Pectolinarigenin regulates the tumor-associated proteins in AGS-xenograft BALB/c nude mice.

BACKGROUND: Pectolinarigenin (PEC) is a flavone extracted from Cirsium, and because it has anti-inflammatory properties, anti-cancer research is also being conducted. The objective of this work was to find out if PEC is involved in tumor control and which pathways it regulates in vivo and in vitro. METHODS: AGS cell lines were xenografted into BALB/c nude mice to create tumors, and PEC was administered intraperitoneally to see if it was involved in tumor control. Once animal testing was completed, tumor proteins were isolated and identified using LC-MS analysis, and gene ontology of the found proteins was performed. RESULTS: Body weight and hematological measurements on the xenograft mice model demonstrated that PEC was not harmful to non-cancerous cells. We found 582 proteins in tumor tissue linked to biological reactions such as carcinogenesis and cell death signaling. PEC regulated 6 out of 582 proteins in vivo and in vitro in the same way. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggested that PEC therapy may inhibit tumor development in gastric cancer (GC), and proteomic research gives fundamental information about proteins that may have great promise as new therapeutic targets in GC.

Assessment of potential environmental and human risks for Bisphenol AF contaminant.

Bisphenol AF (BPAF) is found in high concentrations in aquatic environments due to the increased use of thermal paper and food packaging. However, there have been relatively few toxicological studies and potential risk assessments of BPAF. In this study, the risk quotient (RQ) and hazard quotient (HQ) of BPAF were derived to present the safety standards for environmental risk management and protection in lakes, rivers, bays, and Italian regions. We applied the species sensitivity distribution (SSD) method based on the previous ecotoxicological data and the results of supplementary toxicity tests on BPAF. From the SSD curves, the hazardous concentration for 5 % of the species (HC5) values for the acute and chronic toxicity data were 464.75 µg/L and 3.59 µg/L, respectively, and the acute- and chronic-based predicted no-effect concentration were derived as 154.92 µg/L and 1.20 µg/L, respectively. The acute-based RQ (RQA)values of BPAF in all regions were negligible (RQ < 0.1). The chronic-based RQ (RQC) in the Xitang River (XR) and the Central Italy (CI) showed a considerably high ecological risk (12.77 and 1.29) and the Hangzhou Bay (0.21), the South and North Italy (0.79 and 0.27), and the Tamagawa River (0.13) had a medium ecological risk (0.1 < RQ < 1.0). However, the HQ values based on the tolerable daily intake for BPAF over all age groups in these regions was < 0.1, indicating the low health risk. Nonetheless, the result of this study indicates that BPAF contamination is serious in XR and CI, and their use and emissions require continuous monitoring.

Diindolylmethane Inhibits Cadmium-Induced Autophagic Cell Death via Regulation of Oxidative Stress in HEL299 Human Lung Fibroblasts.

Cadmium (Cd), a harmful heavy metal, can lead to various pulmonary diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), by inducing cytotoxicity and disturbing redox homeostasis. The aim of the present study was to investigate Cd-mediated cytotoxicity using human lung fibroblasts and the therapeutic potential of 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM). Cadmium significantly reduced the cell viability of human embryonic lung (HEL299) cells accompanied by enhanced oxidative stress as evidenced by the increased expression of autophagy-related proteins such as LC3B and p62. However, treatment with DIM significantly suppressed autophagic cell death in Cd-induced HEL299 fibroblasts. In addition, DIM induced antioxidant enzyme activity and decreased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in Cd-damaged HEL299 cells. This study suggests that DIM effectively suppressed Cd-induced lung fibroblast cell death through the upregulation of antioxidant systems and represents a potential agent for the prevention of various diseases related to Cd exposure.

Cadmium induces cytotoxicity in normal mouse renal MM55.K cells.

