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King DE, Sparling AC, Joyce AS, Ryde IT, DeSouza B, Ferguson PL, Murphy SK, Meyer JN. Lack of detectable sex differences in the mitochondrial function of Caenorhabditis elegans. BMC Ecol Evol 2024; 24:55. [PMID: 38664688 PMCID: PMC11046947 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-024-02238-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sex differences in mitochondrial function have been reported in multiple tissue and cell types. Additionally, sex-variable responses to stressors including environmental pollutants and drugs that cause mitochondrial toxicity have been observed. The mechanisms that establish these differences are thought to include hormonal modulation, epigenetic regulation, double dosing of X-linked genes, and the maternal inheritance of mtDNA. Understanding the drivers of sex differences in mitochondrial function and being able to model them in vitro is important for identifying toxic compounds with sex-variable effects. Additionally, understanding how sex differences in mitochondrial function compare across species may permit insight into the drivers of these differences, which is important for basic biology research. This study explored whether Caenorhabditis elegans, a model organism commonly used to study stress biology and toxicology, exhibits sex differences in mitochondrial function and toxicant susceptibility. To assess sex differences in mitochondrial function, we utilized four male enriched populations (N2 wild-type male enriched, fog-2(q71), him-5(e1490), and him-8(e1498)). We performed whole worm respirometry and determined whole worm ATP levels and mtDNA copy number. To probe whether sex differences manifest only after stress and inform the growing use of C. elegans as a mitochondrial health and toxicologic model, we also assessed susceptibility to a classic mitochondrial toxicant, rotenone. RESULTS We detected few to no large differences in mitochondrial function between C. elegans sexes. Though we saw no sex differences in vulnerability to rotenone, we did observe sex differences in the uptake of this lipophilic compound, which may be of interest to those utilizing C. elegans as a model organism for toxicologic studies. Additionally, we observed altered non-mitochondrial respiration in two him strains, which may be of interest to other researchers utilizing these strains. CONCLUSIONS Basal mitochondrial parameters in male and hermaphrodite C. elegans are similar, at least at the whole-organism level, as is toxicity associated with a mitochondrial Complex I inhibitor, rotenone. Our data highlights the limitation of using C. elegans as a model to study sex-variable mitochondrial function and toxicological responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dillon E King
- Nicholas School of Environment, Duke University, 308 Research Drive, A304, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - A Clare Sparling
- Nicholas School of Environment, Duke University, 308 Research Drive, A304, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Abigail S Joyce
- Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Ian T Ryde
- Nicholas School of Environment, Duke University, 308 Research Drive, A304, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Beverly DeSouza
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - P Lee Ferguson
- Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Susan K Murphy
- Nicholas School of Environment, Duke University, 308 Research Drive, A304, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Joel N Meyer
- Nicholas School of Environment, Duke University, 308 Research Drive, A304, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
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Ray AK, Priya A, Malik MZ, Thanaraj TA, Singh AK, Mago P, Ghosh C, Shalimar, Tandon R, Chaturvedi R. A bioinformatics approach to elucidate conserved genes and pathways in C. elegans as an animal model for cardiovascular research. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7471. [PMID: 38553458 PMCID: PMC10980734 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56562-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a collective term for disorders of the heart and blood vessels. The molecular events and biochemical pathways associated with CVD are difficult to study in clinical settings on patients and in vitro conditions. Animal models play a pivotal and indispensable role in CVD research. Caenorhabditis elegans, a nematode species, has emerged as a prominent experimental organism widely utilized in various biomedical research fields. However, the specific number of CVD-related genes and pathways within the C. elegans genome remains undisclosed to date, limiting its in-depth utilization for investigations. In the present study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of genes and pathways related to CVD within the genomes of humans and C. elegans through a systematic bioinformatic approach. A total of 1113 genes in C. elegans orthologous to the most significant CVD-related genes in humans were identified, and the GO terms and pathways were compared to study the pathways that are conserved between the two species. In order to infer the functions of CVD-related orthologous genes in C. elegans, a PPI network was constructed. Orthologous gene PPI network analysis results reveal the hubs and important KRs: pmk-1, daf-21, gpb-1, crh-1, enpl-1, eef-1G, acdh-8, hif-1, pmk-2, and aha-1 in C. elegans. Modules were identified for determining the role of the orthologous genes at various levels in the created network. We also identified 9 commonly enriched pathways between humans and C. elegans linked with CVDs that include autophagy (animal), the ErbB signaling pathway, the FoxO signaling pathway, the MAPK signaling pathway, ABC transporters, the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, fatty acid metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and metabolic pathways. This study provides the first systematic genomic approach to explore the CVD-associated genes and pathways that are present in C. elegans, supporting the use of C. elegans as a prominent animal model organism for cardiovascular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashwini Kumar Ray
- Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India.
