この研究は、空気圧制御のマイクロ流体デバイスを用いて、線虫（Caenorhabditis elegans）の走電性の特性を調べた。その結果、電界は、マイクロ流体環境において線虫の動きを制御するための強力な刺激として使用できることが示された；電界への応答（走電性）は、方向性、十分な浸透性、高い感受性があった；走電性は、線虫の年齢とサイズにより変化する神経活動によって媒介されるという特性が示された；泳ぎの速度は電界の強さや方向の変化の影響を受けなかったが、発達段階応じて、特定の速度で特定の範囲の電界に応答することが示された；最後に、電界へのばく露は、線虫の生存および生殖の能力への識別可能な影響を示さなかった、と報告している。
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In order to develop a new microfluidic device that uses a stimulus to manipulate the movement of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the authors aimed to show that an electrical signal can act as a powerful stimulus to precisely control and direct movement of the nematode in microchannels.
20 synchronized Caenorhabditis elegans of various age and size, from larval stage L1 (ca. 250 µm long) to young adult (ca. 1 mm long), were loaded individually into the microchannels filled with buffer and positioned in the central section (2.5 cm away from each electrode) using a syringe pump.
To rule out the influence of electrokinetic flows (electrophoresis as well as electroosmosis), additional experiments were performed with dead worms.
Additionally, 11 worms were investigated on post-exposure effects (behavior, fertility, viability; 10 worms at 2-4 V/cm and one worm at 12 V/cm).
| 周波数 |
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| タイプ |
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| ばく露時間 | not specified in the article |
| ばく露の発生源／構造 |
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|---|---|
| ばく露装置の詳細 | 5 cm long microchannel, 300 µm wide and 80 µm deep was used to study the worm movement; inlet, connected to a syringe pump and one electrode on one end, and outlet and the second electrode on the other end of the channel; with the help of the syringe pump a single worm was driven through the outlet into the channel and to the middle of it; then the pump was turned off and the electric field was turned on, either in one or the other direction; speed and direction of worm movement was measured |
| 測定量 | 値 | 種別 | Method | Mass | 備考 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 電界強度 | 12 V/cm | maximum | - | - | from +/- 2 V/cm to +/- 12 V/cm |
| 周波数 |
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|---|---|
| タイプ |
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| ばく露時間 | 10 min |
| ばく露の発生源／構造 |
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|---|---|
| ばく露装置の詳細 | worm was placed in the channel and the electric field was switched on; field polarity reversed every min |
| 測定量 | 値 | 種別 | Method | Mass | 備考 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 電界強度 | 12 V/cm | - | - | - | - |
The data showed that the response (electrotaxis) of older larvae and young adult animals was directional (towards the cathode) and highly sensitive. The characterization of electrotaxis revealed that it was mediated by neuronal activity (investigated with the aid of transgenic mutants) that varies with the age and size of animals (probably due to mature nervous system and investigated via longer and shorter transgenic worms). Not all developmental stages of animals responded equally well within the same threshold range. While the effective range for L4 larvae was 4-10 V/cm, the adults appeared significantly more sensitive and had a lower response threshold (2-4 V/cm).
Although the speed of swimming was unaffected by changes in the electric field strength and direction, the results showed that each developmental stage responded to a specific range of electric field with a specific speed. Finally, the findings provided evidence that the exposure to the electric field had no discernible effect on the ability of animals to survive and reproduce.
This method has potential in precisely controlling, directing, and transporting worms in an efficient and automated manner. This opens up significant possibilities for high-throughput screening of Caenorhabditis elegans for drug discovery and other applications.
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