HSF-1 Regulates Autophagy to Govern Motor Function and Facilitate Toxic Protein Clearance in a C. elegans Model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Heat shock factor-1 (HSF-1) plays a crucial role in orchestrating stress responses across diverse organisms and disease conditions. Here, we investigate how the HSF-1 signaling pathway influences the degradation of toxic proteins and neuropathological changes in the Caenorhabditis elegans model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We found that overexpressing HSF-1 improves locomotor ability and increases the survival rate of ALS C. elegans. Moreover, we observed a deceleration of motor neuron degeneration, demonstrating the protective effect of HSF-1 on neurodegenerative processes. Transcriptomic analysis revealed notable changes in genes associated with autophagy and neurodegeneration, underscoring HSF-1’s critical involvement in ALS pathology. In addition, metabolomic profiling further highlighted the involvement of this pathway in metabolic reprogramming. Overall, our study underscores the critical role of the HSF-1 signaling pathway in improving survival rate, movement velocity, cellular integrity, and metabolic adaptation, providing new insights into the mechanisms underlying ALS and potential targets for therapeutic intervention.