title: C. elegans major fats are stored in vesicles distinct from lysosome-related organelles.
abstract: Genetic conservation allows ancient features of fat storage endocrine pathways to be explored in C. elegans. Multiple studies have used Nile red or BODIPY-labeled fatty acids to identify regulators of fat mass. When mixed with their food, E. coli bacteria, Nile red, and BODIPY-labeled fatty acids stain multiple spherical cellular structures in the C. elegans major fat storage organ, the intestine. However, here we demonstrate that, in the conditions previously reported, the lysosome-related organelles stained by Nile red and BODIPY-labeled fatty acids are not the C. elegans major fat storage compartment. We show that the major fat stores are contained in a distinct cellular compartment that is not stained by Nile red. Using biochemical assays, we validate oil red O staining as a method to assess major fat stores in C. elegans, allowing for efficient and accurate genetic and functional genomic screens for genes that control fat accumulation at the organismal level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Eyleen J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: O'Rourke
authors.forename: Alexander A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Soukas
authors.forename: Christopher E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Carr
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ruvkun
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001391:Azo Compounds; D001896:Boron Compounds; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D022162:Cytoplasmic Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005223:Fats / Q000378:metabolism*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D010078:Oxazines; D013194:Staining and Labeling
chemical_list: C095489:4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene; D001391:Azo Compounds; D001896:Boron Compounds; D005223:Fats; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D010078:Oxazines; C011049:oil red O; C044808:nile red