1
|
Egan BM, Pohl F, Anderson X, Williams SC, Gregory Adodo I, Hunt P, Wang Z, Chiu CH, Scharf A, Mosley M, Kumar S, Schneider DL, Fujiwara H, Hsu FF, Kornfeld K. The ACE inhibitor captopril inhibits ACN-1 to control dauer formation and aging. Development 2024; 151:dev202146. [PMID: 38284547 PMCID: PMC10911126 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) plays a well-characterized role regulating blood pressure in mammals. Pharmacological and genetic manipulation of the RAAS has been shown to extend lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila and rodents, but its mechanism is not well defined. Here, we investigate the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor drug captopril, which extends lifespan in worms and mice. To investigate the mechanism, we performed a forward genetic screen for captopril-hypersensitive mutants. We identified a missense mutation that causes a partial loss of function of the daf-2 receptor tyrosine kinase gene, a powerful regulator of aging. The homologous mutation in the human insulin receptor causes Donohue syndrome, establishing these mutant worms as an invertebrate model of this disease. Captopril functions in C. elegans by inhibiting ACN-1, the worm homolog of ACE. Reducing the activity of acn-1 via captopril or RNA interference promoted dauer larvae formation, suggesting that acn-1 is a daf gene. Captopril-mediated lifespan extension was abrogated by daf-16(lf) and daf-12(lf) mutations. Our results indicate that captopril and acn-1 influence lifespan by modulating dauer formation pathways. We speculate that this represents a conserved mechanism of lifespan control.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian M. Egan
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Franziska Pohl
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Xavier Anderson
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Shoshana C. Williams
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | | | - Patrick Hunt
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Zuoxu Wang
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Chen-Hao Chiu
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Andrea Scharf
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO 65409, USA
| | - Matthew Mosley
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Sandeep Kumar
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Daniel L. Schneider
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Hideji Fujiwara
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism & Lipid Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Fong-Fu Hsu
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism & Lipid Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Kerry Kornfeld
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Egan BM, Pohl F, Anderson X, Williams SC, Adodo IG, Hunt P, Wang Z, Chiu CH, Scharf A, Mosley M, Kumar S, Schneider DL, Fujiwara H, Hsu FF, Kornfeld K. The ACE-inhibitor drug captopril inhibits ACN-1 to control dauer formation and aging. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.17.549402. [PMID: 37502959 PMCID: PMC10370070 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.17.549402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) plays a well-characterized role regulating blood pressure in mammals. Pharmacological and genetic manipulation of the RAAS has been shown to extend lifespan in C. elegans , Drosophila , and rodents, but its mechanism is not well defined. Here we investigate the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor drug captopril, which extends lifespan in worms and mice. To investigate the mechanism, we performed a forward genetic screen for captopril hypersensitive mutants. We identified a missense mutation that causes a partial loss-of-function of the daf-2 receptor tyrosine kinase gene, a powerful regulator of aging. The homologous mutation in the human insulin receptor causes Donohue syndrome, establishing these mutant worms as an invertebrate model of this disease. Captopril functions in C. elegans by inhibiting ACN-1, the worm homolog of ACE. Reducing the activity of acn-1 via captopril or RNAi promoted dauer larvae formation, suggesting acn-1 is a daf gene. Captopril-mediated lifespan extension xwas abrogated by daf-16(lf) and daf-12(lf) mutations. Our results indicate that captopril and acn-1 control aging by modulating dauer formation pathways. We speculate that this represents a conserved mechanism of lifespan control. Summary Statement Captopril and acn-1 control aging. By demonstrating they regulate dauer formation and interact with daf genes, including a new DAF-2(A261V) mutant corresponding to a human disease variant, we clarified the mechanism.
Collapse
|
3
|
Egan BM, Scharf A, Pohl F, Kornfeld K. Control of aging by the renin–angiotensin system: a review of C. elegans, Drosophila, and mammals. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:938650. [PMID: 36188619 PMCID: PMC9518657 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.938650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The free-living, non-parasitic nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a premier model organism for the study of aging and longevity due to its short lifespan, powerful genetic tools, and conservation of fundamental mechanisms with mammals. Approximately 70 percent of human genes have homologs in C. elegans, including many that encode proteins in pathways that influence aging. Numerous genetic pathways have been identified in C. elegans that affect lifespan, including the dietary restriction pathway, the insulin/insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling pathway, and the disruption of components of the mitochondrial electron transport chain. C. elegans is also a powerful system for performing drug screens, and many lifespan-extending compounds have been reported; notably, several FDA-approved medications extend the lifespan in C. elegans, raising the possibility that they can also extend the lifespan in humans. The renin–angiotensin system (RAS) in mammals is an endocrine system that regulates blood pressure and a paracrine system that acts in a wide range of tissues to control physiological processes; it is a popular target for drugs that reduce blood pressure, including angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs). Emerging evidence indicates that this system influences aging. In C. elegans, decreasing the activity of the ACE homolog acn-1 or treatment with the ACE-inhibitor Captopril significantly extends the lifespan. In Drosophila, treatment with ACE inhibitors extends the lifespan. In rodents, manipulating the RAS with genetic or pharmacological interventions can extend the lifespan. In humans, polymorphisms in the ACE gene are associated with extreme longevity. These results suggest the RAS plays a conserved role in controlling longevity. Here, we review studies of the RAS and aging, emphasizing the potential of C. elegans as a model for understanding the mechanism of lifespan control.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian M. Egan
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Andrea Scharf
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO, United States
| | - Franziska Pohl
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Kerry Kornfeld
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- *Correspondence: Kerry Kornfeld,
| |
Collapse
|