Development and application of bioluminescent Caenorhabditis elegans as multicellular eukaryotic biosensors.
We describe a novel approach to assess toxicity to the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans that relies on the ability of firefly luciferase to report on endogenous ATP levels. We have constructed bioluminescent C. elegans with the luc gene under control of a constitutive promoter. Light reduction was observed in response to increasing temperature, concentrations of copper, lead and 3,5-dichlorophenol. This was due to increased mortality coupled with decreased metabolic activity in the surviving animals. The light emitted by the transgenic nematodes gave a rapid, real-time indication of metabolic status. This forms the basis of rapid and biologically relevant toxicity tests.
Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Aberdeen, Institute of Medical Sciences, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, UK. c.lagido@abdn.ac.uk
C
C
Lagido
J
J
Pettitt
A J
AJ
Porter
G I
GI
Paton
L A
LA
Glover
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000378:metabolism*; D002733:Chlorophenols / Q000633:toxicity; D001517:Coleoptera; D003300:Copper / Q000633:toxicity; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity; D006358:Hot Temperature; D007854:Lead / Q000633:toxicity; D008027:Light; D008156:Luciferases / Q000378:metabolism; D049449:Luminescence; D008967:Molecular Biology / Q000379:methods*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D013696:Temperature; D018675:Toxicity Tests / Q000379:methods*
D002733:Chlorophenols; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D007854:Lead; D003300:Copper; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D008156:Luciferases; C116190:3,5-dichlorophenol