Proteomic analysis of Caenorhabditis elegans

Proteomic studies of the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans have recently received great attention because this animal model is a useful platform for the in vivo study of various biological problems relevant to human disease. In general, proteomic analysis is carried out in order to address a specific question with respect to differential changes in proteome expression under certain perturbed conditions. In this chapter, we focus on gel-based proteomic analysis of C. elegans subjected to two specific stress conditions during development: induction of the dauer state for whole body protein expression and a temperature shift for egg protein expression. Utilizing these differently perturbed C. elegans protein samples, two-dimensional electrophoresis and differential in-gel electrophoresis methods have led to the discovery of remarkable aspects of the worm's biology. We also provide numerous details about the technical points and protocols necessary for successful experimentation.