Using Caenorhabditis elegans to Screen for Tissue-Specific Chaperone Interactions

J Vis Exp. 2020 Jun 7:(160). doi: 10.3791/61140.

Abstract

Correct folding and assembly of proteins and protein complexes are essential for cellular function. Cells employ quality control pathways that correct, sequester or eliminate damaged proteins to maintain a healthy proteome, thus ensuring cellular proteostasis and preventing further protein damage. Because of redundant functions within the proteostasis network, screening for detectable phenotypes using knockdown or mutations in chaperone-encoding genes in the multicellular organism Caenorhabditis elegans results in the detection of minor or no phenotypes in most cases. We have developed a targeted screening strategy to identify chaperones required for a specific function and thus bridge the gap between phenotype and function. Specifically, we monitor novel chaperone interactions using RNAi synthetic interaction screens, knocking-down chaperone expression, one chaperone at a time, in animals carrying a mutation in a chaperone-encoding gene or over-expressing a chaperone of interest. By disrupting two chaperones that individually present no gross phenotype, we can identify chaperones that aggravate or expose a specific phenotype when both perturbed. We demonstrate that this approach can identify specific sets of chaperones that function together to modulate the folding of a protein or protein complexes associated with a given phenotype.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Video-Audio Media

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biological Assay
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / embryology
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / metabolism*
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / metabolism
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian / metabolism
  • Epistasis, Genetic
  • Mass Screening*
  • Mitochondria / metabolism
  • Molecular Chaperones / metabolism*
  • Organ Specificity*
  • Ovum / metabolism
  • Phenotype
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Folding
  • Proteome / metabolism
  • RNA Interference
  • Reproducibility of Results

Substances

  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
  • Molecular Chaperones
  • Proteome