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Wang J, Liu W, Huang Y, Wang G, Guo X, Shi D, Sun T, Xiao C, Zhang C, Jiang B, Guo Y, Li J. A Senomorphlytic Three-Drug Combination Discovered in Salsola collina for Delaying Aging Phenotypes and Extending Healthspan. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024:e2401862. [PMID: 39073681 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202401862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 07/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
The pursuit of pharmacological interventions in aging aims focuses on maximizing safety and efficacy, prompting an exploration of natural products endowed with inherent medicinal properties. Subsequently, this work establishes a unique library of plant extracts sourced from Yunnan Province, China. Screening of this herbal library herein revealed that Salsola collina (JM10001) notably enhances both lifespan and healthspan in C. elegans. Further analysis via network pharmacology indicates that the p53 signaling pathway plays a crucial role in mediating the anti-aging effects of JM10001. Additionally, this work identifies that a composition, designated as JM10101 and comprising three chemical constituents of JM10001, preserves the original lifespan-extending activity in C. elegans. Both JM10001 and JM10101 mitigate aging symptoms in senescence-accelerated mice treated with doxorubicin and in naturally aged mice. Notably, JM10101 exhibits a more sophisticated senomorphlytic role encompassing both senomorphic and senolytic functions than JM10001 in the modulation of senescent cells, offering a promising strategy for the discovery of combination drugs in the rational development of anti-aging therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiqun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Wenwen Liu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China
| | - Yunyuan Huang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430079, China
| | - Guangwei Wang
- School of Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule of the Ministry of Education, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710127, China
| | - Xiaobo Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Donglei Shi
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China
| | - Tianyue Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Chaojiang Xiao
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Screening and Research on Anti-pathogenic Plant Resources from Western Yunnan, Institute of Materia Medica & College of Pharmacy, Dali University, Dali, Yunnan, 671000, China
| | - Chao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Bei Jiang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Screening and Research on Anti-pathogenic Plant Resources from Western Yunnan, Institute of Materia Medica & College of Pharmacy, Dali University, Dali, Yunnan, 671000, China
| | - Yuan Guo
- School of Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule of the Ministry of Education, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710127, China
| | - Jian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China
- Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Phytomedicine Resource and Utilization, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832003, China
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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: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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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3
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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: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [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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Targeting the "hallmarks of aging" to slow aging and treat age-related disease: fact or fiction? Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:242-255. [PMID: 35840801 PMCID: PMC9812785 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01680-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Aging is a major risk factor for a number of chronic diseases, including neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular disorders. Aging processes have therefore been discussed as potential targets for the development of novel and broadly effective preventatives or therapeutics for age-related diseases, including those affecting the brain. Mechanisms thought to contribute to aging have been summarized under the term the "hallmarks of aging" and include a loss of proteostasis, mitochondrial dysfunction, altered nutrient sensing, telomere attrition, genomic instability, cellular senescence, stem cell exhaustion, epigenetic alterations and altered intercellular communication. We here examine key claims about the "hallmarks of aging". Our analysis reveals important weaknesses that preclude strong and definitive conclusions concerning a possible role of these processes in shaping organismal aging rate. Significant ambiguity arises from the overreliance on lifespan as a proxy marker for aging, the use of models with unclear relevance for organismal aging, and the use of study designs that do not allow to properly estimate intervention effects on aging rate. We also discuss future research directions that should be taken to clarify if and to what extent putative aging regulators do in fact interact with aging. These include multidimensional analytical frameworks as well as designs that facilitate the proper assessment of intervention effects on aging rate.
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5
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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: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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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6
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Lee M, Youn E, Kang K, Shim YH. 3,3'-Diindolylmethane Supplementation Maintains Oocyte Quality by Reducing Oxidative Stress and CEP-1/p53-Mediated Regulation of Germ Cells in a Reproductively Aged Caenorhabditis elegans Model. Antioxidants (Basel) 2022; 11:950. [PMID: 35624814 PMCID: PMC9137721 DOI: 10.3390/antiox11050950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, maternal age at first birth has increased, as has the risk of infertility due to rapidly declining oocyte quality with age. Therefore, an understanding of female reproductive aging and the development of potential modulators to control oocyte quality are required. In this study, we investigated the effects of 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM), a natural metabolite of indole-3-cabinol found in cruciferous vegetables, on fertility in a Caenorhabditis elegans model. C. elegans fed DIM showed decreased mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and chromosomal aberrations in aged oocytes, and thus reduced embryonic lethality, suggesting that DIM, a dietary natural antioxidant, improves oocyte quality. Furthermore, DIM supplementation maintained germ cell apoptosis (GCA) and germ cell proliferation (GCP) in a CEP-1/p53-dependent manner in a reproductively aged C. elegans germ line. DIM-induced GCA was mediated by the CEP-1-EGL-1 pathway without HUS-1 activation, suggesting that DIM-induced GCA is different from DNA damage-induced GCA in the C. elegans germ line. Taken together, we propose that DIM supplementation delays the onset of reproductive aging by maintaining the levels of GCP and GCA and oocyte quality in a reproductively aged C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mijin Lee
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea; (M.L.); (E.Y.)
| | - Esther Youn
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea; (M.L.); (E.Y.)
| | - Kyungsu Kang
- Natural Product Informatics Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Gangneung 25451, Gangwon-do, Korea;
| | - Yhong-Hee Shim
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea; (M.L.); (E.Y.)
