Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism in obesity research.

Abstract

Obesity is a global health problem associated with many comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes and cancer. The number of individuals with overweight and obesity have increased dramatically within the past few years. Given the worldwide cost of an obesity pandemic, it is crucial to understand molecular pathways and identify novel factors that regulate fat storage in humans. In recent years, Caenorhabditis elegans has been widely used to investigate metabolic and neuroendocrine mechanisms involved in the regulation of energy metabolism. In this review, we describe similarities in fundamental signalling pathways regulating fat accumulation between nematodes and mammals. Like in humans, fat storage in C. elegans depends on the interaction of genetic and environmental factors such as diet, microbiota and ambient temperature. Despite many challenges, the simplicity of use, relatively short lifespan, genetic conservation and availability of many valuable experimental techniques make C. elegans an attractive and useful model organism in obesity research.