New beetle-dwelling roundworm species discovered in Japan
(University of Tsukuba) A new species of nematode (roundworm), named Cryptaphelenchus abietis, was isolated from bark beetles from a dead log collected in Nagano, Japan. The females of this newly described species can be identified based on the size of the post-uterine sac and the conical tail with an elongate posterior part. The males have seven genital papillae and a narrow bursal flap-like extension. The culturability of this species means it may be useful in further nematode research. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - June 17, 2021 Category: Biology Source Type: news
Rising antiparasitic drug cost in U.S. leads to higher patient costs, decreased quality of care
(Burness) A new study finds that the increasingly high prices in the United States of the drugs used to treat three soil-transmitted helminth infections--hookworm, roundworm (ascariasis), and whipworm (trichuriasis)--is not only the major driver for the increase in costs to patients with either Medicaid or private insurance, but it also may have a damaging impact on the quality-of-care patients receive as clinicians shift their prescribing patterns to more affordable yet less-effective medicines covered by insurance. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - March 9, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news
Eyeless C. elegans Perceives Colors: Study
The roundworm uses cues from visible light to help avoid eating toxic bacteria with a distinguishing hue. (Source: The Scientist)
Source: The Scientist - March 4, 2021 Category: Science Tags: News & Opinion Source Type: news
C. elegans discriminates colors to guide foraging
We report that Caenorhabditis elegans roundworms can discriminate between colors despite the fact that they lack eyes and opsins. Specifically, we found that white light guides C. elegans foraging decisions away from a blue-pigment toxin secreted by harmful bacteria. These foraging decisions are guided by specific blue-to-amber ratios of light. The color specificity of color-dependent foraging varies notably among wild C. elegans strains, which indicates that color discrimination is ecologically important. We identified two evolutionarily conserved cellular stress response genes required for opsin-independent, color-depend...
Source: ScienceNOW - March 4, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Ghosh, D. D., Lee, D., Jin, X., Horvitz, H. R., Nitabach, M. N. Tags: Anatomy, Morphology, Biomechanics, Physiology reports Source Type: news
How roundworms decide the time is right
(Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) The roundworm C. elegans matches its development to the amount of food in its environment. It uses a protein called BLMP-1 to open up a large set of developmental genes, priming them to turn on when food is plentiful. Humans have a protein with a similar function that is known to be overactive in some blood cancers. (Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer)
Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer - December 22, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: news
Genetic mutations may be linked to infertility, early menopause
(Washington University School of Medicine) A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis identifies a specific gene's previously unknown role in fertility. When the gene is missing in fruit flies, roundworms, zebrafish and mice, the animals are infertile or lose their fertility unusually early but appear otherwise healthy. Analyzing genetic data in people, the researchers found an association between mutations in this gene and early menopause. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - August 31, 2020 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news
Helminth infections common in Medieval Europe, grave study finds
(PLOS) Although helminth infections--including tapeworms and roundworms--are among the world's top neglected diseases, they are no longer endemic in Europe. However, researchers reporting in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases report that these infections were common in Medieval Europe, according to grave samples analyzed from across the continent. (Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases)
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - August 27, 2020 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news
Tinkering with roundworm proteins offers hope for anti-aging drugs
(The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)) KAIST researchers have been able to dial up and down creatures' lifespans by altering the activity of proteins found in roundworm cells that tell them to convert sugar into energy when their cellular energy is running low. Humans also have these proteins, offering up the intriguing possibilities for developing longevity-promoting drugs. These new findings were published on July 1 in Science Advances. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - July 31, 2020 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news
Mother roundworms have ultra-protective instincts
(University of Iowa) University of Iowa biologists have learned animals can alert future offspring of dangers they will encounter when born. In studies with roundworms and mouse cells, researchers showed how mothers pass chemical signals to their unfertilized eggs, where the warning is stored in the egg cells and passed to offspring after birth. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - May 18, 2020 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news
Molecular switch plays crucial role in learning from negative experiences
(KU Leuven) Neurobiologists at KU Leuven have discovered how the signalling molecule Neuromedin U plays a crucial role in our learning process. The protein allows the brain to recall negative memories and, as such, learn from the past. The findings of their study on roundworms have been published in the journal Nature Communications. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - April 29, 2020 Category: Biology Source Type: news
Brain cells protect muscles from wasting away
(University of California - Berkeley) Several processes in the roundworm C. elegans boost the stress response in cells, incidentally making worms resistant to a high-fat diet and extending their lifespan. UC Berkeley researchers have found another: cells called glia that release a hormone that boosts the unfolded protein response in the endoplasmic reticulum of the worm's cells, effectively doubling lifespan. This could lead to interventions to tune up peripheral cells, such as muscle cells, and prevent age-related deterioration in humans. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - February 21, 2020 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news
Could a probiotic prevent or reverse Parkinson's?
Scientists recently tested probiotics in a roundworm model of Parkinson ’s. A particular bacterium had a protective effect and improved symptoms. (Source: Parkinson's Disease News From Medical News Today)
Source: Parkinson's Disease News From Medical News Today - January 23, 2020 Category: Neurology Tags: Parkinson's Disease Source Type: news
Medical News Today: Could a probiotic prevent or reverse Parkinson's?
Scientists recently tested probiotics in a roundworm model of Parkinson ’s. A particular bacterium had a protective effect and improved symptoms. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - January 23, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Parkinson's Disease Source Type: news
Plants found to speak roundworm's language
(Boyce Thompson Institute) Nematodes are tiny, ubiquitous roundworms that infect plant roots, causing more than $100 billion in crop damage worldwide each year. New research has found that plants enter into a 'chemical dialog' with the worms to repel infestations, providing insights into how farmers could fight these pests. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - January 10, 2020 Category: Biology Source Type: news
Medical News Today: Even 'dead,' this probiotic may be effective against inflammation
A new study in roundworms and elderly mice suggests that even the inactivated form of a probiotic bacterium could reduce inflammation and promote health. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - December 10, 2019 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses Source Type: news
