1
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Yarmey VR, San-Miguel A. Biomarkers for aging in Caenorhabditis elegans high throughput screening. Biochem Soc Trans 2024; 52:1405-1418. [PMID: 38884801 DOI: 10.1042/bst20231303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Aging is characterized by a functional decline in organism fitness over time due to a complex combination of genetic and environmental factors [ 1-4]. With an increasing elderly population at risk of age-associated diseases, there is a pressing need for research dedicated to promoting health and longevity through anti-aging interventions. The roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans is an established model organism for aging studies due to its short life cycle, ease of culture, and conserved aging pathways. These benefits also make the worm well-suited for high-throughput screening (HTS) methods to study biomarkers of the molecular changes, cellular dysfunction, and physiological decline associated with aging. Within this review, we offer a summary of recent advances in HTS techniques to study biomarkers of aging in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria R Yarmey
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27603, U.S.A
| | - Adriana San-Miguel
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27603, U.S.A
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2
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Membrez M, Migliavacca E, Christen S, Yaku K, Trieu J, Lee AK, Morandini F, Giner MP, Stiner J, Makarov MV, Garratt ES, Vasiloglou MF, Chanvillard L, Dalbram E, Ehrlich AM, Sanchez-Garcia JL, Canto C, Karagounis LG, Treebak JT, Migaud ME, Heshmat R, Razi F, Karnani N, Ostovar A, Farzadfar F, Tay SKH, Sanders MJ, Lillycrop KA, Godfrey KM, Nakagawa T, Moco S, Koopman R, Lynch GS, Sorrentino V, Feige JN. Trigonelline is an NAD + precursor that improves muscle function during ageing and is reduced in human sarcopenia. Nat Metab 2024; 6:433-447. [PMID: 38504132 DOI: 10.1038/s42255-024-00997-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Mitochondrial dysfunction and low nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) levels are hallmarks of skeletal muscle ageing and sarcopenia1-3, but it is unclear whether these defects result from local changes or can be mediated by systemic or dietary cues. Here we report a functional link between circulating levels of the natural alkaloid trigonelline, which is structurally related to nicotinic acid4, NAD+ levels and muscle health in multiple species. In humans, serum trigonelline levels are reduced with sarcopenia and correlate positively with muscle strength and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in skeletal muscle. Using naturally occurring and isotopically labelled trigonelline, we demonstrate that trigonelline incorporates into the NAD+ pool and increases NAD+ levels in Caenorhabditis elegans, mice and primary myotubes from healthy individuals and individuals with sarcopenia. Mechanistically, trigonelline does not activate GPR109A but is metabolized via the nicotinate phosphoribosyltransferase/Preiss-Handler pathway5,6 across models. In C. elegans, trigonelline improves mitochondrial respiration and biogenesis, reduces age-related muscle wasting and increases lifespan and mobility through an NAD+-dependent mechanism requiring sirtuin. Dietary trigonelline supplementation in male mice enhances muscle strength and prevents fatigue during ageing. Collectively, we identify nutritional supplementation of trigonelline as an NAD+-boosting strategy with therapeutic potential for age-associated muscle decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Membrez
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Stefan Christen
- Nestlé Institute of Food Safety and Analytical Sciences, Nestlé Research, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Keisuke Yaku
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Jennifer Trieu
- Centre for Muscle Research, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Alaina K Lee
- Centre for Muscle Research, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Francesco Morandini
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Lausanne, Switzerland
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Maria Pilar Giner
- Nestlé Institute of Food Safety and Analytical Sciences, Nestlé Research, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jade Stiner
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Lausanne, Switzerland
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mikhail V Makarov
- Mitchell Cancer Institute, Department of Pharmacology, F. P. Whiddon College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, USA
| | - Emma S Garratt
- Institute of Developmental Sciences, Human Developmental and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- National Institute for Health and Care Research, Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - Maria F Vasiloglou
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lucie Chanvillard
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Lausanne, Switzerland
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Emilie Dalbram
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Amy M Ehrlich
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Carles Canto
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Lausanne, Switzerland
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Leonidas G Karagounis
- Nestlé Health Science, Translation Research, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jonas T Treebak
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marie E Migaud
- Mitchell Cancer Institute, Department of Pharmacology, F. P. Whiddon College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, USA
| | - Ramin Heshmat
- Chronic Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farideh Razi
- Metabolomics and Genomics Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Science Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Neerja Karnani
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Afshin Ostovar
- Osteoporosis Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farshad Farzadfar
- Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Stacey K H Tay
- KTP-National University Children's Medical Institute, National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Matthew J Sanders
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Karen A Lillycrop
- Institute of Developmental Sciences, Human Developmental and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- National Institute for Health and Care Research, Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
- Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Keith M Godfrey
- Institute of Developmental Sciences, Human Developmental and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- National Institute for Health and Care Research, Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
- Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Takashi Nakagawa
