C. elegans Muscle Area Measurements: een gestandaardiseerde methode om gerigeerde spiermorfologie te kwantificeren

- C. elegans have two types of muscles. The single sarcomere or non-striated muscles include those in the pharynx and vulva. The multiple sarcomere or obliquely striated muscles are rhomboid-shaped body wall muscles named for the regular striated pattern of their myosin fibers.

They are arranged in staggered pairs as four bundles oriented longitudinally in the four quadrants of the worm body viewed in cross section. Each cell has many equally spaced points of attachment to the hypodermis and cuticle. This arrangement helps to translate waves of muscle contractions into smooth locomotion.

To visualize these muscles, image immobilized worms with transgenically GFP- labeled myosin by fluorescent confocal microscopy. Use analysis software to measure the area of a striated muscle cell and any gaps in the fiber pattern of that cell. Gaps in muscle fiber organization could indicate disruption by fiber degradation or the accumulation of cellular debris. Calculate the ratio of the gap area to the total area to define the amount of disruption. In the example protocol, we will quantitatively assess body wall muscle morphology using Fiji.

- To measure muscle cell area, open the image in Fiji s