The complexity of the neurological circuitry and development in higher ordered vertebrates has hindered the ability to dynamically capture single cells, the entire nervous system, and the overall process of development. The invertebrate nematode (roundworm) Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is an ideal organism for modeling neurodevelopment because of its simplistic nervous system. C. elegans is used to answer important research questions regarding how cells function and the role of certain genes. Scientists have grappled with modeling embryo development in this organism because of rapid embryonic movement, muscle twitching, and the lack of spatial resolution commonly observed by microscopy. These challenges result in poor image quality and lowered dimensionality. Despite certain technical enhancements in microscopic imaging, the morphological changes in the embryo hamper the ability to view individual cells. Genetically engineered C. elegans that express fluorescent markers are being used to easily view individual cells and dynamically track the stages of development. The National Institutes of Health supported a research collaboration to create a novel four dimensional (4D) atlas of embryogenesis and neurodevelopment in C. elegans1 through a project called Worm Global Understanding in Dynamic Embryonic Systems (WormGUIDES).2 This atlas is the first 4D embryo atlas of nuclear positions of all cells of the worm embryo. Captured images representing the entire organism can be computationally “untwisted.”1 Collected images allow scientists to track cellular components and to combine data from multiple C. elegans to model time-lapse development. Available through a mobile or desktop application3, WormGUIDES develops an interactive tool that presents the 4D atlas of single cells and their coordinated movement, gene expression, and overall development. Users can access information regarding cellular positioning and neuron growth during embryogenesis. WormGUIDES provides a reference tool and may assist in identifying therapeutic targets of disease.
References
1Christensen RP, Bokinsky A, Santella A, Wu Y, Marquina-Solis J, Guo M, Kovacevic I, Kumar A, Winter PW, Tashakkori N, McCreedy E, Liu H, McAuliffe M, Mohler W, Colón-Ramos DA, Boa Z, Shroff H. Untwisting the Caenorhabditis elegans embryo. eLife. 2015(4):e10070
2Santella A, Catena R, Kovacevic I, Shah P, Yu Z, Marquina-Solis J, Kumar A, Wu Y, Schaff J, Colón-Ramos, DA, Shroff H, Mohler WA, Bao Z. WormGUIDES: an interactive single cell developmental atlas and tool for collaborative multidimensional data exploration. BMC Bioinformatics. 2015 June 9(16):189.