In the previous WS246 release we introduced automated gene descriptions for C. elegans genes that lacked a manually written one. These gene descriptions include information related to orthology, process, function and sub-cellular localization (when these data-types have been curated in the WormBase database), giving the user a quick overview of the gene. The current WS247 release includes automated descriptions for over 18,000 C. briggsae genes. Check out the C. briggase gene pages to view these descriptions under ‘Overview’! In future releases, we will add genes from many more species! Also, WormBase is working on user-friendly forms which you can use to edit these descriptions and make them better.
2nd Bridging the Divide Workshop to be held at the 2015 C. elegans Meeting
Parasitic Nematodes: Announcing the 2nd “Bridging the Divide” workshop to be held at the 2015 International C. elegans Meeting (June 24th, 2:00pm – 5:00pm, Northwest Auditorium)
Each year infections of animals and plants by parasitic nematodes cause many billions of dollars of agricultural damage. Over a billion people worldwide, particularly in developing nations, are infected by nematodes and suffer from the resulting debilitating diseases. Currently, only a few investigators address problems of parasitic nematodes using C. elegans. To encourage and facilitate more interactions between the C. elegans and parasitic nematode communities, a workshop was held at the 2013 International C. elegans Meeting in which experts in plant, animal and human parasitic nematodes spoke on the life history and unique biology of these parasitic species and on outstanding issues in their field. A key goal of this session was to make C. elegans scientists aware of the issues and problems that parasitic nematode researchers face and pave the way for applying the powerful approaches and technologies that have advanced C. elegans research to parasitic nematodes.
We are hosting a modified version of this session at the start of the upcoming 2015 C. elegans meeting (our session and registration both take place in the afternoon of June 24) in which C. elegans researchers who have worked with other nematodes are invited to share their results and experiences. If you would like to speak at this session, please send your abstract(s) by May 21 to Marty Chalfie.
WS247: Parasite Papers II
For the upcoming WS247 release, a set of new papers have been added to the WormBase database. Some papers of interest to the parasite community are shown below.
Khor BY, Tye GJ, Lim TS, Noordin R, Choong YS. The structure and dynamics of BmR1 protein from Brugia malayi: in silico approaches. Int J Mol Sci. 2014 Jun 19;15(6):11082-99.
genes referred to: Bm10631 (other name: BmR1)
Anderson RC, Newton CL, Millar RP, Katz AA. The Brugia malayi neuropeptide receptor-4 is activated by FMRFamide-like peptides and signals via Gai. Mol Biochem Parasitol. 2014 Jun;195(1):54-8.
genes referred to: flp-18 , npr-4 , Bma-npr-4
Casper SK, Schoeller SJ, Zgoba DM, Phillips AJ, Morien TJ, Chaffee GR, Sackett PC, Peterson FC, Crossgrove K, Veldkamp CT. The solution structure of the forkhead box-O DNA binding domain of Brugia malayi DAF-16a. Proteins. 2014 Dec;82(12):3490-6.
genes referred to: daf-16 , Bma-daf-16
Kalani K, Kushwaha V, Sharma P, Verma R, Srivastava M, Khan F, Murthy PK, Srivastava SK. In vitro, in silico and in vivo studies of ursolic acid as an anti-filarial agent. PLoS One. 2014 Nov 6;9(11):e111244.
genes referred to: Bma-gst-1
Yadav M, Singh A, Rathaur S, Liebau E. Structural modeling and simulation studies of Brugia malayi glutathione-S-transferase with compounds exhibiting antifilarial activity: implications in drug targeting and designing. J Mol Graph Model. 2010 Jan;28(5):435-45.
genes referred to: Bma-gst-1
WS247: Parasite Papers I
For the upcoming WS247 release, a set of new papers have been added to the WormBase database. Some papers of interest to the parasite community are shown below.
Rodrigo WW, Dassanayake RS, Weerasena SJ, Silva Gunawardene YI. Novel parasitic nematode-specific protein of bovine filarial parasite Setaria digitata displays conserved gene structure and ubiquitous expression. Trop Biomed. 2014 Sep;31(3):514-24.
genes referred to: Bm8739
Tiwari S, Wadhawan M, Singh N, Rathaur S. Effect of CDNB on filarial thioredoxin reductase : A proteomic and biochemical approach. J Proteomics. 2015 Jan 15;113:435-46.
genes referred to: ced-3 , ced-9 , Bma-trxr-1 , Bma-ced-3 , Bm14668
Kulke D, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G, Miltsch SM, Wolstenholme AJ, Jex AR, Gasser RB, Ballesteros C, Geary TG, Keiser J, Townson S, Harder A, Kruecken J Characterization of the Ca2+-gated and voltage-dependent K+-channel Slo-1 of nematodes and its interaction with emodepside. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2014 Dec 18;8(12):e3401.
genes referred to: sle-1 , slo-1 , Bma-slo-1 , Ovo-slo-1
Lustigman S, Melnikow E, Anand SB, Contreras A, Nandi V, Liu J, Bell A, Unnasch TR, Rogers MB, Ghedin E. Potential involvement of Brugia malayi cysteine proteases in the maintenance of the endosymbiotic relationship with Wolbachia. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist. 2014 Aug 26;4(3):267-77.
genes referred to: Bm1665 , Bma-cpl-6 , Bma-cpl-2 , Bma-cpl-7 , Bma-cpl-8 , Bma-cpl-4 , Bma-cpl-5 , Bma-cpl-1
New in WS246: Curation of Wnt signaling papers
Wnt signaling in C. elegans, both canonical and non-canonical, governs cell polarity and asymmetric cell divisions that ultimately affect endoderm specification, vulva and gonad development, neuroblast migration, neuron branching and outgrowth, formation of the postdeirid sensilla and male tail ray and spicule formation (see WormBook chapters on Wnt signaling for reviews). For the WS246 and WS247 releases of WormBase, WormBase curators have focused on curating papers directly relevant to Wnt signaling in C. elegans. This curation includes Wnt-related genetic and regulatory interactions, anatomy function, mutant phenotypes (by allele and RNAi), expression patterns, Gene Ontology annotations, and cross-species gene orthology and gene models for other nematode species.