The toxicity of cadmium (Cd) occurs through accumulation in the environment. The precise mechanism underlying Cd toxicity remains unclear. Therefore, in the present study, we studied the effects of Cd on MM55.K cells and investigated the mechanisms underlying Cd-induced cell death. CdCl2 significantly elevated apoptotic cell death, mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) loss, and caspase-dependent cell death. Moreover, immunoblotting results revealed that CdCl2 down-regulated the inhibitor of apoptotic protein such as survivin and Bcl-2 which led to the activation of caspase-3 and the cleavage of PARP in MM55.K cells. Besides, CdCl2 caused the up-regulation of ROS-related proteins such as HO-1 and ER stress-related proteins such as GRP78 and CHOP in MM55.K cells. CdCl2 toxicity resulted in the down-regulation of the AKT pathway that leads to the up-regulation of phosphorylated JNK and p38 in MM55.K cells. Thus, CdCl2 induce toxicity by AKT/MAPK regulation and causing ROS production, ER stress, ΔΨm loss, and apoptotic cell death in normal mouse renal cells.

STAT3 suppresses Wnt/ß-catenin signaling during the induction phase of primary Myf5+ brown adipogenesis.

Thermogenic fat is a promising target for new therapies in diabetes and obesity. Understanding how thermogenic fat develops is important to develop rational strategies to treat obesity. Previously, we have shown that Tyk2 and STAT3, part of the JAK-STAT pathway, are necessary for proper development of classical brown fat. Using primary preadipocytes isolated from newborn mice we demonstrate that STAT3 is required for differentiation and robust expression of Uncoupling Protein 1 (UCP1). We also confirm that STAT3 is necessary during the early induction stage of differentiation and is dispensable during the later terminal differentiation stage. The inability of STAT3-/- preadipocytes to differentiate can be rescued using Wnt ligand secretion inhibitors when applied during the induction stage. Through chemical inhibition and RNAi, we show that it is the canonical ß-catenin pathway that is responsible for the block in differentiation; inhibition or knockdown of ß-catenin can fully rescue adipogenesis and UCP1 expression in the STAT3-/- adipocytes. During the induction stage, Wnts 1, 3a, and 10b have increased expression in the STAT3-/- adipocytes, potentially explaining the increased levels and activity of ß-catenin. Our results for the first time point towards an interaction between the JAK/STAT pathway and the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway during the early stages of in-vitro adipogenesis.

NHX-5, an Endosomal Na+/H+ Exchanger, Is Associated with Metformin Action.

Diabetes is one of the most impactful diseases worldwide. The most commonly prescribed anti-diabetic drug is metformin. In this study, we identified an endosomal Na(+)/H(+) exchanger (NHE) as a new potential target of metformin from an unbiased screen in Caenorhabditis elegans The same NHE homolog also exists in flies, where it too mediates the effects of metformin. Our results suggest that endosomal NHEs could be a metformin target and provide an insight into a novel mechanism of action of metformin on regulating the endocytic cycle.

The Caenorhabditis elegans Werner syndrome protein functions upstream of ATR and ATM in response to DNA replication inhibition and double-strand DNA breaks.

WRN-1 is the Caenorhabditis elegans homolog of the human Werner syndrome protein, a RecQ helicase, mutations of which are associated with premature aging and increased genome instability. Relatively little is known as to how WRN-1 functions in DNA repair and DNA damage signaling. Here, we take advantage of the genetic and cytological approaches in C. elegans to dissect the epistatic relationship of WRN-1 in various DNA damage checkpoint pathways. We found that WRN-1 is required for CHK1 phosphorylation induced by DNA replication inhibition, but not by UV radiation. Furthermore, WRN-1 influences the RPA-1 focus formation, suggesting that WRN-1 functions in the same step or upstream of RPA-1 in the DNA replication checkpoint pathway. In response to ionizing radiation, RPA-1 focus formation and nuclear localization of ATM depend on WRN-1 and MRE-11. We conclude that C. elegans WRN-1 participates in the initial stages of checkpoint activation induced by DNA replication inhibition and ionizing radiation. These functions of WRN-1 in upstream DNA damage signaling are likely to be conserved, but might be cryptic in human systems due to functional redundancy.