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7
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Athar F, Templeman NM. C. elegans as a model organism to study female reproductive health. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2022; 266:111152. [PMID: 35032657 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2022.111152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Female reproductive health has been historically understudied and underfunded. Here, we present the advantages of using a free-living nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, as an animal system to study fundamental aspects of female reproductive health. C. elegans is a powerful high-throughput model organism that shares key genetic and physiological similarities with humans. In this review, we highlight areas of pressing medical and biological importance in the 21st century within the context of female reproductive health. These include the decline in female reproductive capacity with increasing chronological age, reproductive dysfunction arising from toxic environmental insults, and cancers of the reproductive system. C. elegans has been instrumental in uncovering mechanistic insights underlying these processes, and has been valuable for developing and testing therapeutics to combat them. Adopting a convenient model organism such as C. elegans for studying reproductive health will encourage further research into this field, and broaden opportunities for making advancements into evolutionarily conserved mechanisms that control reproductive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faria Athar
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8P 5C2, Canada
| | - Nicole M Templeman
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8P 5C2, Canada.
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8
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Gems D, Kern CC, Nour J, Ezcurra M. Reproductive Suicide: Similar Mechanisms of Aging in C. elegans and Pacific Salmon. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:688788. [PMID: 34513830 PMCID: PMC8430333 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.688788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In some species of salmon, reproductive maturity triggers the development of massive pathology resulting from reproductive effort, leading to rapid post-reproductive death. Such reproductive death, which occurs in many semelparous organisms (with a single bout of reproduction), can be prevented by blocking reproductive maturation, and this can increase lifespan dramatically. Reproductive death is often viewed as distinct from senescence in iteroparous organisms (with multiple bouts of reproduction) such as humans. Here we review the evidence that reproductive death occurs in C. elegans and discuss what this means for its use as a model organism to study aging. Inhibiting insulin/IGF-1 signaling and germline removal suppresses reproductive death and greatly extends lifespan in C. elegans, but can also extend lifespan to a small extent in iteroparous organisms. We argue that mechanisms of senescence operative in reproductive death exist in a less catastrophic form in iteroparous organisms, particularly those that involve costly resource reallocation, and exhibit endocrine-regulated plasticity. Thus, mechanisms of senescence in semelparous organisms (including plants) and iteroparous ones form an etiological continuum. Therefore understanding mechanisms of reproductive death in C. elegans can teach us about some mechanisms of senescence that are operative in iteroparous organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Gems
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Carina C. Kern
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph Nour
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marina Ezcurra
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
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9
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Achache H, Falk R, Lerner N, Beatus T, Tzur YB. Oocyte aging is controlled by mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling. Aging Cell 2021; 20:e13386. [PMID: 34061407 PMCID: PMC8208789 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Oogenesis is one of the first processes to fail during aging. In women, most oocytes cannot successfully complete meiotic divisions already during the fourth decade of life. Studies of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans have uncovered conserved genetic pathways that control lifespan, but our knowledge regarding reproductive aging in worms and humans is limited. Specifically, little is known about germline internal signals that dictate the oogonial biological clock. Here, we report a thorough characterization of the changes in the worm germline during aging. We found that shortly after ovulation halts, germline proliferation declines, while apoptosis continues, leading to a gradual reduction in germ cell numbers. In late aging stages, we observed that meiotic progression is disturbed and crossover designation and DNA double-strand break repair decrease. In addition, we detected a decline in the quality of mature oocytes during aging, as reflected by decreasing size and elongation of interhomolog distance, a phenotype also observed in human oocytes. Many of these altered processes were previously attributed to MAPK signaling variations in young worms. In support of this, we observed changes in activation dynamics of MPK-1 during aging. We therefore tested the hypothesis that MAPK controls oocyte quality in aged worms using both genetic and pharmacological tools. We found that in mutants with high levels of activated MPK-1, oocyte quality deteriorates more rapidly than in wild-type worms, whereas reduction of MPK-1 levels enhances quality. Thus, our data suggest that MAPK signaling controls germline aging and could be used to attenuate the rate of oogenesis quality decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Achache
- Department of GeneticsInstitute of Life SciencesThe Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalemIsrael
| | - Roni Falk
- Department of GeneticsInstitute of Life SciencesThe Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalemIsrael
| | - Noam Lerner
- Department of NeurobiologyThe Institute of Life ScienceThe Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalemIsrael
- The Alexander Grass Center for BioengineeringThe Rachel and Selim Benin School of Computer Science and EngineeringThe Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalemIsrael
| | - Tsevi Beatus
- Department of NeurobiologyThe Institute of Life ScienceThe Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalemIsrael
