Defining the necessity of the lipoic acid synthase lias-1 in Caenorhabditis elegans

TL;DR

This study shows that the lipoic acid synthase lias-1 is essential for normal development and survival in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Contribution

The first CRISPR-generated lias-1 knockouts in C. elegans reveal the necessity of de novo lipoic acid synthesis.

Findings

lias-1 knockouts in C. elegans show developmental arrest and sterility.

Exogenous lipoic acid cannot rescue the mutant phenotype.

The study highlights the essential role of de novo lipoic acid synthesis in C. elegans.

Abstract

Lipoic acid is an essential cofactor for multiple enzymes involved in aerobic respiration, and disruption to any of the pathways contributing to lipoic acid synthesis result in severe respiratory dysfunction. Despite the importance of lipoic acid, few studies have directly investigated the necessity of the lipoic acid synthase itself in eukaryotes. We have used

Caenorhabditis elegans

to address this gap and created CRISPR knockouts of

lias-1

, the first

lias-1

knockouts reported in

C. elegans

. These mutants show developmental arrest, sterility, and shortened lifespan which cannot be rescued by supplementing with exogenous lipoic acid suggesting a necessity for
de novo
lipoic acid synthesis in

C. elegans

.

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