The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans: a versatile model for the study of proteotoxicity and aging.
Toxicity arising from protein misfolding and aggregation (proteotoxicity) is tightly mechanistically linked to the emergence of late-onset neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Why these maladies manifest in late stages of life and what mechanisms protect the young organism from disease are key enigmas. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans offers key advantages that enable systematic exploration of many cell biological and functional aspects of neurodegeneration-linked proteotoxicity. Here we review the abundantly used nematode-based proteotoxicity models and delineate common techniques for the measurement of protein aggregation and rate of proteotoxicity. We also discuss the advantages offered by the worm for genetic screening, drug development and for the exploration of the links between proteotoxicity and the aging process.