- The Alexander Grass Center for BioengineeringThe Rachel and Selim Benin School of Computer Science and EngineeringThe Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalemIsrael
| | - Yonatan B. Tzur
- Department of GeneticsInstitute of Life SciencesThe Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalemIsrael
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10
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Wang H, Zhang Z, Gems D. Monsters in the uterus: teratoma-like tumors in senescent C. elegans result from a parthenogenetic quasi-program. Aging (Albany NY) 2019; 10:1188-1189. [PMID: 29923830 PMCID: PMC6046241 DOI: 10.18632/aging.101486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hongyuan Wang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Zhizhou Zhang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - David Gems
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
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11
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Jordan JM, Hibshman JD, Webster AK, Kaplan REW, Leinroth A, Guzman R, Maxwell CS, Chitrakar R, Bowman EA, Fry AL, Hubbard EJA, Baugh LR. Insulin/IGF Signaling and Vitellogenin Provisioning Mediate Intergenerational Adaptation to Nutrient Stress. Curr Biol 2019; 29:2380-2388.e5. [PMID: 31280992 PMCID: PMC6650306 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.05.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Revised: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The roundworm C. elegans reversibly arrests larval development during starvation [1], but extended early-life starvation reduces reproductive success [2, 3]. Maternal dietary restriction (DR) buffers progeny from starvation as young larvae, preserving reproductive success [4]. However, the developmental basis of reduced fertility following early-life starvation is unknown, and it is unclear how maternal diet modifies developmental physiology in progeny. We show here that extended starvation in first-stage (L1) larvae followed by unrestricted feeding results in a variety of developmental abnormalities in the reproductive system, including proliferative germ-cell tumors and uterine masses that express neuronal and epidermal cell fate markers. We found that maternal DR and reduced maternal insulin/insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling (IIS) increase oocyte provisioning of vitellogenin lipoprotein, reducing penetrance of starvation-induced abnormalities in progeny, including tumors. Furthermore, we show that maternal DR and reduced maternal IIS reduce IIS in progeny. daf-16/FoxO and skn-1/Nrf, transcriptional effectors of IIS, are required in progeny for maternal DR and increased vitellogenin provisioning to suppress starvation-induced abnormalities. daf-16/FoxO activity in somatic tissues is sufficient to suppress starvation-induced abnormalities, suggesting cell-nonautonomous regulation of reproductive system development. This work reveals that early-life starvation compromises reproductive development and that vitellogenin-mediated intergenerational insulin/IGF-to-insulin/IGF signaling mediates adaptation to nutrient availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Jordan
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | | | - Amy K Webster
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | | | | | - Ryan Guzman
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Colin S Maxwell
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Rojin Chitrakar
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | | | - Amanda L Fry
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - E Jane Albert Hubbard
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - L Ryan Baugh
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
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12
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Son HG, Altintas O, Kim EJE, Kwon S, Lee SV. Age-dependent changes and biomarkers of aging in Caenorhabditis elegans. Aging Cell 2019; 18:e12853. [PMID: 30734981 PMCID: PMC6413654 DOI: 10.1111/acel.12853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Revised: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans is an exceptionally valuable model for aging research because of many advantages, including its genetic tractability, short lifespan, and clear age‐dependent physiological changes. Aged C. elegans display a decline in their anatomical and functional features, including tissue integrity, motility, learning and memory, and immunity. Caenorhabditis elegans also exhibit many age‐associated changes in the expression of microRNAs and stress‐responsive genes and in RNA and protein quality control systems. Many of these age‐associated changes provide information on the health of the animals and serve as valuable biomarkers for aging research. Here, we review the age‐dependent changes in C. elegans and their utility as aging biomarkers indicative of the physiological status of aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heehwa G. Son
- Department of Life Sciences Pohang University of Science and Technology Pohang South Korea
| | - Ozlem Altintas
- School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering Pohang University of Science and Technology Pohang South Korea
| | - Eun Ji E. Kim
- Department of Life Sciences Pohang University of Science and Technology Pohang South Korea
| | - Sujeong Kwon
- Department of Life Sciences Pohang University of Science and Technology Pohang South Korea
| | - Seung‐Jae V. Lee
- Department of Life Sciences Pohang University of Science and Technology Pohang South Korea
- School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering Pohang University of Science and Technology Pohang South Korea
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13
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Wang H, Zhao Y, Zhang Z. Age-dependent effects of floxuridine (FUdR) on senescent pathology and mortality in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2019; 509:694-699. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2018.12.161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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14
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Park M, Wang MC. Aging: Antagonistic Pleiotropy Supported by Gut Eating. Curr Biol 2018; 28:R890-R892. [PMID: 30130513 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A new study has found that, in the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans, biomass conversion from the intestine to yolk, mediated by autophagy and insulin/IGF-1 signaling, promotes reproduction in early life but aging in late life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mooncheol Park
- Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Meng C Wang
- Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX 77030, USA.
