1
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van den Berg W, Gupta BP. Genome-Wide Temporal Gene Expression Reveals a Post-Reproductive Shift in the Nematode Caenorhabditis briggsae. Genome Biol Evol 2025; 17:evaf057. [PMID: 40171711 PMCID: PMC11992569 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaf057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2025] [Accepted: 03/24/2025] [Indexed: 04/04/2025] Open
Abstract
The nematodes Caenorhabditis briggsae and its well-known cousin Caenorhabditis elegans offer many features for comparative investigations of genetic pathways that affect physiological processes. Reproduction is one such process that directly impacts longevity due to its significant energetic demands. To study gene expression changes during reproductive and post-reproductive phases in both these nematodes, we conducted whole-genome transcriptome profiling at various adult stages. The results revealed that the majority of differentially expressed (DE) genes were downregulated during the reproductive period in both species. Interestingly, in C. briggsae, this trend reversed during post-reproduction, with three-quarters of the DE genes becoming upregulated. Additionally, a smaller set of DE genes showed an opposite expression trend, i.e. upregulation followed by post-reproductive downregulation. Overall, we termed this phenomenon the "post-reproductive shift". In contrast, the post-reproductive shift was much less pronounced in C. elegans. In C. briggsae, DE genes were enriched in processes related to the matrisome, muscle development and function during the reproductive period. Post-reproductive downregulated genes were enriched in DNA damage repair, stress response, and immune response. Additionally, terms related to fatty acid metabolism, catabolism, and transcriptional regulation exhibited complex patterns. Experimental manipulations in C. briggsae to affect their reproductive status predictably altered gene expression, providing in vivo support for the post-reproductive shift. Overall, our study reveals novel gene expression patterns during reproductive and post-reproductive changes in C. briggsae. The data provide a valuable resource for cross-sectional comparative studies in nematodes and other animal models to understand evolution of genetic pathways affecting reproduction and aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wouter van den Berg
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S-4K1, Canada
| | - Bhagwati P Gupta
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S-4K1, Canada
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2
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Falsztyn IB, Taylor SM, Baugh LR. Developmental and conditional regulation of DAF-2/INSR ubiquitination in Caenorhabditis elegans. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2025; 15:jkaf009. [PMID: 39837352 PMCID: PMC11917487 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkaf009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2025] [Indexed: 01/23/2025]
Abstract
Insulin/IGF signaling (IIS) regulates developmental and metabolic plasticity. Conditional regulation of insulin-like peptide expression and secretion promotes different phenotypes in different environments. However, IIS can also be regulated by other, less understood mechanisms. For example, stability of the only known insulin/IGF receptor in Caenorhabditis elegans, DAF-2/INSR, is regulated by CHIP-dependent ubiquitination. Disruption of chn-1/CHIP reduces longevity in C. elegans by increasing DAF-2/INSR abundance and IIS activity in adults. Likewise, mutation of a ubiquitination site causes daf-2(gk390525) to display gain-of-function phenotypes in adults. However, we show that this allele displays loss-of-function phenotypes in larvae and that its effect on IIS activity transitions from negative to positive during development. In contrast, the allele acts like a gain-of-function in larvae cultured at high temperature, inhibiting temperature-dependent dauer formation. Disruption of chn-1/CHIP causes an increase in IIS activity in starved L1 larvae, unlike daf-2(gk390525). CHN-1/CHIP ubiquitinates DAF-2/INSR at multiple sites. These results suggest that the sites that are functionally relevant to negative regulation of IIS vary in larvae and adults, at different temperatures, and in nutrient-dependent fashion, revealing additional layers of IIS regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan B Falsztyn
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Seth M Taylor
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - L Ryan Baugh
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
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3
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Yang B, Manifold B, Han W, DeSousa C, Zhu W, Streets A, Titov DV. SRS microscopy identifies inhibition of vitellogenesis as a mediator of lifespan extension by caloric restriction in C. elegans. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2025:2025.01.31.636008. [PMID: 40034647 PMCID: PMC11875241 DOI: 10.1101/2025.01.31.636008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2025]
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms of aging are not fully understood. Here, we used label-free Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy to investigate changes in proteins and lipids throughout the lifespan of C. elegans. We observed a dramatic buildup of proteins within the body cavity or pseudocoelom of aged adults that was blunted by interventions that extend lifespan: caloric restriction (CR) and the reduced insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling (IIS) pathway. Using a combination of microscopy, proteomic analysis, and validation with mutant strains, we identified vitellogenins as the key molecular components of the protein buildup in the pseudocoelom. Vitellogenins shuttle nutrients from intestine to embryos and are homologous to human apolipoprotein B, the causal driver of cardiovascular disease. We then showed that CR and knockdown of vitellogenins both extend lifespan by >60%, but their combination has no additional effect on lifespan, suggesting that CR extends the lifespan of C. elegans in part by inhibiting vitellogenesis. The extensive dataset of more than 12,000 images stitched into over 350 whole-animal SRS images of C. elegans at different ages and subjected to different longevity intervention will be a valuable resource for researchers interested in aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bowen Yang
- Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Bryce Manifold
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Wuji Han
- Center for Computational Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Catherin DeSousa
- Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Wanyi Zhu
- Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Aaron Streets
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Center for Computational Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub - San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Denis V. Titov
- Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Center for Computational Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- These authors contributed equally
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4
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Turmel-Couture S, Martel PO, Beaulieu L, Lechasseur X, Fotso Dzuna LV, Narbonne P. Bidirectional transfer of a small membrane-impermeable molecule between the Caenorhabditis elegans intestine and germline. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107963. [PMID: 39510179 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2024] [Accepted: 10/24/2024] [Indexed: 11/15/2024] Open
Abstract
The extracellular signal-regulated kinase/mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK/MAPK) is a positive regulator of cell proliferation often upregulated in cancer. Its Caenorhabditis elegans ortholog MPK-1 stimulates germline stem cell (GSC) proliferation nonautonomously from the intestine or somatic gonad. How MPK-1 can perform this task from either of these two tissues however remains unclear. We reasoned that somatic MPK-1 activity could lead to the generation of proproliferative small molecules that could transfer from the intestine and/or somatic gonad to the germline. Here, in support of this hypothesis, we demonstrate that a significant fraction of the small membrane-impermeable fluorescent molecule, 5-carboxyfluorescein, transfers to the germline after its microinjection in the animal's intestine. The larger part of this transfer targets oocytes and requires the germline receptor mediated endocytosis 2 (RME-2) yolk receptor. A minor quantity of the dye is however distributed independently from RME-2 and more widely in the animal, including the distal germline, gonadal sheath, coelomocytes, and hypodermis. We further show that the intestine-to-germline transfer efficiency of this RME-2 independent fraction does not vary together with GSC proliferation rates or MPK-1 activity. Therefore, if germline proliferation was influenced by small membrane-impermeable molecules generated in the intestine, it is unlikely that proliferation would be regulated at the level of molecule transfer rate. Finally, we show that conversely, a similar fraction of germline injected 5-carboxyfluorescein transfers to the intestine, demonstrating transfer bidirectionality. Altogether, our results establish the possibility of an intestine-to-germline signaling axis mediated by small membrane-impermeable molecules that could promote GSC proliferation cell nonautonomously downstream of MPK-1 activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Turmel-Couture
- Département de Biologie Médicale, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada
| | - Pier-Olivier Martel
- Département de Biologie Médicale, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada
| | - Lucie Beaulieu
- Département de Biologie Médicale, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada
| | - Xavier Lechasseur
- Département de Biologie Médicale, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Patrick Narbonne
- Département de Biologie Médicale, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada.
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5
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Bell AD, Valencia F, Paaby AB. Stabilizing selection and adaptation shape cis and trans gene expression variation in C. elegans. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.10.15.618466. [PMID: 39464158 PMCID: PMC11507773 DOI: 10.1101/2024.10.15.618466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/29/2024]
Abstract
An outstanding question in the evolution of gene expression is the relative influence of neutral processes versus natural selection, including adaptive change driven by directional selection as well as stabilizing selection, which may include compensatory dynamics. These forces shape patterns of gene expression variation within and between species, including the regulatory mechanisms governing expression in cis and trans. In this study, we interrogate intraspecific gene expression variation among seven wild C. elegans strains, with varying degrees of genomic divergence from the reference strain N2, leveraging this system's unique advantages to comprehensively evaluate gene expression evolution. By capturing allele-specific and between-strain changes in expression, we characterize the regulatory architecture and inheritance mode of gene expression variation within C. elegans and assess their relationship to nucleotide diversity, genome evolutionary history, gene essentiality, and other biological factors. We conclude that stabilizing selection is a dominant influence in maintaining expression phenotypes within the species, and the discovery that genes with higher overall expression tend to exhibit fewer expression differences supports this conclusion, as do widespread instances of cis differences compensated in trans. Moreover, analyses of human expression data replicate our finding that higher expression genes have less variable expression. We also observe evidence for directional selection driving expression divergence, and that expression divergence accelerates with increasing genomic divergence. To provide community access to the data from this first analysis of allele-specific expression in C. elegans, we introduce an interactive web application, where users can submit gene-specific queries to view expression, regulatory pattern, inheritance mode, and other information: https://wildworm.biosci.gatech.edu/ase/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avery Davis Bell
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
| | - Francisco Valencia
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
| | - Annalise B. Paaby
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
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6
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Erdmann EA, Forbes M, Becker M, Perez S, Hundley HA. ADR-2 regulates fertility and oocyte fate in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2024; 228:iyae114. [PMID: 39028799 PMCID: PMC11457940 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyae114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024] Open
Abstract
