Characterization of Stress Responses in a Drosophila Model of Werner Syndrome

As organisms age, their resistance to stress decreases while their risk of disease increases. This can be shown in patients with Werner syndrome (WS), which is a genetic disease characterized by accelerated aging along with increased risk of cancer and metabolic disease. WS is caused by mutations in WRN, a gene involved in DNA replication and repair. Recent research has shown that WRN mutations contribute to multiple hallmarks of aging including genomic instability, telomere attrition, and mitochondrial dysfunction. However, questions remain regarding the onset and effect of stress on early aging. We used a fly model of WS (WRNexoΔ) to investigate stress response during different life stages and found that stress sensitivity varies according to age and stressor. While larvae and young WRNexoΔ adults are not sensitive to exogenous oxidative stress, high antioxidant activity suggests high levels of endogenous oxidative stress. WRNexoΔ adults are sensitive to stress caused by elevated temperature and starvation suggesting abnormalities in energy storage and a possible link to metabolic dysfunction in WS patients. We also observed higher levels of sleep in aged WRNexoΔ adults suggesting an additional adaptive mechanism to protect against age-related stress. We suggest that stress response in WRNexoΔ is multifaceted and evokes a systemic physiological response to protect against cellular damage. These data further validate WRNexoΔ flies as a WS model with which to study mechanisms of early aging and provide a foundation for development of treatments for WS and similar diseases.

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Distinct Signaling Pathways Respond to Arsenite and Reactive Oxygen Species in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Eukaryotic Cell ◽

10.1128/ec.4.8.1396-1402.2005 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 4 (8) ◽

pp. 1396-1402 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

Miguel A. Rodríguez-Gabriel ◽

Paul Russell

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Reactive Oxygen Species ◽

Hydrogen Peroxide ◽

Schizosaccharomyces Pombe ◽

Stress Responses ◽

Biological Effects ◽

Reactive Oxygen ◽

Oxygen Species ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Risk Of Cancer

ABSTRACT Exposure to certain metal and metalloid species, such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and nickel, has been associated with an increased risk of cancer in humans. The biological effects of these metals are thought to result from induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inhibition of DNA repair enzymes, although alterations in signal transduction pathways may also be involved in tumor development. To better understand metal toxicity and its connection to ROS, we have compared the effects of arsenite and hydrogen peroxide in wild-type and mutant strains of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. An atf1Δ pap1Δ strain, which is defective in two transcription factors that control stress responses, is extremely sensitive to hydrogen peroxide but not to arsenite. A strain that lacks the transcription factor Zip1 has the opposite relationship. Spc1 (Sty1) mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), a homologue of mammalian p38 MAPK, and the upstream MAPK kinase (MAPKK) Wis1 are essential for survival of both arsenite and hydrogen peroxide. Inactivation of two MAPKK kinases, Win1 and Wis4, almost completely eliminates Spc1 activation by arsenite, yet these cells survive arsenite treatment. The two-component phosphorelay protein Mcs4, which acts upstream of Win1 and Wis4 and is required for Spc1 activation in response to oxidative stress, is not required for Spc1 activation in response to arsenite. We conclude that the toxic effects of arsenic are not strongly connected to oxidative stress and that although Spc1 is activated by arsenic exposure, the basal activity of Spc1 is largely sufficient for the survival of arsenic.

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Loss of C/EBPδ Exacerbates Radiation-Induced Cognitive Decline in Aged Mice due to Impaired Oxidative Stress Response

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms20040885 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (4) ◽

pp. 885 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sudip Banerjee ◽

Tyler Alexander ◽

Debajyoti Majumdar ◽

Thomas Groves ◽

Frederico Kiffer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Stress Responses ◽

Short Term Memory ◽

Atomic Bomb ◽

Radiation Sensitivity ◽

Neurocognitive Dysfunction ◽

Aged Mice ◽

Age Related ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Neurocognitive Decline

Aging is characterized by increased inflammation and deterioration of the cellular stress responses such as the oxidant/antioxidant equilibrium, DNA damage repair fidelity, and telomeric attrition. All these factors contribute to the increased radiation sensitivity in the elderly as shown by epidemiological studies of the Japanese atomic bomb survivors. There is a global increase in the aging population, who may be at increased risk of exposure to ionizing radiation (IR) as part of cancer therapy or accidental exposure. Therefore, it is critical to delineate the factors that exacerbate age-related radiation sensitivity and neurocognitive decline. The transcription factor CCAAT enhancer binding protein delta (C/EBPδ) is implicated with regulatory roles in neuroinflammation, learning, and memory, however its role in IR-induced neurocognitive decline and aging is not known. The purpose of this study was to delineate the role of C/EBPδ in IR-induced neurocognitive decline in aged mice. We report that aged Cebpd−/− mice exposed to acute IR exposure display impairment in short-term memory and spatial memory that correlated with significant alterations in the morphology of neurons in the dentate gyrus (DG) and CA1 apical and basal regions. There were no significant changes in the expression of inflammatory markers. However, the expression of superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) and catalase (CAT) were altered post-IR in the hippocampus of aged Cebpd−/− mice. These results suggest that Cebpd may protect from IR-induced neurocognitive dysfunction by suppressing oxidative stress in aged mice.

