Blue light stimulated-autofluorescence green flash of lysosome-related organelles in the intestinal cells of nematodes

The lysosome-related organelles ("gut granules") in the intestinal cells of many nematodes, including Caenorhabditis elegans, play an important role in metabolic and signaling processes, but they have not been fully characterized. We report here a previously undescribed phenomenon in which the autofluorescence of these granules displays a "flash" phenomenon in which fluorescence decreases are preceded by sharp increases in fluorescence intensity that expand into the surrounding area when the granules are stimulated with blue light. Autofluorescent granules are present in the intestinal cells of all 6 nematode species examined, with differences in morphology and distribution pattern. Five species exhibit the flash phenomenon: Panagrellus redivivus (Clade IV), Steinernema hermaphroditum (Clade IV), C. elegans (Clade V), Oscheius tipulae (Clade V), and Pristionchus pacificus (Clade V). The reaction of the granules to blue light stimulation greatly differs among different developmental stages and may also be dependent on physiological conditions. In addition, even within the same animal, the sensitivity of individual granules differs, with some of the variation associated with other characteristics of the granules, such as their overall location within the intestine. We hypothesize that the differences in response to blue light indicate the existence of different subpopulations of gut granules in nematode intestines, and the visually spectacular dynamic fluorescence phenomenon we describe might provide a handle on their eventual characterization.