Systematic screen for genes involved in the regulation of oxidative stress in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.

Oxygen is essential for animals, but high concentrations of oxygen are toxic to them probably because of an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS). Many genes are involved in the regulation of ROS, but they largely remain to be identified. To identify these genes, we employed the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism, and systematically screened for genes that, when down-regulated by RNAi, lead to an increased sensitivity to ROS. We examined approximately 2400 genes on linkage group I and found that knock-down of 9 genes which participate in various cellular functions led to an increased sensitivity to ROS. This finding suggests an implication of a variety of cellular processes in the regulation of oxidative stress.