• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.21 no.4 s.55
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• pp.323-330
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• 2006

The aim of current study was to evaluate the toxicity of nonylphenol(NP) on soil nematode, Caenorhabditi elegans. The stress-related gene expression, growth, reproduction and development have been employed to monitor soil toxicity. The 24-h median effect concentrations $(LC_{50s})$ of NP was $0.15mg/L$. The expressions of vitellogenin-6, vitellogenin-2, cytochrome P450 family protein 35a2 and apoptosis enhancer-1 genes were upregulated in C. elegans by NP exposure. Alterations in growth, reproduction and development were also observed in NP-exposed group and especially hatching failure was observed. The overall results indicate that C. elegans has considerable potential as sensitive markers for NP toxicity monitoring.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.54-59
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• 2006

The toxicity of cadmium on Caenorhabditis elegans was investigated to identify sensitive biomarkers for environmental monitoring and risk assessment. Stress-related gene expression were estimated as toxic endpoints Cadmium exposure led to an increase in the expression of most of the genes tested. The degree of increase was more significant in heat shock protein-16.1, metallothionein-2, cytochrome p450 family protein 35A2, glutathione S-transferase-4, superoxide dismutase-1, catalase-2, C. elegans p53-like protein-1, and apoptosis enhancer-1 than in other genes. The overall results indicate that the stress-related gene expressions of C. elegans have considerable potential as sensitive biomarkers for cadmium toxicity monitoring and risk assessment.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.44 no.7
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• pp.425-432
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• 2021

Aging is associated with functional and structural declines in organisms over time. Organisms as diverse as the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and mammals share signaling pathways that regulate aging and lifespan. In this review, we discuss recent combinatorial approach to aging research employing C. elegans and mammalian systems that have contributed to our understanding of evolutionarily conserved aging-regulating pathways. The topics covered here include insulin/IGF-1, mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), and sirtuin signaling pathways; dietary restriction; autophagy; mitochondria; and the nervous system. A combinatorial approach employing high-throughput, rapid C. elegans systems, and human model mammalian systems is likely to continue providing mechanistic insights into aging biology and will help develop therapeutics against age-associated disorders.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.379-385
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• 2019

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) comprise various RNA species, including small ncRNAs and long ncRNAs (lncRNAs). ncRNAs regulate various cellular processes, including transcription and translation of target messenger RNAs. Recent studies also indicate that ncRNAs affect organismal aging and conversely aging influences ncRNA levels. In this review, we discuss our current understanding of the roles of ncRNAs in aging and longevity, focusing on recent advances using the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans. Expression of various ncRNAs, including microRNA (miRNA), tRNA-derived small RNA (tsRNA), ribosomal RNA (rRNA), PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA), circular RNA (circRNA), and lncRNA, is altered during aging in C. elegans. Genetic modulation of specific ncRNAs affects longevity and aging rates by modulating established aging-regulating protein factors. Because many aging-regulating mechanisms in C. elegans are evolutionarily conserved, these studies will provide key information regarding how ncRNAs modulate aging and lifespan in complex organisms, including mammals.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.45 no.11
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• pp.763-770
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• 2022

Caenorhabditis elegans has been used as a major model organism to identify genetic factors that regulate organismal aging and longevity. Insulin/insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) signaling (IIS) regulates aging in many species, ranging from nematodes to humans. C. elegans is a nonpathogenic genetic nematode model, which has been extensively utilized to identify molecular and cellular components that function in organismal aging and longevity. Here, we review the recent progress in the role of IIS in aging and longevity, which involves direct regulation of protein and RNA homeostasis, stress resistance, metabolism and the activities of the endocrine system. We also discuss recently identified genetic factors that interact with canonical IIS components to regulate aging and health span in C. elegans. We expect this review to provide valuable insights into understanding animal aging, which could eventually help develop anti-aging drugs for humans.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.66-71
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• 2023

Ethyl acetate (EA) soluble fraction of the Berberis amurensis (Berberidaceae) methanol extract showed the potent DPPH radical scavenging activity through Caenorhabditis elegans model system. The EA fraction was measured for the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and oxidative stress tolerance by using C. elegans along with reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. In addition, SOD-3 expression was conducted using a transgenic strain (CF1553) to confirm that the regulation of the stress response gene is responsible for the increased stress tolerance of C. elegans treated by the EA fraction. As a result, the EA soluble fraction of B. amurensis increased SOD and catalase activity, and decreased ROS accumulation in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the EA fraction-treated CF1553 worm showed higher SOD-3::GFP intensity than the control worm.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.131-138
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• 2011

Some computational approaches are needed for clarifying RNAi sequences, because it takes much time and endeavor that almost of RNAi sequences are verified by experimental data. Incorrectness of RNAi mechanism and other unaware factors in organism system are frequently faced with questions regarding potential use of RNAi as therapeutic applications. Our massive parallelized pair alignment scoring between dsRNA in Genebank and expressed sequence tags (ESTs) in Caenorhabditis elegans Genome Sequencing Projects revealed that this provides a useful tool for the prediction of RNAi induced cosuppression details for practical use. This pair alignment scoring method using high performance computing exhibited some possibility that numerous unwanted gene silencing and cosuppression exist even at high matching scores each other. The classifying the relative higher matching score of them based on GO (Gene Ontology) system could present mapping dsRNA of C. elegans and functional roles in an applied system. Our prediction also exhibited that more than 78% of the predicted co-suppressible genes are located in the ribosomal spot of C. elegans.

• 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.

• 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.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.299-304
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• 2019

In order to research the anti-oxidative activity of methanol extract of Phellinus baumii Pilat (Hymenochaetaceae), Caenorhabditis elegans model system was used. Ethyl acetate soluble fraction of the methanol extract showed the most potent DPPH radical scavenging activity. The ethyl acetate fraction was measured on its activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and oxidative stress tolerance with reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in C. elegans. Furthermore, to see if regulation of stress-response gene is responsible for the increased stress tolerance of C. elegans which treated by the ethyl acetate fraction, we checked SOD-3 expression using a transgenic strain. Consequently, the ethyl acetate fraction of P. baumii increased SOD and the catalase activities in a dose-dependent manner in C. elegans, reduced ROS accumulation dose-dependently. Besides, the ethyl acetate fraction-treated CF1553 worms showed higher SOD-3::GFP intensity than the control worms.