Oxidative Stress in Caenorhabditis elegans: Protective Effects of Spartin Journal Article

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Authors: Truong, T.; Karlinski, Z. A.; O'Hara, C.; Cabe, M.; Kim, H.; Bakowska, J. C.
Article Title: Oxidative Stress in Caenorhabditis elegans: Protective Effects of Spartin
Abstract: Troyer syndrome is caused by a mutation in the SPG20 gene, which results in complete loss of expression of the protein spartin. We generated a genetic model of Troyer syndrome in worms to explore the locomotor consequences of a null mutation of the Caenorhabditis elegans SPG20 orthologue, F57B10.9, also known as spg-20. Spg-20 mutants showed decreased length, crawling speed, and thrashing frequency, and had a shorter lifespan than wild-type animals. These results suggest an age-dependent decline in motor function in mutant animals. The drug paraquat was used to induce oxidative stress for 4 days in the animals. We measured survival rate and examined locomotion by measuring crawling speed and thrashing frequency. After 4 days of paraquat exposure, 77% of wild-type animals survived, but only 38% of spg-20 mutant animals survived. Conversely, animals overexpressing spg-20 had a survival rate of 95%. We also tested lifespan after a 1 hour exposure to sodium azide. After a 24 hour recovery period, 87% of wild type animals survived, 57% of spg-20 mutant animals survived, and 82% of animals overexpressing spg-20 survived. In the behavioral assays, spg-20 mutant animals showed a significant decrease in both crawling speed and thrashing frequency compared with wild-type animals. Importantly, the locomotor phenotype for both crawling and thrashing was rescued in animals overexpressing spg-20. The animals overexpressing spg-20 had crawling speeds and thrashing frequencies similar to those of wild-type animals. These data suggest that the protein F57B10.9/SPG-20 might have a protective role against oxidative stress.
Journal Title: PloS one
Volume: 10
Issue: 6
ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
Publisher: Unknown  
Journal Place: United States
Date Published: 2015
Start Page: e0130455
Language: eng
DOI/URL:

10.1371/journal.pone.0130455
Notes: LR: 20150630; GR: NS 073967/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/United States; JID: 101285081; OID: NLM: PMC4482654; 2015 [ecollection]; 2014/12/04 [received]; 2015/05/20 [accepted]; 2015/06/26 [epublish]; epublish