title: DHS-21, a dicarbonyl/L-xylulose reductase (DCXR) ortholog, regulates longevity and reproduction in Caenorhabditis elegans.
abstract: Dicarbonyl/L-xylulose reductase (DCXR) converts l-xylulose into xylitol, and reduces various α-dicarbonyl compounds, thus performing a dual role in carbohydrate metabolism and detoxification. In this study, we identified DHS-21 as the only DCXR ortholog in Caenorhabditis elegans. The dhs-21 gene is expressed in various tissues including the intestine, gonadal sheath cells, uterine seam (utse) cells, the spermathecal-uterus (sp-ut) valve and on the plasma membrane of spermatids. Recombinant DHS-21 was shown to convert L-xylulose to xylitol using NADPH as a cofactor. Dhs-21 null mutants of C. elegans show defects in longevity, reproduction and egg-laying. Knock-down of daf-16 and elt-2 transcription factors affected dhs-21 expression. These results suggest that DHS-21 is a bona fide DCXR of C. elegans, essential for normal life span and reproduction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Le Tho
authors.initials: le T
authors.lastname: Son
authors.forename: Kyung-Min
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Jeong Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Gunasekaran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Singaravelu
authors.forename: Indrani
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chatterjee
authors.forename: Tae-Woo
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Hyun-Ok
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Jae-Ran
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Byung-Jae
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Sun-Kyung
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Joohong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ahnn
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D055162:Biocatalysis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D008136:Longevity / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009249:NADP / Q000378:metabolism; D034622:RNA Interference; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012098:Reproduction / Q000235:genetics; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013401:Sugar Alcohol Dehydrogenases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014993:Xylitol / Q000378:metabolism; D014996:Xylulose / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D009249:NADP; D014996:Xylulose; D013401:Sugar Alcohol Dehydrogenases; C023300:L-xylulose reductase; D014993:Xylitol