[
FEBS Lett,
1997]
The discovery of at least 29 genes encoding putative guanylyl cyclases in Caenorhabditis elegans has raised the question as to whether there are numerous receptors yet to be discovered in the mammal. The nematode, however, not only seems ideal to study guanylyl cyclase receptor localization and function, given the large variety of isoforms, but also leads to possible identification of ligands for orphan guanylyl cyclases by the use of genetic and behavioral assays. A recent powerful approach to describe the function of different guanylyl cyclase isoforms in mammals has been the disruption of the corresponding genes in the mouse. A salt resistant elevation of blood pressure, which corresponds to the phenotype of 50% of all human patients with essential hypertension, is observed in mice lacking the GC-A-receptor. Mice missing the GC-C receptor have been shown to be resistant to STa, an E. coli heat-stable enterotoxin, which is largely responsible for travellers diarrhea in adults and mortality due to diarrhea in infants.
[
J Cell Sci,
2002]
The canonical UCS (UNC-45/Crol/She4p) protein, Caenorhabditis elegans UNC-45, was one of the earliest molecules to be shown genetically to be necessary for sarcomere assembly. Genetic analyses of homologues in several fungal species indicate that the conserved UCS domain functionally interacts with conventional type II and unconventional type V myosins. In C. elegans and other invertebrate species, UNC-45 and its orthologues interact with both sarcomeric and non-sarcomeric myosins whereas, in vertebrates, there are two UNC-45 isoforms: a general cell (GC) and a striated muscle (SM) isoform. Although the mechanism of action of UCS proteins is unknown, recent biochemical studies suggest that they may act as molecular chaperones that facilitate the folding and/or maturation of myosin.
[
Metabolites,
2021]
Metabolomics and lipidomics recently gained interest in the model organism <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> (<i>C. elegans</i>). The fast development, easy cultivation and existing forward and reverse genetic tools make the small nematode an ideal organism for metabolic investigations in development, aging, different disease models, infection, or toxicology research. The conducted type of analysis is strongly depending on the biological question and requires different analytical approaches. Metabolomic analyses in <i>C. elegans</i> have been performed using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, direct infusion mass spectrometry (DI-MS), gas-chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) or combinations of them. In this review we provide general information on the employed techniques and their advantages and disadvantages in regard to <i>C. elegans</i> metabolomics. Additionally, we reviewed different fields of application, e.g., longevity, starvation, aging, development or metabolism of secondary metabolites such as ascarosides or maradolipids. We also summarised applied bioinformatic tools that recently have been used for the evaluation of metabolomics or lipidomics data from <i>C. elegans</i>. Lastly, we curated metabolites and lipids from the reviewed literature, enabling a prototypic collection which serves as basis for a future <i>C. elegans</i> specific metabolome database.