Combined effect of temperature and zinc on Caenorhabditis elegans wild type and daf-21 mutant strains

• Published in: Journal of thermal biology 2014-04, Vol.41, p.16-20
• Main Authors: Wang, Yunbiao, Ezemaduka, Anastasia N.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adults; Animals; Body Temperature Regulation; Caenorhabditis elegans; Caenorhabditis elegans - drug effects; Caenorhabditis elegans - genetics; Caenorhabditis elegans - metabolism; Caenorhabditis elegans - physiology; Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins - genetics; Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins - metabolism; ELISA; Heat shock protein 90; Heat-Shock Response; Heavy metals; Hot Temperature; HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins - genetics; HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins - metabolism; LC50; Mutation; Nematoda; Nematodes; Organisms; Stress concentration; Toxicity; Toxicology; Zinc; Zinc - toxicity
• ISSN: 0306-4565; 1879-0992
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2014.02.007

Heavy metal pollution in aquatic ecosystems is a far reaching environmental problem. The possible influences of heavy metal exposure and the potential harm to organisms when combined with other environmental stressors such as temperature have been largely unexplored. An aquatic toxicity test of Caenorhabditis elegans was performed to estimate the 24h median lethal concentration (LC50) of different zinc concentrations at different temperatures (15°C, 20°C, 25°C, and 30°C). We also examined the time course thermotolerance on wild type (N2) and daf-21 null (JT6130) adults exposed to 6.1mM zinc at 37°C. Hsp90 protein expression level in response to the combined effect of temperature and zinc toxicity was also investigated by both Western blots and ELISA. Our results show that C. elegans wild type nematodes exhibit severe lethal toxicity after a 24h exposure to zinc at higher temperatures. In addition, the expression level of Hsp90 was highly inhibited in adult worms subjected to zinc stress. This toxicity assay at different temperatures provides insight into organism response to combined effects of temperature and zinc toxicity. •High temperatures made severe zinc toxicity to Caenorhabditis elegans.•daf-21 mutant was more sensitive to the combined effect of heat and zinc stress.•Hsp90 was not upregulated in adult worms subjected to zinc stress.•ELISA is a simple and efficient method for assaying nematode proteins.