Center for Caenorhabditis Elegans Anatomy

线虫，秀丽线虫，已被鉴定为细胞高度连通性的动物。 发展。这种非常小、简单的动物因其优异的性能而被广泛用于实验研究 遗传学和可及细胞生物学。这种蠕虫的完整基因组已经公布，大多数成虫 解剖结构已从连续薄片的电子显微照片中重建。然而，EM技术是 线虫社区没有广泛使用，而且大多数以前的EM数据不容易访问。《中心》 对于线虫，解剖学专注于将EM方法扩展到线虫，特别是研究细胞 在正常发育和突变动物中的变化，以及2)进行EM免疫细胞化学和 在超微结构水平上定位抗原或分子的组织化学研究。这样的研究正在进行中 与美国国立卫生研究院和国家科学基金会资助的实验室密切合作，以实现其现有的实验目标。 此外，该中心正在以以下形式发布有关线虫解剖的详细信息 附注的透射电子显微镜和光学显微照片。信息可在互联网上通过我们的WormAtlas和 Wormlmage网站，通过ftp，CD和DVD，现在是线虫地图集的书形式。如有需要， 该中心正在测试线虫的新EM方法，并对野生类型的解剖进行新的EM调查 在关键的发展阶段，以补充地图集，并填补我们常识的空白。该中心还 提供有关透射电子显微镜方法的培训，以便更多的线虫实验室能够进行自己的EM研究。 这项R24申请首次获得资助，该中心于1998年2月开业；我们请求五年的资助，以 继续建设我们服务于科学界的能力。 相关性(请参阅说明)： 在线虫基因组中已知许多与疾病相关的基因序列；遗传的透射电子显微镜病理学 线虫的突变通常有助于发现人类同等基因产物的功能。 这个实验室的研究揭示了与大脑发育有关的基本机制，以及 探索了与多种形式的细胞死亡有关的基因，包括细胞凋亡、坏死和自噬。

The nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, has been identified as a "high connectivity" animal for cellular development. This very small, simple animal has been widely adopted for experimental study due to its excellent genetics and accessible cell biology. The complete genome of the worm has been published, and most of the adult anatomy has been reconstructed from electron micrographs of serial thin sections. However, EM techniques are not widely utilized by the C. elegans community, and most previous EM data are not easily accessed. The Center for C. elegans Anatomy concentrates on extending the EM methods on C. elegans, particularly to 1) study cellular changes during normal development and in mutant animals, and 2) conduct EM-immunocytochemical and histochemical studies to localize antigens or molecules at the ultrastructurallevel. Such studies are being conducted in close collaboration with NIH- and NSF-funded laboratories, in fulfillment of their existing experimental aims. In addition, the Center is 3)publishingdetailed information regarding the anatomy of the nematode in the form of annotated TEM and light micrographs. Information is available on the Internet on our WormAtlas and Wormlmage websites, by ftp, on CDs and DVDs, and now in book form in the C. elegans Atlas. Where necessary, the Center is 4) testing new EM methods for C. elegans, and conducting new EM surveys of the wild type anatomy at key developmental stages to supplement the Atlas, and to fill gaps in our general knowledge. The Center also provides 5) training in TEM methods so that more C. elegans labs can conduct their own EM studies. This R24 application was first funded and the Center opened in Feb. 1998; we request five years of funding to continue building our capabilities to serve the scientificcommunity. RELEVANCE (See instructions): Many disease-related gene sequences are known in the C. elegans genome; the TEM pathology of genetic mutations in nematode is often helpful in discovering the function of equivalent gene products in man. Studies in this laboratory have uncovered basic mechanisms related to development of the brain, and explored genes involved in several forms of cell death, including apoptosis, necrosis and autophagy.