![Sample our Bioscience journals, sign in here to start your access, Latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5925/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Bioscience.jpg"})
ABSTRACT
Changes in intermediary metabolism have profound effects on many aspects of C. elegans biology including growth, development and behavior. However, many traditional biochemical techniques for analyzing chemical composition require relatively large amounts of starting material precluding the analysis of mutants that cannot be grown in large amounts as homozygotes. Here we describe a technique for detecting changes in the chemical compositions of C. elegans worms by Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy. We demonstrate that the technique can be used to detect changes in the relative levels of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids in one and the same worm. We suggest that Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy represents a useful addition to the arsenal of techniques for metabolic studies of C. elegans worms.
Abbreviations
| FT-IR | = | Fourier transform infrared |
| CARS | = | coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering |
| SRS | = | stimulated Raman scattering |
| NMR | = | nuclear magnetic resonance |
| MALDI-TOF | = | matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight |
| L4 | = | Fourth larval stage |
| FPA | = | focal plane array |
| MCR-ALS | = | multivariate curve resolution – alternating least squares |
| ATR | = | attenuated total reflectance. |
Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest
No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.
Acknowledgments
We thank Lars Nilsson, Gautam Kao and Ola Billing for discussions.
Funding
Some strains were provided by the CGC, which is funded by NIH Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (P40 OD010440). The research was supported by project grants from The Swedish Cancer Society (12 0534) and The Swedish Research Council (K2012-67X-20441-063).