Needle wounding methods for C. elegans were first developed by Nathalie Pujol and Jonathan Ewbank; we thank Nathalie Pujol for comments on the manuscript. Work in our laboratory on C. elegans epidermal wound repair is supported by a grant from the NIH to A.D.C. (R01 GM054657).

The following protocols describe the detailed procedure for C. elegans skin wounding and for assaying wound responses.
1. Needle Wounding3,4
<ol>
	<li>Grow healthy unstarved worms on standard NGM (nematode growth medium) plates with E. coli OP50 bacteria as food, maintained in a 20 &#176;C incubator. 
	NOTE: Methods for NGM agar plates and routine cultivation of C. elegans can be found at www.wormbook.org6.</li>
	<li>Pick 25 L4 stage worm...

<ol>
	<li>Gurtner, G. C., Werner, S., Barrandon, Y., Longaker, M. T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Wound+repair+and+regeneration.">Wound repair and regeneration.</a> Nature. 453, 314-321 (2008).</li><li>Sonnemann, K. J., Bement, W. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Wound+repair:+toward+understanding+and+integration+of+single-cell+and+multicellular+wound+responses.">Wound repair: toward understanding and integration of single-cell and multicellular wound responses.</a> Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol. 27, 237-263 (2011).</li><li>Xu, S., Chisholm, A. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+G&#945;q-Ca2++signaling+pathway+promotes+actin-mediated+epidermal+wound+closure+in+C.+elegans.">A G&#945;q-Ca2+ signaling pathway promotes actin-mediated epidermal wound closure in C. elegans.</a> Curr Biol. 21, 1960-1967 (2011).</li><li>Pujol, N., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Distinct+innate+immune+responses+to+infection+and+wounding+in+the+C.+elegans+epidermis.">Distinct innate immune responses to infection and wounding in the C. elegans epidermis.</a> Curr Biol. 18, 481-489 (2008).</li><li>Chisholm, A. D., Xu, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+Caenorhabditis+elegans+epidermis+as+a+model+skin.+II:+differentiation+and+physiological+roles.">The Caenorhabditis elegans epidermis as a model skin. II: differentiation and physiological roles.</a> Wiley Interdiscip Rev Dev Biol. 1, 879-902 (2012).</li><li>Stiernagle, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Maintenance+of+C.+elegans.">Maintenance of C. elegans.</a> WormBook : the online review of C. elegans biology. , 1-11 .</li><li>Bargmann, C. I., Avery, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Laser+killing+of+cells+in+Caenorhabditis+elegans.+Methods+in+cell+biology.">Laser killing of cells in Caenorhabditis elegans. Methods in cell biology.</a> 48, 225-250 .</li><li>Pujol, N., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Anti-fungal+innate+immunity+in+C.+elegans+is+enhanced+by+evolutionary+diversification+of+antimicrobial+peptides.">Anti-fungal innate immunity in C. elegans is enhanced by evolutionary diversification of antimicrobial peptides.</a> PLoS Pathog. 4, (2008).</li><li>Tong, A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Negative+regulation+of+Caenorhabditis+elegans+epidermal+damage+responses+by+death-associated+protein+kinase.">Negative regulation of Caenorhabditis elegans epidermal damage responses by death-associated protein kinase.</a> Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 106, 1457-1461 (2009).</li><li>Zugasti, O., Ewbank, J. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Neuroimmune+regulation+of+antimicrobial+peptide+expression+by+a+noncanonical+TGF-beta+signaling+pathway+in+Caenorhabditis+elegans+epidermis.">Neuroimmune regulation of antimicrobial peptide expression by a noncanonical TGF-beta signaling pathway in Caenorhabditis elegans epidermis.</a> Nat Immunol. 10, 249-256 (2009).</li><li>Zhao, X., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Microfluidic+chip-based+C.+elegans+microinjection+system+for+investigating+cell-cell+communication+in+vivo.">Microfluidic chip-based C. elegans microinjection system for investigating cell-cell communication in vivo.</a> Biosensor., &amp; Bioelectronics. 50, 28-34 (2013).</li><li>Jansson, H. 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The authors are not aware of any competing interests.

