Longitudinal imaging of caenorhabditis elegans in a microfabricated device reveals variation in behavioral decline during aging

Matthew A. Churgin; Sang Kyu Jung; Chih Chieh Yu; Xiangmei Chen; David M. Raizen; Christopher Fang-Yen

doi:10.7554/eLife.26652

Longitudinal imaging of caenorhabditis elegans in a microfabricated device reveals variation in behavioral decline during aging

Matthew A. Churgin, Sang Kyu Jung, Chih Chieh Yu, Xiangmei Chen, David M. Raizen, Christopher Fang-Yen

College of Science

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

85 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The roundworm C. elegans is a mainstay of aging research due to its short lifespan and easily manipulable genetics. Current, widely used methods for long-term measurement of C. elegans are limited by low throughput and the difficulty of performing longitudinal monitoring of aging phenotypes. Here we describe the WorMotel, a microfabricated device for long-term cultivation and automated longitudinal imaging of large numbers of C. elegans confined to individual wells. Using the WorMotel, we find that short-lived and long-lived strains exhibit patterns of behavioral decline that do not temporally scale between individuals or populations, but rather resemble the shortest and longest lived individuals in a wild type population. We also find that behavioral trajectories of worms subject to oxidative stress resemble trajectories observed during aging. Our method is a powerful and scalable tool for analysis of C. elegans behavior and aging.

Original language	English
Article number	e26652
Journal	eLife
Volume	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.26652
Publication status	Published - 2017 May 24

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Neuroscience(all)
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
Immunology and Microbiology(all)

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10.7554/eLife.26652

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title = "Longitudinal imaging of caenorhabditis elegans in a microfabricated device reveals variation in behavioral decline during aging",

abstract = "The roundworm C. elegans is a mainstay of aging research due to its short lifespan and easily manipulable genetics. Current, widely used methods for long-term measurement of C. elegans are limited by low throughput and the difficulty of performing longitudinal monitoring of aging phenotypes. Here we describe the WorMotel, a microfabricated device for long-term cultivation and automated longitudinal imaging of large numbers of C. elegans confined to individual wells. Using the WorMotel, we find that short-lived and long-lived strains exhibit patterns of behavioral decline that do not temporally scale between individuals or populations, but rather resemble the shortest and longest lived individuals in a wild type population. We also find that behavioral trajectories of worms subject to oxidative stress resemble trajectories observed during aging. Our method is a powerful and scalable tool for analysis of C. elegans behavior and aging.",

author = "Churgin, {Matthew A.} and Jung, {Sang Kyu} and Yu, {Chih Chieh} and Xiangmei Chen and Raizen, {David M.} and Christopher Fang-Yen",

note = "Funding Information: We thank Todd Lamitina and Vivek Sharma for helpful discussions and technical assistance. Some strains were provided by the CGC, which is funded by NIH Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (P40 OD010440). CCY was supported by a University Scholars Award. CFY was supported by the Alfred P Sloan Foundation, Ellison Medical Foundation, European Commission, and the National Institutes of Health. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} Churgin et al.",

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doi = "10.7554/eLife.26652",

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AU - Churgin, Matthew A.

AU - Jung, Sang Kyu

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AU - Chen, Xiangmei

AU - Raizen, David M.

AU - Fang-Yen, Christopher

N1 - Funding Information: We thank Todd Lamitina and Vivek Sharma for helpful discussions and technical assistance. Some strains were provided by the CGC, which is funded by NIH Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (P40 OD010440). CCY was supported by a University Scholars Award. CFY was supported by the Alfred P Sloan Foundation, Ellison Medical Foundation, European Commission, and the National Institutes of Health. Publisher Copyright: © Churgin et al.

PY - 2017/5/24

Y1 - 2017/5/24

N2 - The roundworm C. elegans is a mainstay of aging research due to its short lifespan and easily manipulable genetics. Current, widely used methods for long-term measurement of C. elegans are limited by low throughput and the difficulty of performing longitudinal monitoring of aging phenotypes. Here we describe the WorMotel, a microfabricated device for long-term cultivation and automated longitudinal imaging of large numbers of C. elegans confined to individual wells. Using the WorMotel, we find that short-lived and long-lived strains exhibit patterns of behavioral decline that do not temporally scale between individuals or populations, but rather resemble the shortest and longest lived individuals in a wild type population. We also find that behavioral trajectories of worms subject to oxidative stress resemble trajectories observed during aging. Our method is a powerful and scalable tool for analysis of C. elegans behavior and aging.

AB - The roundworm C. elegans is a mainstay of aging research due to its short lifespan and easily manipulable genetics. Current, widely used methods for long-term measurement of C. elegans are limited by low throughput and the difficulty of performing longitudinal monitoring of aging phenotypes. Here we describe the WorMotel, a microfabricated device for long-term cultivation and automated longitudinal imaging of large numbers of C. elegans confined to individual wells. Using the WorMotel, we find that short-lived and long-lived strains exhibit patterns of behavioral decline that do not temporally scale between individuals or populations, but rather resemble the shortest and longest lived individuals in a wild type population. We also find that behavioral trajectories of worms subject to oxidative stress resemble trajectories observed during aging. Our method is a powerful and scalable tool for analysis of C. elegans behavior and aging.

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Longitudinal imaging of caenorhabditis elegans in a microfabricated device reveals variation in behavioral decline during aging

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