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) play essential roles in coordinating germline gene expression and development in all organisms. Here, we report that loss of ADR-2, a member of the adenosine deaminase acting on RNA family of RBPs and the sole adenosine-to-inosine RNA-editing enzyme in Caenorhabditis elegans, can improve fertility in multiple genetic backgrounds. First, we show that loss of RNA editing by ADR-2 restores normal embryo production to subfertile animals that transgenically express a vitellogenin (yolk protein) fusion to green fluorescent protein. Using this phenotype, a high-throughput screen was designed to identify RBPs that when depleted yield synthetic phenotypes with loss of adr-2. The screen uncovered a genetic interaction between ADR-2 and SQD-1, a member of the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein family of RBPs. Microscopy, reproductive assays, and high-throughput sequencing reveal that sqd-1 is essential for the onset of oogenesis and oogenic gene expression in young adult animals and that loss of adr-2 can counteract the effects of loss of sqd-1 on gene expression and rescue the switch from spermatogenesis to oogenesis. Together, these data demonstrate that ADR-2 can contribute to the suppression of fertility and suggest novel roles for both RNA editing-dependent and RNA editing-independent mechanisms in regulating embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily A Erdmann
- Genome, Cell and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Melanie Forbes
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Margaret Becker
- Medical Sciences Program, Indiana University School of Medicine-Bloomington, Bloomington IN 47405, USA
| | - Sarina Perez
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Heather A Hundley
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
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7
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Jiang C, Wang YR, Jiao X, Liu JX, Chen Z. Offspring nursing extends mother's longevity in a long-term maternal cared spider. iScience 2024; 27:110098. [PMID: 38947527 PMCID: PMC11214317 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Females typically outlive males in animals, especially in species that provide long-term maternal care. However, life history theory predicts that investments in reproduction, such as lactation and offspring nursing, often shorten caretakers' longevity. Aiming to interpret this paradox, we selected the lactating jumping spider Toxeus magnus to investigate the effects of reproductive activities on longevity for two sexes. We found that: (1) although "milk" provisioning reduces female's longevity, mothers who cared for offspring (provisioned "milk" and nursing) lived the longest compared to virgins and those did not provide care; (2) copulation increased female's longevity but had no effects on males; and (3) the two sexes have comparable developmental duration, but the female adult's longevity was 2.1 times that of male's. This study suggests that the time requirement for offspring dispersal might act as a key selective force favoring females' adulthood extension, which ultimately generates the longer-lived females in maternal cared species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chu Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yunnan 666303, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yi-Rong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yunnan 666303, China
- Center for Behavioral Ecology and Evolution, College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Xiaoguo Jiao
- Center for Behavioral Ecology and Evolution, College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Jing-Xin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yunnan 666303, China
| | - Zhanqi Chen
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yunnan 666303, China
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8
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Tan CH, Wang TY, Park H, Lomenick B, Chou TF, Sternberg PW. Single-tissue proteomics in Caenorhabditis elegans reveals proteins resident in intestinal lysosome-related organelles. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2322588121. [PMID: 38861598 PMCID: PMC11194598 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2322588121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The nematode intestine is the primary site for nutrient uptake and storage as well as the synthesis of biomolecules; lysosome-related organelles known as gut granules are important for many of these functions. Aspects of intestine biology are not well understood, including the export of the nutrients it imports and the molecules it synthesizes, as well as the complete functions and protein content of the gut granules. Here, we report a mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomic analysis of the intestine of the Caenorhabditis elegans and of its gut granules. Overall, we identified approximately 5,000 proteins each in the intestine and the gonad and showed that most of these proteins can be detected in samples extracted from a single worm, suggesting the feasibility of individual-level genetic analysis using proteomes. Comparing proteomes and published transcriptomes of the intestine and the gonad, we identified proteins that appear to be synthesized in the intestine and then transferred to the gonad. To identify gut granule proteins, we compared the proteome of individual intestines deficient in gut granules to the wild type. The identified gut granule proteome includes proteins known to be exclusively localized to the granules and additional putative gut granule proteins. We selected two of these putative gut granule proteins for validation via immunohistochemistry, and our successful confirmation of both suggests that our strategy was effective in identifying the gut granule proteome. Our results demonstrate the practicability of single-tissue MS-based proteomic analysis in small organisms and in its future utility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chieh-Hsiang Tan
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
| | - Ting-Yu Wang
- Proteome Exploration Laboratory, Beckman Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
| | - Heenam Park
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
| | - Brett Lomenick
- Proteome Exploration Laboratory, Beckman Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
| | - Tsui-Fen Chou
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
- Proteome Exploration Laboratory, Beckman Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
| | - Paul W. Sternberg
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
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9
