Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase mediates anoxia response and survival in Caenorhabditis elegans

Genetics. 2006 Nov;174(3):1173-87. doi: 10.1534/genetics.106.061390. Epub 2006 Sep 15.

Abstract

Oxygen deprivation has a role in the pathology of many human diseases. Thus it is of interest in understanding the genetic and cellular responses to hypoxia or anoxia in oxygen-deprivation-tolerant organisms such as Caenorhabditis elegans. In C. elegans the DAF-2/DAF-16 pathway, an IGF-1/insulin-like signaling pathway, is involved with dauer formation, longevity, and stress resistance. In this report we compared the response of wild-type and daf-2(e1370) animals to anoxia. Unlike wild-type animals, the daf-2(e1370) animals have an enhanced anoxia-survival phenotype in that they survive long-term anoxia and high-temperature anoxia, do not accumulate significant tissue damage in either of these conditions, and are motile after 24 hr of anoxia. RNA interference was used to screen DAF-16-regulated genes that suppress the daf-2(e1370)-enhanced anoxia-survival phenotype. We identified gpd-2 and gpd-3, two nearly identical genes in an operon that encode the glycolytic enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. We found that not only is the daf-2(e1370)-enhanced anoxia phenotype dependent upon gpd-2 and gpd-3, but also the motility of animals exposed to brief periods of anoxia is prematurely arrested in gpd-2/3(RNAi) and daf-2(e1370);gpd-2/3(RNAi) animals. These data suggest that gpd-2 and gpd-3 may serve a protective role in tissue exposed to oxygen deprivation.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / growth & development
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / physiology*
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / genetics
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / physiology
  • Databases, Genetic
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors
  • Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenases / genetics
  • Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenases / metabolism*
  • Hypoxia*
  • Operon
  • RNA Interference
  • Receptor, Insulin / genetics
  • Receptor, Insulin / physiology
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Survival Rate
  • Survival*
  • Temperature
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / physiology

Substances

  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors
  • Transcription Factors
  • daf-16 protein, C elegans
  • Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenases
  • DAF-2 protein, C elegans
  • Receptor, Insulin