Genetic and Chemical Controls of Sperm Fate and Spermatocyte Dedifferentiation via PUF-8 and MPK-1 in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Using the nematode C. elegans germline as a model system, we previously reported that PUF-8 (a PUF RNA-binding protein) and LIP-1 (a dual-specificity phosphatase) repress sperm fate at 20 °C and the dedifferentiation of spermatocytes into mitotic cells (termed "spermatocyte dedifferentiation") at 25 °C. Thus, double mutants lacking both PUF-8 and LIP-1 produce excess sperm at 20 °C, and their spermatocytes return to mitotically dividing cells via dedifferentiation at 25 °C, resulting in germline tumors. To gain insight into the molecular competence for spermatocyte dedifferentiation, we compared the germline phenotypes of three mutant strains that produce excess sperm-fem-3(q20gf), puf-8(q725); fem-3(q20gf), and puf-8(q725); lip-1(zh15). Spermatocyte dedifferentiation was not observed in fem-3(q20gf) mutants, but it was more severe in puf-8(q725); lip-1(zh15) than in puf-8(q725); fem-3(q20gf) mutants. These results suggest that MPK-1 (the C. elegans ERK1/2 MAPK ortholog) activation in the absence of PUF-8 is required to promote spermatocyte dedifferentiation. This idea was confirmed using Resveratrol (RSV), a potential activator of MPK-1 and ERK1/2 in C. elegans and human cells, respectively. Notably, spermatocyte dedifferentiation was significantly enhanced by RSV treatment in the absence of PUF-8, and its effect was blocked by mpk-1 RNAi. We, therefore, conclude that PUF-8 and MPK-1 are essential regulators for spermatocyte dedifferentiation and tumorigenesis. Since these regulators are broadly conserved, we suggest that similar regulatory circuitry may control cellular dedifferentiation and tumorigenesis in other organisms, including humans.

Melatonin protects against cadmium-induced oxidative stress via mitochondrial STAT3 signaling in human prostate stromal cells.

Melatonin protects against Cadmium (Cd)-induced toxicity, a ubiquitous environmental toxicant that causes adverse health effects by increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and mitochondrial dysfunction. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that Cd exposure reduces the levels of mitochondrially-localized signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (mitoSTAT3) using human prostate stromal cells and mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Melatonin enhances mitoSTAT3 abundance following Cd exposure, which is required to attenuate ROS damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cell death caused by Cd exposure. Moreover, melatonin increases mitochondrial levels of GRIM-19, an electron transport chain component that mediates STAT3 import into mitochondria, which are downregulated by Cd. In vivo, melatonin reverses the reduced size of mouse prostate tissue and levels of mitoSTAT3 and GRIM-19 induced by Cd exposure. Together, these data suggest that melatonin regulates mitoSTAT3 function to prevent Cd-induced cytotoxicity and could preserve mitochondrial function during Cd-induced stress.

Boeravinone B, a natural rotenoid, inhibits osteoclast differentiation through modulating NF-κB, MAPK and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways.

Osteoporosis is a major public health concern, which requires novel therapeutic strategies to prevent or mitigate bone loss. Natural compounds have attracted attention as potential therapeutic agents due to their safety and efficacy. In this study, we investigated the regulatory activities of boeravinone B (BOB), a natural rotenoid isolated from the medicinal plant Boerhavia diffusa, on the differentiation of osteoclasts and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), the two main cell components responsible for bone remodeling. We found that BOB inhibited osteoclast differentiation and function, as determined by TRAP staining and pit formation assay, with no significant cytotoxicity. Furthermore, our results showing that BOB ameliorates ovariectomyinduced bone loss demonstrated that BOB is also effective in vivo. BOB exerted its inhibitory effects on osteoclastogenesis by downregulating the RANKL/RANK signaling pathways, including NF-κB, MAPK, and PI3K/Akt, resulting in the suppression of osteoclast-specific gene expression. Further experiments revealed that, at least phenomenologically, BOB promotes osteoblast differentiation of bone marrow-derived MSCs but inhibits their differentiation into adipocytes. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that BOB inhibits osteoclastogenesis and promotes osteoblastogenesis in vitro by regulating various signaling pathways. These findings suggest that BOB has potential value as a novel therapeutic agent for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. [BMB Reports 2023; 56(10): 545-550].

Physical and functional interactions of Caenorhabditis elegans WRN-1 helicase with RPA-1.

