A C. elegans Screening Platform for the Rapid Assessment of Chemical Disruption of Germline Function

BACKGROUND Despite the developmental impact of chromosome segregation errors, we lack the tools to assess environmental effects on the integrity of the germline in animals. OBJECTIVES We developed an assay in Caenorhabditis elegans that fluorescently marks aneuploid embryos after chemical exposure. METHODS We qualified the predictive value of the assay against chemotherapeutic agents as well as environmental compounds from the ToxCast Phase I library by comparing results from the C. elegans assay with the comprehensive mammalian in vivo end point data from the ToxRef database. RESULTS The assay was highly predictive of mammalian reproductive toxicities, with a 69% maximum balanced accuracy. We confirmed the effect of select compounds on germline integrity by monitoring germline apoptosis and meiotic progression. CONCLUSIONS This C. elegans assay provides a comprehensive strategy for assessing environmental effects on germline function.