Exposure of Caenorhabditis elegans to extremely low frequency high magnetic fields induces stress responses

Responses of the small hear shock protein gene, hsp-16, were examined in tr ansgenic Caenor-habditis elegans exposed to electromagnetic fields. Express ion of the hsp-16-lacZ gene was enhanced when transgenic animals were expos ed to magnetic fields up to 0.5 T at 60 Hz. The hsp-16 promoter was more ef ficiently expressed at the embryonic than at the post-embryonic stage irres pective of exposure. Promoter activity was more sensitive to the stimulus i n the intestine at the post-embryonic stage. Evidence is presented that the induction occurs at the transcriptional step of hsp-16. (C) 2001 Wiley-Lis s, Inc.