This paper presents a high-throughput reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) assay for Caenorhabditis elegans that is fast, robust, and highly sensitive. This protocol obtains precise measurements of gene expression from single worms or from bulk samples. The protocol presented here provides a novel adaptation of existing methods for complementary DNA (cDNA) preparation coupled to a nanofluidic RT-qPCR platform. The first part of this protocol, named 'Worm-to-CT', allows cDNA production directly from nematodes without the need for prior mRNA isolation. It increases experimental throughput by allowing the preparation of cDNA from 96 worms in 3.5 h. The second part of the protocol uses existing nanofluidic technology to run high-throughput RT-qPCR on the cDNA. This paper evaluates two different nanofluidic chips: the first runs 96 samples and 96 targets, resulting in 9,216 reactions in approximately 1.5 days of benchwork. The second chip type consists of six 12 x 12 arrays, resulting in 864 reactions. Here, the Worm-to-CT method is demonstrated by quantifying mRNA levels of genes encoding heat shock proteins from single worms and from bulk samples. Provided is an extensive list of primers designed to amplify processed RNA for the majority of coding genes within the C. elegans genome. 10 , RNA sequencing from isolated tissues 11 , and single-cell sequencing 12 are now available for C. elegans. However, a main challenge remains: when monitoring interindividuality, weakly expressed genes often fall below detectable levels 13. This is particularly relevant for rare transcripts isolated from small amounts of starting material, as there is a well-established, inverse relationship between mean expression and technical variance, often causing rare transcripts to fall below statistical cutoffs 13. The optimization of high-throughput multiplexed qPCR technologies has proven useful for mammalian single-cell studies, in particular when studying the expression of rare transcripts 14,15. This technology can also be used for benchmarking and validation purposes of other single-worm technologies. Worm-to-CT is a fast, robust method adapted from a kit used in cell biology studies, for single-worm cDNA preparation. cDNA obtained by this method coupled with multiplexed nanofluidic qPCR technology was chosen because it provides higher experimental throughput, a

To survive elevated temperatures, ectotherms adjust the fluidity of membranes by fine-tuning lipid desaturation levels in a process previously described to be cell autonomous. We have discovered that, in Caenorhabditis elegans, neuronal heat shock factor 1 (HSF-1), the conserved master regulator of the heat shock response (HSR), causes extensive fat remodeling in peripheral tissues. These changes include a decrease in fat desaturase and acid lipase expression in the intestine and a global shift in the saturation levels of plasma membrane’s phospholipids. The observed remodeling of plasma membrane is in line with ectothermic adaptive responses and gives worms a cumulative advantage to warm temperatures. We have determined that at least 6 TAX-2/TAX-4 cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) gated channel expressing sensory neurons, and transforming growth factor ß (TGF-β)/bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) are required for signaling across tissues to modulate fat desaturation. We also find neuronal hsf-1 is not only sufficient but also partially necessary to control the fat remodeling response and for survival at warm temperatures. This is the first study to show that a thermostat-based mechanism can cell nonautonomously coordinate membrane saturation and composition across tissues in a multicellular animal.

In multicellular organisms such as Caenorhabditis elegans, cellular stress stimuli and responses are communicated between tissues to promote organismal health- and lifespan. The nervous system is the predominant regulator of cell nonautonomous proteostasis that orchestrates systemic stress responses to integrate both internal and external stimuli. This review highlights the role of the intestine in mediating cell nonautonomous stress responses and explores recent findings that suggest a central role for the intestine to regulate organismal proteostasis. As a tissue that receives and further transduces signals from the nervous system in response to dietary restriction, heat- and oxidative stress, and hypoxia, we explore evidence suggesting the intestine is a key regulatory organ itself. From the perspective of naturally occurring stressors such as dietary restriction and pathogen infection we highlight how the intestine can function as a key regulator of organismal proteostasis by integrating insulin/IGF-like signaling, miRNA-, neuropeptide- and metabolic signaling to alter distal tissue functions in promoting survival, health- and lifespan.

Organismal proteostasis is maintained by intercellular signaling processes including cell nonautonomous stress responses such as transcellular chaperone signaling (TCS). When TCS is activated upon tissue-specific knockdown of hsp-90 in the Caenorhabditis elegans intestine, heat-inducible hsp-70 is induced in muscle cells at the permissive temperature resulting in increased heat stress resistance and lifespan extension. However, our understanding of the molecular mechanism and signaling factors mediating transcellular activation of hsp-70 expression from one tissue to another is still in its infancy. Here, we conducted a combinatorial approach using transcriptome RNA-Seq profiling and a forward genetic mutagenesis screen to elucidate how stress signaling from the intestine to the muscle is regulated. We find that the TCS-mediated “gut-to-muscle” induction of hsp-70 expression is suppressed by HSF-1 and instead relies on transcellular-X-cross-tissue (txt) genes. We identify a key role for the PDZ-domain guanylate cyclase txt-1 and the homeobox transcription factor ceh-58 as signaling hubs in the stress receiving muscle cells to initiate hsp-70 expression and facilitate TCS-mediated heat stress resistance and lifespan extension. Our results provide a new view on cell-nonautonomous regulation of “inter-tissue” stress responses in an organism that highlight a key role for the gut. Our data suggest that the HSF-1–mediated heat shock response is switched off upon TCS activation, in favor of an intercellular stress-signaling route to safeguard survival.