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Falsztyn IB, Taylor SM, Baugh LR. Developmental and conditional regulation of DAF-2/INSR ubiquitination in Caenorhabditis elegans. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.24.595723. [PMID: 38854056 PMCID: PMC11160630 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.24.595723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Insulin/IGF signaling (IIS) regulates developmental and metabolic plasticity. Conditional regulation of insulin-like peptide expression and secretion promotes different phenotypes in different environments. However, IIS can also be regulated by other, less-understood mechanisms. For example, stability of the only known insulin/IGF receptor in C. elegans, DAF-2/INSR, is regulated by CHIP-dependent ubiquitination. Disruption of chn-1/CHIP reduces longevity in C. elegans by increasing DAF-2/INSR abundance and IIS activity in adults. Likewise, mutation of a ubiquitination site causes daf-2(gk390525) to display gain-of-function phenotypes in adults. However, we show that this allele displays loss-of-function phenotypes in larvae, and that its effect on IIS activity transitions from negative to positive during development. In contrast, the allele acts like a gain-of-function in larvae cultured at high temperature, inhibiting temperature-dependent dauer formation. Disruption of chn-1/CHIP causes an increase in IIS activity in starved L1 larvae, unlike daf-2(gk390525). CHN-1/CHIP ubiquitinates DAF-2/INSR at multiple sites. These results suggest that the sites that are functionally relevant to negative regulation of IIS vary in larvae and adults, at different temperatures, and in nutrient-dependent fashion, revealing additional layers of IIS regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Seth M. Taylor
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - L. Ryan Baugh
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
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10
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Erdmann EA, Forbes M, Becker M, Perez S, Hundley HA. ADR-2 regulates fertility and oocyte fate in C. elegans. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.11.01.565157. [PMID: 37961348 PMCID: PMC10635048 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.01.565157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
RNA binding proteins play essential roles in coordinating germline gene expression and development in all organisms. Here, we report that loss of ADR-2, a member of the Adenosine DeAminase acting on RNA (ADAR) family of RNA binding proteins and the sole adenosine-to-inosine RNA editing enzyme in C. elegans, can improve fertility in multiple genetic backgrounds. First, we show that loss of RNA editing by ADR-2 restores normal embryo production to subfertile animals that transgenically express a vitellogenin (yolk protein) fusion to green fluorescent protein. Using this phenotype, a high-throughput screen was designed to identify RNA binding proteins that when depleted yield synthetic phenotypes with loss of adr-2. The screen uncovered a genetic interaction between ADR-2 and SQD-1, a member of the heterogenous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) family of RNA binding proteins. Microscopy, reproductive assays, and high-throughput sequencing reveal that sqd-1 is essential for the onset of oogenesis and oogenic gene expression in young adult animals, and that loss of adr-2 can counteract the effects of loss of sqd-1 on gene expression and rescue the switch from spermatogenesis to oogenesis. Together, these data demonstrate that ADR-2 can contribute to the suppression of fertility and suggest novel roles for both RNA editing-dependent and independent mechanisms in regulating embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily A. Erdmann
- Genome, Cell and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, Indiana University, Bloomington IN, US 47405
| | - Melanie Forbes
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington IN, US 47405
| | - Margaret Becker
- Medical Sciences Program, Indiana University School of Medicine-Bloomington, Bloomington IN, US 47405
| | - Sarina Perez
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington IN, US 47405
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11
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Bylino OV, Ogienko AA, Batin MA, Georgiev PG, Omelina ES. Genetic, Environmental, and Stochastic Components of Lifespan Variability: The Drosophila Paradigm. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4482. [PMID: 38674068 PMCID: PMC11050664 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Lifespan is a complex quantitative trait involving genetic and non-genetic factors as well as the peculiarities of ontogenesis. As with all quantitative traits, lifespan shows considerable variation within populations and between individuals. Drosophila, a favourite object of geneticists, has greatly advanced our understanding of how different forms of variability affect lifespan. This review considers the role of heritable genetic variability, phenotypic plasticity and stochastic variability in controlling lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster. We discuss the major historical milestones in the development of the genetic approach to study lifespan, the breeding of long-lived lines, advances in lifespan QTL mapping, the environmental factors that have the greatest influence on lifespan in laboratory maintained flies, and the mechanisms, by which individual development affects longevity. The interplay between approaches to study ageing and lifespan limitation will also be discussed. Particular attention will be paid to the interaction of different types of variability in the control of lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleg V. Bylino
- Department of Regulation of Genetic Processes, Laboratory of Molecular Organization of the Genome, Institute of Gene Biology RAS, 119334 Moscow, Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia
| | - Anna A. Ogienko
- Department of Regulation of Genetic Processes, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology SB RAS, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Mikhail A. Batin
- Open Longevity, 15260 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, CA 91403, USA
| | - Pavel G. Georgiev
- Department of Regulation of Genetic Processes, Laboratory of Molecular Organization of the Genome, Institute of Gene Biology RAS, 119334 Moscow, Russia
| | - Evgeniya S. Omelina
- Department of Regulation of Genetic Processes, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology SB RAS, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
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12
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Pires da Silva A, Kelleher R, Reynoldson L. Decoding lifespan secrets: the role of the gonad in Caenorhabditis elegans aging. FRONTIERS IN AGING 2024; 5:1380016. [PMID: 38605866 PMCID: PMC11008531 DOI: 10.3389/fragi.2024.1380016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
