The free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a powerful and important biological model for investigating gene function. Its genome has been completely sequenced, the lineage of each of its 959 somatic cells is known, many mutations are mapped, it is easy to culture in the lab and a wide range of experimental techniques is available. Using C. elegans as our primary experimental tool we are investigating gene function in three major projects:
New Molecular Targets for Drugs to Treat Human and Animal Nematode Parasites
Parasitic nematodes are important because of the mortality and misery they cause to people and the considerable damage they do to agriculture. The current control measures for important nematode parasites are failing because parasite populations have become resistant to all the major classes of anthelmintic drugs that are commercially available. In order to design more effective control measures, we need to identify molecular targets for the development of new anti-nematode drugs. My lab is currently using functional genomics of C. elegans to discover and validate new anti-nematode drug targets.
New Control Methods for Plant-parasitic Nematodes (a collaborative project with Dr Ulrike Mathesius (this School), and Dr Stephen Trowell (CSIRO Entomology))
Plant-parasitic nematodes are a major threat to crops throughout the world, causing annual losses of more than $US125 billion worldwide. Current control is based on crop rotation, breeding resistant crops, and soil fumigation. In a new approach, we are identifying essential nematode genes to be targetted by RNA interference engineered into host plants.
Olfactory Pattern Recognition in Nematodes (a collaborative project with Dr Ulrike Mathesius)
Using C. elegans as a model we are exploring olfaction in nematodes. The nematode genome contains more chemosensory receptors than the mouse or dog genomes yet only a small number of neurons are devoted to odorant reception in nematodes. We are investigating the olfactory responses to bacterial metabolites and other odorants and the integration and processing of these responses in C. elegans. |
Fritz J.A. & Behm C.A. (2009) "CUTI-1: A novel tetraspan protein involved in C. elegans CUTicle formation and epithelial Integrity" PLoS ONE, 4: e5117
Grant, W.N. and Behm, C.A. (2007) Target identification and
validation for anthelmintic discovery. Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery
2, S91-S98
Brownlie, J.C., Johnson, N.M. and Whyard, S.(2005) The
Caenorhabditis briggsae genome contains active CbmaT1 and Tcb1
transposons. Mol. Genetics and Genomics, 273: 92-101.
Johnson, N.M., Behm, C.A . and Trowell, S.C. (2005) Heritable and inducible gene knockdown in C. elegans using Wormgate and the ORFeome. Gene 359 , 26-34 .
Behm, C.A., Bendig, M.M., McCarter, J.P. and Sluder, A.E. (2005) RNA interference-based discovery and validation of new drug targets in filarial nematodes. Trends in Parasitology, 21: 97-100.
Behm, C.A., Bendig, M.M., McCarter, J.P. and Sluder, A.E. (2004) Report: WHO/TDR Scientific Working Group on 'RNA Interference as a Means of Identifying Drug Targets for Filariasis'. World Health Organization TDR Programme, February 2004. [Link]
Archer, S.K., Behm, C.A., Claudianos, C. and Campbell, H.D. (2004) The Flightless I protein and the gelsolin family in nuclear hormone receptor-mediated signalling. Biochemical Society Transactions, 32, 940-942.
Pellerone, F.I., Archer, S.K., Behm, C.A., Grant, W.N., Lacey, M.J. and Somerville, A.C. (2003) Trehalose metabolism genes in Caenorhabditis elegans and filarial nematodes. International Journal for Parasitology 33, 1195-1206.
Walker, G.W., Geue, R.J., Sargeson, A.M. and Behm, C.A. (2003) Surface-active cobalt cage complexes: synthesis, surface chemistry, biological activity, and redox properties. Dalton Transactions, 2992-3001.
Behm, C.A. (2002) 'Metabolism.' In: The Biology of Nematodes (Lee, D.L., Ed) Taylor & Francis: London pp. 261-290.
Lenton, L.M. and Behm, C.A. (2000) Hepatic cell function in liver fluke infection. In: Membrane Structure in Disease and Drug Therapy (Zimmer, G., Ed) Marcel Dekker Inc.: NY pp. 201-215.
Behm, C.A. and Ovington, K.S. (2000) The role of eosinophils in parasitic helminth infections: insights from genetically modified mice. Parasitology Today, 16, 202-209. |
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