The effects of intense light on Caenorhabditis elegans

Caenorhabditis elegans utilize light receptors to modify foraging and locomotion in response to phototoxic blue and UV light. Our study investigated physiological and behavioral changes in C. elegans during and after exposure to high-intensity light-emitting diode (LED) light. Our findings corroborate previously reported blue-light-induced oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, and avoidance behavior. Novel to our work is the identification of a protective role for lysosome-related organelles (LROs), the observation of a unique "shelter-seeking behavior" potentially mediated by light gradient sensing, and the seemingly dispensable role of canonical light receptors in this specific behavioral response.