Applications of cold temperature stress to age fractionate Caenorhabditis elegans: a simple inexpensive technique.

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans's (CE) successful use in studies of aging is well documented. Cold temperature stress of mixed populations of CE provides a rapid inexpensive means of obtaining three life stage-specific cohorts. Cohorts are obtained in quantities that allow acquisition of replicate metabolite profiles of changes associated with development, aging, and senescence. The fractionation technique is effective with monoxenic and axenic CE cultures. Cohort Y contains 100% young worms, and Cohort A contains 75% adult worms. Cohort M, prereproductive and reproductive, contains some A and Y due to continuous egg laying and hatch. Principal component analysis of normalized data from metabolite profiles obtained using high-performance liquid chromatography electrochemical analysis clearly separates Cohort Y from Cohort A and monoxenic from axenic cultured worms. Access to replicate quantities of age-defined worms will aid studies of alterations in homeostatic controls associated with aging and senescence.