C. elegans ctl-1 Functional Gene Editing Service

Service Overview Precision editing of CTL-1 in a premier genetic model for oxidative stress, antioxidant defense, and aging research

ctl-1 encodes one of the three C. elegans catalases, the heme enzymes that disproportionate hydrogen peroxide into water and molecular oxygen. It deals with the peroxide produced downstream of superoxide dismutation and by peroxisomal metabolism, closing the second half of the reactive-oxygen-species clearance chain that begins with superoxide dismutase.

The result that makes ctl-1 important is that removing it shortens the extended lifespan of daf-2 and clk-1 mutants. Antioxidant capacity, in other words, is a required input to these longevity programs rather than a passive readout of them. CD BioSciences delivers custom ctl-1 alleles — knockouts, heme-binding and catalytic point mutants, conditional configurations, and tag knockins — with full genotype verification.

About the Target Gene: ctl-1 Key biological and practical facts to inform your edit design

Gene symbol	ctl-1 (Catalase (hydrogen-peroxide-degrading peroxisomal enzyme))
Protein product	CTL-1 — catalase (CaTaLase family)
Mammalian homolog	CAT (catalase)
Biological role	One of three C. elegans catalases, the heme-containing enzymes that disproportionate hydrogen peroxide into water and molecular oxygen. CTL-1 handles the peroxide produced by superoxide dismutation and by peroxisomal metabolism, and it is required for the full lifespan extension seen in insulin/IGF and clk-1 longevity mutants.
Loss-of-function phenotype	Loss of ctl-1 reduces catalase activity and peroxide tolerance and shortens the extended lifespan of daf-2 and clk-1 mutants, showing that peroxide clearance is a required component of those longevity programs rather than a bystander.
Why edit it	ctl-1 supplies direct genetic evidence that antioxidant capacity is a limiting input to longevity, not merely a correlate: removing one catalase is enough to blunt the lifespan extension produced by two of the best-characterized longevity pathways. Human catalase deficiency and CAT variants are associated with diabetes, hypertension, and age-related disease.
Recommended background	N2 (wild type). Deletion alleles are viable; we recommend scoring peroxide (H2O2) survival alongside lifespan, and for longevity epistasis work combining with daf-2 or clk-1 reduction-of-function backgrounds.
Representative allele	Deletion alleles from the C. elegans knockout collections; custom CRISPR nulls, heme-binding-site point mutants, and catalase-activity reporter configurations available on request.

Fig. 1 Catalase-mediated hydrogen peroxide clearance and its contribution to redox balance in C. elegans. The highlighted (amber) node marks the editing target.

ctl-1 at a glance: loss of ctl-1 blunts the extended lifespan of daf-2 and clk-1 mutants and lowers peroxide tolerance. Editing ctl-1 alone is a powerful way to dissect CTL-1 function in vivo, with conserved relevance to human CAT biology.

Our ctl-1 Editing Strategies Choose the allele that matches your experimental question

Gene Knockout

gRNA-guided Cas9 cutting with NHEJ repair to introduce frameshift indels, generating premature stop codons and null / strong-loss-of-function ctl-1 alleles.

Knockin & Tagging

Homology-directed repair (HDR) inserts GFP / HA / FLAG or other tags at the ctl-1 locus for endogenous expression and subcellular localization studies.

Point Mutation

Introduce specific amino-acid substitutions to dissect functional domains and separate catalytic from scaffolding roles of CTL-1.

Conditional & Reporter Alleles

Build tissue-specific, inducible, or temperature-sensitive configurations and reporter lines for spatiotemporal analysis of CTL-1 function.

Workflow of Our ctl-1 Editing Service From sequence to validated strain in a streamlined pipeline

Strategy Design

Define target (knockout / knockin / point mutation), select gRNA(s) and HDR template, confirm against the latest genome build.

gRNA Synthesis

Design, validate, and synthesize high-specificity guide RNAs targeting the ctl-1 locus.

Vector & Template Construction

Build Cas9 / gRNA delivery construct and, for knockin, the homology-arm repair template.

Microinjection

Perform gonadal microinjection of N2 animals with CRISPR components and co-CRISPR selection markers.

Screening & Verification

PCR, Sanger / sequencing, and phenotype confirmation to isolate edited animals and verify alleles.

Delivery & Report

Provide homozygous / balanced ctl-1 strains plus a full genotype and methods report.

Key Features Why researchers choose CD BioSciences for C. elegans editing

High-efficiency, optimized CRISPR / Cas9 platform for C. elegans.
Whole-process technical traceability and transparent timelines.
Flexible editing: knockout, knockin, tagging, and point mutation.
Full genotype verification before strain delivery.
One-stop model development integrated with our C. elegans portfolio.
Competitive pricing and short turnaround.
Direct access to scientists and prompt inquiry response.
Reliable, convenient global shipping of frozen stocks.

Applications Where a custom ctl-1 model adds value

Hydrogen peroxide clearance and peroxisomal redox balance.
Antioxidant requirement for insulin/IGF and clk-1 longevity.
Human catalase (CAT) biology: diabetes, hypertension, and age-related disease.
Peroxide challenge and oxidative-stress survival assays.
Redundancy and epistasis among the ctl catalase genes.
Coordination with superoxide dismutase and peroxidase systems.
Pro-oxidant and antioxidant compound screening in a whole animal.

Deliverables What you receive with every project

Genetically verified ctl-1 edited strain(s) (homozygous or balanced).
Detailed genotyping report (editing strategy, allele sequence, verification data).
Methods summary and rearing / storage recommendations.
Optional: crosses into reporter, stress-assay, or co-CRISPR selection backgrounds.
Optional: phenotype confirmation, stress assay setup, and imaging support.

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of ctl-1 allele will I get from a knockout project?

Standard knockout projects deliver a frameshift indel allele predicted to produce a premature stop and a loss-of-function phenotype. We confirm the edit by sequencing and, where relevant, by characteristic phenotype assays.

Can you add a GFP or epitope tag to endogenous ctl-1?

Yes. Using HDR with a designed repair template, we can insert GFP, HA, or FLAG tags at the C- or N-terminus while preserving endogenous promoter and regulation.

How long does a typical ctl-1 editing project take?

Timelines vary with editing type and validation needs, but our optimized pipeline and co-CRISPR selection typically shorten turnaround versus conventional approaches. Contact us with your design for a project-specific estimate.

Why is ctl-1 described as required for longevity rather than just protective?

Because removing it does more than make animals stress-sensitive: it shortens the long lifespan of daf-2 and clk-1 mutants back toward wild type. That means the peroxide-clearing capacity supplied by CTL-1 is part of the mechanism by which those pathways extend life, not simply a general health measure. The practical consequence is that ctl-1 edits are most informative when scored in a long-lived background rather than in wild type alone.

Start Your ctl-1 Editing Project

CD BioSciences is committed to convenient, efficient, and cost-effective C. elegans model customization. Tell us your target design — knockout, knockin, tagging, or point mutation — and our scientists will respond with a tailored plan and quote.

References
1. Kim H. M., Colaiácovo M. P. CRISPR-Cas9-guided genome engineering in C. elegans. Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, 2016, 115(1): 31.7.1–31.7.18.
2. Taub J., Lau J. F., Ma C., Hahn J. J., Hoque R., Rothblatt J., Chalfie M. A cytosolic catalase is needed to extend adult lifespan in C. elegans daf-C and clk-1 mutants. Nature, 1999, 399(6732): 162–166.

For research use only.