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Environmental Conditions Modulate the Transcriptomic Response of Both Caulobacter crescentus Morphotypes to Cu Stress

Microorganisms ◽

10.3390/microorganisms9061116 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 1116

Author(s):

Laurens Maertens ◽

Pauline Cherry ◽

Françoise Tilquin ◽

Rob Van Houdt ◽

Jean-Yves Matroule

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Stress Response ◽

Stress Responses ◽

Caulobacter Crescentus ◽

Oxidative Stress Response ◽

Transport Systems ◽

Transcriptomic Response ◽

Swarmer Cell ◽

Cu Stress ◽

Cellular Environment

Bacteria encounter elevated copper (Cu) concentrations in multiple environments, varying from mining wastes to antimicrobial applications of copper. As the role of the environment in the bacterial response to Cu ion exposure remains elusive, we used a tagRNA-seq approach to elucidate the disparate responses of two morphotypes of Caulobacter crescentus NA1000 to moderate Cu stress in a complex rich (PYE) medium and a defined poor (M2G) medium. The transcriptome was more responsive in M2G, where we observed an extensive oxidative stress response and reconfiguration of the proteome, as well as the induction of metal resistance clusters. In PYE, little evidence was found for an oxidative stress response, but several transport systems were differentially expressed, and an increased need for histidine was apparent. These results show that the Cu stress response is strongly dependent on the cellular environment. In addition, induction of the extracytoplasmic function sigma factor SigF and its regulon was shared by the Cu stress responses in both media, and its central role was confirmed by the phenotypic screening of a sigF::Tn5 mutant. In both media, stalked cells were more responsive to Cu stress than swarmer cells, and a stronger basal expression of several cell protection systems was noted, indicating that the swarmer cell is inherently more Cu resistant. Our approach also allowed for detecting several new transcription start sites, putatively indicating small regulatory RNAs, and additional levels of Cu-responsive regulation.

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Clade III cytokinin response factors share common roles in response to oxidative stress responses linked to cytokinin synthesis

Journal of Experimental Botany ◽

10.1093/jxb/erab076 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 72 (8) ◽

pp. 3294-3306

Author(s):

Ariel M Hughes ◽

H Tucker Hallmark ◽

Lenka Plačková ◽

Ondrej Novák ◽

Aaron M Rashotte

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Transcription Factors ◽

Stress Response ◽

Stress Responses ◽

Oxidative Stress Response ◽

Response Factors ◽

Ontology Term ◽

Regulated Expression ◽

Cytokinin Response ◽

Oxidative Stress Responses

Abstract Cytokinin response factors (CRFs) are transcription factors that are involved in cytokinin (CK) response, as well as being linked to abiotic stress tolerance. In particular, oxidative stress responses are activated by Clade III CRF members, such as AtCRF6. Here we explored the relationships between Clade III CRFs and oxidative stress. Transcriptomic responses to oxidative stress were determined in two Clade III transcription factors, Arabidopsis AtCRF5 and tomato SlCRF5. AtCRF5 was required for regulated expression of >240 genes that are involved in oxidative stress response. Similarly, SlCRF5 was involved in the regulated expression of nearly 420 oxidative stress response genes. Similarities in gene regulation by these Clade III members in response to oxidative stress were observed between Arabidopsis and tomato, as indicated by Gene Ontology term enrichment. CK levels were also changed in response to oxidative stress in both species. These changes were regulated by Clade III CRFs. Taken together, these findings suggest that Clade III CRFs play a role in oxidative stress response as well as having roles in CK signaling.

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Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Arising in Young and Old Patients Displays Similar Molecular Features

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13061234 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 1234

Author(s):

Jérôme Raffenne ◽

Fernando A. Martin ◽

Rémy Nicolle ◽

Marina Konta ◽

Yuna Blum ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Stress Responses ◽

Protein Identification ◽

Molecular Profile ◽

Global Methylation ◽

Old Patients ◽

Molecular Features ◽

Age Related ◽

Clinical Difference ◽

Dna Repair Gene

Pancreatic ducal adenocarcinoma is classically diagnosed in the 7th decade, but approximately 10% of patients are diagnosed under 55 years (y.o.). While the genomic and transcriptomic landscapes of late-onset tumors (LOT) have been described, little is known about early-onset tumors (EOT). Ageing is known to impact DNA methylation and proteome integrity through carbonylation-related oxidative damages. We therefore aimed to assess the global molecular features of EOT. We compared 176 EOT (≤55 y.o.) and 316 LOT (≥70 y.o.) from three distinct surgical cohorts at the clinical/genomic/epigenomic/transcriptomic level. Furthermore, we assessed oxidative stress responses and oxidative proteome damages using 2D gel electrophoresis followed by mass spectrometry protein identification. There was no consistent clinical difference between EOT and LOT across the three cohorts. The mutational landscape of key driver genes and the global methylation profile were similar in the two groups. LOT did display age-related features such as enriched DNA repair gene signatures and upregulation of oxidative stress defenses together with increased proteome carbonylation. However, these age-related differences were more preeminent in non-tumor tissues while tumor proteome and proteome damages were fairly comparable. In conclusion, this multi-omics comparison showed that EOT harbor a comparable molecular profile to that of LOT.

