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Network analysis in aged C. elegans reveals candidate regulatory genes of ageing
In this paper by Aktypi et al (2021), the authors used a novel approach that revealed candidates which were never been linked to ageing before, thus suggesting promising potential targets/ageing regulators. More specifically, they have combined microarray gene expression profiling of the wild type animals during ageing with network analysis of the differentially expressed genes to detect regulatory genes that have importance in C. elegans ageing, an approach that has not been applied before for the detection of ageing regulators.
Reference:
Aktypi, F. et al. (2021) Network analysis in aged C. elegans reveals candidate regulatory genes of ageing. Biogerontology. (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10522-021-09920-3)
let-7 microRNA absent in many Caenorhabditis nematodes
A recent paper by Nelson and Ambros [1] reports that let-7 heterochronic microRNA is absent in Caenorhabditis species of the japonica group. Research in C. elegans has shown that let-7 plays an essential role during larval to adult transition and mutations in let-7 cause lethality. Authors used one species of the japonica group, C. sulstoni, to further investigate microRNA gene regulatory network. The results revealed that the loss of let-7 function in this species is compensated by other let-7 family members, i.e., miR-48, miR- 84, and miR-241.
Considering that let-7 is highly conserved across bilaterians [2], the results presented in this paper are exciting. However, more work is needed to understand the basis of such an evolutionary change and other potential changes in microRNA-mediated processes.
Reference:
1. Nelson C. and Ambros V. (2021). A cohort of Caenorhabditis species lacking the highly conserved let-7 microRNA. G3, 11(3), jkab022. DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab022.
2. Pasquinelli A.E. et al. (2000). Conservation of the sequence and temporal expression of let-7 heterochronic regulatory RNA. Nature. 408:86–89.
C. elegans provide milk to their offsprings through their decomposing bodies
Boroweic et al. (2020) describes the phenomena in which decaying bodies of older C. elegans turn into nutritious fluid for their offsprings using the insulin/IGF-1 insulin pathway.
To read more, please click here
First sibling species of C. elegans
The article by Kanzaki, N. et al. (2018) describes the first sibling species of C. elegans – C. inopinata including its morphological, ecological, behavioural and genetic analysis.
To find out more, please read the article below:
Kanzaki, N., Tsai, I.J., Tanaka, R. et al. Biology and genome of a newly discovered sibling species of Caenorhabditis elegans. Nat Commun 9, 3216 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-05712-5
History of the man who revolutionised the field of cell fusion
Benjamin Podbilewicz has spent many years understanding the process of cell fusion and contributing immensely to the filed. To know about his life and his passion for science, click on the link below
http://www.ijdb.ehu.es/web/paper.php?doi=10.1387/ijdb.200220jc