Chapter title |
Whole-animal high-throughput screens: the C. elegans model.
|
---|---|
Chapter number | 5 |
Book title |
Cell-Based Assays for High-Throughput Screening
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Published in |
Methods in molecular biology, April 2009
|
DOI | 10.1007/978-1-60327-545-3_5 |
Pubmed ID | |
Book ISBNs |
978-1-60327-544-6, 978-1-60327-545-3
|
Authors |
O'Rourke EJ, Conery AL, Moy TI, Eyleen J. O’Rourke, Annie L. Conery, Terence I. Moy, O’Rourke, Eyleen J., Conery, Annie L., Moy, Terence I. |
Abstract |
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans shows a high degree of conservation of molecular pathways related to human disease, yet is only 1-mm long and can be considered as a microorganism. Because of the development of a simple but systematic RNA-interference (RNAi) methodology, C. elegans is the only metazoan in which the impact of "knocking-down" nearly every gene in the genome can be analyzed in a whole living animal. Both functional genomic studies and chemical screens can be carried out using C. elegans in vivo screens in a context that preserves intact cell-to-cell communication, neuroendocrine signaling, and every aspect of the animal's metabolism necessary to survive and reproduce in lab conditions. This feature enables studies that are impossible to undertake in cell-culture-based screens. Although genome-wide RNAi screens and limited small-molecule screens have been successfully performed in C. elegans, they are typically extremely labor-intensive. Furthermore, technical limitations have precluded quantitative measurements and time-resolved analyses.In this chapter, we provide detailed protocols to carry out automated high-throughput whole-animal RNAi and chemical screens. We describe methods to perform screens in solid and liquid media, in 96 and 384-well format, respectively. We describe the use of automated handling, sorting, and microscopy of worms. Finally, we give information about worm-adapted image analysis tools to quantify phenotypes. The technology presented here facilitates large-scale C. elegans genetic and chemical screens and it is expected to help shed light on relevant biological areas. |
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Chemistry | 1 | 2% |
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