A size threshold governs Caenorhabditis elegans developmental progression.

ABSTRACT: The growth of organisms from humans to bacteria is affected by environmental conditions. However, mechanisms governing growth and size control are not well understood, particularly in the context of changes in food availability in developing multicellular organisms. Here, we use a novel microfluidic platform to study the impact of diet on the growth and development of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. This device allows us to observe individual worms throughout larval development, quantify their growth as well as pinpoint the moulting transitions marking successive developmental stages. Under conditions of low food availability, worms grow very slowly, but do not moult until they have achieved a threshold size. The time spent in larval stages can be extended by over an order of magnitud

SUBMITTER: Uppaluri S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4632629 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature