[
Worm Breeder's Gazette,
1980]
Neurosecretory-like material was investigated in C. elegans L4 and adult hermaphrodites and in males, by histochemical methods in optics microscopy. We tried numerous fixative fluids: Bouin, Dubosq-Brasil, Halmi, Carnoy, Zenker, Osmium tetroxide and several staining techniques : paraldehyde-fuchsin (PF), alcian blue, chrome-hematoxylin, Heidenhain azan. Only the two first dyes react, as usually, with all the cuticular external and internal structures without an oxidizing treatment (because the surface coat external to the cuticular membrane contains mucopolysaccharid acids) and with intestinal microvilli after oxidation. Another positive reaction is obtained on osmium-tetroxide fixed worms, stained by paraldehyde-fuchsin after a hot chromic oxidation. The surprising result was that this positive reaction was observed not in a nerve cell as expected for neurosecretory-like material, but in the two large glandular cells associated to the so- called 'excretory'-system. Paraldehyde-fuchsin positive (PF + ) granules fill the whole cytoplasm of the two secretory gland cells i.e. the nucleus area located ventrally under the terminal bulb of the pharynx, the processes sent anteriorly which fuse with each other under the excretory pore and even the very thin processes sent again more anteriorly ending under the nerve ring. The amount of the PF+ granules is low in L4 hermaphrodites and in males and is mostly found in the anterior processes. It increases during the adult period of the hermaphrodites and is distributed in the whole gland. These granules present the game histochemical properties that neurosecretory- like material and the technical conditions allowing to reveal their presence indicate the nature of a sulfurylated lipo-protein. We will try to bring a proof and a further characterization of a neurosecretory-like nature of the granules content with immunocytological technics using anti-vertebrates neuro-hormones antibodies. A role of this PF + granules in a developmental event is possible since the excretory glands are communicating with the excretory canals : the secreted products can be released here and then in the pseudo-coelomic fluid before to act on target cells.
[
Worm Breeder's Gazette,
1993]
Since the Worm Meeting, I have put the finishing touches to a connectivity matrix of the nematode nervous system that projects onto a single A3 sheet of paper without information loss. The connectivity matrix and its database consolidate the information from the wildtype reconstruction of White, Southgate, Thomson and Brenner (1986), while allowing for further information to be added. With Excel 4 (a database management program), colour has been added to code for neurotransmitter types, position and lineage information. A sample matrix and connection coding is shown below: A portion of the final connectivity matrix showing all the major connections for the interneurones and motoneurones of the body musculature is also shown: This database has been developed to consolidate and to compile the large amounts of information previously documented and newly discovered about the nematode nervous system. By presenting the entire connectivity pattern on a single matrix, the significance of the expression patterns of neurogenes may be made more obvious. This format will hopefully be useful as a standard for displaying the expression patterns of genes that are found in specific classes of neurones and will hopefully be incorporated as part of ACEDB. Presently, one can obtain copies of the complete wildtype database from me by posting your request. Please state if you have access to Excel 2.2 or Excel 4 for Macintosh (sorry PC users) and the disk density used by your disk driver. For a printout of the final colour matrix, please post your request. I am trying to find an inexpensive method of duplication, any suggestions will be most welcome.