Ethanol extract of Cassia siamea L. increases life span in Drosophila melanogaster

ABSTRACTAdultDrosophila melanogasterraised in the absence of symbiotic bacteria have fewer intestinal stem cell divisions and a longer life span than their conventionally reared counterparts. However, we do not know if increased stem cell divisions are essential for symbiont-dependent regulation of longevity. To determine if individual symbionts cause aging-dependent death inDrosophila, we examined the impacts of common symbionts on host longevity. We found that monoassociation of adultDrosophilawithLactobacillus plantarum, a widely reported fly symbiont and member of the probioticLactobacillusgenus, curtails adult longevity relative to germfree counterparts. The effects ofLactobacillus plantarumon life span were independent of intestinal aging. Instead, we found that association withLactobacillus plantarumcauses an extensive intestinal pathology within the host, characterized by loss of stem cells, impaired epithelial renewal, and a gradual erosion of epithelial ultrastructure. Our study uncovers an unknown aspect ofLactobacillus plantarum-Drosophilainteractions and establishes a simple model to characterize symbiont-dependent disruption of intestinal homeostasis.IMPORTANCEUnder homeostatic conditions, gut bacteria provide molecular signals that support the organization and function of the host intestine. Sudden shifts in the composition or distribution of gut bacterial communities impact host receipt of bacterial cues and disrupt tightly regulated homeostatic networks. We used theDrosophila melanogastermodel to determine the effects of prominent fly symbionts on host longevity and intestinal homeostasis. We found that monoassociation withLactobacillus plantarumleads to a loss of intestinal progenitor cells, impaired epithelial renewal, and disruption of gut architecture as flies age. These observations uncover a novel phenotype caused by monoassociation of a germfree host with a common symbiont and establish a simple model to characterize symbiont-dependent loss of intestinal homeostasis.

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Agrimonia procera Wallr. Extract Increases Stress Resistance and Prolongs Life Span in Caenorhabditis elegans via Transcription Factor DAF-16 (FoxO Orthologue)

Antioxidants ◽

10.3390/antiox7120192 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (12) ◽

pp. 192 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Christina Saier ◽

Inge Gommlich ◽

Volker Hiemann ◽

Sabrina Baier ◽

Karoline Koch ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Transcription Factor ◽

Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽

Life Span ◽

Stress Resistance ◽

Radical Scavenging Activity ◽

Radical Scavenging ◽

Model Organism ◽

Amyloid Β ◽

Ethanol Extract

Agrimonia procera is a pharmacologically interesting plant which is proposed to protect against various diseases due to its high amount of phytochemicals, e.g., polyphenols. However, in spite of the amount of postulated health benefits, studies concerning the mechanistic effects of Agrimonia procera are limited. Using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, we were able to show that an ethanol extract of Agrimonia procera herba (eAE) mediates strong antioxidative effects in the nematode: Beside a strong radical-scavenging activity, eAE reduces accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and protects against paraquat-induced oxidative stress. The extract does not protect against amyloid-β-mediated toxicity, but efficiently increases the life span (up to 12.7%), as well as the resistance to thermal stress (prolongation of survival up to 22%), of this model organism. Using nematodes deficient in the forkhead box O (FoxO)-orthologue DAF-16, we were able to demonstrate that beneficial effects of eAE on stress resistance and life span were mediated via this transcription factor. We showed antioxidative, stress-reducing, and life-prolonging effects of eAE in vivo and were able to demonstrate a molecular mechanism of this extract. These results may be important for identifying further molecular targets of eAE in humans.

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Specific Dietary Carbohydrates Differentially Influence the Life Span and Fecundity of Drosophila melanogaster

The Journals of Gerontology Series A ◽

10.1093/gerona/glt077 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 69 (1) ◽

pp. 3-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 46

Author(s):

Oleh V. Lushchak ◽

Dmytro V. Gospodaryov ◽

Bohdana M. Rovenko ◽

Ihor S. Yurkevych ◽

Natalia V. Perkhulyn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drosophila Melanogaster ◽

Life Span ◽

Dietary Carbohydrates

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Genetic architecture of natural variation in visual senescence in Drosophila

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.1613833113 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 113 (43) ◽

pp. E6620-E6629 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Mary Anna Carbone ◽

Akihiko Yamamoto ◽

Wen Huang ◽

Rachel A. Lyman ◽

Tess Brune Meadors ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drosophila Melanogaster ◽

Genetic Variation ◽

Life Span ◽

Candidate Genes ◽

Natural Variation ◽

Genetic Basis ◽

Nervous System Development ◽

Interindividual Variation ◽

Human Populations ◽

Age Dependent

Senescence, i.e., functional decline with age, is a major determinant of health span in a rapidly aging population, but the genetic basis of interindividual variation in senescence remains largely unknown. Visual decline and age-related eye disorders are common manifestations of senescence, but disentangling age-dependent visual decline in human populations is challenging due to inability to control genetic background and variation in histories of environmental exposures. We assessed the genetic basis of natural variation in visual senescence by measuring age-dependent decline in phototaxis using Drosophila melanogaster as a genetic model system. We quantified phototaxis at 1, 2, and 4 wk of age in the sequenced, inbred lines of the Drosophila melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) and found an average decline in phototaxis with age. We observed significant genetic variation for phototaxis at each age and significant genetic variation in senescence of phototaxis that is only partly correlated with phototaxis. Genome-wide association analyses in the DGRP and a DGRP-derived outbred, advanced intercross population identified candidate genes and genetic networks associated with eye and nervous system development and function, including seven genes with human orthologs previously associated with eye diseases. Ninety percent of candidate genes were functionally validated with targeted RNAi-mediated suppression of gene expression. Absence of candidate genes previously implicated with longevity indicates physiological systems may undergo senescence independent of organismal life span. Furthermore, we show that genes that shape early developmental processes also contribute to senescence, demonstrating that senescence is part of a genetic continuum that acts throughout the life span.

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