title: Specific polyunsaturated fatty acids modulate lipid delivery and oocyte development in C. elegans revealed by molecular-selective label-free imaging.
abstract: Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) exhibit critical functions in biological systems and their importance during animal oocyte maturation has been increasingly recognized. However, the detailed mechanism of lipid transportation for oocyte development remains largely unknown. In this study, the transportation of yolk lipoprotein (lipid carrier) and the rate of lipid delivery into oocytes in live C. elegans were examined for the first time by using coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy. The accumulation of secreted yolk lipoprotein in the pseudocoelom of live C. elegans can be detected by CARS microscopy at both protein (~1665 cm(-1)) and lipid (~2845 cm(-1)) Raman bands. In addition, an image analysis protocol was established to quantitatively measure the levels of secreted yolk lipoprotein aberrantly accumulated in PUFA-deficient fat mutants (fat-1, fat-2, fat-3, fat-4) and PUFA-supplemented fat-2 worms (the PUFA add-back experiments). Our results revealed that the omega-6 PUFAs, not omega-3 PUFAs, play a critical role in modulating lipid/yolk level in the oocytes and regulating reproductive efficiency of C. elegans. This work demonstrates the value of using CARS microscopy as a molecular-selective label-free imaging technique for the study of PUFA regulation and oocyte development in C. elegans.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 106, Taiwan.|Molecular Science and Technology Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica, Taipei 106, Taiwan.|Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wei-Wen
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Center of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kwei-Shan, Tao-Yuan 333, Taiwan.|Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kwei-Shan, Tao-Yuan 333, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yung-Hsiang
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 106, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Cheng-Hao
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chien
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kwei-Shan, Tao-Yuan 333, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kuei-Ching
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Hsiung
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kwei-Shan, Tao-Yuan 333, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tian-Hsiang
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 106, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Center of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kwei-Shan, Tao-Yuan 333, Taiwan.|Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kwei-Shan, Tao-Yuan 333, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Szecheng J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.affiliation: Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 106, Taiwan.|Molecular Science and Technology Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica, Taipei 106, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ta-Chau
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008853:Microscopy; D016296:Mutagenesis; D009865:Oocytes / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D061848:Optical Imaging; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman; D015017:Yolk Sac / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D008055:Lipids; D008074:Lipoproteins; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases