A liquid-culture-based screening approach to study compounds affecting inflammatory processes in Caenorhabditis elegans

Vu Thu Thuy Nguyen; Sarah Christina Meyer; Hanna Rieger; Kristina Endres

doi:10.1515/hsz-2021-0262

Article

A liquid-culture-based screening approach to study compounds affecting inflammatory processes in Caenorhabditis elegans

Vu Thu Thuy Nguyen , Sarah Christina Meyer , Hanna Rieger and Kristina Endres

Published/Copyright: September 20, 2021

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From the journal Biological Chemistry Volume 403 Issue 1

Abstract

Discovery of biomedical drugs makes use of novel biological sources of limited availability and is often in need of fast, small-scale initial screening approaches. Here, we present a screening, based on the reporter Caenorhabditis elegans strain IG692, for identification of anti- and pro-inflammatory properties. The elaborated workflow is based on cultivation in fluid and by this, allows fast and reproducible seeding in 96 well plates. LPS and dexamethasone served as reliable controls, comparable to application in the human cell line THP-1. This in vivo approach offers a first step for selection of e.g. natural products or for repurposing of compounds from drug libraries and by this can serve as a tool in drug discovery for inflammatory human diseases.

Keywords: dexamethasone; fluorescence; GFP; IG692; lipopolysaccharide; neuropeptide-like protein

Corresponding author: Kristina Endres, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, D-55131 Mainz, Germany, E-mail: Kristina.endres@unimedizin-mainz.de

Funding source: Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Gesundheit Rheinland-Pfalz

Award Identifier / Grant number: NeurodegX

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge Andreas Kern and Christian Behl (Pathobiochemistry, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz) for their kind help with initiating C. elegans experiments. The C. elegans strain was provided by the CGC, which is funded by NIH Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (P40 OD010440).

Author contributions: K. E. drafted the manuscript and provided the scheme, V. T. T. N., S. M. and H. R. conducted experiments and drew the Figures. V. T. T. N., S. M. and H. R. proof-read and edited the manuscript. All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.
Research funding: The work of K. E. and V. T. T. N. is supported by the MWG (Forschungskolleg NeurodegX).
Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest regarding this article.

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Received: 2021-05-14

Accepted: 2021-09-08

Published Online: 2021-09-20

Published in Print: 2022-01-26

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/hsz-2021-0262

Keywords for this article

dexamethasone; fluorescence; GFP; IG692; lipopolysaccharide; neuropeptide-like protein