Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40794761›Full record

ArticleGenetics2026

Harnessing microbial tools: Escherichia coli as a vehicle for neuropeptide functional analysis in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Elizabeth M DiLoreto, Shruti Shastry, Emily J Leptich, Douglas K Reilly, Rachel N Arey, Jagan Srinivasan

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Genetics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Elizabeth M DiLoretoDepartment of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609, United States.
Shruti ShastryDepartment of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609, United States.
Emily J LeptichDepartment of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, 6450 E Cullen St, Houston, TX 77030, United States.
Douglas K ReillyDepartment of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609, United States.ORCID 0000-0001-8260-8690
Rachel N AreyDepartment of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, 6450 E Cullen St, Houston, TX 77030, United States.
Jagan SrinivasanDepartment of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609, United States.ORCID 0000-0001-5449-7938

Funding

Uncovering brain-wide molecular determinants of individual memory performance across lifespanDP2NS132372 · NINDS · BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · PI AREY, RACHEL NICOLE · 2022 to 2025
$2.4M
Functional connectome of sex-specific processing of social cuesR01DC016058 · NIDCD · WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE · PI SRINIVASAN, JAGAN · 2017 to 2021
$1.6M
Investigating neuropeptide signals that slow cognitive aging in C. elegansF31AG081095 · NIA · BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · PI LEPTICH, EMILY JEAN · 2023 to 2024
$97k
NIDCD NIH HHS R01 DC016058NIH HHS F31AG081095NIH HHS R01DC016058NINDS NIH HHS DP2 NS132372
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Animals respond to changes in their environment and internal states via neuromodulation. Neuropeptides modulate neural circuits with flexibility because 1 gene can produce either multiple copies of the same neuropeptide or different neuropeptides. However, with this architectural complexity, the function of discrete and active neuropeptides is muddled. Here, we design a genetic tool that facilitates functional analysis of individual peptides. We engineered Escherichia coli bacteria to express active peptides, fed loss-of-function Caenorhabditis elegans, and rescued the activity of genes with varying lengths and functions: pdf-1, flp-3, ins-6, and ins-22. Some peptides were functionally redundant, while others exhibit unique and previously uncharacterized functions. We postulate our rescue-by-feeding approach can elucidate the functional landscape of neuropeptides, identifying the circuits and complex peptidergic pathways that regulate different behavioral and physiological processes.

Indexed as

Caenorhabditis elegansCaenorhabditis elegans ProteinsEscherichia coliNeuropeptidesAnimalsCaenorhabditis elegans ProteinsNeuropeptidesbehavioral rescueCaenorhabditis elegansneuropeptide receptorneuropeptidesWormBase

Identifiers

PMID40794761
PMCPMC12774847

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.