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15
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C. elegans Eats Its Own Intestine to Make Yolk Leading to Multiple Senescent Pathologies. Curr Biol 2018; 28:2544-2556.e5. [PMID: 30100339 PMCID: PMC6108400 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.06.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Revised: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Aging (senescence) is characterized by the development of numerous pathologies, some of which limit lifespan. Key to understanding aging is discovery of the mechanisms (etiologies) that cause senescent pathology. In C. elegans, a major senescent pathology of unknown etiology is atrophy of its principal metabolic organ, the intestine. Here we identify a cause of not only this pathology but also of yolky lipid accumulation and redistribution (a form of senescent obesity): autophagy-mediated conversion of intestinal biomass into yolk. Inhibiting intestinal autophagy or vitellogenesis rescues both visceral pathologies and can also extend lifespan. This defines a disease syndrome leading to multimorbidity and contributing to late-life mortality. Activation of gut-to-yolk biomass conversion by insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS) promotes reproduction and senescence. This illustrates how major, IIS-promoted senescent pathologies in C. elegans can originate not from damage accumulation but from direct effects of futile, continued action of a wild-type biological program (vitellogenesis). C. elegans consume their own intestine to synthesize yolk and promote reproduction This causes diseases of aging, including atrophy of the intestine and yolk steatosis Intestinal senescence in C. elegans is promoted by autophagy Here destructive run-on of wild-type biological programs causes senescent pathologies
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16
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Wang H, Zhao Y, Ezcurra M, Benedetto A, Gilliat AF, Hellberg J, Ren Z, Galimov ER, Athigapanich T, Girstmair J, Telford MJ, Dolphin CT, Zhang Z, Gems D. A parthenogenetic quasi-program causes teratoma-like tumors during aging in wild-type C. elegans. NPJ Aging Mech Dis 2018; 4:6. [PMID: 29928508 PMCID: PMC5998035 DOI: 10.1038/s41514-018-0025-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2017] [Revised: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
A long-standing belief is that aging (senescence) is the result of stochastic damage accumulation. Alternatively, senescent pathology may also result from late-life, wild-type gene action (i.e., antagonistic pleiotropy, as argued by Williams) leading to non-adaptive run-on of developmental programs (or quasi-programs) (as suggested more recently by Blagosklonny). In this study, we use existing and new data to show how uterine tumors, a prominent form of senescent pathology in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, likely result from quasi-programs. Such tumors develop from unfertilized oocytes which enter the uterus and become hypertrophic and replete with endoreduplicated chromatin masses. Tumor formation begins with ovulation of unfertilized oocytes immediately after exhaustion of sperm stocks. We show that the timing of this transition between program and quasi-program (i.e., the onset of senescence), and the onset of tumor formation, depends upon the timing of sperm depletion. We identify homology between uterine tumors and mammalian ovarian teratomas, which both develop from oocytes that fail to mature after meiosis I. In teratomas, futile activation of developmental programs leads to the formation of differentiated structures within the tumor. We report that older uterine tumors express markers of later embryogenesis, consistent with teratoma-like activation of developmental programs. We also present evidence of coupling of distal gonad atrophy to oocyte hypertrophy. This study shows how the Williams Blagosklonny model can provide a mechanistic explanation of this component of C. elegans aging. It also suggests etiological similarity between teratoma and some forms of senescent pathology, insofar as both are caused by quasi-programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyuan Wang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001 China
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, University College London, London, UK
| | - Yuan Zhao
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, University College London, London, UK
| | - Marina Ezcurra
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, University College London, London, UK
- School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Alexandre Benedetto
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, University College London, London, UK
- Division of Biochemical and Life Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Ann F. Gilliat
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Ziyu Ren
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, University College London, London, UK
| | | | | | - Johannes Girstmair
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Maximilian J. Telford
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Colin T. Dolphin
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Zhizhou Zhang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001 China
| | - David Gems
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, University College London, London, UK
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17
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Herndon LA, Wolkow CA, Driscoll M, Hall DH. Effects of Ageing on the Basic Biology and Anatomy of C. elegans. HEALTHY AGEING AND LONGEVITY 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-44703-2_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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18
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de la Guardia Y, Gilliat AF, Hellberg J, Rennert P, Cabreiro F, Gems D. Run-on of germline apoptosis promotes gonad senescence in C. elegans. Oncotarget 2016; 7:39082-39096. [PMID: 27256978 PMCID: PMC5129915 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.9681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2016] [Accepted: 05/14/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Aging (senescence) includes causal mechanisms (etiologies) of late-life disease, which remain poorly understood. According to the recently proposed hyperfunction theory, based on the older theory of antagonistic pleiotropy, senescent pathologies can arise from futile, post-reproductive run-on of processes that in early life promote fitness. Here we apply this idea to investigate the etiology of senescent pathologies in the reproductive system of Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodites, particularly distal gonad degeneration and disintegration. Hermaphrodite germ cells frequently undergo "physiological" (non-damage-induced) apoptosis (PA) to provision growing oocytes. Run-on of such PA is a potential cause of age-related gonad degeneration. We document the continuation of germline apoptosis in later life, and report that genetically blocking or increasing PA retards or accelerates degeneration, respectively. In wild-type males, which lack germ line apoptosis, gonad disintegration does not occur. However, mutational induction of PA in males does not lead to gonad disintegration. These results suggest that as germ-cell proliferation rate declines markedly in aging hermaphrodites (but not males), run-on of PA becomes a pathogenic mechanism that promotes gonad degeneration. This illustrates how hyperfunction, or non-adaptive run-on in later life of a process that promotes fitness in early life, can promote atrophic senescent pathology in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yila de la Guardia
