PLoS Genet. 8:e1002957 2012/09/20

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) interact with cellular components including nucleic acids and proteins and irreversibly inhibit their functions. However, ROS are essential for innate host defense and multiple physiological processes and are generated by conserved NADPH oxidase family. The release of ROS must be properly controlled, as chronic oxidative stress is often associated with disease and aging. Using C. elegans as a model organism, we demonstrated that a tetraspanin (TSP-15) protein is a new key component of the ROS generation system controlled by dual oxidase (Duox/BLI-3).