PubMed:23603051 JSONTXT 6 Projects

A C. elegans screening platform for the rapid assessment of chemical disruption of germline function. BACKGROUND: Despite the developmental impact of chromosome segregation errors, we lack the tools to assess environmental effects on the integrity of the germline in animals. OBJECTIVES: We developed an assay in Caenorhabditis elegans that fluorescently marks aneuploid embryos after chemical exposure. METHODS: We qualified the predictive value of the assay against chemotherapeutic agents as well as environmental compounds from the ToxCast Phase I library by comparing results from the C. elegans assay with the comprehensive mammalian in vivo end point data from the ToxRef database. RESULTS: The assay was highly predictive of mammalian reproductive toxicities, with a 69% maximum balanced accuracy. We confirmed the effect of select compounds on germline integrity by monitoring germline apoptosis and meiotic progression. CONCLUSIONS: This C. elegans assay provides a comprehensive strategy for assessing environmental effects on germline function.