1
|
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: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Wang Y, Branicky R, Noë A, Hekimi S. Superoxide dismutases: Dual roles in controlling ROS damage and regulating ROS signaling. J Cell Biol 2018; 217:1915-1928. [PMID: 29669742 PMCID: PMC5987716 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201708007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 981] [Impact Index Per Article: 163.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2018] [Revised: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Wang et al. review the dual role of superoxide dismutases in controlling reactive oxygen species (ROS) damage and regulating ROS signaling across model systems as well as their involvement in human diseases. Superoxide dismutases (SODs) are universal enzymes of organisms that live in the presence of oxygen. They catalyze the conversion of superoxide into oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. Superoxide anions are the intended product of dedicated signaling enzymes as well as the byproduct of several metabolic processes including mitochondrial respiration. Through their activity, SOD enzymes control the levels of a variety of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species, thus both limiting the potential toxicity of these molecules and controlling broad aspects of cellular life that are regulated by their signaling functions. All aerobic organisms have multiple SOD proteins targeted to different cellular and subcellular locations, reflecting the slow diffusion and multiple sources of their substrate superoxide. This compartmentalization also points to the need for fine local control of ROS signaling and to the possibility for ROS to signal between compartments. In this review, we discuss studies in model organisms and humans, which reveal the dual roles of SOD enzymes in controlling damage and regulating signaling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wang
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Robyn Branicky
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Alycia Noë
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Sutphin GL, Backer G, Sheehan S, Bean S, Corban C, Liu T, Peters MJ, van Meurs JBJ, Murabito JM, Johnson AD, Korstanje R. Caenorhabditis elegans orthologs of human genes differentially expressed with age are enriched for determinants of longevity. Aging Cell 2017; 16:672-682. [PMID: 28401650 PMCID: PMC5506438 DOI: 10.1111/acel.12595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
We report a systematic RNAi longevity screen of 82 Caenorhabditis elegans genes selected based on orthology to human genes differentially expressed with age. We find substantial enrichment in genes for which knockdown increased lifespan. This enrichment is markedly higher than published genomewide longevity screens in C. elegans and similar to screens that preselected candidates based on longevity‐correlated metrics (e.g., stress resistance). Of the 50 genes that affected lifespan, 46 were previously unreported. The five genes with the greatest impact on lifespan (>20% extension) encode the enzyme kynureninase (kynu‐1), a neuronal leucine‐rich repeat protein (iglr‐1), a tetraspanin (tsp‐3), a regulator of calcineurin (rcan‐1), and a voltage‐gated calcium channel subunit (unc‐36). Knockdown of each gene extended healthspan without impairing reproduction. kynu‐1(RNAi) alone delayed pathology in C. elegans models of Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease. Each gene displayed a distinct pattern of interaction with known aging pathways. In the context of published work, kynu‐1, tsp‐3, and rcan‐1 are of particular interest for immediate follow‐up. kynu‐1 is an understudied member of the kynurenine metabolic pathway with a mechanistically distinct impact on lifespan. Our data suggest that tsp‐3 is a novel modulator of hypoxic signaling and rcan‐1 is a context‐specific calcineurin regulator. Our results validate C. elegans as a comparative tool for prioritizing human candidate aging genes, confirm age‐associated gene expression data as valuable source of novel longevity determinants, and prioritize select genes for mechanistic follow‐up.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Grant Backer
- The Jackson Laboratory; 600 Main Street Bar Harbor ME 04609 USA
| | - Susan Sheehan
- The Jackson Laboratory; 600 Main Street Bar Harbor ME 04609 USA
| | - Shannon Bean
- The Jackson Laboratory; 600 Main Street Bar Harbor ME 04609 USA
| | - Caroline Corban
- The Jackson Laboratory; 600 Main Street Bar Harbor ME 04609 USA
| | - Teresa Liu
- The Jackson Laboratory; 600 Main Street Bar Harbor ME 04609 USA
| | - Marjolein J. Peters
- Department of Internal Medicine; Erasmus Medical Center; Postbus 2040 3000 CA Rotterdam The Netherlands
| | - Joyce B. J. van Meurs
- Department of Internal Medicine; Erasmus Medical Center; Postbus 2040 3000 CA Rotterdam The Netherlands
| | - Joanne M. Murabito
- Section of General Internal Medicine; Boston University School of Medicine; 801 Massachusetts Ave, Crosstown Center Boston MA 02118 USA
- The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study; 73 Mt. Wayte Ave, Suite 2 Framingham MA 01702-5827 USA
| | - Andrew D. Johnson
- The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study; 73 Mt. Wayte Ave, Suite 2 Framingham MA 01702-5827 USA
- Population Sciences Branch; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; Building 31, Room 5A52, 31 Center Drive MSC 2486 Bethesda MD 20892 USA
| | - Ron Korstanje
- The Jackson Laboratory; 600 Main Street Bar Harbor ME 04609 USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Abstract