The gonad has become a central organ for understanding aging in C. elegans, as removing the proliferating stem cells in the germline results in significant lifespan extension. Similarly, when starvation in late larval stages leads to the quiescence of germline stem cells the adult nematode enters reproductive diapause, associated with an extended lifespan. This review summarizes recent advancements in identifying the mechanisms behind gonad-mediated lifespan extension, including comparisons with other nematodes and the role of lipid signaling and transcriptional changes. Given that the gonad also mediates lifespan regulation in other invertebrates and vertebrates, elucidating the underlying mechanisms may help to gain new insights into the mechanisms and evolution of aging.
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13
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Kirchweger B, Zwirchmayr J, Grienke U, Rollinger JM. The role of Caenorhabditis elegans in the discovery of natural products for healthy aging. Nat Prod Rep 2023; 40:1849-1873. [PMID: 37585263 DOI: 10.1039/d3np00021d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Covering: 2012 to 2023The human population is aging. Thus, the greatest risk factor for numerous diseases, such as diabetes, cancer and neurodegenerative disorders, is increasing worldwide. Age-related diseases do not typically occur in isolation, but as a result of multi-factorial causes, which in turn require holistic approaches to identify and decipher the mode of action of potential remedies. With the advent of C. elegans as the primary model organism for aging, researchers now have a powerful in vivo tool for identifying and studying agents that effect lifespan and health span. Natural products have been focal research subjects in this respect. This review article covers key developments of the last decade (2012-2023) that have led to the discovery of natural products with healthy aging properties in C. elegans. We (i) discuss the state of knowledge on the effects of natural products on worm aging including methods, assays and involved pathways; (ii) analyze the literature on natural compounds in terms of their molecular properties and the translatability of effects on mammals; (iii) examine the literature on multi-component mixtures with special attention to the studied organisms, extraction methods and efforts regarding the characterization of their chemical composition and their bioactive components. (iv) We further propose to combine small in vivo model organisms such as C. elegans and sophisticated analytical approaches ("wormomics") to guide the way to dissect complex natural products with anti-aging properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Kirchweger
- Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Julia Zwirchmayr
- Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Ulrike Grienke
- Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Judith M Rollinger
- Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
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14
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Kern CC, Srivastava S, Ezcurra M, Hsiung KC, Hui N, Townsend S, Maczik D, Zhang B, Tse V, Konstantellos V, Bähler J, Gems D. C. elegans ageing is accelerated by a self-destructive reproductive programme. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4381. [PMID: 37474586 PMCID: PMC10359416 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40088-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
In post-reproductive C. elegans, destructive somatic biomass repurposing supports production of yolk which, it was recently shown, is vented and can serve as a foodstuff for larval progeny. This is reminiscent of the suicidal reproductive effort (reproductive death) typical of semelparous organisms such as Pacific salmon. To explore the possibility that C. elegans exhibits reproductive death, we have compared sibling species pairs of the genera Caenorhabditis and Pristionchus with hermaphrodites and females. We report that yolk venting and constitutive, early pathology involving major anatomical changes occur only in hermaphrodites, which are also shorter lived. Moreover, only in hermaphrodites does germline removal suppress senescent pathology and markedly increase lifespan. This is consistent with the hypothesis that C. elegans exhibit reproductive death that is suppressed by germline ablation. If correct, this would imply a major difference in the ageing process between C. elegans and most higher organisms, and potentially explain the exceptional plasticity in C. elegans ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina C Kern
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, and Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Shivangi Srivastava
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, and Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Marina Ezcurra
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, and Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
- School of Biosciences, Stacey Building, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NJ, UK
| | - Kuei Ching Hsiung
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, and Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Nancy Hui
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, and Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - StJohn Townsend
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, and Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
- Molecular Biology of Metabolism Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Dominik Maczik
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, and Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Bruce Zhang
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, and Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Victoria Tse
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, and Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Viktoras Konstantellos
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, and Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Jürg Bähler
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, and Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - David Gems
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, and Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
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15
