Effects of Forskolin and Ouabain on C. elegans Intestinal Cyst Remodeling
Faculty Mentor Information
Dr. Melissa Pickett, College of Idaho
Presentation Date
7-16-2026
Abstract
The establishment and maintenance of cell polarity, with specific proteins targeted to certain cellular domains and excluded from others, is essential for organ structure and function. Previous research showed that the conserved protein PAR-3 is required for apico-basolateral polarity establishment in the intestine of the model roundworm C. elegans. When PAR-3 was continuously removed from the worm intestine, the intestines were composed of discontinuous cysts instead of forming continuous hollow tubes. Intriguingly, when PAR-3 was expressed in worms with cystic intestines during larval stages when PAR-3 is not normally required, the intestines were able to remodel over several days to form continuous, healthy intestinal tubes. We are studying the mechanisms required to remodel cystic intestines into hollow tubes. We hypothesized that remodeling required the pumping of fluid into cysts. We tested this hypothesis by treating larval worms with cystic intestines with either forskolin, to increase fluid pumping, or ouabain, to decrease fluid pumping into the cysts. After treating worms with forskolin for 48 hours, we found a statistically significant decrease in cyst size at both concentrations compared to the vehicle control. After treating C. elegans with ouabain for 24 hours, we observed a statistically significant increase in cyst size for all concentrations tested compared with the vehicle control. These results indicate that disrupting ion transport and/or osmosis affects cyst size, but not in the directions we predicted. Future experiments will test how long-term exposure directly impacts cyst number and intestinal recovery.
Effects of Forskolin and Ouabain on C. elegans Intestinal Cyst Remodeling
The establishment and maintenance of cell polarity, with specific proteins targeted to certain cellular domains and excluded from others, is essential for organ structure and function. Previous research showed that the conserved protein PAR-3 is required for apico-basolateral polarity establishment in the intestine of the model roundworm C. elegans. When PAR-3 was continuously removed from the worm intestine, the intestines were composed of discontinuous cysts instead of forming continuous hollow tubes. Intriguingly, when PAR-3 was expressed in worms with cystic intestines during larval stages when PAR-3 is not normally required, the intestines were able to remodel over several days to form continuous, healthy intestinal tubes. We are studying the mechanisms required to remodel cystic intestines into hollow tubes. We hypothesized that remodeling required the pumping of fluid into cysts. We tested this hypothesis by treating larval worms with cystic intestines with either forskolin, to increase fluid pumping, or ouabain, to decrease fluid pumping into the cysts. After treating worms with forskolin for 48 hours, we found a statistically significant decrease in cyst size at both concentrations compared to the vehicle control. After treating C. elegans with ouabain for 24 hours, we observed a statistically significant increase in cyst size for all concentrations tested compared with the vehicle control. These results indicate that disrupting ion transport and/or osmosis affects cyst size, but not in the directions we predicted. Future experiments will test how long-term exposure directly impacts cyst number and intestinal recovery.