Effects of FUdR on gene expression in the C. elegans bacterial diet OP50

Many C. elegans aging studies use the compound 5-fluro-2'-deoxyuridine (FUdR) to produce a synchronous population of worms. However, the effects of FUdR on the bacterial gene expression of OP50 E. coli, the primary laboratory C. elegans food source, is not fully understood. This is particularly relevant as studies suggest that intestinal microbes can affect C. elegans physiology. Therefore, it is imperative that we understand how exposure to FUdR can affect gene expression changes in OP50 E. coli.

An RNAseq dataset comprised of expression patterns of 2900 E. coli genes in the strain OP50, which were seeded on either nematode growth media (NGM) plates or on FUdR (50 µM) supplemented NGM plates, was analyzed. Analysis showed differential gene expression in genes involved in general transport, amino acid biosynthesis, transcription, iron transport, and antibiotic resistance. We specifically highlight metabolic enzymes in the L-histidine biosynthesis pathway as differentially expressed between NGM and FUdR exposed OP50. We conclude that OP50 exposed to FUdR results in differential expression of many genes, including those in amino acid biosynthetic pathways.