Molecular and Behavioral Effects of In-Utero Stress on Subsequent Generations of Caenorhabditis elegans
Research Mentor(s)
Rose, Jacqueline K.
Description
Previous studies have implicated that in-utero stress can result in neuronal loss, memory deficits, and depression in adult rats. Other studies have proposed that maternal stress during pregnancy can cause epigenetic changes in the offspring associated with increased risk for anxiety disorders and autism. This likely occurs because of an elevation in glutamate receptors, such as the NMDA and AMPA receptors. Therefore, it is suggested that in-utero stressors in Caenorhabditis elegans acts via glutamate receptors, resulting in behavioral abnormalities. In the current study, this was tested by exposing wild-type N2 C. elegans to constant and repetitive motion stress for the duration of in-utero development (approximately 3 hours). Worms were then bleached to harvest embryos and adult offspring were examined for number of spontaneous reversals performed over a ten minute period. Worms that experienced in-utero stress showed significantly fewer spontaneously reversals than their control counterparts. Research in rats has suggested that stress increases the release of glutamate in the female dams and crosses the placental barrier resulting in the same effect in offspring. To study this effect in C. elegans, qRT-PCR was performed on adult offspring that had experience in utero stress to quantify GLR-1 glutamate receptor (AMPA) expression.These data together support what is known about the effects of stress in utero and provide a foundation for studying affected pathways and behavioral outcomes across generations in C. elegans.
Document Type
Event
Start Date
18-5-2017 9:00 AM
End Date
18-5-2017 12:00 PM
Department
Psychology
Genre/Form
student projects; posters
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Epigenetics; Developmental biology
Type
Image
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this documentation for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Molecular and Behavioral Effects of In-Utero Stress on Subsequent Generations of Caenorhabditis elegans
Previous studies have implicated that in-utero stress can result in neuronal loss, memory deficits, and depression in adult rats. Other studies have proposed that maternal stress during pregnancy can cause epigenetic changes in the offspring associated with increased risk for anxiety disorders and autism. This likely occurs because of an elevation in glutamate receptors, such as the NMDA and AMPA receptors. Therefore, it is suggested that in-utero stressors in Caenorhabditis elegans acts via glutamate receptors, resulting in behavioral abnormalities. In the current study, this was tested by exposing wild-type N2 C. elegans to constant and repetitive motion stress for the duration of in-utero development (approximately 3 hours). Worms were then bleached to harvest embryos and adult offspring were examined for number of spontaneous reversals performed over a ten minute period. Worms that experienced in-utero stress showed significantly fewer spontaneously reversals than their control counterparts. Research in rats has suggested that stress increases the release of glutamate in the female dams and crosses the placental barrier resulting in the same effect in offspring. To study this effect in C. elegans, qRT-PCR was performed on adult offspring that had experience in utero stress to quantify GLR-1 glutamate receptor (AMPA) expression.These data together support what is known about the effects of stress in utero and provide a foundation for studying affected pathways and behavioral outcomes across generations in C. elegans.