The Caenorhabditis elegans Werner syndrome protein, WRN-1, a member of the RecQ helicase family, has a 3'-5' DNA helicase activity. Worms with defective wrn-1 exhibit premature aging phenotypes and an increased level of genome instability. In response to DNA damage, WRN-1 participates in the initial stages of checkpoint activation in concert with C. elegans replication protein A (RPA-1). WRN-1 helicase is stimulated by RPA-1 on long DNA duplex substrates. However, the mechanism by which RPA-1 stimulates DNA unwinding and the function of the WRN-1-RPA-1 interaction are not clearly understood. We have found that WRN-1 physically interacts with two RPA-1 subunits, CeRPA73 and CeRPA32; however, full-length WRN-1 helicase activity is stimulated by only the CeRPA73 subunit, while the WRN-1(162-1056) fragment that harbors the helicase activity requires both the CeRPA73 and CeRPA32 subunits for the stimulation. We also found that the CeRPA73(1-464) fragment can stimulate WRN-1 helicase activity and that residues 335-464 of CeRPA73 are important for physical interaction with WRN-1. Because CeRPA73 and the CeRPA73(1-464) fragment are able to bind single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), the stimulation of WRN-1 helicase by RPA-1 is most likely due to the ssDNA binding activity of CeRPA73 and the direct interaction of WRN-1 and CeRPA73.

Maintenance of quiescent oocytes by noradrenergic signals.

All females adopt an evolutionary conserved reproduction strategy; under unfavorable conditions such as scarcity of food or mates, oocytes remain quiescent. However, the signals to maintain oocyte quiescence are largely unknown. Here, we report that in four different species - Caenorhabditis elegans, Caenorhabditis remanei, Drosophila melanogaster, and Danio rerio - octopamine and norepinephrine play an essential role in maintaining oocyte quiescence. In the absence of mates, the oocytes of Caenorhabditis mutants lacking octopamine signaling fail to remain quiescent, but continue to divide and become polyploid. Upon starvation, the egg chambers of D. melanogaster mutants lacking octopamine signaling fail to remain at the previtellogenic stage, but grow to full-grown egg chambers. Upon starvation, D. rerio lacking norepinephrine fails to maintain a quiescent primordial follicle and activates an excessive number of primordial follicles. Our study reveals an evolutionarily conserved function of the noradrenergic signal in maintaining quiescent oocytes.

Comparative toxicities of BPA, BPS, BPF, and TMBPF in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and mammalian fibroblast cells.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical compound commonly used in the production of plastics for daily lives and industry. As BPA is well known for its adverse health effects, several alternative materials have been developed. This study comprehensively analyzed the toxicity of BPA and its three substitutes including bisphenol S (BPS), bisphenol F (BPF), and tetramethyl bisphenol F (TMBPF) on aging, healthspan, and mitochondria using an in vivo Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) model animal and cultured mammalian fibroblast cells. C. elegans treated with 1 mM BPA exhibited abnormalities in the four tested parameters related to development and growth, including delayed development, decreased body growth, reduced reproduction, and abnormal tissue morphology. Exposure to the same concentration of each alternative including TMBPF, which has been proposed as a relatively safe BPA alternative, detrimentally affected at least three of these events. Moreover, all bisphenols (except BPS) remarkably shortened the organismal lifespan and increased age-related changes in neurons. Exposure to BPA and BPF resulted in mitochondrial abnormalities, such as reduced oxygen consumption and mitochondrial membrane potential. In contrast, the ATP levels were noticeably higher after treatment with all bisphenols. In mammalian fibroblast cells, exposure to increasing concentrations of all bisphenols (ranging from 50 µM to 500 µM) caused a severe decrease in cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. BPA increased ATP levels and decreased ROS but did not affect mitochondrial permeability transition pores (mPTP). Notably, TMBPF was the only bisphenol that caused a significant increase in mitochondrial ROS and mPTP opening. These results suggest that the potentially harmful physiological effects of BPA alternatives should be considered.

Longevity and resistance to stress correlate with DNA repair capacity in Caenorhabditis elegans.

