Do developmental temperatures affect redox level and lifespan in C. elegans through upregulation of peroxiredoxin?

Lifespan in poikilothermic organisms, such as Caenorhabditis elegans, can be substantially increased simply by decreasing growth temperature. To gain insights into the mechanistic underpinnings of this effect, we investigated the effects of temperature in development and adulthood on C. elegans lifespan. We found that worms exposed to 25 degrees C during development and shifted to 15 degrees C in adulthood exhibited an even longer lifespan than animals constantly kept at 15 degrees C. Analysis of the in vivo redox status demonstrated that at 25 degrees C, C. elegans larvae have a more reduced redox state and higher Prdx-2 expression levels than animals raised at 15 degrees C. Worms lacking prdx-2 fail to show the additional lifespan extension upon shift from 25 degrees C to 15 degrees C and reveal a lifespan similar to prdx-2 worms always kept at 15 degrees C. These results suggest that transiently altering the in vivo redox state during development can have highly beneficial long-term consequences for organisms.