Protection of C. elegans from anoxia by HYL-2 ceramide synthase.
Oxygen deprivation is rapidly deleterious for most organisms. However, Caenorhabditis elegans has developed the ability to survive anoxia for at least 48 hours. Mutations in the DAF-2/DAF-16 insulin-like signaling pathway promote such survival. We describe a pathway involving the HYL-2 ceramide synthase that acts independently of DAF-2. Loss of the ceramide synthase gene hyl-2 results in increased sensitivity of C. elegans to anoxia. C. elegans has two ceramide synthases, hyl-1 and hyl-2, that participate in ceramide biogenesis and affect its ability to survive anoxic conditions. In contrast to hyl-2(lf) mutants, hyl-1(lf) mutants are more resistant to anoxia than normal animals. HYL-1 and HYL-2 have complementary specificities for fatty acyl chains. These data indicate that specific ceramides produced by HYL-2 confer resistance to anoxia.
Department of Cell Biology, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.
Vincent
V
Menuz
Kate S
KS
Howell
Sébastien
S
Gentina
Sharon
S
Epstein
Isabelle
I
Riezman
Monique
M
Fornallaz-Mulhauser
Michael O
MO
Hengartner
Marie
M
Gomez
Howard
H
Riezman
Jean-Claude
JC
Martinou
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015687:Cell Hypoxia; D002518:Ceramides / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D017353:Gene Deletion; D017238:Genes, Helminth; D009154:Mutation; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000502:physiology*; D011972:Receptor, Insulin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D013109:Sphingomyelins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D014170:Transformation, Genetic; D019076:Transgenes
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002518:Ceramides; D013109:Sphingomyelins; D010088:Oxidoreductases; C540205:HYL-2 ceramide synthase, C elegans; C108138:dihydroceramide desaturase; C107483:DAF-2 protein, C elegans; D011972:Receptor, Insulin; D010100:Oxygen