DNA repair is an important mechanism by which cells maintain genomic integrity. Decline in DNA repair capacity or defects in repair factors are thought to contribute to premature aging in mammals. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a good model for studying longevity and DNA repair because of key advances in understanding the genetics of aging in this organism. Long-lived C. elegans mutants have been identified and shown to be resistant to oxidizing agents and UV irradiation, suggesting a genetically determined correlation between DNA repair capacity and life span. In this report, gene-specific DNA repair is compared in wild-type C. elegans and stress-resistant C. elegans mutants for the first time. DNA repair capacity is higher in long-lived C. elegans mutants than in wild-type animals. In addition, RNAi knockdown of the nucleotide excision repair gene xpa-1 increased sensitivity to UV and reduced the life span of long-lived C. elegans mutants. These findings support that DNA repair capacity correlates with longevity in C. elegans.

Biochemical characterization of the WRN-1 RecQ helicase of Caenorhabditis elegans.

The highly conserved RecQ helicases are essential for the maintenance of genomic stability. Werner syndrome protein, WRN, is one of five human RecQ helicase homologues, and a deficiency of the protein causes a hereditary premature aging disorder that is characterized by genomic instability. A WRN orthologue, wrn-1 lacking the exonuclease domain, has been identified in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. wrn-1(RNAi) in C. elegans has a shortened life span, increased sensitivity to DNA damage, and accelerated aging phenotypes. However, little is known about its enzymatic activity. We purified the recombinant C. elegans WRN-1 protein (CeWRN-1) and then investigated its substrate specificity in vitro to improve our understanding of its function in vivo. We found that CeWRN-1 is an ATP-dependent 3'-5' helicase capable of unwinding a variety of DNA structures such as forked duplexes, Holliday junctions, bubble substrates, D-loops, and flap duplexes, and 3'-tailed duplex substrates. Distinctly, CeWRN-1 is able to unwind a long forked duplex compared to human WRN. Furthermore, CeWRN-1 helicase activity on a long DNA duplex is stimulated by C. elegans replication protein A (CeRPA) that is shown to interact with CeWRN-1 by a dot blot. The ability of CeWRN-1 to unwind these DNA structures may improve the access for DNA repair and replication proteins that are important for preventing the accumulation of abnormal structures, contributing to genomic stability.

Stress-induced dynamic regulation of mitochondrial STAT3 and its association with cyclophilin D reduce mitochondrial ROS production.

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is associated with various physiological and pathological functions, mainly as a transcription factor that translocates to the nucleus upon tyrosine phosphorylation induced by cytokine stimulation. In addition, a small pool of STAT3 resides in the mitochondria, where it serves as a sensor for various metabolic stressors including reactive oxygen species (ROS). Mitochondrially localized STAT3 largely exerts its effects through direct or indirect regulation of the activity of the electron transport chain (ETC). It has been assumed that the amounts of STAT3 in the mitochondria are static. We showed that various stimuli, including oxidative stress and cytokines, triggered a signaling cascade that resulted in a rapid loss of mitochondrially localized STAT3. Recovery of the mitochondrial pool of STAT3 over time depended on phosphorylation of Ser727 in STAT3 and new protein synthesis. Under these conditions, mitochondrially localized STAT3 also became competent to bind to cyclophilin D (CypD). Binding of STAT3 to CypD was mediated by the amino terminus of STAT3, which was also important for reducing mitochondrial ROS production after oxidative stress. These results outline a role for mitochondrially localized STAT3 in sensing and responding to external stimuli.

The Caenorhabditis elegans Werner syndrome protein participates in DNA damage checkpoint and DNA repair in response to CPT-induced double-strand breaks.

