Zinc homeostasis and signaling in the roundworm C. elegans

C. elegans is a powerful model for studies of zinc biology. Here we review recent discoveries and emphasize the advantages of this model organism. Methods for manipulating and measuring zinc levels have been developed in or adapted to the worm. The C. elegans genome encodes highly conserved zinc tra...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biochimica et biophysica acta. Molecular cell research 2021-01, Vol.1868 (1), p.118882-118882, Article 118882
Main Authors: Earley, Brian J., Mendoza, Adelita D., Tan, Chieh-Hsiang, Kornfeld, Kerry
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Caenorhabditis elegans - genetics
Caenorhabditis elegans - metabolism
Carrier Proteins - genetics
Carrier Proteins - metabolism
HIZR-1
Homeostasis - genetics
Lysosome-related organelles
LZA
Promoter Regions, Genetic - genetics
Signal Transduction - genetics
Sperm activation
Vulval development
Zinc - metabolism
Zinc transporters
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Summary:C. elegans is a powerful model for studies of zinc biology. Here we review recent discoveries and emphasize the advantages of this model organism. Methods for manipulating and measuring zinc levels have been developed in or adapted to the worm. The C. elegans genome encodes highly conserved zinc transporters, and their expression and function are beginning to be characterized. Homeostatic mechanisms have evolved to respond to high and low zinc conditions. The pathway for high zinc homeostasis has been recently elucidated based on the discovery of the master regulator of high zinc homeostasis, HIZR-1. A parallel pathway for low zinc homeostasis is beginning to emerge based on the discovery of the Low Zinc Activation promoter element. Zinc has been established to play a role in two cell fate determination events, and accumulating evidence suggests zinc may function as a second messenger signaling molecule during vulval cell development and sperm activation. •C. elegans is a powerful model for studies of zinc biology.•Conserved zinc transporters localize to subcellular compartments and tissues.•HIZR-1 is the master regulator of high zinc homeostasis.•The LZA promoter element regulates gene expression under zinc deficiency.•Zinc may function as a second messenger signaling molecule in sperm activation.
ISSN:0167-4889
1879-2596
DOI:10.1016/j.bbamcr.2020.118882