Caenorhabditis elegans News and Research

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Caenorhabditis elegans is a free-living, transparent nematode (roundworm), about 1 mm in length, which lives in temperate soil environments.

Brain aging linked to neuronal hyperactivation, not decline, study finds

A study of nematodes by researchers at Nagoya University in Japan has found that aging-related decline in brain function is caused by the excessive activation of certain neurons over time, rather than a decline in neuronal activity.

13 Feb 2025

The X factor: Decoding brain aging differences between men and women

Researchers unveil how biological sex influences brain aging, revealing genetic, hormonal, and molecular mechanisms behind cognitive resilience and decline.

9 Jan 2025

Nuclear lipid droplets could play a key role in aging and disease

A new research perspective was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science) Volume 16, Issue 22 on December 9, 2024, entitled "Nuclear lipid droplets: a novel regulator of nuclear homeostasis and aging."

7 Jan 2025

Ketone body β-hydroxybutyrate restores protein balance and targets Alzheimer’s-linked aggregates

Scientists identify β-hydroxybutyrate as a key regulator of protein solubility, offering a novel pathway to combat neurodegeneration in aging and Alzheimer’s disease.

4 Dec 2024

Common plastic ingredient causes breaks in DNA strands and chromosome errors

A new study conducted in roundworms finds that a common plastic ingredient causes breaks in DNA strands, resulting in egg cells with the wrong number of chromosomes.

25 Oct 2024

Scientists reveal how miRNAs shape cancer and offer new paths for treatment

Review explores how microRNAs (miRNAs) interact in cancer development, their potential in diagnosis, and innovative therapeutic strategies, including overcoming chemotherapy resistance.

20 Oct 2024

New protein found to protect cells from age-related decline

McMaster University researchers have discovered a previously unknown cell-protecting function of a protein, which could open new avenues for treating age-related diseases and lead to healthier aging overall.

18 Oct 2024

Researchers unveil complete neuronal map of fruit fly brain

Researchers map the whole brain of Drosophila melanogaster, or the fruit fly, which comprises about 140,000 neurons and over 50 million synapses.

4 Oct 2024

Carotenoid phytoene shows potential in slowing Alzheimer’s plaque formation and increasing lifespan

Researchers from the Colour and Food Quality group at the Faculty of Pharmacy (University of Seville), in collaboration with Dr. Marina Ezcurra's group at the University of Kent (UK), have shown that the carotenoid phytoene increases the lifespan of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and can slow the onset of paralysis associated with the formation of amyloid plaques in a model of Alzheimer's disease.

26 Sep 2024

Scientists discover how a gut insulin antagonist controls fat loss in C. elegans by modulating brain signals

Researchers have identified an endogenous insulin antagonist, INS-7, in Caenorhabditis elegans that modulates fat loss by inhibiting a gut-to-brain signaling pathway involving the neuropeptide FLP-7.

27 Aug 2024

Gut molecule blocks fat burning during fasting in C. elegans

In a struggle that probably sounds familiar to dieters everywhere, the less a Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) worm eats, the more slowly it loses fat.

21 Aug 2024

Researchers identify key genetic players in dopamine signaling using transparent worms With The Help Of A Tin...

Dopamine, a powerful brain chemical and neurotransmitter, is a key regulator of many important functions such as attention, experiencing pleasure and reward, and coordinating movement.

12 Aug 2024

Can odors help fight infection? Nematode research suggests so

Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, used the nematode model Caenorhabditis elegans to determine whether the olfactory nervous system could non-autonomously control the mitochondrial unfolded protein response in response to cellular stress.

12 Aug 2024

Reduced folate intake enhances metabolic plasticity in aged mice

Folate fortification of staple foods has long been practiced in many countries.

6 Aug 2024

How random gene activity shapes lifespan in C. elegans

Why do some people live for longer than others? The genes in our DNA sequence are important, helping avoid disease or maintain general health, but differences in our genome sequence alone explain less than 30% of the natural variance of human life expectancy.

21 Jun 2024

Unraveling the role of MIR1 gene in Candida albicans virulence

This study is led by Professor Yan Wang (School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai, China). Her team found that the lack of MIR1 gene, which encodes mitochondrial phosphate carrier, can lead to severe virulence defects in Candida albicans.

22 May 2024

Boosting mitochondrial health can reverse protein clumping in aging and Alzheimer's

It has long been known that a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, and most other neurodegenerative diseases, is the clumping together of insoluble protein aggregates in the brain.

16 May 2024

Genes affecting worm behavior found to be relevant to neurological disease in humans

As an undergraduate student in The University of Texas at Arlington's Honors College, Hannah Selvarathinam knew she wanted to conduct research. Near the end of her first year at UTA, the Keller native reached out to the lab of biology Assistant Professor Piya Ghose.

30 Apr 2024

Whole-brain imaging data provides insights into roundworm neural activity

Joint research led by Yu Toyoshima and Yuichi Iino of the University of Tokyo has demonstrated individual differences in and successfully extracted commonalities from the whole-brain activity of roundworms.

15 Mar 2024

Researchers identify cold-sensing protein in mammals

University of Michigan researchers have identified the protein that enables mammals to sense cold, filling a long-standing knowledge gap in the field of sensory biology.

11 Mar 2024