Caenorhabditis Elegans as a Model System for Meiosis Research: Advantages and Recent Progress

Meiosis is a pivotal biological process essential for the generation of haploid gametes and the preservation of genomic integrity across generations. Caenorhabditis elegans has emerged as a powerful model for dissecting the molecular and cellular mechanisms of meiosis due to its unique combination of genetic tractability, optical transparency, and synchronized gonad architecture. This review summarizes the key advantages of Caenorhabditis elegans, including its compact and well-annotated genome, versatile genetic manipulation tools (e.g., RNAi, CRISPR/Cas9), and in vivo imaging capabilities that enable high-resolution observation of meiotic events. We highlight recent insights into homolog pairing, synapsis, crossover control, spindle assembly, and meiotic checkpoint regulation, emphasizing the coordinated actions of conserved and nematode-specific factors such as pairing centers, synaptonemal complex components, and regulatory networks involving CHK-2, MAD-1/MAD-2, and PCH-2. While limitations existsuch as its self-fertilizing reproductive mode and holocentric chromosome structureongoing advancements in imaging, multi-omics, and synthetic biology continue to enhance its applicability. Caenorhabditis elegans thus remains a valuable and forward-looking system for unraveling the principles of meiosis with implications for fertility, genome maintenance, and developmental biology.