ATR (Ataxia Telangiectasia and Rad3-related) is a member of the Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related kinases (PIKKs) family, amongst six other vertebrate proteins known so far. ATR is indispensable for cell survival and its essential role is in sensing DNA damage and initiating appropriate repair responses. In this review we highlight emerging and recent observations connecting ATR to alternative roles in controlling the nuclear envelope, nucleolus, centrosome and other organelles in response to both internal and external stress conditions. We propose that ATR functions control cell plasticity by sensing structural deformations of different cellular components, including DNA and initiating appropriate repair responses, most of which are yet to be understood completely.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gururaj Rao Kidiyoor
- Istituto FIRC di Oncologia Molecolare, Milan, Italy; University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Amit Kumar
- Developmental Toxicology Laboratory, Systems Toxicology and Health Risk Assessment Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, M.G. Marg, Lucknow 226001, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), India
| | - Marco Foiani
- Istituto FIRC di Oncologia Molecolare, Milan, Italy; University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Lewis SC, Joers P, Willcox S, Griffith JD, Jacobs HT, Hyman BC. A rolling circle replication mechanism produces multimeric lariats of mitochondrial DNA in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS Genet 2015; 11:e1004985. [PMID: 25693201 PMCID: PMC4334201 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2014] [Accepted: 01/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) encodes respiratory complex subunits essential to almost all eukaryotes; hence respiratory competence requires faithful duplication of this molecule. However, the mechanism(s) of its synthesis remain hotly debated. Here we have developed Caenorhabditis elegans as a convenient animal model for the study of metazoan mtDNA synthesis. We demonstrate that C. elegans mtDNA replicates exclusively by a phage-like mechanism, in which multimeric molecules are synthesized from a circular template. In contrast to previous mammalian studies, we found that mtDNA synthesis in the C. elegans gonad produces branched-circular lariat structures with multimeric DNA tails; we were able to detect multimers up to four mtDNA genome unit lengths. Further, we did not detect elongation from a displacement-loop or analogue of 7S DNA, suggesting a clear difference from human mtDNA in regard to the site(s) of replication initiation. We also identified cruciform mtDNA species that are sensitive to cleavage by the resolvase RusA; we suggest these four-way junctions may have a role in concatemer-to-monomer resolution. Overall these results indicate that mtDNA synthesis in C. elegans does not conform to any previously documented metazoan mtDNA replication mechanism, but instead are strongly suggestive of rolling circle replication, as employed by bacteriophages. As several components of the metazoan mitochondrial DNA replisome are likely phage-derived, these findings raise the possibility that the rolling circle mtDNA replication mechanism may be ancestral among metazoans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Samantha C. Lewis
- Department of Biology and Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
- BioMediTech and Tampere University Hospital, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
| | - Priit Joers
- BioMediTech and Tampere University Hospital, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
- Estonian Biocentre, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Smaranda Willcox
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Jack D. Griffith
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Howard T. Jacobs
- BioMediTech and Tampere University Hospital, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
- Molecular Neurology Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Bradley C. Hyman
- Department of Biology and Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Johnson ME, Bobrovskaya L. An update on the rotenone models of Parkinson's disease: their ability to reproduce the features of clinical disease and model gene-environment interactions. Neurotoxicology 2014; 46:101-16. [PMID: 25514659 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2014.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 218] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2014] [Revised: 11/19/2014] [Accepted: 12/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by two major neuropathological hallmarks: the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) and the presence of Lewy bodies in the surviving SN neurons, as well as other regions of the central and peripheral nervous system. Animal models have been invaluable tools for investigating the underlying mechanisms of the pathogenesis of PD and testing new potential symptomatic, neuroprotective and neurorestorative therapies. However, the usefulness of these models is dependent on how precisely they replicate the features of clinical PD with some studies now employing combined gene-environment models to replicate more of the affected pathways. The rotenone model of PD has become of great interest following the seminal paper by the Greenamyre group in 2000 (Betarbet et al., 2000). This paper reported for the first time that systemic rotenone was able to reproduce the two pathological hallmarks of PD as well as certain parkinsonian motor deficits. Since 2000, many research groups have actively used the rotenone model worldwide. This paper will review rotenone models, focusing upon their ability to reproduce the two pathological hallmarks of PD, motor deficits, extranigral pathology and non-motor symptoms. We will also summarize the recent advances in neuroprotective therapies, focusing on those that investigated non-motor symptoms and review rotenone models used in combination with PD genetic models to investigate gene-environment interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michaela E Johnson
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Larisa Bobrovskaya
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|