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, and Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Ann F. Gilliat
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, and Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Josephine Hellberg
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, and Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Peter Rennert
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, and Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Filipe Cabreiro
- Department of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, UK
| | - David Gems
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, and Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
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Abstract
For decades, researchers in the biology of aging have focused on defining mechanisms that modulate aging by primarily studying a single metric, sometimes described as the "gold standard" lifespan. Increasingly, geroscience research is turning towards defining functional domains of aging such as the cardiovascular system, skeletal integrity, and metabolic health as being a more direct route to understand why tissues decline in function with age. Each model used in aging research has strengths and weaknesses, yet we know surprisingly little about how critical tissues decline in health with increasing age. Here I discuss popular model systems used in geroscience research and their utility as possible tools in preclinical studies in aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Melov
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, USA
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20
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Zimmerman SM, Hinkson IV, Elias JE, Kim SK. Reproductive Aging Drives Protein Accumulation in the Uterus and Limits Lifespan in C. elegans. PLoS Genet 2015; 11:e1005725. [PMID: 26656270 PMCID: PMC4676719 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2015] [Accepted: 11/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging in Caenorhabditis elegans is characterized by widespread physiological and molecular changes, but the mechanisms that determine the rate at which these changes occur are not well understood. In this study, we identify a novel link between reproductive aging and somatic aging in C. elegans. By measuring global age-related changes in the proteome, we identify a previously uncharacterized group of secreted proteins in the adult uterus that dramatically increase in abundance with age. This accumulation is blunted in animals with an extended reproductive period and accelerated in sterile animals lacking a germline. Uterine proteins are not removed in old post-reproductive animals or in young vulvaless worms, indicating that egg-laying is necessary for their rapid removal in wild-type young animals. Together, these results suggest that age-induced infertility contributes to extracellular protein accumulation in the uterus with age. Finally, we show that knocking down multiple age-increased proteins simultaneously extends lifespan. These results provide a mechanistic example of how the cessation of reproduction contributes to detrimental changes in the soma, and demonstrate how the timing of reproductive decline can influence the rate of aging. To understand the process of aging at the molecular level in C. elegans, we measured changes in protein abundance with age, determined whether these age-related protein changes lead to dysfunction in old animals, and have elucidated one of the upstream pathways responsible for these aging changes. We found that egg-laying in young worms permits removal of a novel class of proteins present in the uterus. When the reproductive period ends, the removal of uterine proteins stops, causing them to accumulate to toxic levels. This shows that the timing of reproductive decline influences the rate of somatic aging. The concept that the reproductive period has a direct role in specifying the rate of aging of the soma likely applies to other species as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M. Zimmerman
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Izumi V. Hinkson
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Joshua E. Elias
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Stuart K. Kim
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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21
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Poullet N, Vielle A, Gimond C, Ferrari C, Braendle C. Evolutionarily divergent thermal sensitivity of germline development and fertility in hermaphroditicCaenorhabditisnematodes. Evol Dev 2015; 17:380-97. [DOI: 10.1111/ede.12170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nausicaa Poullet
- Institut de Biologie Valrose, CNRS UMR7277; Parc Valrose; 06108 Nice cedex 02 France
- Université Nice Sophia Antipolis; UFR Sciences; 06108 Nice cedex 02 France
| | - Anne Vielle
- Institut de Biologie Valrose, CNRS UMR7277; Parc Valrose; 06108 Nice cedex 02 France
- Université Nice Sophia Antipolis; UFR Sciences; 06108 Nice cedex 02 France
| | - Clotilde Gimond
- Institut de Biologie Valrose, CNRS UMR7277; Parc Valrose; 06108 Nice cedex 02 France
- Université Nice Sophia Antipolis; UFR Sciences; 06108 Nice cedex 02 France
| | - Céline Ferrari
- Institut de Biologie Valrose, CNRS UMR7277; Parc Valrose; 06108 Nice cedex 02 France
- Université Nice Sophia Antipolis; UFR Sciences; 06108 Nice cedex 02 France
| | - Christian Braendle
- Institut de Biologie Valrose, CNRS UMR7277; Parc Valrose; 06108 Nice cedex 02 France
- Université Nice Sophia Antipolis; UFR Sciences; 06108 Nice cedex 02 France
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22
