PLoS ONE (Jan 2012)

Caenorhabditis elegans maintains highly compartmentalized cellular distribution of metals and steep concentration gradients of manganese.

  • Gawain McColl,
  • Simon A James,
  • Sheridan Mayo,
  • Daryl L Howard,
  • Christopher G Ryan,
  • Robin Kirkham,
  • Gareth F Moorhead,
  • David Paterson,
  • Martin D de Jonge,
  • Ashley I Bush

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0032685
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 2
p. e32685

Abstract

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Bioinorganic chemistry is critical to cellular function. Homeostasis of manganese (Mn), for example, is essential for life. A lack of methods for direct in situ visualization of Mn and other biological metals within intact multicellular eukaryotes limits our understanding of management of these metals. We provide the first quantitative subcellular visualization of endogenous Mn concentrations (spanning two orders of magnitude) associated with individual cells of the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans.