Methodological considerations for mutagen exposure in C. elegans

• Differences in exposure protocols confound comparison and normalization.
• Numerous parameters affect nematode sensitivity to DNA damaging agents.
• Precise staging and handling of nematodes is essential for reproducible results.
• Time points post-exposure report on different phases of meiosis.

Maintenance of the genome requires the continual repair of DNA lesions. Exposure of nematodes to DNA damage-inducing agents is a powerful method to rapidly ascribe a role for specific genes in DNA repair and to define epistatic relationships to other repair genes which allows for the construction of repair pathways. Despite the extensive use of these agents, however, differences in dosing, timing, and handling makes it difficult to compare results across laboratories. We provide herein a consideration of the parameters that influence the results of these exposures and detailed protocols for the exposure to mutagenic inducing agents.