Using Low-Cost Dyes to Visualize Glycogen Accumulation and Gut Integrity in Caenorhabditis elegans

Summary

Teaching biological sciences can be made more stimulating for students through the use of experimentation. This manuscript presents two different yet complementary protocols that can be utilized in the classroom to encourage students to formulate and test hypotheses related to high-calorie diets, starvation, and aging.

Abstract

Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is a transparent, non-parasitic nematode with a simple biology, which makes it a great tool for biological sciences teaching through the staining of the cells or their molecular content. Lugol dye (iodine-potassium iodide solution) has been widely used in biochemistry to stain glycogen stores. In this context, it is possible to observe differences between fed and starved animals, besides the effects of different conditions, such as different diets and oxygen levels. Erioglaucine is a blue dye that indicates the loss of the intestinal barrier. When the intestinal barrier is intact, the blue dye stains inside the lumen; however, when this integrity is disrupted, the dye leaks into the body cavity. Using a stereomicroscope or a microscope, teachers can demonstrate physiological and biochemical alterations, or they can instigate students to ask a scientific question and hypothesize and test their hypothesis using these assays. The present protocol describes two staining techniques in C. elegans that can be easily carried out by students.

Introduction

Biological sciences teaching in high school is a continuous challenge. Notably, the access and use of technology have brought important advances in the teaching-learning process, however, tools such as artificial intelligence chatbots make rationalizing and seeking evidence more difficult due to easy (and sometimes incorrect) responses obtained¹. Because of that, the use of a scientific method with practical experimentation in an inquiry-based approach in the classroom is an important strategy to develop or stimulate critical thinking, creativity, and technical skills in the students².

In this....

Protocol

NOTE: Escherichia coli OP50 (E. coli OP50) bacteria and Bristol N2 wild type strains can be obtained from the CGC, University of Minnesota, USA or from donation from a C. elegans laboratory. For researchers' safety, it is imperative to use Personal Protective Equipment. Although the concentrations of reagents like hypochlorite and sodium hydroxide are low, it is essential to wear the recommended PPE, as highlighted in the manuscript, to minimize any potential risks associated with these che.......

Discussion

In summary, this protocol provides a qualitative evaluation of glycogen content in individual C. elegans worms using Lugol staining: a straightforward, robust, and swift assay. Lugol staining is a label-free and non-invasive approach that facilitates the acquisition of molecular data at subcellular resolutions, allowing for the monitoring of glycogen content fluctuations within single worms¹⁰. Furthermore, the assay offers the advantage of cost-effectiveness due to its minimal equipment r.......

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
1.5 mL microtubes	Local suppliers	-
37-degree incubator	KS 4000i	97014-816
50 mL conical tube	Local suppliers	-
6 cm Petri plates	Local suppliers	-
Agar bacteriological	Dinâmica Química Contemporânea Ltda.	9002-18-0
C. elegans Bristol N2 (wild type)	Caenorhabditis elegans Genetic Center (CGC, Minnesota, USA)	-
CaCL2	Dinâmica Química Contemporânea Ltda.	10035-04-8
Cholesterol	Sigma-Aldrich Brasil Ltda	57-88-5
D-(+)-Glucose anhydrous	Neon	50-99-7
Distilled H2O	Local suppliers	-
Erioglaucine disodium salt	Sigma-Aldrich Brasil Ltda	3844-45-9
Escherichia coli OP50	Caenorhabditis elegans Genetic Center (CGC, Minnesota, USA)	-
Flow hood	Mylabor
Incubator	Panasonic Healthcare company of North America, MIR-254-PA.	-
KH2PO4	Dinâmica Química Contemporânea Ltda.	7778-77-0
Levamisole hydrochloride	RIPERCOL L 150F	-
Lugol solution	Sigma-Aldrich Brasil Ltda	L6146
MgSO4	Synth	S1063-01-AH
Microcentrifuge	Centrifuge 5425R Eppendorf SE, Germany
Na2HPO4	Dinâmica Química Contemporânea Ltda.	7558-79-4
NaCl	Dinâmica Química Contemporânea Ltda.	7647-14-5
Nystatin	Sigma-Aldrich Brasil Ltda	N6261
Peptone bacteriological	êxodo científica	91079-38-8
Stereomicroscope	Leica S8 Apo Stereomicroscope (São Paulo, Brazil)
Streptomycin Sulfate	Estreptomax	-