This worm develops food habits and its offspring ‘inherit’ them

Sub: Science and tech

Sec: Msc

Context:

Researchers from Princeton University in the U.S. reported that after C. elegans worms ate a disease-causing strain of bacteria.

More on news:

Researchers had previously discovered this trans-generational ability in C. elegans worms against P. aeruginosa bacteria (which also cause disease in humans).

About Caenorhabditis elegans:

Caenorhabditis elegans is a free-living transparent nematode about 1 mm in length that lives in temperate soil environments.
C. elegans has two natural sexes, XO males and XX hermaphrodites.
The hermaphrodites are simply self-fertile females whose only male character is the ability to make the limited number of sperm used solely for internal self-fertilization.
Roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans is called “the worm” because of its widespread use in research to understand neuronal and molecular biology.
It was the first multicellular organism to have its full genome sequenced and neural wiring mapped.
It grows within 3-5 days from a fertilized egg to a millimeter-long adult.

Mechanism:

Pseudomonas vranovensis is a disease-causing bacterium found in C. elegans’s natural environment.
P. vranovensis makes a small RNA molecule called sRNA.
When the worms ingest this strain, they also take in the sRNA.
The sRNA then altered the worm’s feeding behavior.
The worms ‘know’ to avoid feeding on this bacterium and save themselves from getting sick.
This learned avoidance behavior was found to be transmitted to the trained worm’s progeny.
The ability decayed only from the fifth generation.

About DNA, mRNA and sRNA:

DNA:

Deoxyribonucleic acid (abbreviated DNA) is the molecule that carries genetic information for the development and functioning of an organism.
DNA is made of two linked strands that wind around each other to resemble a twisted ladder — a shape known as a double helix.

Mrna:

Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) is a single-stranded molecule of RNA that corresponds to the genetic sequence of a gene, and is read by a ribosome in the process of synthesizing a protein.
In cellular function, mRNA, or messenger RNA, is of paramount importance across transcription, transportation, translation, regulation, cell signaling and beyond. Converted from the genetic information in DNA, it transcribes this data into an RNA format.

sRNA:

Bacterial small RNAs (sRNAs) are an emerging class of regulatory RNAs of about 40–500 nucleotides in length and, by binding to their target mRNAs or proteins, get involved in many biological processes such as sensing environmental changes and regulating gene expression.

What are Nematodes?

The nematodes, roundworms or eelworms constitute the phylum Nematoda.
They are a diverse animal phylum inhabiting a broad range of environments.
Most species are free-living, feeding on microorganisms, but there are many that are parasitic.
The parasitic worms are the cause of soil-transmitted helminthiases

About is E coli:

Escherichia coli is a gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped, coliform bacteria of the genus Escherichia that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms.