The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is now a major model organism in biology. The choice of Sydney Brenner to adopt this species in the mid-1960s and the success of his team in raising it to a model organism status have been told (http://www.wormbook.org/toc_wormhistory.html; Brenner, 2001; Ankeny, 2001). Here we review the pre-Brenner history of the use of free-living nematodes as models for g...

C. elegans represents a favorable system to study the extraordinarily complicated process of eukaryotic protein synthesis, which involves over 100 RNAs and over 200 polypeptides just for the core machinery. Initial research in protein synthesis relied on fractionated mammalian and plant systems, but in the mid-1970s, the powerful genetics of Saccharomyces cerevisiae began to yield new insights ...

The genetically tractable model host Caenorhabditis elegans provides a valuable tool to dissect host-microbe interactions in vivo. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus utilize virulence factors involved in human disease to infect and kill C. elegans. Despite much progress, virtually nothing is known regarding the cytopathology of infection and the proximate causes of nematode death....

Axon regeneration is a medically relevant process that can repair damaged neurons. This review describes current progress in understanding axon regeneration in the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. Factors that regulate axon regeneration in C. elegans have broadly similar roles in vertebrate neurons. This means that using C. elegans as a tool to leverage discovery is a legitimate strategy ...

An understanding of evolution at the molecular level requires the simultaneous consideration of the 5 fundamental evolutionary processes: mutation, recombination, natural selection, genetic drift, and population dynamic effects. Experimental, comparative genomic, and population genetic work in C. elegans has greatly expanded our understanding of these core processes, as well as of C. elegans bi...

Although there are several nuisance species of serpulids reported worldwide, the present study shows that some them have been overlooked even in geographic areas considered well studied. We report for first time Majorca invasive Ficopomatus enigmaticus and records Balearic Islands also non-native Hydroides dianthus, H. dirampha, elegans nigra. The most abundant were F. enigmaticus, found at hig...

Biofilm forming pathogens are among the major causes of hospital-acquired infections and not much affected by antibiotic treatment. Consequently, novel agents therapeutics required urgently that possess antibacterial antibiofilm activities. This study analyzed two bacteriocins from Lactobacillus plantarum subsp. argentoratensis SJ33 strain for their activity as well cytotoxic properties. BacF1 ...

Caenorhabditis elegans is a rhabditid nematode. What relevance does this have for the interpretation of the complete genome sequence, and how will it affect the exploitation of the sequence for scientific and social ends? Nematodes are only distantly related to humans and other animal groups; will this limit the universality of the C. elegans story? Many nematodes are parasites; can knowledge o...

Background: The novel ubiquitin-like modifier (UBL) Ufm1 has essential functions in mammalian embryonic development. Results: The Ufm1-cascade in Caenorhabditis elegans is required for normal growth and development and is involved in cellular stress response. Conclusions: The C. elegans Ufm1-cascade is an antagonist of the unfolded protein response Significance: The C. elegans Ufm1-cascade offe...

s. Vaccaro A, Kabashi E, Patten K, Aggad D, Drapeau P, Parker JA, Drug Discovery for ALS, ALS Association USA, 2012, Washington, DC, USA. Vaccaro A, Kabashi E, Patten K, Aggad D, Drapeau P, Parker JA. Chemical genetic screens for in vivo TDP-43 modifiers and ALS drug discovery. 22nd International symposium on ALS/MND, 2011. Sydney, Australia Vaccaro A, Tauffenberger A, Parker JA. Development of...