Response of G protein-coupled receptor CED-1 in germline to polystyrene nanoparticles in<i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>

The deposition of a certain amount of nanopolystyrene (NPS) can be observed in the gonad of <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>. However, we still know little about the response of germline towards NPS exposure. In the germline of <i>C. elegans</i>, NPS (1-1000 μg L^-1) increased the expression levels of two G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), namely PAQR-2 and CED-1. Moreover, susceptibility to NPS toxicity was observed in <i>ced-1(RNAi)</i> worms, which suggested that the protective response of germline was mediated by GPCR CED-1. In the germline, five proteins (CED-10, VPS-34, SNX-1, RAB-7, and RAB-14) functioned as downstream targets of GPCR CED-1 in controlling NPS toxicity. Furthermore, these five targets in the germline regulated NPS toxicity by affecting the activities of p38 MAPK and insulin signaling pathways in intestinal cells. Therefore, we raised a GPCR CED-1-mediated signaling cascade in the germline in response to NPS exposure, which is helpful for understanding the molecular basis of the germline in response to NPS exposure.