Oxygen consumption rate of Caenorhabditis elegans as a high-throughput endpoint of toxicity testing using the Seahorse XFe96 Extracellular Flux Analyzer.

ABSTRACT: Caenorhabditis elegans presents functioning, biologically relevant phenotypes and is frequently used as a bioindicator of toxicity. However, most C. elegans in vivo effect-assessment methods are laborious and time consuming. Therefore, we developed a novel method to measure the oxygen consumption rate of C. elegans as a sublethal endpoint of toxicity. This protocol was tested by exposing 50 larval stage one C. elegans individuals for 48?h (at 20?°C) to different concentrations of two toxicants i.e. benzylcetyldimethylammonium chloride (BAC-C16) and cadmium (Cd). Following exposures, the oxygen consumption rate of the C. elegans individuals were measured using the high-throughput functionality of the Seahorse XFe96 Extracellular Flux Analyzer. Dose-response curves for BAC-C16 (R2?=?0.93; P?=?0.001) and Cd (R2?=?0.98; P?=?0.001) were created. Furthermore, a strong, positive correlation was evidenced between C. elegans oxygen consumption rate and a commonly used, ecologically relevant endpoint of toxicity (growth inhibition) for BAC-C16 (R2?=?0.93; P?=?0.0001) and Cd (R2?=?0.91; P?=?0.0001). The data presented in this study show that C. elegans oxygen consumption rate can be used as a promising functional measurement of toxicity.

SUBMITTER: Preez GD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7060326 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature