Long-term sediment exposure to ZnO nanoparticles induces oxidative stress in Caenorhabditis elegans

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (8) ◽  
pp. 2602-2614 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chi-Wei Huang ◽  
Shang-Wei Li ◽  
Vivian Hsiu-Chuan Liao

Long-term sediment exposure to ZnO-NPs induces oxidative stress in benthic organism C. elegans which is mediated by the transcription factor DAF-16/FOXO triggering stress-responsive gene activation.

2010 ◽  
Vol 30 (14) ◽  
pp. 3453-3459 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hideki Inoue ◽  
Eisuke Nishida

ABSTRACT Sex differences occur in most species and involve a variety of biological characteristics. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans consists of two sexes, self-fertile hermaphrodites (XX) and males (XO). Males differ from hermaphrodites in morphology, behavior, and life span. Here, we find that male C. elegans worms are much more sensitive than hermaphrodites to oxidative stress and show that the DM domain transcription factor MAB-3 plays a pivotal role in determining this male hypersensitivity. The hypersensitivity to oxidative stress does not depend on the dosage of X chromosomes but is determined by the somatic sex determination pathway. Our analyses show that the male hypersensitivity is controlled by MAB-3, one of the downstream effectors of the master terminal switch TRA-1 in the sex determination pathway. Moreover, we find that MAB-3 suppresses expression of several transcriptional target genes of the ELT-2 GATA factor, which is a global regulator of transcription in the C. elegans intestine, and show that RNA interference (RNAi) against elt-2 increases sensitivity to oxidative stress. These results strongly suggest that the DM domain protein MAB-3 regulates oxidative stress sensitivity by repressing transcription of ELT-2 target genes in the intestine.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco A. Servello ◽  
Javier Apfeld

AbstractCells induce conserved defense mechanisms that protect them from oxidative stress. How these defenses are regulated in multicellular organisms is incompletely understood. Using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, we show that the heat shock transcription factor HSF-1 protects the nematode from the oxidative stress induced by environmental peroxide. In response to a heat shock or a mild temperature increase, HSF-1 protects the nematodes from subsequent oxidative stress in a manner that depends on HSF-1’s transactivation domain. At constant temperature, HSF-1 protects the nematodes from oxidative stress independently of its transactivation domain, likely by inducing the expression of asp-4/cathepsin D and dapk-1/dapk. Thus, two distinct HSF-1-dependent processes protect C. elegans from oxidative stress.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Mani Iyer Prasanth ◽  
James Michael Brimson ◽  
Dicson Sheeja Malar ◽  
Anchalee Prasansuklab ◽  
Tewin Tencomnao

BACKGROUND: Streblus asper Lour., has been reported to have anti-aging and neuroprotective efficacies in vitro. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the anti-aging, anti-photoaging and neuroprotective efficacies of S. asper in Caenorhabditis elegans. METHODS: C. elegans (wild type and gene specific mutants) were treated with S. asper extract and analyzed for lifespan and other health benefits through physiological assays, fluorescence microscopy, qPCR and Western blot. RESULTS: The plant extract was found to increase the lifespan, reduce the accumulation of lipofuscin and modulate the expression of candidate genes. It could extend the lifespan of both daf-16 and daf-2 mutants whereas the pmk-1 mutant showed no effect. The activation of skn-1 was observed in skn-1::GFP transgenic strain and in qPCR expression. Further, the extract can extend the lifespan of UV-A exposed nematodes along with reducing ROS levels. Additionally, the extract also extends lifespan and reduces paralysis in Aβ transgenic strain, apart from reducing Aβ expression. CONCLUSIONS: S. asper was able to extend the lifespan and healthspan of C. elegans which was independent of DAF-16 pathway but dependent on SKN-1 and MAPK which could play a vital role in eliciting the anti-aging, anti-photoaging and neuroprotective effects, as the extract could impart oxidative stress resistance and neuroprotection.


Genetics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anjali Sandhu ◽  
Divakar Badal ◽  
Riya Sheokand ◽  
Shalini Tyagi ◽  
Varsha Singh

Abstract Collagen enriched cuticle forms the outermost layer of skin in nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The nematode’s genome encodes 177 collagens, but little is known about their role in maintaining the structure or barrier function of the cuticle. In this study, we found six permeability determining (PD) collagens. Loss of any of these PD collagens- DPY-2, DPY-3, DPY-7, DPY-8, DPY-9, and DPY-10- led to enhanced susceptibility of nematodes to paraquat (PQ) and antihelminthic drugs levamisole and ivermectin. Upon exposure to paraquat, PD collagen mutants accumulated more PQ and incurred more damage and death despite the robust activation of antioxidant machinery. We find that BLMP-1, a zinc finger transcription factor, maintains the barrier function of the cuticle by regulating the expression of PD collagens. We show that the permeability barrier maintained by PD collagens acts in parallel to FOXO transcription factor DAF-16 to enhance survival of insulin-like receptor mutant, daf-2. In all, this study shows that PD collagens regulate cuticle permeability by maintaining the structure of C. elegans cuticle and thus provide protection against exogenous toxins.


2020 ◽  
pp. 116036
Author(s):  
Yunjiang Yu ◽  
Haibo Chen ◽  
Xin Hua ◽  
Zhengdong Wang ◽  
Liangzhong Li ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Ma ◽  
Xiaoyuan Xu ◽  
Ranran Wang ◽  
Haijing Yan ◽  
Huijuan Yao ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The present study was designed to investigate the protective effects and mechanisms of carnosine on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced injury in Caenorhabditis elegans. Methods C. elegans individuals were stimulated for 24 h with LPS (100 μg/mL), with or without carnosine (0.1, 1, 10 mM). The survival rates and behaviors were determined. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase (GR), and catalase (CAT) and levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) were determined using the respective kits. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to validate the differential expression of sod-1, sod-2, sod-3, daf-16, ced-3, ced-9, sek-1, and pmk-1. Western blotting was used to determine the levels of SEK1, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), cleaved caspase3, and Bcl-2. C. elegans sek-1 (km2) mutants and pmk-1 (km25) mutants were used to elucidate the role of the p38 MAPK signaling pathway. Results Carnosine improved the survival of LPS-treated C. elegans and rescued behavioral phenotypes. It also restrained oxidative stress by decreasing MDA levels and increasing SOD, GR, CAT, and GSH levels. RT-PCR results showed that carnosine treatment of wild-type C. elegans up-regulated the mRNA expression of the antioxidant-related genes sod-1, sod-2, sod-3, and daf-16. The expression of the anti-apoptosis-related gene ced-9 and apoptosis-related gene ced-3 was reversed by carnosine. In addition, carnosine treatment significantly decreased cleaved caspase3 levels and increased Bcl-2 levels in LPS-treated C. elegans. Apoptosis in the loss-of-function strains of the p38 MAPK signaling pathway was suppressed under LPS stress; however, the apoptotic effects of LPS were blocked in the sek-1 and pmk-1 mutants. The expression levels of sek-1 and pmk-1 mRNAs were up-regulated by LPS and reversed by carnosine. Finally, the expression of p-p38MAPK and SEK1 was significantly increased by LPS, which was reversed by carnosine. Conclusion Carnosine treatment protected against LPS injury by decreasing oxidative stress and inhibiting apoptosis through the p38 MAPK pathway.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haifeng Li ◽  
Ruona Shi ◽  
Fei Ding ◽  
Hongyu Wang ◽  
Wenjing Han ◽  
...  