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Geens E, Van de Walle P, Caroti F, Jelier R, Steuwe C, Schoofs L, Temmerman L. Yolk-deprived Caenorhabditis elegans secure brood size at the expense of competitive fitness. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202201675. [PMID: 37059473 PMCID: PMC10105328 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202201675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Oviparous animals support reproduction via the incorporation of yolk as a nutrient source into the eggs. In Caenorhabditis elegans, however, yolk proteins seem dispensable for fecundity, despite constituting the vast majority of the embryonic protein pool and acting as carriers for nutrient-rich lipids. Here, we used yolk protein-deprived C. elegans mutants to gain insight into the traits that may yet be influenced by yolk rationing. We show that massive yolk provisioning confers a temporal advantage during embryogenesis, while also increasing early juvenile body size and promoting competitive fitness. Opposite to species that reduce egg production under yolk deprivation, our results indicate that C. elegans relies on yolk as a fail-safe to secure offspring survival, rather than to maintain offspring numbers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Geens
- Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Francesca Caroti
- Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rob Jelier
- Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Christian Steuwe
- Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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16
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Spanoudakis E, Tavernarakis N. Age-associated anatomical and physiological alterations in Caenorhabditis elegans. Mech Ageing Dev 2023; 213:111827. [PMID: 37268279 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2023.111827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Since its introduction by Sydney Brenner, Caenorhabditis elegans has become a widely studied organism. Given its highly significant properties, including transparency, short lifespan, self-fertilization, high reproductive yield and ease in manipulation and genetic modifications, the nematode has contributed to the elucidation of several fundamental aspects of biology, such as development and ageing. Moreover, it has been extensively used as a platform for the modelling of ageing-associated human disorders, especially those related to neurodegeneration. The use of C. elegans for such purposes requires, and at the same time promotes the investigation of its normal ageing process. In this review we aim to summarize the major organismal alterations during normal worm ageing, in terms of morphology and functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Spanoudakis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Nikolaou Plastira 100, Heraklion 70013, Crete, Greece; Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion 70013, Crete, Greece
| | - Nektarios Tavernarakis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Nikolaou Plastira 100, Heraklion 70013, Crete, Greece; Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion 70013, Crete, Greece.
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17
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Chen WW, Tang W, Hamerton EK, Kuo PX, Lemieux GA, Ashrafi K, Cicerone MT. Identifying lipid particle sub-types in live Caenorhabditis elegans with two-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging. Front Chem 2023; 11:1161775. [PMID: 37123874 PMCID: PMC10137682 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2023.1161775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Fat metabolism is an important modifier of aging and longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans. Given the anatomy and hermaphroditic nature of C. elegans, a major challenge is to distinguish fats that serve the energetic needs of the parent from those that are allocated to the progeny. Broadband coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (BCARS) microscopy has revealed that the composition and dynamics of lipid particles are heterogeneous both within and between different tissues of this organism. Using BCARS, we have previously succeeded in distinguishing lipid-rich particles that serve as energetic reservoirs of the parent from those that are destined for the progeny. While BCARS microscopy produces high-resolution images with very high information content, it is not yet a widely available platform. Here we report a new approach combining the lipophilic vital dye Nile Red and two-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (2p-FLIM) for the in vivo discrimination of lipid particle sub-types. While it is widely accepted that Nile Red staining yields unreliable results for detecting lipid structures in live C. elegans due to strong interference of autofluorescence and non-specific staining signals, our results show that simple FLIM phasor analysis can effectively separate those signals and is capable of differentiating the non-polar lipid-dominant (lipid-storage), polar lipid-dominant (yolk lipoprotein) particles, and the intermediates that have been observed using BCARS microscopy. An advantage of this approach is that images can be acquired using common, commercially available 2p-FLIM systems within about 10% of the time required to generate a BCARS image. Our work provides a novel, broadly accessible approach for analyzing lipid-containing structures in a complex, live whole organism context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Wen Chen
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Wenyu Tang
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Emily K. Hamerton
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Penelope X. Kuo
- School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - George A. Lemieux
- School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Kaveh Ashrafi
- School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Marcus T. Cicerone
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States
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18
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Abstract
Ageing is inherent to all human beings, yet why we age remains a hotly contested topic. Most mechanistic explanations of ageing posit that ageing is caused by the accumulation of one or more forms of molecular damage. Here, I propose that we age not because of inevitable damage to the hardware but rather because of intrinsic design flaws in the software, defined as the DNA code that orchestrates how a single cell develops into an adult organism. As the developmental software runs, its sequence of events is reflected in shifting cellular epigenetic states. Overall, I suggest that to understand ageing we need to decode our software and the flow of epigenetic information throughout the life course.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Pedro de Magalhães
- Genomics of Ageing and Rejuvenation Lab, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2WB, UK.
