Worms 'fireflies' are created in the laboratory

Recently in BMC Physiology, researchers have described a new luminescent modified worm that allows for the determination of the metabolism of an entire living organism.

The key is the use of the animal's energy for luminescence to reflect its metabolism by determining the light emitted.

Caenorhabditis modified nematode has been widely used in human gene research. Recognizing changes in metabolism at the time of its occurrence will help to understand the underlying causes of these changes and help us get information about the genes of C. elegans as well as humans. along with mechanisms related to health and disease. In fact, dementia, Parkinson's disease or other forms of stress - such as lack of food, poverty - are some of the phenomena manifested by metabolic changes that can be observed. Thanks to this new method we can fully understand.

Caenorhabditis elegans is a sample used to study human genes as well as the function of genes because part of their genome is preserved through evolution while sharing the same characteristics with humans. Although a lot of research has been done on the genome of the elegans, there is still a lot to learn about the gene responsible for practicing physiological functions. Unlike genes related to body shape or functions needed for life, genes responsible for physiological functions are difficult to recognize because of the unusual characteristics of these genes that do not always cause observed changes.

Adenosine triphosphate (or ATP) is a high-energy molecule that acts as an energy source for body cells. Their proportions are directly related to the metabolism of the organism. That means changing the rate of ATP can shed light on metabolic problems. In fact, ATP changes are linked to many problems, including neurodegenerative or stress-related illnesses.

C. elegans roundworm.(Photo: Ian D. Chin-Sang, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada)

It is the relationship between ATP, metabolism and disease that makes Cristina Lagido, Jonathan Pettitt, Aileen Flett and L. Anne Glover of the Institute of Medicine at Aberdeen University - UK hypothesize that ATP rates are can be used as physiological parameters for C. elegans to supplement genetic data, further understanding their genomes and humans.

For that purpose, the researchers conducted modified luminescent C. elegans that can produce proteins 'fireflies' luciferase. Its name indicates that the protein is derived from the firefly emitting light by using ATP to modify the type of pigment called luciferin.

When luciferin (not in the animal body) is supplied too much, the luminescence of the elegans is directly related to the amount of ATP in its body. Because the C. elegans worm is transparent, researchers can determine luminescent light by measuring the ATP ratio, thereby monitoring its metabolism.

But first, in order to make sure the elegans luminescence actually attaches to the ATP ratio, the researchers put it in a special environment that affects the number of ATP molecules (exposing them to The sodium azide toxicity agent - stressor, or directly inhibits ATP production) then determines luminescence. In both of these environments, luminescent light significantly decreased as expected with azide compounds, increasing the rate of this toxic effect, resulting in reduced luminescence, indicating the relationship between ATP and luminescence. .

In addition, the effect of non-lethal sodium azide doses - similar to those used in the above experiment - may be reversed. After experimenting with azide, C. elegans was washed and rinsed and the luminescence was checked again and the light returned to normal. The final evidence demonstrates that the link between ATP and luminescence is a variable ATP ratio in the experiment with azide consistent with the figures obtained by other researchers performed under similar conditions but applied use another method.

The above results confirm that Lagido's C. elegans worm, Glover and colleagues created a reliable model to monitor its metabolism in practice. This is the first time to detect luminescence that can be used to determine the rate of ATP in a multicellular living organism.

The most interesting thing about Lagio, Glover and their partners C. elegans worm is the role of a research tool with extremely interesting potentials on genetic pathways that perform biological function. C. elegans, which includes genes responsible for metabolism, aging, disease, reflexes for stress, while the structure of this worm is extremely simple. Portuguese researcher Cristina Lagio and his colleagues have succeeded in creating a unique tool that connects physiological and genetic functions in the body of an organism that has many genetic traits common to humans.