The effects of Arsenite on learning and memory Caenorhabditis elegans

Life science

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has emerged as an important animal model in various fields including neurobiology, developmental biology, and genetics. Characteristics of this animal model that have contributed to its success include its genetic manipulability, invariant and fully described developmental program, well-characterized genome, ease of maintenance, short and prolific life cycle, and small body size. These same features have led to an increasing use of C. elegans in toxicology, both for mechanistic studies and high-throughput screening approaches. We describe some of the research that has been carried out in the areas of neurotoxicology, genetic toxicology, and environmental toxicology, as well as high-throughput experiments with C. elegans including genome-wide screening for molecular targets of toxicity and rapid toxicity assessment for new chemicals. We argue for an increased role for C. elegans in complementing other model systems in toxicological research. Years before the latest technologic developments (RNAi and high-throughput techniques), C. elegans was used to study toxicity mechanisms of environmental factors affecting the nervous system. The following section provides a synopsis of the available literature on neurotoxicity-related issues addressed in C. elegans. It is not meant to be exhaustive but rather to illustrate typical studies that are amenable in the C. elegans platform. We highlight studies with exposure outcomes to various metals and pesticides, as well as general considerations on studies of neurodegenerative diseases. We emphasize the utility of C. elegans in addressing hypothesis-driven mechanisms of neurotoxicity and extrapolations to vertebrate systems.

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