← Browse entries

hsp-4

C. elegans

Endoplasmic reticulum chaperone BiP homolog;Heat shock 70 kDa protein D

What the model saw

Gene: hsp-4
Organism: Caenorhabditis elegans
Known functions: Endoplasmic reticulum chaperone BiP homolog;Heat shock 70 kDa protein D. ATP binding. ATP hydrolysis activity. RNA polymerase II-specific DNA-binding transcription factor binding. heat shock protein binding. protein folding chaperone.
View unredacted entry
Endoplasmic reticulum chaperone BiP homolog;Heat shock 70 kDa protein D. ATP binding. ATP hydrolysis activity. RNA polymerase II-specific DNA-binding transcription factor binding. heat shock protein binding. protein folding chaperone.

Solver output

Predicted influence
Pro-longevity
Confidence
75%
Mechanism
Loss of proteostasis
Reasoning

hsp-4 encodes the C. elegans homolog of BiP (GRP78/HSPA5), the master ER luminal chaperone that drives the unfolded protein response (UPR-ER). By binding misfolded or unfolded client proteins in the ER lumen via its ATPase-coupled substrate-binding domain, HSP-4/BiP prevents ER stress-induced proteotoxicity and maintains ER proteostasis. Activation of the UPR-ER through hsp-4 upregulation is well-documented to extend lifespan in C. elegans, as it reduces the accumulation of misfolded proteins that would otherwise trigger chronic ER stress and cell death. Its ATP hydrolysis activity drives iterative chaperone cycles essential for proper protein folding, directly countering the age-associated collapse of proteostasis. Additionally, its interaction with transcription factors (e.g., ATF6/XBP-1 pathway components) links it to transcriptional reprogramming that supports cellular stress resistance and longevity.

Key pathways
ER unfolded protein response (UPR-ER)ER proteostasis / chaperone networkXBP-1/ATF6 transcriptional stress response
Longevity influence
Pro-longevity
Lifespan effect
Decrease

GenAge curators classify each gene's normal function as promoting (Pro-Longevity) or opposing (Anti-Longevity) longevity, based on synthesis across studies. Loss-of-function effects can vary from this depending on the manipulation.

Advisor judgment

Answer
Correct
Mechanism
Correct
Reasoning quality
5/5
Failure mode
Correct
Notes

The model correctly predicted pro_longevity for hsp-4 in C. elegans. The mechanistic reasoning is thorough and accurate: hsp-4 encodes the BiP/GRP78 ER chaperone, its role in UPR-ER and proteostasis maintenance is well-described, and the connection to XBP-1/ATF6 pathways and lifespan extension is appropriate. Confidence of 0.75 is reasonable. No significant errors in reasoning or mechanism.

Raw API responses

solver

{
  "reasoning": "hsp-4 encodes the C. elegans homolog of BiP (GRP78/HSPA5), the master ER luminal chaperone that drives the unfolded protein response (UPR-ER). By binding misfolded or unfolded client proteins in the ER lumen via its ATPase-coupled substrate-binding domain, HSP-4/BiP prevents ER stress-induced proteotoxicity and maintains ER proteostasis. Activation of the UPR-ER through hsp-4 upregulation is well-documented to extend lifespan in C. elegans, as it reduces the accumulation of misfolded proteins that would otherwise trigger chronic ER stress and cell death. Its ATP hydrolysis activity drives iterative chaperone cycles essential for proper protein folding, directly countering the age-associated collapse of proteostasis. Additionally, its interaction with transcription factors (e.g., ATF6/XBP-1 pathway components) links it to transcriptional reprogramming that supports cellular stress resistance and longevity.",
  "confidence": 0.75,
  "key_pathways": [
    "ER unfolded protein response (UPR-ER)",
    "ER proteostasis / chaperone network",
    "XBP-1/ATF6 transcriptional stress response"
  ],
  "mechanism_class": "loss_of_proteostasis",
  "longevity_influence": "pro_longevity"
}

advisor

{
  "notes": "The model correctly predicted pro_longevity for hsp-4 in C. elegans. The mechanistic reasoning is thorough and accurate: hsp-4 encodes the BiP/GRP78 ER chaperone, its role in UPR-ER and proteostasis maintenance is well-described, and the connection to XBP-1/ATF6 pathways and lifespan extension is appropriate. Confidence of 0.75 is reasonable. No significant errors in reasoning or mechanism.",
  "failure_mode": "correct",
  "answer_correct": true,
  "mechanism_correct": true,
  "reasoning_quality": 5,
  "ground_truth_questionable": false
}