Fig. 1. Heterologous expression of Rv Dsup in C. elegans does not cause overall toxicity and confers protection from ionizing radiation.

(A) Single-copy insertion of Rv Dsup in the C. elegans genome by MosSCI. The MosSCI approach uses the Mos1 transposase to produce double-strand break, which is repaired using homologous sequences (L and R) from the injected vector. The integrated lines are selected by the UNCoordinated phenotype rescue following unc-119 expression. (B) Specific Rv Dsup gene expression validation by RT-PCR. Total RNA was extracted from unsynchronized worm populations, followed by cDNA synthesis. Gene-specific primers for Rv Dsup were used to confirm expression, while tbg-1 (encoding tubulin) served as an internal control. (C) Expression of Rv Dsup does not affect key physiological traits in C. elegans. No significant (ns) differences were observed in brood size (n = 10), pharyngeal pumping rate (n = 9), or motility (n = 17) between Rv Dsup–expressing and control worms. Data are presented as means ± SEM. Statistical signifance was determined using a two-tailed Student’s t test. (D) Heterologous expression of Rv Dsup enhances survival following ionizing radiation exposure. Young adult worms (24-hour post-L4 larvae stage, n = 8) were irradiated, and survival rate in the following generation was assessed (left). Data are presented as means ± SEM with statistical significance determined by a two-tailed Student’s t test. (E) Representative images of worm populations 5 days postirradiation (right) show that wild-type (N2) worms exhibited severe growth impairment, whereas Rv Dsup–expressing worms displayed improved survival. Scale bar, 2 mm.