title: Dramatic age-related changes in nuclear and genome copy number in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.
abstract: The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has become one of the most widely used model systems for the study of aging, yet very little is known about how C. elegans age. The development of the worm, from egg to young adult has been completely mapped at the cellular level, but such detailed studies have not been extended throughout the adult lifespan. Numerous single gene mutations, drug treatments and environmental manipulations have been found to extend worm lifespan. To interpret the mechanism of action of such aging interventions, studies to characterize normal worm aging, similar to those used to study worm development are necessary. We have used 4',6'-diamidino-2-phenylindole hydrochloride staining and quantitative polymerase chain reaction to investigate the integrity of nuclei and quantify the nuclear genome copy number of C. elegans with age. We report both systematic loss of nuclei or nuclear DNA, as well as dramatic age-related changes in nuclear genome copy number. These changes are delayed or attenuated in long-lived daf-2 mutants. We propose that these changes are important pathobiological characteristics of aging nematodes.
authors.affiliation: Buck Institute for Age Research, 8001 Redwood Boulevard, Novato, CA 94945, USA.
authors.forename: Tamara R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Golden
authors.forename: Kenneth B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Beckman
authors.forename: Andreia H J
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dudek
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hubbard
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Samper
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Melov
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000378:metabolism; D018628:Gene Dosage; D017238:Genes, Helminth; D049751:Genome, Helminth; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D018509:DNA, Helminth