Jingfang Yu

• PhD Student at Cornell University

Widespread anthelmintic resistance has complicated the management of parasitic nematodes. Resistance to the benzimidazole (BZ) drug class is nearly ubiquitous in many species and is associated with mutations in beta-tubulin genes. However, mutations in beta-tubulin alone do not fully explain all BZ resistance. We performed a genome-wide association...

Widespread anthelmintic resistance has complicated the management of parasitic nematodes. Resistance to the benzimidazole (BZ) drug class is nearly ubiquitous in many species and is associated with mutations in beta-tubulin genes. However, mutations in beta-tubulin alone do not fully explain all BZ resistance. We performed a genome-wide association...

In humans, defects in leucine catabolism cause a variety of inborn errors in metabolism. Here, we use Caenorhabditis elegans to investigate the impact of mutations in mccc-1, an enzyme that functions in leucine breakdown. Through untargeted metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses we find extensive metabolic rewiring that helps to detoxify leucine b...

Pathogenic infection elicits behaviors that promote recovery and survival of the host. After exposure to the pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans modifies its sensory preferences to avoid the pathogen. Here, we identify antagonistic neuromodulators that shape this acquired avoidance behavior. Using a...

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are integral to numerous biological processes, yet it is unclear how environmental factors or interactions among individuals within a population affect EV-regulated systems. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the evolutionarily conserved large EVs, known as exophers, are part of a maternal somatic tissue resource management sys...

Nucleosides are essential cornerstones of life, and nucleoside derivatives and synthetic analogues have important biomedical applications. Correspondingly, production of non-canonical nucleoside derivatives in animal model systems is of particular interest. Here, we report the discovery of diverse glucose-based nucleosides in Caenorhabditis elegans...

Trimethylglycine, or betaine, is an amino acid derivative found in diverse organisms, from bacteria to plants and animals, with well-established functions as a methyl donor and osmolyte in all cells. In addition, betaine is found in the nervous system, though its function there is not well understood. Here, we show that betaine is synthesized in th...

The neurotransmitter serotonin plays a central role in animal behavior and physiology, and many of its functions are regulated via evolutionarily conserved biosynthesis and degradation pathways. Here we show that in Caenorhabditiselegans, serotonin is abundantly produced in nonneuronal tissues via phenylalanine hydroxylase, in addition to canonical...

Trimethyl glycine, or betaine, is an amino acid derivative found in diverse organisms, from bacteria to plants and animals. It can function as an osmolyte to protect cells against osmotic stress, and building evidence suggests betaine may also play important functional roles in the nervous system. However, despite growing interest in betaine's role...

Signaling molecules derived from attachment of diverse metabolic building blocks to ascarosides play a central role in the life history of C. elegans and other nematodes; however, many aspects of their biogenesis remain unclear. Using comparative metabolomics, we show that a pathway mediating formation of intestinal lysosome-related organelles (LRO...

Signaling molecules derived from attachment of diverse primary metabolic building blocks to ascarosides play a central role in the life history of C. elegans and other nematodes; however, many aspects of their biogenesis remain unclear. Using comparative metabolomics, we show that lysosome-related organelles (LROs) are required for biosynthesis of...

Signaling molecules derived from attachment of diverse metabolic building blocks to ascarosides play a central role in the life history of C. elegans and other nematodes; however, many aspects of their biogenesis remain unclear. Using comparative metabolomics, we show that a pathway mediating formation of intestinal lysosome-related organelles (LRO...

Population density can modulate the developmental trajectory of Caenorhabditis elegans larvae by promoting entry into dauer diapause, which is characterized by metabolic and anatomical remodeling and stress resistance [1, 2]. Genetic analysis of dauer formation has identified the involvement of evolutionarily conserved endocrine signaling pathways,...

Identification of pheromone receptors plays a central role for uncovering signaling pathways that underlie chemical communication in animals. Here, we describe the synthesis and bioactivity of photoaffinity probes for the ascaroside ascr#8, a sex-pheromone of the model nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans. Structure-activity studies guided incorporatio...

Cathepsin B (CTB) is a lysosomal protease which has been recognized as a promising biomarker for many malignant tumors, and accurate detection of its activity is important in early diagnosis of cancers and predicting metastasis. Herein, we reported a lysosome-targeting fluorogenic small-molecule probe for fluorescence imaging of lysosomal CTB in li...