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Monitoring the Clearance of Apoptotic and Necrotic Cells in the Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

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Necrosis

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1004))

Abstract

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is an excellent model organism for studying the mechanisms ­controlling cell death, including apoptosis, a cell suicide event, and necrosis, pathological cell deaths caused by environmental insults or genetic alterations. C. elegans has also been established as a model for understanding how dying cells are cleared from animal bodies. In particular, the transparent nature of worm bodies and eggshells make C. elegans particularly amenable for live-cell microscopy. Here we describe methods for identifying apoptotic and necrotic cells in living C. elegans embryos, larvae, and adults and for monitoring their clearance during development. We further discuss specific methods to distinguish engulfed from unengulfed apoptotic cells, and methods to monitor cellular and molecular events occurring during phagosome maturation. These methods are based on Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) microscopy or fluorescence microscopy using GFP-based reporters.

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Acknowledgments

Z. Z. was supported by NIH (GM067848) and the March of Dimes Foundation (1-FY10-434). X. H. was supported by NIH (GM068676).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA

    Zao Li, Nan Lu & Zheng Zhou

  2. Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA

    Xiangwei He

Authors
  1. Zao Li
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  2. Nan Lu
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  3. Xiangwei He
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  4. Zheng Zhou
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA

    Kimberly McCall

  2. Brookline, MA, USA

    Charles Klein

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Li, Z., Lu, N., He, X., Zhou, Z. (2013). Monitoring the Clearance of Apoptotic and Necrotic Cells in the Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. In: McCall, K., Klein, C. (eds) Necrosis. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1004. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-383-1_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-383-1_14

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-62703-382-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-62703-383-1

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