Fig. 3: FDR-1, a food-responsive protein, modulates food digestion and UPRER.
a Schematic illustration of the screening process for food-responsive genes that regulate UPRER and food digestion. RNA-seq was conducted to identify food-induced genes under various feeding conditions (E. coli, heat-killed E. coli, and S. saprophyticus) compared to no food (NGM) conditions. A Venn diagram shows the total number of food-induced genes across different conditions and their overlap of 94 genes. Out of these, 18 genes expressed in the intestine were selected as candidates for RNAi screening to assess their effects on UPRER and food digestion phenotype. b Fluorescent micrographs and quantification of GFP in transgenic animals (L1 + 24 h stage) expressing hsp-4p::gfp following control or C49C8.5 RNAi treatment. Scale bar, 20 μm. Mean ± SD; ****p < 0.0001 via two-sided t-test. c The ability of animals to digest food was measured by their developmental progression under heat-killed E. coli + S. saprophyticus feeding conditions. Developmental progression was observed in animals treated with control or C49C8.5 RNAi and grown on heat-killed E. coli + S. saprophyticus at 20 °C for 4 days. Scale bar, 200 μm. Mean ± SD; **p < 0.01, via two-sided t-test. d Fluorescent micrographs and quantification of hsp-4p::gfp expression in wild-type or C49C8.5 mutant animals (L1 + 24 h stage) under OP50 feeding conditions. Scale bar, 20 μm. Mean ± SD; ****p < 0.0001 via two-sided t-test. e Developmental progression of animals grown on heat-killed E. coli + S. saprophyticus at 20 °C for 4 days. Scale bar, 20 μm. Mean ± SD; ns denotes p > 0.05, ****p < 0.0001 via two-sided t-test. f Microscope images and bar graph show the relative width of the intestinal lumen between N2 and C49C8.5 (ok3369) mutants when fed HK-E. coli + S. saprophyticus. Scale bar, 10 µm. Mean ± SD; ****p < 0.0001 via two-sided t-test. g Pumping rate of WT N2 and the C49C8.5(ok3369) mutant fed HK-E. coli + S. saprophyticus at the L4 + 1 day stage. Mean ± SD; ns denotes p > 0.05 via two-sided t-test. For all panels, n = number of animals which were scored. Representative data shown is one of three biological replicates. Source data are provided as a Source Data file. See also Supplementary Figs. 3, 4 and Supplementary Data 2.
