Mutant worm key to disease discovery.

• Position: Cellular Stress - Brief article

A mutant worm that changes hue when it moves has been created by scientists at the University at Buffalo (N.Y.). The color transformation is generated by an optical sensor called stFRET, which is composed of a pair of fluorescent molecules connected by a molecular spring that is inserted into structural proteins in the worm's cells. When the worm is prodded, stretching the structural proteins in muscle fibers, the linking spring is stretched, and the worm fluoresces in a different color.

The fluorescence indicates the amount of mechanical stress in the host protein and this can be imaged in different pads of a cell or an organism. This development opens the door to studying in real-time pathological processes that are influenced by changes in mechanical stress, such as cardiac arrhythmias, muscular dystrophy, and brain tumors.

"Mechanical forces are part of the life cycle of all cells, whether they are protozoa, morning glories, or ballet dancers,"...