title: The lin-4 gene controls fat accumulation and longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans.
abstract: Previous studies have determined that lin-4, which was the first miRNA to be discovered, controls the timing of cell fate determination and life span in Caenorhabditis elegans. However, the mechanism of lin-4 involvement in these processes remains poorly understood. Fat storage is an essential aspect of the life cycle of organisms, and the function of lin-4 in fat accumulation is not clear. In this study, we showed that the fat content is reduced remarkably in C. elegans lin-4 mutants. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed a considerable decrease in the levels of SBP-1 and OGA-1 mRNA in lin-4 mutants. We also showed that lin-4 mutants have a significantly shorter life span than wild-type worms. DCF assay experiments showed that the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels increased and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number decreased in loss-of-function lin-4 mutants. These mutants also showed attenuation of locomotion. Taken together, our findings suggest that lin-4 may play an important role in regulating fat accumulation and locomotion and that lin-4 may control the life span of C. elegans by mediating ROS production.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Nanjing Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, No.123 Tianfei Road, 210004 Nanjing, China; E-Mails: zhifangxibao@163.com (C.Z.); zhangcm79@163.com (C.-M.Z.).
authors: Chun
authors: C
authors: Zhu
authors: Chen-Bo
authors: CB
authors: Ji
authors: Chun-Mei
authors: CM
authors: Zhang
authors: Chun-Lin
authors: CL
authors: Gao
authors: Jin-Gai
authors: JG
authors: Zhu
authors: Da-Ni
authors: DN
authors: Qin
authors: Chun-Zhao
authors: CZ
authors: Kou
authors: Guan-Zhong
authors: GZ
authors: Zhu
authors: Chun-Mei
authors: CM
authors: Shi
authors: Xi-Rong
authors: XR
authors: Guo
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