Involvement of genes required for synaptic function in aging control in C. elegans.
OBJECTIVE
To identify new genes required for neurosecretory control of aging in C. elegans.


METHODS
In view of the importance of nervous system in aging regulation, we performed the screen for genes involved in the aging regulation from genetic loci encoding synaptic proteins by lifespan assay and accumulation of lipofuscin autofluorescence. We further investigated the dauer formation phenotypes of their corresponding mutants and whether they were possibly up-regulated by the insulin-like signaling pathway.


RESULTS
The genetic loci of unc-10, syd-2, hlb-1, dlk-1, mkk-4, scd-2, snb-1, ric-4, nrx-1, unc-13, sbt-1 and unc-64 might be involved in the aging control. In addition, functions of unc-10, syd-2, hlb-1, dlk-1, mkk-4, scd-2, snb-1, ric-4 and nrx-1 in regulating aging may be opposite to those of unc-13, sbt-1 and unc-64. The intestinal autofluorescence assay further indicated that the identified long-lived and short-lived mutants were actually due to the suppressed or accelerated aging. Among the identified genes, syd-2, hlb-1, mkk-4, scd-2, snb-1, ric-4 and unc-64 were also involved in the control of dauer formation. Moreover, daf-2 mutation positively regulated the expression of syd-2 and hlb-1, and negatively regulated the expression of mkk-4, nrx-1, ric-4, sbt-1, rpm-1, unc-10, dlk-1 and unc-13. The daf-16 mutation positively regulated the expression of syd-2 and hlb-1, and negatively regulated the expression of mkk-4, nrx-1, sbt-1, rpm-1, unc-10, dlk-1 and unc-13.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest the possibly important status of the synaptic transmission to the animal's life-span control machinery, as well as the dauer formation control.
Shen
Lu-Lu
LL
Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
Wang
Yang
Y
Wang
Da-Yong
DY
D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics*; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D008062:Lipofuscin / Q000378:metabolism; D008136:Longevity / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D009420:Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism*; D009489:Neurosecretion / Q000235:genetics; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics; D013569:Synapses / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000235:genetics
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D007328:Insulin; D008062:Lipofuscin; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins