Gene expression profiling of the L4-stage nematode Caenorhabditis elegans following ethanol exposure

Previous studies have suggested that low to moderate alcohol exposure can extend Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) lifespan, but early molecular mechanisms linking ethanol exposure to longevity have not been fully characterized. Here, we investigated how ethanol treatment affects transcriptional networks in L4-stage C. elegans by time-resolved RNA-seq. L4-stage C. elegans were exposed to 5% ethanol and time-resolved RNA-seq was performed after 1, 4, and 20 hours in solution cultures, followed by differential gene expression and KEGG pathway-based Gene Set Enrichment Analysis. At 1 hour, GSEA analysis showed significant enrichment of genes in the Longevity regulating pathway (worm) with elevated expression. Core-enrichment genes exhibited coordinated upregulation of redox-defense modules, including glutathione S-transferases (gst) and p38 MAPK components (pmk-2/pmk-3), consistent with upregulation of SKN-1/Nrf2-related stress-response genes. Detoxification (gpx and fmo families) and lipid-remodeling genes were enriched at 1 hour. By 4 hours, sod-3, a canonical DAF-16/FOXO target, was clearly upregulated, suggesting engagement of DAF-16-associated antioxidant responses, whereas Peroxisome and TGF-β signaling pathways were significantly downregulated. Together, these findings provide transcriptomic insights into a temporally structured longevity-associated response to ethanol exposure, in which early detoxification and antioxidant programs, together with membrane-lipid remodeling, are followed by DAF-16-associated gene induction and repression of peroxisome- and development-related signaling. These pathway-level changes highlight candidate biological processes potentially associated with ethanol-linked lifespan modulation in C. elegans.