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Sofia Moco
- Nestlé Institute of Food Safety and Analytical Sciences, Nestlé Research, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Division of Molecular and Computational Toxicology, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Amsterdam Institute for Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - René Koopman
- Centre for Muscle Research, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Gordon S Lynch
- Centre for Muscle Research, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Vincenzo Sorrentino
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
- Healthy Longevity Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Jerome N Feige
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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3
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Tumbapo S, Strudwick A, Stastna JJ, Harvey SC, Bloemink MJ. Moderate dietary restriction delays the onset of age-associated sarcopenia in Caenorhabditis elegans due to reduced myosin UNC-54 degradation. Mech Ageing Dev 2024; 217:111900. [PMID: 38163472 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2023.111900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Sarcopenia, a gradual decrease in skeletal muscle mass and strength, is a major component of frailty in the elderly, with age, (lack of) exercise and diet found to be the major risk factors. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is an important model of sarcopenia. Although many studies describe loss of muscle function in ageing C. elegans, surprisingly few report on the loss of muscle mass. Here, in order to quantify loss of muscle mass under various dietary restriction (DR) conditions, we used an internal GFP standard to determine levels of the major body wall muscle myosin (UNC-54) in transgenic unc-54::gfp worms over their lifespan. Myosin density linearly increased during the first week of adulthood and there was no significant effect of DR. In contrast, an exponential decrease in myosin density was seen during the second week of adulthood, with reduced rates of myosin loss for mild and medium DR compared to control. UNC-54 turnover rates, previously determined using pulse-labelling methods, correspond well with the t1/2 value found here for UNC-54-GFP using fluorescence (control t1/2 = 12.0 days), independently validating our approach. These data indicate that sarcopenia is delayed in worms under mild and medium DR due to a reduced rate of myosin UNC-54 degradation, thereby maintaining protein homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sobha Tumbapo
- School of Psychology and Life Sciences, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury CT1 1QU, United Kingdom
| | - Adam Strudwick
- School of Psychology and Life Sciences, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury CT1 1QU, United Kingdom
| | - Jana J Stastna
- School of Psychology and Life Sciences, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury CT1 1QU, United Kingdom
| | - Simon C Harvey
- School of Psychology and Life Sciences, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury CT1 1QU, United Kingdom; Faculty of Engineering and Science, University of Greenwich, United Kingdom
| | - Marieke J Bloemink
- School of Psychology and Life Sciences, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury CT1 1QU, United Kingdom.
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4
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Parmar BS, Kieswetter A, Geens E, Vandewyer E, Ludwig C, Temmerman L. azyx-1 is a new gene that overlaps with zyxin and affects its translation in C. elegans, impacting muscular integrity and locomotion. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002300. [PMID: 37713439 PMCID: PMC10575671 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Overlapping genes are widely prevalent; however, their expression and consequences are poorly understood. Here, we describe and functionally characterize a novel zyx-1 overlapping gene, azyx-1, with distinct regulatory functions in Caenorhabditis elegans. We observed conservation of alternative open reading frames (ORFs) overlapping the 5' region of zyxin family members in several animal species, and find shared sites of azyx-1 and zyxin proteoform expression in C. elegans. In line with a standard ribosome scanning model, our results support cis regulation of zyx-1 long isoform(s) by upstream initiating azyx-1a. Moreover, we report on a rare observation of trans regulation of zyx-1 by azyx-1, with evidence of increased ZYX-1 upon azyx-1 overexpression. Our results suggest a dual role for azyx-1 in influencing zyx-1 proteoform heterogeneity and highlight its impact on C. elegans muscular integrity and locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhavesh S. Parmar
- Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Amanda Kieswetter
- Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ellen Geens
- Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Elke Vandewyer
- Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Christina Ludwig
- Bavarian Center for Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry (BayBioMS), Technische Universität München, München, Germany
| | - Liesbet Temmerman
- Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
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5
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Choi PG, Park SH, Nirmala FS, Kim HS, Kim MJ, Hahm JH, Seo HD, Ahn J, Ha T, Jung CH. Geniposide-Rich Gardenia jasminoides Ellis Fruit Extract Increases Healthspan in Caenorhabditis elegans. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2023; 78:1108-1115. [PMID: 36821434 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glad066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The human life span has been markedly extended since the 1900s, but it has not brought healthy aging to everyone. This increase in life expectancy without an increase in healthspan is a major global concern that imposes considerable health care budgets and degrades the quality of life of older adults. Dietary interventions are a promising strategy to increase healthspan. In this study, we evaluated whether a Gardenia jasminoides Ellis fruit ethanol extract (GFE) increases the life span of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). Treatment with 10 mg/mL GFE increased the life span by 27.1% when compared to the vehicle group. GFE (10 mg/mL) treatment improved healthspan-related markers (pharyngeal pumping, muscle quality, age-pigment, and reactive oxygen species accumulation) and exerted a protective effect against amyloid β 1-42 toxicity. These effects of GFE are related to the inhibition of insulin/IGF-1 signaling and activation of SKN-1/Nrf, thereby promoting the expression of stress resistance-related genes. In addition, treatment with 10 mM geniposide, the most abundant component of GFE, improved healthspan-related markers and increased life span by 18.55% when compared to the vehicle group. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that GFE and its component geniposide increase the life span along with healthspan in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pyeong Geun Choi
