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The comprehensive mapping of transcripts, histone modifications and transcription factor binding allows for the functional annotation of fly and worm genomes.

Papsdorf et al. show that mono-unsaturated fatty acids extend lifespan of C. elegans through induction of peroxisomes and lipid droplets in fat tissues and of a lipid signature predictive of decreased lipid oxidation.

The nematode C. elegans is known to alter its behavior in response to UV light. Here, the authors show that visible light triggers photo-oxidative stress and a wider stress response in C. elegans, suggesting that light exposure during routine laboratory handling may influence the outcome of lifespan experiments.

Here, Peters et al. report that Pseudomonas fluorescens protects Caenorhabditis elegans against pathogen infection via polyketide synthase-derived sphingolipids, uncovering a non-canonical bacterial sphingolipid synthesis pathway that modulates host metabolism.

Here, Nair et al show that constitutive activation of the cytoprotective transcription factor SKN-1 within the digestive and nervous system of Caenorhabditis elegans impedes serotonin signalling and leads to pathogen-apathy behaviour.

Candida albicans must adapt to hypoxia. Here, the authors discover the sterol C4-methyl oxidase (SMO) Erg251 is essential for extreme hypoxic growth, as well as virulence and colonization, and that SMO inhibitors have therapeutic potential.

Pathogenic variants in UNC13A underlie a novel neurodevelopmental syndrome, with three subtypes defined by distinct genotypes with varying clinical and functional impacts characterized in cellular and animal models.

There is great interest in identifying novel peptides signals that communicate internal state information from the gut to the brain. Here we show, using the powerful C. elegans model system, that the peptide INS-7 is secreted from specialized enteroendocrine cells in the fasted state, and functions as an insulin receptor antagonist to regulate neuronal functions.

Caenorhabditis elegans has the potential to be used to discover new, biologically active small molecules in a high-throughput fashion and also to identify the protein targets of those small molecules.

In this work, authors utilise a prefractionation natural product extract screening platform, which uncovers coniotins, lipopeptaibiotics with broad antifungal activity and a mechanism of action that targets fungal cell wall β-glucan.

Methyl salicylate ester is a plant metabolite involved in plant-insect and plant-plant interactions. Here, Yu et al. show that a nematode-trapping fungus has potential to produce a related compound, 6-methyl salicylate, which attracts its prey (nematodes) and modulates spore germination and trap formation in the fungus.

Stuhr and Curran profile the metabolic, lifespan and health outcomes of C. elegans under six bacterial diets: the three most commonly used E. coli strains OP50, HT115, HB101, along with Methylobacterium, Xanthomonas, and Sphingomonas. These results show how diet can differentially alter multiple life history traits including development, reproduction, and metabolism, and can provide a better understanding of the complexities of bacterial diets and subsequent changes in physiology and gene expression.

There is an urgent need for novel strategies to combat life-threatening fungal infections. Here, Revie et al. identify a compound that induces alterations in fungal membranes, synergizes with azole antifungals against the pathogen Candida albicans, and inhibits virulence traits and biofilm formation in animal models of infection.

Motile and non-motile cilia have distinct functions and protein complexes associated with them. Here, the authors show the conserved protein CFAP20 is important for both motile and non-motile cilia and is distinct from other ciliopathy-associated domains or macromolecular complexes.

Maintenance and quality control of the mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes responsible for bulk energy production are unclear. Here, the authors show that the mitochondrial protease ClpXP is required for the rapid turnover of the core N-module of respiratory complex I, which happens independently of other modules in the complex.

Kalium channelrhodopsins (KCRs) are promising tools for optogenetic silencing. Here, the authors show that KCRs inhibit cellular excitability in flies, worms, and fish, establishing them as first-line tools for inhibiting diverse types of excitable cells.

Chemosynthetic symbioses occur in a wide range of ocean habitats, from deep-sea vents and cold seeps to whale falls and shallow-water sediments. This Review reveals the diversity and complexity of these symbioses, some of which include multiple symbiotic partners.

Determining the appropriate sample size (N) for bulk RNA sequencing experiments is critical to ensure reliable results. Here the authors perform an unusually large N experiment (N = 30 per group), analyzing changes in gene expression in two genetically modified mice compared to controls. They find that a surprisingly high N is required to keep the false positive rate below 50% and detection sensitivity above 50%.

The antibacterial agent colistin displays synergistic activity with azoles and echinocandins against various pathogenic fungi. Here, the authors show that the mechanisms involve disruption of cell membrane permeability and calcium homeostasis.

Nematode-trapping fungi are able to overcome the cuticle of Caenorhabditis elegans to colonize the nematode body. Here, Emser et al. characterise a nematode induced protein that induces blister formation in the nematode epidermis to facilitate fungal entry.

Accumulation of abnormal tau protein drives neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia disorders. Here, the authors demonstrate the endoplasmic reticulum unfolded protein response mediator XBP-1 controls pathological tau accumulation and the resultant neurodegeneration in a transgenic C. elegans model.

TFF3 secretion by goblet cells regulates mucus viscosity and wound healing, but a receptor for TFF3 has not been identified. Here, the authors show that TFF3 binds LINGO2 to de-repress and enhance EGFR signaling that drives wound healing and immunity against helminths.

A co-infection model of two pathogens in a nematode yields insights into the complex interaction between the microbes.

Foraminiferal environmental and sedimentary ancient DNAs provide a complementary approach to traditional morphological methods for relative sea level reconstruction, according to analysis of sediments in the Pearl River Delta.

Using differences among strains as a model for inter-individual variation, this paper identifies a conserved metabolicadaptation in C. elegans that compensates for genetic variation.

Little is known about how detritivorous invertebrates cope with high levels of defensive plant polyphenols. Here, Liebekeet al. identify a new class of surface-active metabolites in earthworms exposed to high-polyphenol diets, and show that they play a protective role against precipitation of proteins.

Antibodies are a primary tool to assess histone post-translational modifications. However, different antibodies and batches might vary in their ability to recognize those modifications, depending on the kind of assay used. Now a systematic analysis of different antibodies and an open database containing the validation results are presented.

Programmed cell death or apoptosis is an essential biological process that is impaired in some diseases and can be used to assess the effectiveness of drugs. Here the authors design Apo-15 as a fluorogenic peptide for the detection and real-time imaging of apoptotic cells.

Pak et al. show that prolonged fasting is required for the effects of calorie restriction on insulin sensitivity, fuel utilization and ageing in mice.

Genomics and transcriptomics data evaluate XBP-1s target genes conferring protection from pathological tau protein in C. elegans.

In Caenorhabditis elegans, RNAi-initiated gene silencing can persist for multiple generations. A study shows that this heritable silencing requires parallel contributions of both a nuclear transcriptional silencing pathway and perinuclear condensate-localized poly(UG)-tailed transcripts to produce abundant germline siRNAs in adult progeny.

Climate change makes the challenge of certain tropical ailments even tougher.

A large collection of new modENCODE and ENCODE genome-wide chromatin data sets from cell lines and developmental stages in worm, fly and human are analysed; this reveals many conserved features of chromatin organization among the three organisms, as well as notable differences in the composition and locations of repressive chromatin.