Groen AK et al. (2013) Cell Metab "Bile acid look-alike controls life span in C. elegans."

Kuipers F, Groen AK

[Cell Metab, 2013]

Extensive transcriptional networks maintain sterol homeostasis across species, underscoring the importance of sterol balance for healthy life. Magner et al. (2013) now show that, in C. elegans, the nuclear receptor NHR-8 is key in regulation of cholesterol balance and production of dafachronic acid, a bile acid-like steroid that controls longevity.

Marino G et al. (2013) Cell Res "Mechanisms of apoptotic phosphatidylserine exposure."

Marino G, Kroemer G

[Cell Res, 2013]

It has been a long-standing enigma which scramblase causes phosphatidylserine residues to be exposed on the surface of apoptotic cells, thereby facilitating the phagocytic recognition, engulfment and destruction of apoptotic corpses. In a recent paper in Science, Nagata and coworkers reveal that the scramblases Xkr8 and its C. elegans ortholog, CED-8, are activated by caspase cleavage in apoptotic cells.

Lackner MR et al. (1999) Neuron "Facilitation of synaptic transmission by EGL-30 Gqalpha and EGL-8 PLCbeta: DAG binding to UNC-13 is required to stimulate acetylcholine release."

Nurrish SJ, Lackner MR, Kaplan JM

[Neuron, 1999]

We show that neurotransmitter release at Caenorhabditis elegans neuromuscular junctions is facilitated by a presynaptic pathway composed of a Gqalpha (EGL-30), EGL-8 phospholipase Cbeta (PLCbeta), and the diacylglycerol- (DAG-) binding protein UNC-13. Activation of this pathway increased release of acetylcholine at neuromuscular junctions, whereas inactivation decreased release. Phorbol esters stimulated acetylcholine release, and this effect was blocked by a mutation that eliminates phorbol ester binding to UNC-13. Expression of a constitutively membrane-bound form of UNC-13 restored acetylcholine release to mutants lacking the egl-8 PLCbeta. Activation of this pathway with muscarinic agonists caused UNC-13 to accumulate in punctate structures in the ventral nerve cord. These results suggest that presynaptic DAG facilitates synaptic transmission and that part of this effect is mediated by UNC-13.AD - Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley 94720, USA.FAU - Lackner, M RAU - Lackner MRFAU - Nurrish, S JAU - Nurrish SJFAU - Kaplan, J MAU - Kaplan JMLA - engID - GM54728/GM/NIGMSPT - Journal ArticleCY - UNITED STATESTA - NeuronJID - 8809320RN - 0 (Diglycerides)RN - 0 (Helminth Proteins)RN - 0 (Isoenzymes)RN - 0 (Muscarinic Agonists)RN - 0 (Unc-13 protein)RN - 16561-29-8 (Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate)RN - 51-84-3 (Acetylcholine)RN - EC 3.1.4.- (phospholipase C beta)RN - EC 3.1.4.3 (Phospholipase C)RN - EC 3.6.1.- (GTP-Binding Proteins)SB - IM

Vaupel JW et al. (1994) Science "Rates of mortality in populations of Caenorhabditis elegans."

Vaupel JW, Lithgow GJ, Xiu L, Fukui HH, Curtsinger JW, Khazaeli A, Pletcher S, Capra WB, Carey JR, Johnson TE, Muller HG, Wang JL

[Science, 1994]

A. Brooks et al. report that mortality increased exponentially for a cohort of 180,000 nematodes of the species Caenorhabditis elegans of the single genotype TJ1060 [spe-9(hc88) fer-15(b26)]. A closer look at the data reveals that from days 5 through 8 mortality increased at a rate of 0.58 +/- 0.0004, which is more than twice the rate thereafter (0.21 +/- 0.02). Such a "biphasic pattern," with death rates increasing rapidly at younger ages and more slowly at older ages, was also found in a genetically heterogeneous population of 79 recombinant-inbred (RI) strains.

Ayala FR et al. (2017) Microb Cell "Microbial flora, probiotics, Bacillus subtilis and the search for a long and healthy human longevity."

Grau R, Ayala FR, Bartolini M, Bauman C, Lenini C, Cogliati S

[Microb Cell, 2017]

Probiotics are live microorganisms that have beneficial effects on host health, including extended lifespan, when they are administered or present in adequate quantities. However, the mechanisms by which probiotics stimulate host longevity remain unclear and very poorly understood. In a recent study (Nat. Commun. 8, 14332 (2017) doi: 10.1038/ncomms14332), we used the spore-forming probiotic bacterium Bacillus subtilis and the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans to study the mechanism by which a probiotic bacterium affects host longevity. We found that biofilm-proficient B. subtilis colonized the C. elegans gut and extended the worm lifespan significantly longer than did biofilm-deficient isogenic strains. In addition to biofilm proficiency, the quorum-sensing pentapeptide CSF and nitric oxide (NO) represent the entire B. subtilis repertoire responsible for the extended longevity of C. elegans. B. subtilis grown under biofilm-supporting conditions synthesized higher levels of NO and CSF than under planktonic growth conditions, emphasizing the key role of the biofilm in slowing host aging. Significantly, the prolongevity effect of B. subtilis was primarily due to a downregulation of the insulin-like signaling system that precisely is a key partaker in the healthy longevity of human centenarians. These findings open the possibility to test if the regular consumption of B. subtilis incorporated in foods and beverages could significantly extend human life expectancy and contribute to stop the development of age-related diseases.

Aleshin VV (2004) Zh Obshch Biol "[Whether variable cleavage of Enoplida (Nematoda) is primitive? Notes to D.A. Voronov article "Comparative embryology of Nematoda and the law of embryologic similarity]"

Aleshin VV

[Zh Obshch Biol, 2004]

The early embryonic development of Nematoda proceeds by three ways, which strictly correspond to three phylogenetic lineages. Under the first way the endodermal precursor is localized in the posterior blastomere at the two-cells stage (such a determination is the peculiarity of all the Chromadoria, including Secernentea and Caenorhabditis elegans). Under the second way the endodermal precursor is localized in the anterior blastomere of the egg. This feature is very unusual for Metazoa, but it is the only way of entoderm determination in all the Dorylaimia orders (Mononchida, Mermithida, Trichinellida, Dioctophymida, Dorylaimida). The third way described for the sea Enoplida is characterized with variable location of blastomers and changeable localization of endodermal precursor before eight-cells stage. It is still unknown of these three variants was typical the most recent common ancestor of present Nematoda. D.A. Voronov (2001) produced argument in favour of variable cleavage as primitive one for Nematoda. This opinion is rejected because of the similarity in development between sea Enoplida and C. elegans. Both of them share such features as low-cell gastrula and neurula, identical phylotypic lima bean stage of embryogenesis, identity of some geometrical figures 4 or 8 blastomers, isolating of the endodermal precursor at the eight-cells stage, the lack in development of any plesiomorphous features, which are widely distributed outside Nematoda (under the variable cleavage of Enoplida there are no such locations of blastomers, which are typical for spiral or radial cleavage, there are no embryonic leaves as well). One can see the homology of separate cells at adult Enoplida and Rhabditia. Cell lineage of Triplonchida as far as it is described at Tobrilus gracilis doesn't exclude the hypothesis on their origin from the cleavage similar to one of present Dorylaimia with localization of the endodermal precursor in the anterior blastomere. In view of all the considerations mentioned above one should interpret variable cleavage of Enoplida as derivation from invariant cleavage