Transcriptional redirection of activated SKN-1/NRF2 abates the negative metabolic outcomes of a perceived pathogen infection

Optimal health requires perpetual transcriptional fidelity of gene expression. SKN-1/NRF2 is a cytoprotective transcription factor in C. elegans that regulates the expression of cellular defenses during stress, including: nutrient deprivation, redox imbalance, and xenobiotic and pathogen exposure. Constitutive activation of SKN-1 results in pleiotropic outcomes, including shortened lifespan and protective redistribution of somatic fat to the germline. We measured lipid distribution between the soma and germ tissues after manipulation of SKN-1 activity. Modulating the epigenetic landscape refines SKN-1 activity away from innate immunity targets and alleviates negative metabolic outcomes. Similarly, paraquat exposure redirects SKN-1 activity toward oxidative stress responses and away from pathogen response genes, which restores lipid distribution across tissues. Lastly, activating p38 MAPK signaling is sufficient to drive SKN-1-dependent loss of somatic fat. These data reveal a coordination of organismal metabolic homeostasis with pathogen responses and identifies mechanisms for counteracting the pleiotropic consequences of aberrant transcriptional activity. Our study aim to look at transcriptional signatures that changes in Day 3 adults, when loss of fat phenotype occurs in constitutively active SKN-1 worms compared to wild type. We are also interested in transcriptional changes when that loss of fat phenotype is suppressed by paraquat exposure or chromatin restriction.