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Tower J. Programmed cell death in aging. Ageing Res Rev 2015; 23:90-100. [PMID: 25862945 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2015.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 256] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2014] [Revised: 03/15/2015] [Accepted: 04/01/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Programmed cell death (PCD) pathways, including apoptosis and regulated necrosis, are required for normal cell turnover and tissue homeostasis. Mis-regulation of PCD is increasingly implicated in aging and aging-related disease. During aging the cell turnover rate declines for several highly-mitotic tissues. Aging-associated disruptions in systemic and inter-cell signaling combined with cell-autonomous damage and mitochondrial malfunction result in increased PCD in some cell types, and decreased PCD in other cell types. Increased PCD during aging is implicated in immune system decline, skeletal muscle wasting (sarcopenia), loss of cells in the heart, and neurodegenerative disease. In contrast, cancer cells and senescent cells are resistant to PCD, enabling them to increase in abundance during aging. PCD pathways limit life span in fungi, but whether PCD pathways normally limit adult metazoan life span is not yet clear. PCD is regulated by a balance of negative and positive factors, including the mitochondria, which are particularly subject to aging-associated malfunction.
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23
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Tower J. Mitochondrial maintenance failure in aging and role of sexual dimorphism. Arch Biochem Biophys 2015; 576:17-31. [PMID: 25447815 PMCID: PMC4409928 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2014.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2014] [Revised: 10/08/2014] [Accepted: 10/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Gene expression changes during aging are partly conserved across species, and suggest that oxidative stress, inflammation and proteotoxicity result from mitochondrial malfunction and abnormal mitochondrial-nuclear signaling. Mitochondrial maintenance failure may result from trade-offs between mitochondrial turnover versus growth and reproduction, sexual antagonistic pleiotropy and genetic conflicts resulting from uni-parental mitochondrial transmission, as well as mitochondrial and nuclear mutations and loss of epigenetic regulation. Aging phenotypes and interventions are often sex-specific, indicating that both male and female sexual differentiation promote mitochondrial failure and aging. Studies in mammals and invertebrates implicate autophagy, apoptosis, AKT, PARP, p53 and FOXO in mediating sex-specific differences in stress resistance and aging. The data support a model where the genes Sxl in Drosophila, sdc-2 in Caenorhabditis elegans, and Xist in mammals regulate mitochondrial maintenance across generations and in aging. Several interventions that increase life span cause a mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt), and UPRmt is also observed during normal aging, indicating hormesis. The UPRmt may increase life span by stimulating mitochondrial turnover through autophagy, and/or by inhibiting the production of hormones and toxic metabolites. The data suggest that metazoan life span interventions may act through a common hormesis mechanism involving liver UPRmt, mitochondrial maintenance and sexual differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Tower
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910, United States.
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24
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Kyriakakis E, Markaki M, Tavernarakis N. Caenorhabditis elegans as a model for cancer research. Mol Cell Oncol 2015; 2:e975027. [PMID: 27308424 PMCID: PMC4905018 DOI: 10.4161/23723556.2014.975027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2014] [Revised: 09/18/2014] [Accepted: 09/18/2014] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
The term cancer describes a group of multifaceted diseases characterized by an intricate pathophysiology. Despite significant advances in the fight against cancer, it remains a key public health concern and burden on societies worldwide. Elucidation of key molecular and cellular mechanisms of oncogenic diseases will facilitate the development of better intervention strategies to counter or prevent tumor development. In vivo and in vitro models have long been used to delineate distinct biological processes involved in cancer such as apoptosis, proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion, metastasis, genome instability, and metabolism. In this review, we introduce Caenorhabditis elegans as an emerging animal model for systematic dissection of the molecular basis of tumorigenesis, focusing on the well-established processes of apoptosis and autophagy. Additionally, we propose that C. elegans can be used to advance our understanding of cancer progression, such as deregulation of energy metabolism, stem cell reprogramming, and host-microflora interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanouil Kyriakakis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology; Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas
| | - Maria Markaki
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology; Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas
| | - Nektarios Tavernarakis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology; Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas
- Department of Basic Sciences; Faculty of Medicine; University of Crete Heraklion; Crete, Greece
- Correspondence to: N. Tavernarakis;
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25
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Chang HW, Shtessel L, Lee SS. Collaboration between mitochondria and the nucleus is key to long life in Caenorhabditis elegans. Free Radic Biol Med 2015; 78:168-78. [PMID: 25450327 PMCID: PMC4280335 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2014.10.576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2014] [Revised: 10/22/2014] [Accepted: 10/23/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Recent findings in diverse organisms strongly support a conserved role for mitochondrial electron transport chain dysfunction in longevity modulation, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. One way cells cope with mitochondrial dysfunction is through a retrograde transcriptional reprogramming response. In this review, we primarily focus on the work that has been performed in Caenorhabditis elegans to elucidate these mechanisms. We describe several transcription factors that participate in mitochondria-to-nucleus signaling and discuss how they mediate the relationship between mitochondrial dysfunction and life span.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsin-Wen Chang
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Ludmila Shtessel
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Siu Sylvia Lee
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA.
