A size threshold governs Caenorhabditis elegans developmental progression. Author Sravanti Uppaluri, Clifford Brangwynne Publication Year 2015 Type Journal Article Abstract The growth of organisms from humans to bacteria is affected by environmental conditions. However, mechanisms governing growth and size control are not well understood, particularly in the context of changes in food availability in developing multicellular organisms. Here, we use a novel microfluidic platform to study the impact of diet on the growth and development of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. This device allows us to observe individual worms throughout larval development, quantify their growth as well as pinpoint the moulting transitions marking successive developmental stages. Under conditions of low food availability, worms grow very slowly, but do not moult until they have achieved a threshold size. The time spent in larval stages can be extended by over an order of magnitude, in agreement with a simple threshold size model. Thus, a critical worm size appears to trigger developmental progression, and may contribute to prolonged lifespan under dietary restriction. Keywords Animals, Caenorhabditis elegans, Diet, Lab-On-A-Chip Devices, Body Size, Metamorphosis, Biological Journal Proc Biol Sci Volume 282 Issue 1813 Pages 20151283 Date Published 2015 Aug 22 ISSN Number 1471-2954 DOI 10.1098/rspb.2015.1283 Alternate Journal Proc Biol Sci PMCID PMC4632629 PMID 26290076 PubMedPubMed CentralGoogle ScholarBibTeXEndNote X3 XML