of mammalian aging.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.237-241
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• 2006

Chemotactic behavior is essential for the survival of animals. However, the mechanism by which animals carry out chemotaxis is poorly understood. To explore the biochemical events underlying chemotaxis, we isolated C. elegans mutants that displayed abnormal chemotactic responses to cAMP, a strong attractant for C. elegans. Based on their responses to other chemoattractants, the mutant animals could be classified into five groups: (1) animals with defective chemotaxis to cAMP only; (2) animals with defective chemotaxis to both cAMP and cGMP; (3) animals with defective chemotaxis to water-soluble attractants; (4) animals with defective chemotaxis to both water-soluble and volatile attractants; and (5) animals with enhanced chemotactic responses. We expect that analyses of these mutants will help understand the molecular mechanisms underlying chemotaxis in C. elegans.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.210-216
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• 2007

The backbone structure of ginsenosides, active ingredients of Panax ginseng, is similar with that of sterol, especially cholesterol. Caenorhabditis elegans (c. elegans) is one of free living nematodes and is well-established animal model for biochemical and genetic studies. C. elegans cannot synthesize de novo cholesterol, although cholesterol is essential requirement for its growth and development. In the present study, we investigated the effects of Korean red ginseng total extract (KRGE), ginseng total saponins (GTS) on life span of C. elegans in cholesterol-deprived and -fed medium. Cholesterol deprivation caused damages on life span of worms throughout F1 to F3 generations. KRGE or GTS supplement to cholesterol-deprived medium restored the life span of worms as much as cholesterol alone-fed medium. In study to identify which ginsenosides are responsible for life span restoring effects of KRGE, we found that ginsenoside Rc supplement not only restored life span of worms grown in cholesterol-deprived medium but also prolonged life span of worms grown in cholesterol-fed medium. These results show a possibility that ginsenosides could be utilized by C. elegans as a sterol substitute and further indicate that ginsenoside Rc is the effective component of Korean red ginseng that prolongs the life span of C. elegans.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.252-263
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• 2001

Nematode infections compromise human health and reduce agricultural productivtiy. Experiments that exploit the powerful molecular genetics of the free-living nematode Caenorhabdl - elegans have contributed to our understanding of how the major classes of anthelmintic nema-tocides kill worms and how worms might evolve resistance to these drugs In C. elegans, as in parasites, benzimidixoles interfere with microtubule polyumerization the imidazothiazoles/tetra-hydropyrimidines activate nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, and the macrocyclic la ctones activate qlutamate-gate chloride chanels. Mutant alleles of genes that encode drug targes often confer resistance in C. elegans. Preliminary evidence suggests that alleles of homologous genes in parasites will, in many cases, also play a role in resistance. Thus information acquired from C. elegans can be usefully applied to understand the mechanisms of drug sensitivity and the genetics of resis-tance in parasites.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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• 2003.05a
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• pp.146-147
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• 2003

The free-living nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) has been adopted as a multicellular biosensor of biological toxicity for alkylphenol, organotin compounds and heavy metals. To adopt as a biosensor, suitability to assess must be fulfilledthrough several criteria; the organism must be sensitive to the testing toxicants, easy to manage in the laboratory and available throughout the year. C. elegans widely used as a simple multicellular organism in developmental biology studies and satisfies all these criteria, and its culture conditions, developmental staging, anatomy and genetic properties are well defined. In addition, researchers can take advantage of the worm's short life cycle, low cost and little individual variation. Moreover, genomic sequencing of C. elegans has recently been completed. With these aspectsof the organism, C. elegans become a more potent model organism for basic and applied bioassays.