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26
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MDL-1, a growth- and tumor-suppressor, slows aging and prevents germline hyperplasia and hypertrophy in C. elegans. Aging (Albany NY) 2014; 6:98-117. [PMID: 24531613 PMCID: PMC3969279 DOI: 10.18632/aging.100638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In C. elegans, increased lifespan in daf-2 insulin/IGF-1 receptor mutants is accompanied by up-regulation of the MDL-1 Mad basic helix-loop-helix leucine zipper transcription factor. Here we describe the role of mdl-1 in C. elegans germline proliferation and aging. The deletion allele mdl-1(tm311) shortened lifespan, and did so significantly more so in long-lived daf-2 mutants implying that mdl-1(+) contributes to effects of daf-2 on lifespan. mdl-1 mutant hermaphrodites also lay increased numbers of unfertilized oocytes. During aging, unfertilized oocytes in the uterus develop into tumors, whose development was accelerated by mdl-1(tm311). Opposite phenotypes were seen in daf-2 mutants, i.e. mdl-1 and daf-2 mutant germlines are hyperplastic and hypoplastic, respectively. Thus, MDL-1, like its mammalian orthologs, is an inhibitor of cell proliferation and growth that slows progression of an age-related pathology in C. elegans (uterine tumors). In addition, intestine-limited rescue of mdl-1 increased lifespan but not to wild type levels. Thus, mdl-1 likely acts both in the intestine and the germline to influence age-related mortality.
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27
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Abstract
Making headlines, a thought-provocative paper by Neff, Ehninger and coworkers claims that rapamycin extends life span but has limited effects on aging. How is that possibly possible? And what is aging if not an increase of the probability of death with age. I discuss that the JCI paper actually shows that rapamycin slows aging and also extends lifespan regardless of its direct anti-cancer activities. Aging is, in part, MTOR-driven: a purposeless continuation of developmental growth. Rapamycin affects the same processes in young and old animals: young animals' traits and phenotypes, which continuations become hyperfunctional, harmful and lethal later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail V Blagosklonny
- Department of Cell Stress Biology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, BLSC, L3-312, Elm and Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
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28
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Lucanic M, Graham J, Scott G, Bhaumik D, Benz CC, Hubbard A, Lithgow GJ, Melov S. Age-related micro-RNA abundance in individual C. elegans. Aging (Albany NY) 2013; 5:394-411. [PMID: 23793570 PMCID: PMC3824409 DOI: 10.18632/aging.100564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Non-coding small RNAs of the micro-RNA class (miRNA) are conserved regulators of gene function with a broad impact on biological processes. We screened miRNA levels for age-related changes in individual worms and investigated their influence on the lifespan of the nematode C. elegans. We measured the abundance of 69 miRNAs expressed in individual animals at different ages with over thirty five thousand discrete quantitative nano-fluidic polymerase chain reactions. We found that miRNA abundance was highly variable between individual worms raised under identical conditions and that expression variability generally increased with age. To identify expression differences associated with either reproductive or somatic tissues, we analyzed wild type and mutants that lacked germlines. miRNAs from the mir-35-41 cluster increased in abundance with age in wild type animals, but were nearly absent from mutants lacking a germline, suggesting their age-related increase originates from the germline. Most miRNAs with age-dependent levels did not have a major effect on lifespan, as corresponding deletion mutants exhibited wild-type lifespans. The major exception to this was mir-71, which increased in abundance with age and was required for normal longevity. Our genetic characterization indicates that mir-71 acts at least partly in parallel to insulin/IGF like signals to influence lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Lucanic
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, 8001 Redwood Boulevard, Novato, CA 94945, USA.