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19
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Hakala SM, Fujioka H, Gapp K, De Gasperin O, Genzoni E, Kilner RM, Koene JM, König B, Linksvayer TA, Meurville MP, Negroni MA, Palejowski H, Wigby S, LeBoeuf AC. Socially transferred materials: why and how to study them. Trends Ecol Evol 2022; 38:446-458. [PMID: 36543692 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
When biological material is transferred from one individual's body to another, as in ejaculate, eggs, and milk, secondary donor-produced molecules are often transferred along with the main cargo, and influence the physiology and fitness of the receiver. Both social and solitary animals exhibit such social transfers at certain life stages. The secondary, bioactive, and transfer-supporting components in socially transferred materials have evolved convergently to the point where they are used in applications across taxa and type of transfer. The composition of these materials is typically highly dynamic and context dependent, and their components drive the physiological and behavioral evolution of many taxa. Our establishment of the concept of socially transferred materials unifies this multidisciplinary topic and will benefit both theory and applications.
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20
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Suvorov A. Modalities of aging in organisms with different strategies of resource allocation. Ageing Res Rev 2022; 82:101770. [PMID: 36330930 PMCID: PMC10435286 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2022.101770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Although the progress of aging research relies heavily on a theoretical framework, today there is no consensus on many critical questions in aging biology. I hypothesize that a systematic analysis of the intersection of different evolutionary mechanisms of aging with diverse resource allocation strategies in different organisms may reconcile aging hypotheses. The application of disposable soma, mutation accumulation, antagonistic pleiotropy, and life-history theory is considered across organisms with asexual reproduction, organisms with sexual reproduction and indeterminate growth in different conditions of extrinsic mortality, and organisms with determinate growth, with endotherms/homeotherms as a subgroup. This review demonstrates that different aging mechanisms are complementary to each other, and in organisms with different resource allocation strategies they form aging modalities ranging from immortality to suicidal programs. It also revamps the role of growth arrest in aging. Growth arrest evolved in many different groups of organisms as a result of resource reallocation from growth to reproduction (e.g., semelparous animals, holometabolic insects), or from growth to nutrient storage (endotherms/homeotherms). Growth arrest in different animal lineages has similar molecular mechanisms and similar consequences for longevity due to the conflict between growth-promoting and growth-suppressing programs and suppression of regenerative capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Suvorov
- Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst 240B Goessmann, 686 Noth Pleasant Str., Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
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21
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SenGupta T, Lefol Y, Lirussi L, Suaste V, Luders T, Gupta S, Aman Y, Sharma K, Fang EF, Nilsen H. Krill oil protects dopaminergic neurons from age-related degeneration through temporal transcriptome rewiring and suppression of several hallmarks of aging. Aging (Albany NY) 2022; 14:8661-8687. [DOI: 10.18632/aging.204375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tanima SenGupta
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Department of Clinical Molecular Biology, University of Oslo, Oslo N-0318, Norway
- Section of Clinical Molecular Biology, Akershus University Hospital, Nordbyhagen N-1474, Norway
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo N-0318, Norway
| | - Yohan Lefol
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Department of Clinical Molecular Biology, University of Oslo, Oslo N-0318, Norway
| | - Lisa Lirussi
- Section of Clinical Molecular Biology, Akershus University Hospital, Nordbyhagen N-1474, Norway
| | - Veronica Suaste
- Department of Microbiology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo N-0424, Norway
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo N-0318, Norway
| | - Torben Luders
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Department of Clinical Molecular Biology, University of Oslo, Oslo N-0318, Norway
| | - Swapnil Gupta
- Section of Clinical Molecular Biology, Akershus University Hospital, Nordbyhagen N-1474, Norway
| | - Yahyah Aman
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Department of Clinical Molecular Biology, University of Oslo, Oslo N-0318, Norway
- Section of Clinical Molecular Biology, Akershus University Hospital, Nordbyhagen N-1474, Norway
| | - Kulbhushan Sharma
- Section of Clinical Molecular Biology, Akershus University Hospital, Nordbyhagen N-1474, Norway
| | - Evandro Fei Fang
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Department of Clinical Molecular Biology, University of Oslo, Oslo N-0318, Norway
- Section of Clinical Molecular Biology, Akershus University Hospital, Nordbyhagen N-1474, Norway
