Induction of the alcohol-metabolizing pathway in the nematode Panagrellus redivivus: phenotypic effects.

Panagrellus redivivus when placed in 7% ethanol or methanol becomes immobile. After 1 hr the animals resume normal swimming and will grow in alcohol. The ability to recover requires ADH activity and translation, but not transcription, as determined by inhibitor studies. Recovery decreases with longer-chain alcohols, with a greater recovery for branched rather than n-alcohols. Coincident with recovery is a threefold increase in alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase activity. A model involving posttranscriptional control of the levels of these enzymes is presented.