Visualizing and quantifying molecular and cellular processes in Caenorhabditis elegans using light microscopy

Abstract Light microscopes are the cell and developmental biologists’ “best friend,” providing a means to see structures and follow dynamics from the protein to the organism level. A huge advantage of Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism is its transparency, which coupled with its small size m...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Genetics (Austin) 2022-07, Vol.221 (4)
Main Authors: Shah, Pavak, Bao, Zhirong, Zaidel-Bar, Ronen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Animals, Genetically Modified
Biological activity
Biological Phenomena
Caenorhabditis elegans
Caenorhabditis elegans - genetics
Continuous improvement
DNA probes
Embryos
Fluorescent Dyes - chemistry
Fluorescent indicators
Genetics
Genome editing
Genomes
Image analysis
Image processing
Image segmentation
Larvae
Light microscopy
Localization
Machine learning
Microscopes
Microscopy
Microscopy - methods
Nematodes
Optical microscopy
Organelles
Probes
Proteins
WormBook
Worms
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Summary:Abstract Light microscopes are the cell and developmental biologists’ “best friend,” providing a means to see structures and follow dynamics from the protein to the organism level. A huge advantage of Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism is its transparency, which coupled with its small size means that nearly every biological process can be observed and measured with the appropriate probe and light microscope. Continuous improvement in microscope technologies along with novel genome editing techniques to create transgenic probes have facilitated the development and implementation of a dizzying array of methods for imaging worm embryos, larvae, and adults. In this review, we provide an overview of the molecular and cellular processes that can be visualized in living worms using light microscopy. A partial inventory of fluorescent probes and techniques successfully used in worms to image the dynamics of cells, organelles, DNA, and protein localization and activity is followed by a practical guide to choosing between various imaging modalities, including widefield, confocal, lightsheet, and structured illumination microscopy. Finally, we discuss the available tools and approaches, including machine learning, for quantitative image analysis tasks, such as colocalization, segmentation, object tracking, and lineage tracing. Hopefully, this review will inspire worm researchers who have not yet imaged their worms to begin, and push those who are imaging to go faster, finer, and longer.
ISSN:1943-2631
0016-6731
1943-2631
DOI:10.1093/genetics/iyac068