surveying-low-cost-methods-to-measure-lifespan-healthspan

Surveying Low-Cost Methods to Measure Lifespan and Healthspan in <em>Caenorhabditis elegans</em>

The discovery and development of Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism was influential in biology, particularly in the field of aging. Many ...

imaging-quantifying-mitochondrial-morphology-c-elegans-during

Imaging and Quantifying Mitochondrial Morphology in <i>C. elegans</i> During Aging

Mitochondria, important cellular organelles found in most eukaryotic cells, are major sites of energy production through aerobic respiration. Beyond this ...

University of Southern California

The actin cytoskeleton plays a fundamental role in the regulation of multiple cellular pathways, including trafficking and locomotion. The functional integrity of the cytoskeleton is important during aging, as the decline of cytoskeletal integrity contributes to the physiological consequence of aging. Moreover, improving cytoskeletal form and function throughout aging is sufficient to drive life span extension and promote organismal health in multiple model systems. For these reasons, optimized protocols for visualization of the actin cytoskeleton and its downstream consequences on health span and life span are critical for understanding the aging process. In C. elegans, the actin cytoskeleton shows diverse morphologies across tissues, potentially due to the significantly different functions of each cell type. This chapter describes an imaging platform utilizing LifeAct to visualize the actin cytoskeleton in live, whole nematodes throughout the aging process and methods to perform follow-up studies on the life span and health span of these organisms.

Imaging of Actin Cytoskeletal Integrity During Aging in C. elegans.

The dysfunction of mitochondria is associated with the physiological consequences of aging and many age-related diseases. Therefore, critical quality control mechanisms exist to protect mitochondrial functions, including the unfolded protein response of the mitochondria (UPR). However, it is still unclear how UPR is regulated in mammals with mechanistic discrepancies between previous studies. Here, we reasoned that a study of conserved mechanisms could provide a uniquely powerful way to reveal previously uncharacterized components of the mammalian UPR. We performed cross-species comparison of genetic requirements for survival under—and in response to—mitochondrial stress between karyotypically normal human stem cells and the nematode . We identified a role for EPS-8/EPS8 (epidermal growth factor receptor pathway substrate 8), a signaling protein adaptor, in general mitochondrial homeostasis and UPR regulation through integrin-mediated remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton. This study also highlights the use of cross-species comparisons in genetic screens to interrogate cellular pathways.

Gilberto Garcia

Leonard Davis School of Gerontology

University of Southern California

Surveying Low-Cost Methods to Measure Lifespan and Healthspan in Caenorhabditis elegans

Imaging and Quantifying Mitochondrial Morphology in C. elegans During Aging

Gilberto Garcia

.css-o250i3{font-size:18px;font-family:Open Sans,sans-serif;line-height:21.6px;}Leonard Davis School of Gerontology

University of Southern California

Surveying Low-Cost Methods to Measure Lifespan and Healthspan in Caenorhabditis elegans

Imaging and Quantifying Mitochondrial Morphology in C. elegans During Aging

Leonard Davis School of Gerontology