Fig. 3
LEA-1 is required for resistance to multiple stresses. A daf-2;lea-1Δ and daf-2;lea-1(tm6452) dauer larvae formed at 20 °C are sensitive to desiccation. Survival is modestly reduced in worms exposed to 97.5% relative humidity for 4 days (p = 0.03, p = 0.10 respectively, n = 4, unpaired T test) and more significantly reduced after an additional day at 60% RH (p < 0.0001, p = 0.009 respectively, n = 3, unpaired T test). B Dauer-like larvae of daf-2;lea-1Δ and daf-2;lea-1(tm6452) mutants formed at 25 °C are sensitive to desiccation. Survival is significantly reduced in worms exposed to 97.5% relative humidity for 4 days (p = 0.0002, p = 0.0001 respectively, n = 4, unpaired T test) as well as 60% for 1 day after 4 days at 97.5% (p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001, n = 4, unpaired T test). C lea-1 mutant dauers formed at 20 °C exhibit mild sensitivity to osmotic stress in 1 M NaCl for 2 h (daf-2;lea-1Δ p = 0.17, daf-2;lea-1(tm6452) p = 0.02, n = 4, unpaired T test). D Dauer-like larvae of daf-2;lea-1Δ and daf-2;lea-1(tm6452) mutants are sensitive to osmotic stress in 1 M NaCl for 2 h (p < 0.0001 for each genotype compared to control, n = 4, unpaired T test). Data points in A–D represent results from individual experiments and bars represent mean survival. E Dauer larvae of lea-1Δ and lea-1(tm6452) mutants are sensitive to heat stress at 37 °C (p < 0.0001 for each mutant allele relative to control, n = 4–5 replicates per timepoint, 2-way ANOVA). Lines depict mean survival and error bars represent SEM. Data points depict survival from individual experiments. F daf-2;lea-1Δ mutants have a higher number of polyglutamine protein aggregates. The total number of aggregates in the body wall muscle of individual worms from three independent biological replicates is shown. Thick bars indicate the mean number of aggregates and error bars depict 95% confidence intervals. Worms carrying a transgene expressing a 35-glutamine repeat (Q35) with a YFP for visualization have only marginally more aggregates than controls (p = 0.22, n = 3, unpaired T test), while worms carrying a Q40::YFP transgene have significantly more aggregates than controls (p = 0.02, n = 3, unpaired T test). *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001