Abstract
Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA, ammonium salt with trade name “GenX”) is an industrial toxicant that has recently been detected in the environment [1]. However, HFPO-DA’s potential aging-related effects on organisms of higher trophic levels, including worms and humans, have not been extensively explored. The purpose of this study is to quantify influences on C. elegans (free-living nematode) lifespan by HFPO-DA exposure, specifically via ingestion of food to simulate the mechanisms of toxicant exposure, through lower trophic-level organisms, commonly found in nature. C. elegans N2 (wild-type) samples were prepared with a uracil-based medium and E. coli OP50 (food source) at room temperature; C. elegans in the experimental, treated sample was fed E. coli OP50 incubated with 280 ng/L HFPO-DA. The target gene pqm-1 was selected due to its role in an evolutionarily conserved insulin signaling pathway and in promoting development. Molecular biology laboratory techniques (RNA extraction, qRT-PCR, fluorescence tagging, etc.) were used to quantify pqm-1 expression to yield four technical replicates for each sample. The data was analyzed through null hypothesis t-tests, heatmaps, protein interactions, and gene homology tools. HFPO-DA exposure through E. coli caused a statistically insignificant (0.811-fold) change in pqm-1-related aging in C. elegans. Future work includes investigating the effects of different levels of HFPO-DA exposure on C. elegans aging.
Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (GenX) exposure induces apoptosis in HepG2 cells
