Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans)

Published: 13th May, 2024

Context

The recent research findings regarding the inheritance of knowledge in Caenorhabditis elegans worms are significant because they shed light on the potential transmission of behavior-modifying molecules across generations. This breakthrough has garnered attention due to its implications for understanding biological mechanisms and their relevance to human health and behavior.

Key-highlights of Research Findings:

Researchers discovered that C. elegans worms inherit knowledge to avoid disease-causing bacteria for up to four generations.
This phenomenon raises questions about similar abilities in humans.
Mechanism of Transmission: Pseudomonas vranovensis, a disease-causing bacterium, produces a small RNA molecule (sRNA) that alters the worm's feeding behavior. The learned avoidance behavior is passed down to subsequent generations of worms through RNA interference.
Role of sRNA in Behavior Modification:
Worms absorb sRNA from bacteria, reducing the expression of the maco-1 gene, which plays a role in neurological function.
Worms trained to avoid pathogenic bacteria pass on this behavior to their offspring.
Implications for Human Health: The study prompts speculation about whether humans can absorb sRNA from microbes and modify behavior across generations.

Fact Box:

About Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans )

C. elegans is a nematode—a member of the phylum Nematoda.
It is a non-hazardous, non-infectious, non-pathogenic, non-parasitic organism. However, it is a widely studied roundworm known for its contributions to neuroscience and molecular biology.
It was the first multicellular organism to have its genome sequenced and neural wiring mapped.
Mutations in genes found in C. elegans have been associated with human conditions like limb deformities.

Understanding RNA:RNA molecules are like half-ladders with ribose sugar and four bases: A, C, G, and U.

- Some genes produce small RNA molecules (sRNA), which regulate gene expression by binding to other proteins and RNAs.

CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR UPSC IAS

Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans)

Key-highlights of Research Findings:

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