C. elegans is a powerful model for studies of zinc biology. Here we review recent discoveries and emphasize the advantages of this model organism. Methods for manipulating and measuring zinc levels have been developed in or adapted to the worm. The C. elegans genome encodes highly conserved zinc transporters, and their expression and function are beginning to be characterized. Homeostatic mechanisms have evolved to respond to high and low zinc conditions. The pathway for high zinc homeostasis has been recently elucidated based on the discovery of the master regulator of high zinc homeostasis, HIZR-1. A parallel pathway for low zinc homeostasis is beginning to emerge based on the discovery of the Low Zinc Activation promoter element. Zinc has been established to play a role in two cell fate determination events, and accumulating evidence suggests zinc may function as a second messenger signaling molecule during vulval cell development and sperm activation.

秀丽隐杆线虫是研究锌生物学的有力模型。在这里，我们回顾了最近的发现并强调了这种模式生物的优势。已经开发出或适用于蠕虫的控制和测量锌水平的方法。该线虫基因组编码高度保守的锌转运蛋白，它们的表达和功能开始被表征。体内平衡机制已经演变为对高锌和低锌条件做出反应。基于高锌稳态的主要调节因子 HIZR-1 的发现，最近阐明了高锌稳态的途径。基于低锌激活启动子元件的发现，低锌稳态的平行途径开始出现。锌已被证实在两个细胞命运决定事件中发挥作用，越来越多的证据表明锌可能在外阴细胞发育和精子激活过程中作为第二信使信号分子发挥作用。