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Coburn, C. & Gems, D. The mysterious case of the C. elegans gut granule: death fluorescence, anthranilic acid and the kynurenine pathway.

The blue fluorescence, seen only when the worms are under ultraviolet light, comes from anthranilic acid, an organic compound produced inside little granules that line the worm’s intestine.

This initial investigation led them to the discovery that the anthranilic acid fluoresces and the calcium wave triggers the event.

The drop in pH amplifies the anthranilic acid’s natural fluorescence, generating a blue flash that follows the calcium wave.

It is advisable to titrate the crude anthranilic acid with standard alkali and phenolphthalein before starting the experiment.