ROS (reactive oxygen species) are potentially damaging by-products of aerobic metabolism which, unchecked, can have detrimental effects on cell function. However, it is now widely accepted that, at physiological levels, certain ROS play important roles in cell signaling, acting as second messengers to regulate cell choices that contribute to the development, adaptation and survival of plants and animals. Despite important recent advances in the biochemical tools available to study redox-signaling, the molecular mechanisms underlying most of these responses remain poorly understood, particularly in multicellular organisms. As we will review here, C. elegans has emerged as a powerful animal model to elucidate these and other aspects of redox biology.
Keywords: Aging; Caenorhabditis elegans; Cuticle; Innate immunity; Pathogen infection; ROS detection; Reactive oxygen species; Redox homeostasis; Wound healing.
Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.