Expression data from Caenorhabditis elegans exposed to albendazole

We have investigated how the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans responds to and metabolizes albendazole; an important anthelmintic for human and animal parasite control. The transcriptional response of the mutant strain CB3474 ben-1(e1880)III, which is highly resistant to benzimidazoles due to a null mutation in the β-tubulin drug target, was examined. This approach was successful in minimizing transcriptional responses associated with non-specific stress or with the drug mode of action, resulting in only in a small subset of genes showing differential expression in response to drug exposure. Matched cultures of synchronised C. elegans were grown to young adult stage in liquid culture. The nematodes were then exposed to 300 µg/ml albendazole (ABZ) or exposed only to the DMSO excipient used to deliver the albendazole (CONT) for 4 hours. RNA was extracted from three biological replicates and hybridised to Affymetrix arrays.