title: A High-Throughput Method for the Analysis of Larval Developmental Phenotypes in Caenorhabditis elegans.
abstract: Caenorhabditis elegans postembryonic development consists of four discrete larval stages separated by molts. Typically, the speed of progression through these larval stages is investigated by visual inspection of the molting process. Here, we describe an automated method to monitor the timing of these discrete phases of C. elegans maturation, from the first larval stage through adulthood, using bioluminescence. The method was validated with a lin-42 mutant strain that shows delayed development relative to wild-type animals and with a daf-2 mutant that shows an extended second larval stage. This new method is inherently high-throughput and will finally allow dissecting the molecular machinery governing the speed of the developmental clock, which has so far been hampered by the lack of a method suitable for genetic screens.
authors: Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, D-80336 Munich, Germany Andalusian Center for Developmental Biology, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientffícas/Junta de Andalucía/Universidad Pablo de Olavide, ES-41013 Seville, Spain molmedo@upo.es merrow@lmu.de.
authors: María
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5701-2665
authors: M
authors: Olmedo
authors: Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, D-80336 Munich, Germany.
authors: Mirjam
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9697-6408
authors: M
authors: Geibel
authors: Andalusian Center for Developmental Biology, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientffícas/Junta de Andalucía/Universidad Pablo de Olavide, ES-41013 Seville, Spain.
authors: Marta
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1126-0492
authors: M
authors: Artal-Sanz
authors: Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, D-80336 Munich, Germany molmedo@upo.es merrow@lmu.de.
authors: Martha
authors: M
authors: Merrow
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D057166:High-Throughput Screening Assays / Q000379:methods*; D007814:Larva / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D018978:Molting / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation; D011972:Receptor, Insulin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C400538:LIN-42 protein, C elegans; D014157:Transcription Factors; C107483:DAF-2 protein, C elegans; D011972:Receptor, Insulin
keywords: Caenorhabditis elegans; bioluminescence; development; larval molt; luciferase