| | - Anjali Priya
- Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Md Zubbair Malik
- Department of Genetics and Bioinformatics, Dasman Diabetes Institute, Kuwait City, Kuwait.
| | | | - Alok Kumar Singh
- Department of Zoology, Ramjas College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Payal Mago
- Shaheed Rajguru College of Applied Science for Women, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
- Campus of Open Learning, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Chirashree Ghosh
- Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Shalimar
- Department of Gastroenterology, All India Institute of Medical Science, New Delhi, India
| | - Ravi Tandon
- Laboratory of AIDS Research and Immunology, School of Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Rupesh Chaturvedi
- School of Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
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Kwak MJ, Kang A, Eor J, Ryu S, Choi Y, Heo JM, Song M, Kim JN, Kim HJ, Kim Y. Dietary L-Methionine modulates the gut microbiota and improves the expression of tight junctions in an in vitro model of the chicken gastrointestinal tract. Anim Microbiome 2024; 6:14. [PMID: 38504362 PMCID: PMC10953145 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-024-00303-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The poultry industry encounters a number of factors that affect growth performance and productivity; nutrition is essential for sustaining physiological status and protecting against stressors such as heat, density, and disease. The addition of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids to the diet can help restore productivity and support the body's defense mechanisms against stress. Methionine (Met) is indispensable for poultry's energy metabolism, physiology, performance, and feed utilization capacity. Through this study, we aimed to examine the physiological effects of methionine supplementation on poultry as well as alterations of intestinal microbiome. METHODS We utilized the DL- and L- form of methionine on Caenorhabditis elegans and the FIMM (Fermentor for intestine microbiota model) in-vitro digesting system. A genomic-analysis of the transcriptome confirmed that methionine supplementation can modulate growth-related physiological metabolic pathways and immune responses in the host poultry. The C. elegans model was used to assess the general health benefits of a methionine supplement for the host. RESULTS Regardless of the type or concentration of methionine, supplementation with methionine significantly increased the lifespan of C. elegans. Feed grade L-Methionine 95%, exhibited the highest lifespan performance in C. elegans. Methionine supplementation increased the expression of tight junction genes in the primary intestinal cells of both broiler and laying hens, which is directly related to immunity. Feed grade L-Methionine 95% performed similarly or even better than DL-Methionine or L-Methionine treatments with upper doses in terms of enhancing intestinal integrity. In vitro microbial cultures of healthy broilers and laying hens fed methionine revealed changes in intestinal microflora, including increased Clostridium, Bacteroides, and Oscillospira compositions. When laying hens were given feed grade L-Methionine 95% and 100%, pathogenic Campylobacter at the genus level was decreased, while commensal bacteria were increased. CONCLUSIONS Supplementation of feed grade L-Methionine, particularly L-Methionine 95%, was more beneficial to the host poultry than supplementing other source of methionine for maintaining intestinal integrity and healthy microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Jin Kwak
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Korea
| | - Anna Kang
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Korea
| | - JuYoung Eor
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Korea
| | - Sangdon Ryu
- Divisions of Environmental Materials, Honam National Institute of Biological Resources (HNIBR), 58762, Mokpo, Korea
| | - Youbin Choi
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Korea
| | - Jung Min Heo
- Department of Food Science & Nutrition, Dongseo University, Busan, 47011, Korea
| | - Minho Song
- Department of Food Science & Nutrition, Dongseo University, Busan, 47011, Korea
| | - Jong Nam Kim
- CJ Cheiljedang, 330, Dongho-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, 04560, Korea
| | - Hyeon-Jin Kim
- CJ Cheiljedang, 330, Dongho-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, 04560, Korea
| | - Younghoon Kim
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Korea.
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