Regulation of histone deacetylase 3 by metal cations and 10-hydroxy-2E-decenoic acid: Possible epigenetic mechanisms of queen-worker bee differentiation

Epigenetics Mechanisms of Honeybees: Secrets of Royal Jelly

Early diets in honeybees have effects on epigenome with consequences on their phenotype. Depending on the early larval diet, either royal jelly (RJ) or royal worker, 2 different female castes are generated from identical genomes, a long-lived queen with fully developed ovaries and a short-lived functionally sterile worker. To generate these prominent physiological and morphological differences between queen and worker, honeybees utilize epigenetic mechanisms which are controlled by nutritional input. These mechanisms include DNA methylation and histone post-translational modifications, mainly histone acetylation. In honeybee larvae, DNA methylation and histone acetylation may be differentially altered by RJ. This diet has biologically active ingredients with inhibitory effects on the de novo methyltransferase DNMT3A or the histone deacetylase 3 HDAC3 to create and maintain the epigenetic state necessary for developing larvae to generate a queen. DNMT and HDAC enzymes work together to induce the formation of a compacted chromatin structure, repressing transcription. Such dialog could be coordinated by their association with other epigenetic factors including the ubiquitin-like containing plant homeodomain (PHD) and really interesting new gene (RING) finger domains 1 (UHRF1). Through its multiple functional domains, UHRF1 acts as an epigenetic reader of both DNA methylation patterns and histone marks. The present review discusses the epigenetic regulation of honeybee's chromatin and how the early diets in honeybees can affect the DNA/histone modifying types of machinery that are necessary to stimulate the larvae to turn into either queen or worker. The review also looks at future directions in epigenetics mechanisms of honeybees, mainly the potential role of UHRF1 in these mechanisms.

Kinetic Characterization of Human Histone Deacetylase 8 With Medium-Chain Fatty Acyl Lysine

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) catalyze the removal of Ɛ-acetyl-lysine residues of histones via hydrolysis. Removal of acetyl groups results in condensation of chromatin structure and alteration of gene expression by repression. HDACs are considered targets for the treatment of cancer due to their role in regulating transcription. HDAC8 inhibition may be an important anti-proliferative factor for histone deacetylase inhibitors on cancer cells and may give rise to the progression of apoptosis. HDAC8 activity was analyzed with various peptides where the target lysine is modified with medium-chain fatty acyl group. Kinetic data were determined for each p53 peptide substrate. The results suggest that there was HDAC8 deacetylase activity on peptide substrate as well as deacylase activity with acylated peptide substrate variants. HDAC8 inhibition by hexanoic and decanoic acid was also examined. The K_i for hexanoic and decanoic acid were determined to be 2.35 ± 0.341 and 4.48 ± 0.221 mM, respectively.

Royal Jelly and Its Components Promote Healthy Aging and Longevity: From Animal Models to Humans

Aging is a natural phenomenon that occurs in all living organisms. In humans, aging is associated with lowered overall functioning and increased mortality out of the risk for various age-related diseases. Hence, researchers are pushed to find effective natural interventions that can promote healthy aging and extend lifespan. Royal jelly (RJ) is a natural product that is fed to bee queens throughout their entire life. Thanks to RJ, bee queens enjoy an excellent reproductive function and lengthened lifespan compared with bee workers, despite the fact that they have the same genome. This review aimed to investigate the effect of RJ and/or its components on lifespan/healthspan in various species by evaluating the most relevant studies. Moreover, we briefly discussed the positive effects of RJ on health maintenance and age-related disorders in humans. Whenever possible, we explored the metabolic, molecular, and cellular mechanisms through which RJ can modulate age-related mechanisms to extend lifespan. RJ and its ingredients—proteins and their derivatives e.g., royalactin; lipids e.g., 10-hydroxydecenoic acid; and vitamins e.g., pantothenic acid—improved healthspan and extended lifespan in worker honeybees Apis mellifera, Drosophila Melanogaster flies, Gryllus bimaculatus crickets, silkworms, Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes, and mice. The longevity effect was attained via various mechanisms: downregulation of insulin-like growth factors and targeting of rapamycin, upregulation of the epidermal growth factor signaling, dietary restriction, and enhancement of antioxidative capacity. RJ and its protein and lipid ingredients have the potential to extend lifespan in various creatures and prevent senescence of human tissues in cell cultures. These findings pave the way to inventing specific RJ anti-aging drugs. However, much work is needed to understand the effect of RJ interactions with microbiome, diet, activity level, gender, and other genetic variation factors that affect healthspan and longevity.