Functional studies of human variants in C. elegans link iron metabolism to DPD deficiency and 5-FU sensitivity.

ABSTRACT: Dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD), encoded by DPYD, is a key enzyme in pyrimidine catabolism, and its deficiency leads to severe toxicity in patients treated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). While pathogenic DPYD variants account for many cases of DPD deficiency, they do not fully explain all instances of 5-FU sensitivity, suggesting additional genetic factors are involved. Recent studies have implicated variants in CIAO1, a gene encoding a subunit of the cytosolic iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster assembly targeting complex, in reducing DPD stability and function. In this study, we established a C. elegans model to assess DPD deficiency and 5-FU sensitivity. Using a dpyd-1 knockout and CRISPR-generated ciao-1 variants that mirror patient-derived variants (p.Trp184Cys, p.His193Tyr, and p.Arg65Trp)

SUBMITTER: Li X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12774842 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature