Nelson F K, Riddle D L
J Exp Zool. 1984 Jul;231(1):45-56. doi: 10.1002/jez.1402310107.
Individual cells of the Caenorhabditis elegans secretory-excretory system were ablated by laser microbeam in various larval stages. Effects on growth, molting, osmoregulation, fertility, longevity, and dauer larva formation were tested. Single-cell ablations did not prevent subsequent molting, but ablation of the pore cell or the duct cell resulted in the absence of the normal cuticular lining of the excretory duct following a molt. When the pore cell, duct cell, or excretory cell was ablated, the animals filled with fluid within 12-24 hr and died within a few days, producing very few progeny. Ablation of the excretory gland cell, on the other hand, had no obvious developmental or behavioral effects. Excretory activity was monitored in dauer larvae by observing pulsation of the excretory duct in conditions of differing osmolarity. The rate of pulsation was quite variable over time in conditions of low osmotic strength, but average five- to six-fold higher than that observed in buffered saline. These observations, combined with the effects of laser ablation, lead to the conclusion that one function of the excretory system is osmoregulation.
在秀丽隐杆线虫的不同幼虫阶段，用激光微束对其分泌 - 排泄系统的单个细胞进行了消融。测试了消融对生长、蜕皮、渗透压调节、生育力、寿命和 dauer 幼虫形成的影响。单细胞消融并未阻止随后的蜕皮，但消融孔细胞或导管细胞会导致蜕皮后排泄管缺乏正常的角质层内衬。当孔细胞、导管细胞或排泄细胞被消融时，动物在 12 - 24 小时内充满液体，并在几天内死亡，产生的后代很少。另一方面，消融排泄腺细胞没有明显的发育或行为影响。通过观察在不同渗透压条件下排泄管的脉动来监测 dauer 幼虫的排泄活动。在低渗透强度条件下，脉动速率随时间变化很大，但平均比在缓冲盐水中观察到的速率高五到六倍。这些观察结果与激光消融的影响相结合，得出排泄系统的一个功能是渗透压调节的结论。