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29
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Blagosklonny MV. Immunosuppressants in cancer prevention and therapy. Oncoimmunology 2013; 2:e26961. [PMID: 24575379 PMCID: PMC3926869 DOI: 10.4161/onci.26961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2013] [Revised: 10/25/2013] [Accepted: 10/25/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapalogs such as rapamycin (sirolimus), everolimus, temserolimus, and deforolimus are indicated for the treatment of some malignancies. Rapamycin is the most effective cancer-preventive agent currently known, at least in mice, dramatically delaying carcinogenesis in both normal and cancer-prone murine strains. In addition, rapamycin and everolimus decrease the risk of cancer in patients receiving these drugs in the context of immunosuppressive regimens. In general, the main concern about the use of immunosuppressants in humans is an increased risk of cancer. Given that rapalogs are useful in cancer prevention and therapy, should they be viewed as immunosuppressants or immunostimulators? Or should we reconsider the role of immunity in cancer altogether? In addition to its anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic and anti-proliferative effects, rapamycin operates as a gerosuppressant, meaning that it inhibits the cellular conversion to a senescent state (the so-called geroconversion), a fundamental process involved in aging and age-related pathologies including cancer.
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30
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Leontieva OV, Novototskaya LR, Paszkiewicz GM, Komarova EA, Gudkov AV, Blagosklonny MV. Dysregulation of the mTOR pathway in p53-deficient mice. Cancer Biol Ther 2013; 14:1182-8. [PMID: 24184801 DOI: 10.4161/cbt.26947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian or mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is involved in growth, aging, and age-related diseases including cancer. There is an extensive cross talk between p53 and mTOR. In cell culture, p53 inhibits the mTOR pathway in a cell type-dependent manner. p53-deficient mice develop pro-inflammation and cancer. We have shown that rapamycin delayed cancer and extended lifespan, thus partially substituting for p53. Here we show that a marker of mTOR activity, phosphorylated S6 (p-S6), is increased in the hearts of p53-deficient mice. Furthermore, cardiac p-S6 correlated with body weight. Also, p53(-/-) mice were slightly hyperinsulinemic with a tendency to elevated IGF-1. Radiation exacerbated the difference between IGF-1 levels in normal and p53(-/-) mice. Noteworthy, radiation induced Thr-308 Akt phosphorylation in the livers (but not in the hearts) of both p53(+/+) and p53(-/-) mice. Simultaneously, radiation decreased p-S6 in the livers of normal mice, consistent with the negative effect of p53 on mTOR. Our data indicate that the activity of mTOR is increased in some but not all tissues of p53(-/-) mice, associated with the tendency to increased insulin and IGF-1 levels. Therefore, the absence of p53 may create oncophilic microenvironment, favoring cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga V Leontieva
- Department of Cell Stress Biology; Roswell Park Cancer Institute; Buffalo, NY USA
| | | | | | - Elena A Komarova
- Department of Cell Stress Biology; Roswell Park Cancer Institute; Buffalo, NY USA
| | - Andrei V Gudkov
- Department of Cell Stress Biology; Roswell Park Cancer Institute; Buffalo, NY USA
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31
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Blagosklonny MV. Tumor suppression by p53 without apoptosis and senescence: conundrum or rapalog-like gerosuppression? Aging (Albany NY) 2012; 4:450-5. [PMID: 22869016 PMCID: PMC3433931 DOI: 10.18632/aging.100475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
I discuss a very obscure activity of p53, namely suppression of senescence (gerosuppression), which is also manifested as anti-hypertrophic, anti-hypermetabolic, anti-inflammatory and anti-secretory effects of p53. But can gerossuppression suppress tumors?
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail V Blagosklonny
- Department of Cell Stress Biology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA.
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Abstract
p63 is a transcriptional factor implicated in cancer and development. The presence in TP63 gene of alternative promoters allows expression of one isoform containing the N-terminal transactivation domain (TA isoform) and one N-terminal truncated isoform (ΔN isoform). Complete ablation of all p63 isoforms produced mice with fatal developmental abnormalities, including lack of epidermal barrier, limbs and other epidermal appendages. Specific TAp63-null mice, although they developed normally, failed to undergo in DNA damage-induced apoptosis during primordial follicle meiotic arrest, suggesting a p63 involvement in maternal reproduction. Recent findings have elucidated the role in DNA damage response of a novel Hominidae p63 isoform, GTAp63, specifically expressed in human spermatic precursors. Thus, these findings suggest a unique strategy of p63 gene, to evolve in order to preserve the species as a guardian of reproduction. Elucidation of the biological basis of p63 function in reproduction may provide novel approaches to the control of human fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivano Amelio
- Medical Research Council; Toxicology Unit; Leicester University; Leicester, UK
- Department for Molecular Biomedical Research; VIB; Ghent University; Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology; Ghent University; Ghent, Belgium
| | - Francesca Grespi
- Medical Research Council; Toxicology Unit; Leicester University; Leicester, UK
- Department for Molecular Biomedical Research; VIB; Ghent University; Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology; Ghent University; Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Gerry Melino
- Medical Research Council; Toxicology Unit; Leicester University; Leicester, UK
- Department for Molecular Biomedical Research; VIB; Ghent University; Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology; Ghent University; Ghent, Belgium
- Biochemistry IDI-IRCCS Laboratory and Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery; University of Rome “Tor Vergata;” Rome, Italy
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