Journal
CELLS
Volume 11, Issue 2, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/cells11020245
Keywords
C; elegans; insulin; IGF-1; daf-2(e1370); longevity; stress resistance; glycogen; LEA-1
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Funding
- NIH Office of Research Infrastructure Programs [P40 OD010440]
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This study reveals that activation of a dauer-associated genetic program in the C. elegans insulin/IGF-1 daf-2(e1370) mutant leads to glycogen accumulation and upregulation of glycogen synthase, GSY-1. Accumulated glycogen acts as a protection against hyperosmotic stress and serves as an important energy source during starvation. Additionally, LEA-1 contributes to increased resistance of daf-2 mutants to heat, osmotic, and UV stress. These findings suggest that longevity and stress resistance can be uncoupled in IIS longevity mutants.
DAF-16-dependent activation of a dauer-associated genetic program in the C. elegans insulin/IGF-1 daf-2(e1370) mutant leads to accumulation of large amounts of glycogen with concomitant upregulation of glycogen synthase, GSY-1. Glycogen is a major storage sugar in C. elegans that can be used as a short-term energy source for survival, and possibly as a reservoir for synthesis of a chemical chaperone trehalose. Its role in mitigating anoxia, osmotic and oxidative stress has been demonstrated previously. Furthermore, daf-2 mutants show increased abundance of the group 3 late embryogenesis abundant protein LEA-1, which has been found to act in synergy with trehalose to exert its protective role against desiccation and heat stress in vitro, and to be essential for desiccation tolerance in C. elegans dauer larvae. Here we demonstrate that accumulated glycogen is not required for daf-2 longevity, but specifically protects against hyperosmotic stress, and serves as an important energy source during starvation. Similarly, lea-1 does not act to support daf-2 longevity. Instead, it contributes to increased resistance of daf-2 mutants to heat, osmotic, and UV stress. In summary, our experimental results suggest that longevity and stress resistance can be uncoupled in IIS longevity mutants.
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