Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Autophagic Cell Death

Autophagic Cell Death

Christian de Duve discovered “autophagy,” a process in which cellular components are engulfed by membrane-bound organelles called autophagosomes. The autophagosomes then fuse with lysosomes to digest the enclosed contents. Autophagy is generally activated in cells to prevent cell death. However, cell death is triggered when the damage is beyond repair.
Autophagy and Apoptosis
Autophagy can activate apoptosis. In normal conditions, the autophagy activating protein Beclin-1 and...

Overview of Cell Death

Overview of Cell Death

Cell death is an essential process where the body gets rid of old or damaged cells. Cell proliferation and death need to be balanced, as an imbalance between the two may lead to cancer or autoimmune diseases.
Cell death was observed in the early 19th century, but there was no experimental evidence to prove it. In 1842, Carl Vogt first discovered cell death in a metamorphic toad; however, it was not termed ‘cell death.’ Scientists discovered different cell death pathways only in the...

What are Viruses?

What are Viruses?

Negative Regulator Molecules

Negative Regulator Molecules

Positive regulators allow a cell to advance through cell cycle checkpoints. Negative regulators have an equally important role as they terminate a cell’s progression through the cell cycle—or pause it—until the cell meets specific criteria.

Adult Stem Cells

Adult Stem Cells

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce more stem cells or progenitor cells that differentiate into mature, specialized cell types. All the cells in the body are generated from stem cells in the early embryo, but small populations of stem cells are also present in many adult tissues including the bone marrow, brain, skin, and gut. These adult stem cells typically produce the various cell types found in that tissue—to replace cells that are damaged or to continuously...

Fixing Double-strand Breaks

Fixing Double-strand Breaks

The double-stranded structure of DNA has two major advantages. First, it serves as a safe repository of genetic information where one strand serves as the back-up in case the other strand is damaged. Second, the double-helical structure can be wrapped around proteins called histones to form nucleosomes, which can then be tightly wound to form chromosomes. This way, DNA chains up to 2 inches long can be contained within microscopic structures in a cell. A double-stranded break not only damages...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Disruption of flavin homeostasis in isolated rat liver mitochondria.

Biochemical and biophysical research communications·2019

Same author

Fluorescent determination of micro-quantities of RNA using Hoechst 33258 and binase.

Analytical biochemistry·2019

Same author

Determination of Micro-Quantities of DNA Using DNAse and Fluorescence of Hoechst 33258 and Light-Scattering.

Journal of fluorescence·2019

Same author

[Lipofuscin and mitolipofuscin in organs of young and adult rats.]

Advances in gerontology = Uspekhi gerontologii·2018

Same author

[Protomitohondria of Liver Cells, Their Similarities and Differences between Mitochondria].

Biofizika·2016

Same author

[Degradation of Mitochondria to Lipofuscin upon Heating and Illumination].

Biofizika·2016

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 15, 2026

High and Low Throughput Screens with Root-knot Nematodes Meloidogyne spp.

High and Low Throughput Screens with Root-knot Nematodes Meloidogyne spp.

Published on: March 12, 2012

[Blue death of nematodes.]

E L Gagarinskyi¹, N L Vekshin¹

¹Institute of Cell Biophysics, RAS, 3, Institutskaya str., Pushchino, Moscow region, 142290, Russian Federation; nvekshin@rambler.ru.

Advances in Gerontology = Uspekhi Gerontologii

|January 12, 2018

Summary

The blue glow during nematode aging and death is not due to lipofuscin or anthranilic acid. Instead, protein cross-linking causes aging, with parasitic light contributing to the observed glow.

Keywords:

aging anthranilic acid cross-linked proteins cross-links fluorescence light scattering lipofuscin nematodes

More Related Videos

Visualizing Bacteria in Nematodes using Fluorescent Microscopy

Visualizing Bacteria in Nematodes using Fluorescent Microscopy

Published on: October 19, 2012

Culturing and Genetically Manipulating Entomopathogenic Nematodes

Culturing and Genetically Manipulating Entomopathogenic Nematodes

Published on: March 31, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 15, 2026

High and Low Throughput Screens with Root-knot Nematodes Meloidogyne spp.

High and Low Throughput Screens with Root-knot Nematodes Meloidogyne spp.

Published on: March 12, 2012

Visualizing Bacteria in Nematodes using Fluorescent Microscopy

Visualizing Bacteria in Nematodes using Fluorescent Microscopy

Published on: October 19, 2012

Culturing and Genetically Manipulating Entomopathogenic Nematodes

Culturing and Genetically Manipulating Entomopathogenic Nematodes

Published on: March 31, 2022

Area of Science:

Biochemistry
Gerontology
Nematology

Background:

Nematode aging and death are associated with a blue glow under fluorescent microscopy.
Previous hypotheses linked this phenomenon to lipofuscin or anthranilic acid.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the underlying causes of the blue glow and nematode mortality.
To determine the roles of lipofuscin, anthranilic acid, and protein structure in nematode aging.

Main Methods:

Fluorescent microscopy of nematodes.
Spectrofluorimetry of nematode homogenates.
Analysis of tryptophan fluorescence and light scattering.
Artificial aging of nematodes via moderate heating.

Main Results:

The blue glow is primarily attributed to parasitic light scattering, not lipofuscin or anthranilic acid.
Anthranilic acid levels decrease with age, contradicting its role as an aging pigment.
Artificial aging did not increase anthranilic acid or decrease tryptophan.
Old nematodes exhibit denatured proteins and large, detergent-resistant protein aggregates, indicating strong cross-linking.

Conclusions:

Nematode aging and death are caused by the formation of strong protein cross-links.
Lipofuscin and anthranilic acid are not the primary drivers of the blue glow or mortality in nematodes.