Functional characterization of dhs-21 in C. elegans

Abstract

C. elegans dhs-21 is predicted to encode a short chain dehydrogenase reductase (SDR/XDR). It has homologs in mouse, rat and human. They are highly conserved in functional domains.In C. elegan, DHS-21 is expressed in the intestine, hypodermis, uterus and spermatheca, and in mammals, its homologs are expressed in kidney cells. They probably inter-convert L-xylitol into xylitol in mammals and play a role in osmotic regulation. We have isolated a deletion mutant of dhs-21. dhs-21 (jh129) mutants exhibit decreased brood size, shorter life span compared to the wild type N2 worms. We are currently characterizing the genetic pathway related to regulation of dhs-21, which contributes to the life span and brood size in C. elegans