- Department of Food Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
- Aging and Metabolism Research Group, Korea Food Research Institute, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea
| | - So-Hyun Park
- Department of Food Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
- Aging and Metabolism Research Group, Korea Food Research Institute, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea
| | - Farida S Nirmala
- Department of Food Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
- Aging and Metabolism Research Group, Korea Food Research Institute, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea
| | - Hee Soo Kim
- Department of Food Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
- Aging and Metabolism Research Group, Korea Food Research Institute, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea
| | - Min Jung Kim
- Personalized Diet Research Group, Korea Food Research Institute, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea
| | - Jeong-Hoon Hahm
- Aging and Metabolism Research Group, Korea Food Research Institute, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea
| | - Hyo-Deok Seo
- Aging and Metabolism Research Group, Korea Food Research Institute, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea
| | - Jiyun Ahn
- Department of Food Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
- Aging and Metabolism Research Group, Korea Food Research Institute, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea
| | - Taeyoul Ha
- Department of Food Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
- Aging and Metabolism Research Group, Korea Food Research Institute, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea
| | - Chang Hwa Jung
- Department of Food Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
- Aging and Metabolism Research Group, Korea Food Research Institute, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea
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6
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Jushaj A, Churgin M, De La Torre M, Kieswetter A, Driesschaert B, Dhondt I, Braeckman BP, Fang-Yen C, Temmerman L. Adult-restricted gene knock-down reveals candidates that affect locomotive healthspan in C. elegans. Biogerontology 2023; 24:225-233. [PMID: 36662373 DOI: 10.1007/s10522-022-10009-8] [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: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how we can age healthily is a challenge at the heart of biogerontological interest. Whereas myriad genes are known to affect the lifespan of model organisms, effects of such interventions on healthspan-the period of life where an animal is considered healthy, rather than merely alive-are less clear. To understand relationships between life- and healthspan, in recent years several platforms were developed with the purpose of assessing both readouts simultaneously. We here relied on one such platform, the WorMotel, to study effects of adulthood-restricted knock-down of 130 Caenorhabditis elegans genes on the locomotive health of the animals along their lifespans. We found that knock-down of six genes affected healthspan while lifespan remained unchanged. For two of these, F26A3.4 and chn-1, knock-down resulted in an improvement of healthspan. In follow-up experiments we showed that knockdown of F26A3.4 indeed improves locomotive health and muscle structure at old age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Areta Jushaj
- Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Matthew Churgin
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Miguel De La Torre
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Amanda Kieswetter
- Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Brecht Driesschaert
- Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ineke Dhondt
- Laboratory of Aging Physiology and Molecular Evolution, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Bart P Braeckman
- Laboratory of Aging Physiology and Molecular Evolution, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Liesbet Temmerman
- Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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7
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The Human LRRK2 Modulates the Age-Dependent Effects of Developmental Methylmercury Exposure in Caenorhabditis elegans. Neurotox Res 2022; 40:1235-1247. [PMID: 35838907 DOI: 10.1007/s12640-022-00547-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) neurotoxicity exhibits age-dependent effects with a latent and/or persistent neurotoxic effect on aged animals. Individual susceptibility to MeHg neurotoxicity is governed by both exposure duration and genetic factors that can magnify or mitigate the pathologic processes associated with this exposure. We previously showed the G2019S mutation of leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) modulates the response of worms to high levels of MeHg, mitigating its effect on neuronal morphology in pre-vesicles in cephalic (CEP) dopaminergic neurons. Here we sought to better understand the long-term effects of MeHg exposure at low levels (100-fold lower than that in our previous report) and the modulatory role of the LRRK2 mutation. Worms exposed to MeHg (10 or 50 nM) at the larval stage (L1 stage) were compared at adult stages (young age: day 1 adult; middle age: day 5 adult; old age: day 10 adult) for the swimming speeds in M9 buffer, moving speeds during locomotion on an OP50-seeded plate, and the numbers of CEP dopaminergic pre-vesicles, vesicular structures originating from the dendrites of CEP for exportation of cellular content. In addition, the expression levels of Caenorhabditis elegans homologs of dopamine transporter (dat-1) and tyrosine hydroxylase (cat-2) were also analyzed at these adult stages. Our data showed that swimming speeds were reduced in wild-type worms at the day 10 adult stage at 50 nM MeHg level; yet, reduced swimming speeds were noted in the G2019S LRRK2 transgenic line upon MeHg exposures as low as 10 nM. Compared to locomotor speeds, swimming speeds appear to be more sensitive to the behavioral effects of developmental MeHg exposures, as the locomotor speeds were largely intact and indistinguishable from controls following MeHg exposures. Furthermore, we showed an age-dependent modulation of dat-1 and cat-2 expressions, which could also be modified by the LRRK2 mutation. Although MeHg exposures did not change the number of pre-vesicles, the LRRK2 mutation was associated with increased numbers of pre-vesicles in aged worms. Our data suggest that the latent behavioral effects of MeHg are sensitized by the G2019S LRRK2 mutation, and the underlying mechanism likely involves age-dependent changes in dopaminergic signaling.