The methods presented here for needle and laser wounding provide complementary approaches for assessing the ability of the epidermal epithelium to repair damage. Laser wounding is relatively localized and (depending on laser configuration) can be confined to the epidermis, whereas needle wounding disrupts the epidermis, cuticle, and likely internal basement membranes. Needle wounding may more accurately resemble wounds inflicted by pathogens or mechanical damage in the natural environment. As a rule, needle wounding requ...

Skin wound healing mechanisms are of basic biological interest and relevant to human health. Wound healing in vertebrates and mammals comprises a complex series of coordinated responses of multiple tissues and signaling1. Many simple genetic model organisms are also capable of healing skin wounds2. It is therefore of interest to analyze genetically tractable models of skin wound repair. We and others have begun to use Caenorhabditis elegans as new model for skin wound healing3,4. The goal of this protocol is to enable a broader set of researchers to use C. elegans as a tool to investigate molecular and cellular mechanisms of epidermal wound healing.
The C. elegans skin comprises the epidermis (also known as hypodermis) and the extracellular cuticle5. The adult epidermis is formed from a small number of multinucleate syncytia, of which the largest is the syncytium known as hyp7. The epidermis is a simple epithelium that secretes the cuticle on its apical surface. The skin can actively defend against skin-penetrating pathogens and repair small wounds4. Wound repair of the C. elegans skin is robust, as almost all wild type animals survive can survive small puncture wounds caused by needles, or local skin damage caused by laser irradiation. C. elegans skin wounding triggers a suite of responses, including an epidermal innate immune response, wound closure, and scar formation4. The adult epidermis is post-mitotic, and wound healing involves local cellular responses as opposed to epidermal proliferation or cell migration. We have shown that skin wounding triggers a large and sustained increase in epidermal Ca2+, requiring the membrane TRPM channel GTL-2 and internal Ca2+ stores3. The epidermal Ca2+ signal is required for formation and closure of F-actin rings at the wound site. Wounding also induces innate immune responses that activate the transcription of AMPs such as nlp-29. The wounding-induced transcription of AMPs is dependent on a TIR-1/PMK-1 p38 MAP kinase cascade acting autonomously in the epidermis4. Defects in either the Ca2+ signaling pathway or in the innate immune response will lead to lower survival post-wounding. The relatively simple structure of the C. elegans epidermis, its genetic tractability and advantages for in vivo imaging make it an excellent system to study multiple aspects of wound repair.
Here we present protocols for the two common methods of wounding: needle wounding and laser wounding. Needle wounding requires no specialized equipment (other than the needle puller), and with experience can be performed on hundreds of worms per day. Needle wounding is performed on animals growing on agar plates. In contrast, laser wounding is performed on anesthetized animals mounted on agar pads under a coverslip, and is suited for live imaging of the cellular responses to damage.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="908">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:227px;">Name</td>
			<td style="width:227px;">Company</td>
			<td style="width:227px;">Catalog Number</td>
			<td style="width:227px;">Comments</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:227px;">Agarose</td>
			<td style="width:227px;">Denville Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:227px;">CA3510-8</td>
			<td style="width:227px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:227px;">Plastic Petri plate</td>
			<td style="width:227px;">Tritech Research</td>
			<td style="width:227px;">T3308</td>
			<td style="width:227px;">60 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:227px;">Levamisole</td>
			<td style="width:227px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:227px;">L9756</td>
			<td style="width:227px;">12 mM</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:227px;"><a name="RANGE!A5">Borosilicate Glass Capillary&#160;</a></td>
			<td style="width:227px;">World Precision Instruments</td>
			<td style="width:227px;">1B100F-4</td>
			<td style="width:227px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:227px;">Needle puller</td>
			<td style="width:227px;">Sutter Instrument&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:227px;">P-2000</td>
			<td style="width:227px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:227px;">Worm pick (Platinum wire)</td>
			<td style="width:227px;">Tritech Research</td>
			<td style="width:227px;">PT-9010</td>
			<td style="width:227px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="86">
			<td height="86" style="height:87px;width:227px;">M9 solution</td>
			<td style="width:227px;">Home-made</td>
			<td colspan="2" style="width:453px;">3 g KH2PO4, 6 g Na2HPO4, 5 g NaCl, 1 ml 1 M MgSO4, H2O to 1 litre. Sterilize by autoclaving</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:227px;">Trizol</td>
			<td style="width:227px;">Invitrogen</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:227px;">15596026</td>
			<td style="width:227px;">Use 500 ml for 50 worms</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:227px;">iQ SYBR Green</td>
			<td style="width:227px;">Bio-Rad</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:227px;">1708882</td>
			<td style="width:227px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:227px;">SuperScript III</td>
			<td style="width:227px;">Invitrogen</td>
			<td style="width:227px;">18080-051</td>
			<td style="width:227px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:227px;">PCR machine</td>
			<td style="width:227px;">Bio-Rad</td>
			<td style="width:227px;">C1000/CFX96</td>
			<td style="width:227px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:227px;">96-well PCR tubes</td>
			<td style="width:227px;">Bio-Rad</td>
			<td style="width:227px;">MLL9601</td>
			<td style="width:227px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:227px;">Image analysis software</td>
			<td style="width:227px;">Molecular Devices</td>
			<td style="width:227px;">Metamorph</td>
			<td style="width:227px;"></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