The RecQ helicases play roles in maintenance of genomic stability in species ranging from Escherichia coli to humans and interact with proteins involved in DNA metabolic pathways such as DNA repair, recombination, and replication. Our previous studies found that the Caenorhabditis elegans WRN-1 RecQ protein (a human WRN ortholog) exhibits ATP-dependent 3'-5' helicase activity and that the WRN-1 helicase is stimulated by RPA-1 on a long forked DNA duplex. However, the role of WRN-1 in response to S-phase associated with DSBs is unclear. We found that WRN-1 is involved in the checkpoint response to DSBs after CPT, inducing cell cycle arrest, is recruited to DSBs by RPA-1 and functions upstream of ATL-1 and ATM-1 for CHK-1 phosphorylation in the S-phase checkpoint. In addition, WRN-1 and RPA-1 recruitments to the DSBs require MRE-11, suggesting that DSB processing controlled by MRE-11 is important for WRN-1 at DSBs. The repair of CPT-induced DSBs is greatly reduced in the absence of WRN-1. These observations suggest that WRN-1 functions downstream of RPA-1 and upstream of CHK-1 in the DSB checkpoint pathway and is also required for the repair of DSB.

BLIMP-1/BLMP-1 and Metastasis-Associated Protein Regulate Stress Resistant Development in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Environmental stress triggers multilevel adaptations in animal development that depend in part on epigenetic mechanisms. In response to harsh environmental conditions and pheromone signals, Caenorhabditis elegans larvae become the highly stress-resistant and long-lived dauer. Despite extensive studies of dauer formation pathways that integrate specific environmental cues and appear to depend on transcriptional reprogramming, the role of epigenetic regulation in dauer development has remained unclear. Here we report that BLMP-1, the BLIMP-1 ortholog, regulates dauer formation via epigenetic pathways; in the absence of TGF-ß signaling (in daf-7 mutants), lack of blmp-1 caused lethality. Using this phenotype, we screened 283 epigenetic factors, and identified lin-40, a homolog of metastasis-associate protein 1 (MTA1) as an interactor of BLMP-1 The interaction between LIN-40 and BLMP-1 is conserved because mammalian homologs for both MTA1 and BLIMP-1 could also interact. From microarray studies, we identified several downstream target genes of blmp-1: npr-3, nhr-23, ptr-4, and sams-1 Among them S-adenosyl methionine synthase (SAMS-1), is the key enzyme for production of SAM used in histone methylation. Indeed, blmp-1 is necessary for controlling histone methylation level in daf-7 mutants, suggesting BLMP-1 regulates the expression of SAMS-1, which in turn may regulate histone methylation and dauer formation. Our results reveal a new interaction between BLMP-1/BLIMP-1 and LIN-40/MTA1, as well as potential epigenetic downstream pathways, whereby these proteins cooperate to regulate stress-specific developmental adaptations.

Fat Metabolism Regulates Satiety Behavior in C. elegans.

Animals change feeding behavior depending on their metabolic status; starved animals are eager to eat and satiated animals stop eating. C. elegans exhibits satiety quiescence under certain conditions that mimics many aspects of post-prandial sleep in mammals. Here we show that this feeding behavior depends on fat metabolism mediated by the SREBP-SCD pathway, an acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and certain nuclear hormone receptors (NRs). Mutations of the genes in the SREBP-SCD pathway reduce satiety quiescence. An RNA interference (RNAi) screen of the genes that regulate glucose and fatty acid metabolism identified an ACC necessary for satiety quiescence in C. elegans. ACC catalyzes the first step in de novo fatty acid biosynthesis known to be downstream of the SREBP pathway in mammals. We identified 28 NRs by microarray whose expression changes during refeeding after being starved. When individually knocked down by RNAi, 11 NRs among 28 affect both fat storage and satiety behavior. Our results show that the major fat metabolism pathway regulates feeding behavior and NRs could be the mediators to link the feeding behavior to the metabolic changes.

A DNA repair gene of Caenorhabditis elegans: a homolog of human XPF.

The xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group F (XPF) protein is a structure-specific endonuclease in a complex with ERCC1 and is essential for nucleotide excision repair (NER). We report a single cDNA of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) encoding highly similar protein to human XPF and other XPF members. We propose to name the corresponding C. elegans gene xpf. Messenger RNA for C. elegans xpf is 5'-tagged with a SL2 splice leader, suggesting an operon-like expression for xpf. Using RNAi, we showed that loss of C. elegans xpf function caused hypersensitivity to ultra-violet (UV) irradiation, as observed in enhanced germ cell apoptosis and increased embryonic lethality. This study suggests that C. elegans xpf is conserved in evolution and plays a role in the repair of UV-damaged DNA in C. elegans.