Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 28, 2026
06:01
Standardized Methods for Measuring Induction of the Heat Shock Response in Caenorhabditis elegans
Published on: July 3, 2020
9.7K
Experience Modulates the Reproductive Response to Heat Stress in C. elegans via Multiple Physiological Processes.
Devin Y Gouvêa1,2, Erin Z Aprison3, Ilya Ruvinsky2,3,4
1Committee on Conceptual and Historical Studies of Science, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
Plos One
|December 30, 2015
Summary
Organismal experience, including ancestral history, significantly impacts reproduction and stress response in C. elegans. Prior cultivation temperature influences reproductive success and resilience to heat stress.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Reproductive biology
- Environmental stress response
Background:
- Natural environments present variable and stressful conditions unlike controlled laboratory settings.
- Understanding organismal adaptation requires considering prior environmental exposures.
- Experience, both individual and ancestral, can shape responses to stress.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how individual and ancestral experience affects C. elegans reproduction.
- To determine the impact of cultivation temperature (15°C or 25°C) on reproductive traits and heat stress resilience.
Main Methods:
- Cultivation of C. elegans at different temperatures (15°C and 25°C).
- Assessment of developmental time, lifetime fecundity, and reproductive performance post-heat stress.
- Analysis of effects on male and female germ lines and their interaction.
Main Results:
- Cultivation temperature influenced developmental time, lifetime fecundity, and reproductive performance after heat stress.
- Prior experience modulated various reproductive physiology aspects, including germline interactions.
- Responses demonstrated environmental sensitivity, indicating complex coping mechanisms.
Conclusions:
- Organismal reproductive strategies are adaptable and influenced by environmental history.
- C. elegans exhibits complex mechanisms for coping with unpredictable and stressful environments.
- Prior experience is a critical factor in understanding stress resilience and reproductive success.
Related Concept Videos
02:27Background and Environment Affect Phenotype
8.1K
Although the genetic makeup of an organism plays a major role in determining the phenotype, there are also several environmental factors, such as temperature, oxygen availability, presence of mutagens, that can alter an organism’s phenotype.
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...
8.1K
02:45Responses to Heat and Cold Stress
15.7K
Every organism has an optimum temperature range within which healthy growth and physiological functioning can occur. At the ends of this range, there will be a minimum and maximum temperature that interrupt biological processes.
15.7K