methods for skin wounding and assays for wound responses in c. elegans

The C. elegans epidermis and cuticle form a simple yet sophisticated skin layer that can repair localized damage resulting from wounding. Studies of wound responses and repair in this model have illuminated our understanding of the cytoskeletal and genomic responses to tissue damage. The two most commonly used methods to wound the C. elegans adult skin are pricks with microinjection needles, and local laser irradiation. Needle wounding locally disrupts the cuticle, epidermis, and associated extracellular matrix, and may also damage internal tissues. Laser irradiation results in more localized damage. Wounding triggers a succession of readily assayed responses including elevated epidermal Ca2+ (seconds-minutes), formation and closure of an actin-containing ring at the wound site (1-2 hr), elevated transcription of antimicrobial peptide genes (2-24 hr), and scar formation. Essentially all wild type adult animals survive wounding, whereas mutants defective in wound repair or other responses show decreased survival. Detailed protocols for needle and laser wounding, and assays for quantitation and visualization of wound responses and repair processes (Ca dynamics, actin dynamics, antimicrobial peptide induction, and survival) are presented.

Laser or needle wounding will trigger rapid and sustained elevation in epidermal Ca levels, as visualized with Ca sensors such as GCaMPs (Figure 1). The Ca elevation occurs within seconds, and remains elevated for tens of minutes. Needle wounding reproducibly results in the formation of F-actin rings at wound sites (Figure 2); these appear within minutes, and gradually close over 1-2 hr&#160;after wounding. Actin rings are less often formed after more precise laser wounding. Both needle ...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Methods for Skin Wounding and Assays for Wound Responses in C. elegans at JoVE.com

Methods for Skin Wounding and Assays for Wound Responses in C. elegans

The adult C. elegans skin is a tractable model for studies of epithelial wound responses, including wound closure, scar formation, and innate immunity.

Methods for Skin Wounding and Assays for Wound Responses in C. elegans

The C. elegans epidermis and cuticle form a simple yet sophisticated skin layer that can repair localized damage resulting from wounding. Studies of wound ...

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10.2K ビュー.  University of California, San Diego. The adult C. elegans skin is a tractable model for studies of epithelial wound responses, including wound closure, scar formation, and innate immunity. 