| | - Hilde Nilsen
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Department of Clinical Molecular Biology, University of Oslo, Oslo N-0318, Norway
- Section of Clinical Molecular Biology, Akershus University Hospital, Nordbyhagen N-1474, Norway
- Department of Microbiology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo N-0424, Norway
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22
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Kern CC, Gems D. Semelparous Death as one Element of Iteroparous Aging Gone Large. Front Genet 2022; 13:880343. [PMID: 35754809 PMCID: PMC9218716 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.880343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The aging process in semelparous and iteroparous species is different, but how different? Death in semelparous organisms (e.g., Pacific salmon) results from suicidal reproductive effort (reproductive death). Aging (senescence) in iteroparous organisms such as humans is often viewed as a quite different process. Recent findings suggest that the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, widely used to study aging, undergoes reproductive death. In post-reproductive C. elegans hermaphrodites, intestinal biomass is repurposed to produce yolk which when vented serves as a milk to support larval growth. This apparent benefit of lactation comes at the cost of intestinal atrophy in the mother. Germline removal and inhibition of insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS) suppress C. elegans reproductive pathology and greatly increase lifespan. Blocking sexual maturity, e.g., by gonadectomy, suppresses reproductive death thereby strongly increasing lifespan in semelparous organisms, but typically has little effect on lifespan in iteroparous ones. Similarly, reduced IIS causes relatively modest increases in lifespan in iteroparous organisms. We argue that the more regulated and plastic mechanisms of senescence in semelparous organisms, involving costly resource reallocation under endocrine control, exist as one extreme of an etiological continuum with mechanisms operative in iteroparous organisms. We suggest that reproductive death evolved by exaggeration of mechanisms operative in iteroparous species, where other mechanisms also promote senescence. Thus, knowledge of C. elegans senescence can guide understanding of mechanisms contributing to human aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina C Kern
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - David Gems
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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23
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Naranjo-Galindo FJ, Ai R, Fang EF, Nilsen HL, SenGupta T. C. elegans as an Animal Model to Study the Intersection of DNA Repair, Aging and Neurodegeneration. FRONTIERS IN AGING 2022; 3:916118. [PMID: 35821838 PMCID: PMC9261396 DOI: 10.3389/fragi.2022.916118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Since its introduction as a genetic model organism, Caenorhabditis elegans has yielded insights into the causes of aging. In addition, it has provided a molecular understanding of mechanisms of neurodegeneration, one of the devastating effects of aging. However, C. elegans has been less popular as an animal model to investigate DNA repair and genomic instability, which is a major hallmark of aging and also a cause of many rare neurological disorders. This article provides an overview of DNA repair pathways in C. elegans and the impact of DNA repair on aging hallmarks, such as mitochondrial dysfunction, telomere maintenance, and autophagy. In addition, we discuss how the combination of biological characteristics, new technical tools, and the potential of following precise phenotypic assays through a natural life-course make C. elegans an ideal model organism to study how DNA repair impact neurodegeneration in models of common age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco José Naranjo-Galindo
- Department of Clinical Molecular Biology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Section of Clinical Molecular Biology (EpiGen), Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway
| | - Ruixue Ai
- Department of Clinical Molecular Biology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Evandro Fei Fang
- Department of Clinical Molecular Biology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Hilde Loge Nilsen
- Department of Clinical Molecular Biology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Section of Clinical Molecular Biology (EpiGen), Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway
- Department of Microbiology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Tanima SenGupta
- Department of Clinical Molecular Biology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Section of Clinical Molecular Biology (EpiGen), Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway
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24
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Lee SK. "Cutting and Burning Guts" Nourish the Young Caenorhabditis elegans lyse their guts to produce nutritious yolk milk to feed larvae. Mol Cells 2022; 45:1-3. [PMID: 35114642 PMCID: PMC8819495 DOI: 10.14348/molcells.2021.5036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sun-Kyung Lee
- Department of Life Sciences, Research Institute for Natural Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
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