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8
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Saul N, Dhondt I, Kuokkanen M, Perola M, Verschuuren C, Wouters B, von Chrzanowski H, De Vos WH, Temmerman L, Luyten W, Zečić A, Loier T, Schmitz-Linneweber C, Braeckman BP. Identification of healthspan-promoting genes in Caenorhabditis elegans based on a human GWAS study. Biogerontology 2022; 23:431-452. [PMID: 35748965 PMCID: PMC9388463 DOI: 10.1007/s10522-022-09969-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
To find drivers of healthy ageing, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed in healthy and unhealthy older individuals. Healthy individuals were defined as free from cardiovascular disease, stroke, heart failure, major adverse cardiovascular event, diabetes, dementia, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, rheumatism, Crohn’s disease, malabsorption or kidney disease. Six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with unknown function associated with ten human genes were identified as candidate healthspan markers. Thirteen homologous or closely related genes were selected in the model organism C. elegans for evaluating healthspan after targeted RNAi-mediated knockdown using pathogen resistance, muscle integrity, chemotaxis index and the activity of known longevity and stress response pathways as healthspan reporters. In addition, lifespan was monitored in the RNAi-treated nematodes. RNAi knockdown of yap-1, wwp-1, paxt-1 and several acdh genes resulted in heterogeneous phenotypes regarding muscle integrity, pathogen resistance, chemotactic behaviour, and lifespan. Based on these observations, we hypothesize that their human homologues WWC2, CDKN2AIP and ACADS may play a role in health maintenance in the elderly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Saul
- Molecular Genetics Group, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Ineke Dhondt
- Laboratory of Aging Physiology and Molecular Evolution, Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Mikko Kuokkanen
- Genomics and Biomarkers Unit, Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Human Genetics and South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute, School of Medicine, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, TX, USA
| | - Markus Perola
- Genomics and Biomarkers Unit, Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Clara Verschuuren
- Laboratory of Aging Physiology and Molecular Evolution, Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Henrik von Chrzanowski
- Molecular Genetics Group, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Winnok H De Vos
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | | | - Aleksandra Zečić
- Laboratory of Aging Physiology and Molecular Evolution, Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tim Loier
- Laboratory of Aging Physiology and Molecular Evolution, Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Bart P Braeckman
- Laboratory of Aging Physiology and Molecular Evolution, Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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9
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Abstract
Cancer continues to be a leading cause of death worldwide, largely due to metastases and cachexia. It is a complex disease that is commonly associated with a variety of comorbidities. With global increases in ageing populations and obesity, multimorbidity is a rapidly growing clinical issue in the context of cancer. Cancer is also genetically heterogeneous, with a tumour's unique profile determining its incidence of metastasis, degree of cachexia and response to therapeutics. These complexities of human cancer are difficult to replicate in animal models and are, in part, responsible for the failures in translational cancer research. In this Perspective, we highlight the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, as a powerful model organism to investigate multimorbidity and tumour diversity. We also highlight how harnessing these complexities in Drosophila can, potentially, enhance cancer research and advance therapeutic discoveries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney Choutka
- Medical Research Council London Institute of Medical Sciences, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - Cecilia Cabrera
- Medical Research Council London Institute of Medical Sciences, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - Susumu Hirabayashi
- Medical Research Council London Institute of Medical Sciences, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
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