Astragalus membranaceus is a medicinal plant traditionally used in China for a variety of conditions, including inflammatory and neural diseases. Astragalus polysaccharides are shown to reduce the adverse effect of levodopa which is used to treat Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, the neuroprotective effect of Astragalus polysaccharides per se in PD is lacking. Using Caenorhabditis elegans models, we investigated the protective effect of astragalan, an acidic polysaccharide isolated from A. membranaceus, against the neurotoxicity of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), a neurotoxin that can induce parkinsonism. We show that 6-OHDA is able to degenerate dopaminergic neurons and lead to the deficiency of food-sensing behavior and a shorter lifespan in C. elegans. Interestingly, these degenerative symptoms can be attenuated by astragalan treatment. Astragalan is also shown to alleviate oxidative stress through reducing reactive oxygen species level and malondialdehyde content and increasing superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities and reduce the expression of proapoptotic gene egl-1 in 6-OHDA-intoxicated nematodes. Further studies reveal that astragalan is capable of elevating the decreased acetylcholinesterase activity induced by 6-OHDA. Together, our results demonstrate that the protective effect of astragalan against 6-OHDA neurotoxicity is likely due to the alleviation of oxidative stress and regulation of apoptosis pathway and cholinergic system and thus provide an important insight into the therapeutic potential of Astragalus polysaccharide in neurodegeneration.


Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (14) ◽  
pp. 3194
Author(s):  
Begoña Ayuda-Durán ◽  
Susana González-Manzano ◽  
Ana M. González-Paramás ◽  
Celestino Santos-Buelga

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans was introduced as a model organism in biological research by Sydney Brenner in the 1970s. Since then, it has been increasingly used for investigating processes such as ageing, oxidative stress, neurodegeneration, or inflammation, for which there is a high degree of homology between C. elegans and human pathways, so that the worm offers promising possibilities to study mechanisms of action and effects of phytochemicals of foods and plants. In this paper, the genes and pathways regulating oxidative stress in C. elegans are discussed, as well as the methodological approaches used for their evaluation in the worm. In particular, the following aspects are reviewed: the use of stress assays, determination of chemical and biochemical markers (e.g., ROS, carbonylated proteins, lipid peroxides or altered DNA), influence on gene expression and the employment of mutant worm strains, either carrying loss-of-function mutations or fluorescent reporters, such as the GFP.


2010 ◽  
Vol 107 (5) ◽  
pp. 2153-2158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen A. Estes ◽  
Tiffany L. Dunbar ◽  
Jennifer R. Powell ◽  
Frederick M. Ausubel ◽  
Emily R. Troemel

Very little is known about how animals discriminate pathogens from innocuous microbes. To address this question, we examined infection-response gene induction in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We focused on genes that are induced in C. elegans by infection with the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, but are not induced by an isogenic attenuated gacA mutant. Most of these genes are induced independently of known immunity pathways. We generated a GFP reporter for one of these genes, infection response gene 1 (irg-1), which is induced strongly by wild-type P. aeruginosa strain PA14, but not by other C. elegans pathogens or by other wild-type P. aeruginosa strains that are weakly pathogenic to C. elegans. To identify components of the pathway that induces irg-1 in response to infection, we performed an RNA interference screen of C. elegans transcription factors. This screen identified zip-2, a bZIP transcription factor that is required for inducing irg-1, as well as several other genes, and is important for defense against infection by P. aeruginosa. These data indicate that zip-2 is part of a specialized pathogen response pathway that is induced by virulent strains of P. aeruginosa and provides defense against this pathogen.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fujie Yan ◽  
Yushu Chen ◽  
Ramila Azat ◽  
Xiaodong Zheng

Mulberry anthocyanins possess many pharmacological effects including liver protection, anti-inflammation, and anticancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether mulberry anthocyanin extract (MAE) exerts beneficial effects against oxidative stress damage in HepG2 cells and Caenorhabditis elegans. In vitro, MAE prevented cytotoxicity, increased glucose consumption and uptake, and eliminated excessive intracellular free radicals in H2O2-induced cells. Moreover, MAE pretreatment maintained Nrf2, HO-1, and p38 MAPK stimulation and abolished upregulation of p-JNK, FOXO1, and PGC-1α that were involved in oxidative stress and insulin signalling modulation. In vivo, extended lifespan was observed in C. elegans damaged by paraquat in the presence of MAE, while these beneficial effects were disappeared in pmk-1 and daf-16 mutants. PMK-1 and SKN-1 were activated after exposure to paraquat and MAE suppressed PMK-1 activation but enhanced SKN-1 stimulation. Our findings suggested that MAE recovered redox status in HepG2 cells and C. elegans that suffered from oxidative stress, which might be by targeting MAPKs and Nrf2.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document