Phenotypic and behavioral defects induced by iron exposure can be transferred to progeny in Caenorhabditis elegans / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Previous work has showed that excess iron accumulation is harmful to reproduction and even promotes death; however, whether the multiple biological toxicity of iron (Fe) exposure could be transferred to progeny remains unknown. The present study used Caenorhabditis elegans to analyze the multiple toxicities of iron exposure and their possible transferable properties.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Three concentrations of iron sulfate solution (2.5 micromol/L, 75 micromol/L, and 200 micromol/L) were used. The endpoints of lifespan, body size, generation time, brood size, head thrash and body bend frequencies, and chemotaxis plasticity were selected to investigate Fe toxicity and its effect on progeny in Caenorhabditis elegans.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The Fe toxicity could cause multiple biological defects in a dose-dependent manner by affecting different endpoints in nematodes. Most of the multiple biological defects and behavior toxicities could be transferred from Fe-exposed Caenorhabditis elegans to their progeny. Compared to the parents, no recovery phenotypes were observed for some of the defects in the progeny, such as body bend frequency and life span. We further summarized the defects caused by Fe exposure into 2 groups according to their transferable properties.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Our results suggest that Fe exposure could cause multiple biological defects, and most of these severe defects could be transferred from Fe exposed nematodes to their progeny.</p>

Computational analysis of genetic loci required for amphid structure and functions and their possibly corresponding microRNAs in C. elegans / 神经科学通报·英文版

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To examine the important roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in regulating amphid structure and function, we performed a computational analysis for the genetic loci required for the sensory perception and their possibly corresponding miRNAs in C. elegans.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Total 55 genetic loci required for the amphid structure and function were selected. Sequence alignment was combined with E value evaluation to investigate and identify the possible corresponding miRNAs.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Total 30 genes among the 55 genetic loci selected have their possible corresponding regulatory miRNA (s), and identified genes participate in the regulation of almost all aspects of amphid structure and function. In addition, our data suggest that both the amphid structure and the amphid functions might be regulated by a series of network signaling pathways. Moreover, the distribution of miRNAs along the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of these 30 genes exhibits different patterns.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>We present the possible miRNA-mediated signaling pathways involved in the regulation of chemosensation and thermosensation by controlling the corresponding sensory neuron and interneuron functions. Our work will be useful for better understanding of the miRNA-mediated control of the chemotaxis and thermotaxis in C. elegans.</p>