Modulation of stress responses in C. elegans: Sex differences and neuronal control

The effect of stress on an organism can be diverse and systemic, impacting cell physiology, development and behaviour. Here, I review the molecular mechanisms by which stressors (noxious stimuli) negatively impact all these aspects of animal biology and some of the mechanisms employed by the organism to combat damage by such insults. I focus on research carried out in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and the stress response pathways that enhance the core proteostasis network, a collection of molecular chaperones and degradation factors that refold or remove damaged proteins. Insults are often sensed by the nervous system, which then triggers stress response pathways systemically in distal tissues. Inter-tissue communication for cell nonautonomous regulation of stress responses by the nervous system involves many different neurotransmitters and modulators in an insult-specific manner. Sex-specific differences in stress sensitivity and proteostasis strategies also exist, with males generally being more resilient than hermaphrodites. However, male reproductive development and behaviour remain particularly vulnerable to stress.