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Developmental Toxicology pp 15–24Cite as

Caenorhabditis elegans as a Model in Developmental Toxicology

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Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 889))

Abstract

A number of practical advantages have made the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans a useful model for genetic and developmental biological research. These same advantages, along with conservation of disease and stress response pathways, availability of mutant and transgenic strains, and wealth of biological information, have led to the increased use of C. elegans in toxicological studies. Although the potential to study the mechanisms of developmental toxicology in C. elegans is promising, embryonic and larval growth tests to identify compounds that affect the nematode have remained the primary use of C. elegans in developmental toxicology. Here, we describe a C. elegans larval growth and development assay for medium- and high-throughput screening using the COPAS Biosort flow cytometer and provide descriptions of the data and subsequent analysis.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Julie R. Rice, Daniel W. Snyder, and Paul E. Dunlap for technical assistance during the development and performance of C. elegans growth assays. We also thank Sandra J. McBride and Grace E. Kissling for assistance in the development of statistical analyses and mathematical modeling tools. This work was supported in part by the National Toxicology Program and by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health (Z01ES102046).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biomolecular Screening Branch, National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA

    Windy A. Boyd Ph.D. & Jonathan H. Freedman Ph.D.

  2. SRA International, Durham, NC, USA

    Marjolein V. Smith Ph.D.

  3. Laboratory of Toxicology and Pharmacology, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA

    Jonathan H. Freedman Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Windy A. Boyd Ph.D.
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  2. Marjolein V. Smith Ph.D.
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  3. Jonathan H. Freedman Ph.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jonathan H. Freedman Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Toxicology Program, Dept. Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Washington Heights 1420, Ann Arbor, 48109-2029, Michigan, USA

    Craig Harris

  2. , Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Uppergate Drive NE., 2015Suite 350, Atlanta, 30322, Georgia, USA

    Jason M. Hansen

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Boyd, W.A., Smith, M.V., Freedman, J.H. (2012). Caenorhabditis elegans as a Model in Developmental Toxicology. In: Harris, C., Hansen, J. (eds) Developmental Toxicology. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 889. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-867-2_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-867-2_3

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-61779-866-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-61779-867-2

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