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Coenzyme Q10, Ageing and the Nervous System: An Overview

Antioxidants ◽

10.3390/antiox11010002 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 2

Author(s):

David Mantle ◽

Robert A. Heaton ◽

Iain P. Hargreaves

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Coenzyme Q10 ◽

Neurological Disorders ◽

Neurological Disease ◽

Age Related ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Potential Therapeutic Role ◽

Ageing Brain ◽

And Oxidative Stress

The ageing brain is characterised by changes at the physical, histological, biochemical and physiological levels. This ageing process is associated with an increased risk of developing a number of neurological disorders, notably Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. There is evidence that mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress play a key role in the pathogenesis of such disorders. In this article, we review the potential therapeutic role in these age-related neurological disorders of supplementary coenzyme Q10, a vitamin-like substance of vital importance for normal mitochondrial function and as an antioxidant. This review is concerned primarily with studies in humans rather than in vitro studies or studies in animal models of neurological disease. In particular, the reasons why the outcomes of clinical trials supplementing coenzyme Q10 in these neurological disorders is discussed.

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Monogenic Diabetes and Integrated Stress Response Genes Display Altered Gene Expression in Type 1 Diabetes

10.2337/figshare.14612202.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Helmut Hiller ◽

Dawn E. Beachy ◽

Joseph J. Lebowitz ◽

Stefanie Engler ◽

Justin R. Mason ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Type 1 Diabetes ◽

Stress Response ◽

Stress Responses ◽

Disease Process ◽

Monogenic Diabetes ◽

Integrated Stress Response ◽

Altered Expression ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Gene And Protein Expression

Type 1 diabetes has a multifactorial autoimmune etiology, involving environmental prompts and polygenic predisposition. We hypothesized that pancreata from individuals with and at risk for type 1 diabetes would exhibit dysregulated expression of genes associated with monogenic forms of diabetes caused by non-redundant single-gene mutations. Employing a “monogenetic transcriptomic strategy,” we measured the expression of these genes in human type 1 diabetes, autoantibody positive (autoantibody+), and control pancreas tissues using RTqPCR in accordance with the Minimum Information for Publication of Quantitative Real-Time PCR Experiments (MIQE) guidelines. Gene and protein expression were visualized <i>in situ</i> using immunofluorescence, RNAScope, and confocal microscopy. Two-dozen monogenic diabetes genes showed altered expression in human pancreata from individuals with type 1 diabetes versus unaffected controls. Six of these genes also saw dysregulation in pancreata from autoantibody+ persons at increased-risk for type 1 diabetes. As a subset of these genes are related to cellular stress responses, we measured integrated stress response (ISR) genes and identified 20 with altered expression in type 1 diabetes pancreata, including three of the four eIF2a-dependent kinases. Equally intriguing, we observed significant repression of the three arms of the ISR in autoantibody+ pancreata. Collectively, these efforts suggest monogenic diabetes and ISR genes are dysregulated early in the type 1 diabetes disease process and likely contribute to the disorder’s pathogenesis.

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Quantifying Microsatellite Mutation Rates from Intestinal Stem Cell Dynamics in Msh2-Deficient Murine Epithelium

Genetics ◽

10.1534/genetics.119.302268 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 212 (3) ◽

pp. 655-665 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Joseph Christopher ◽

Ann-Sofie Thorsen ◽

Sam Abujudeh ◽

Filipe C. Lourenço ◽

Richard Kemp ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stem Cell ◽

Fold Increase ◽

Mutation Rates ◽

Wild Type ◽

Cell Dynamics ◽

Tissue Samples ◽

Age Related ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Microsatellite Mutation ◽

Risk Of Cancer

Microsatellite sequences have an enhanced susceptibility to mutation, and can act as sentinels indicating elevated mutation rates and increased risk of cancer. The probability of mutant fixation within the intestinal epithelium is dictated by a combination of stem cell dynamics and mutation rate. Here, we exploit this relationship to infer microsatellite mutation rates. First a sensitive, multiplexed, and quantitative method for detecting somatic changes in microsatellite length was developed that allowed the parallel detection of mutant [CA]n sequences from hundreds of low-input tissue samples at up to 14 loci. The method was applied to colonic crypts in Mus musculus, and enabled detection of mutant subclones down to 20% of the cellularity of the crypt (∼50 of 250 cells). By quantifying age-related increases in clone frequencies for multiple loci, microsatellite mutation rates in wild-type and Msh2-deficient epithelium were established. An average 388-fold increase in mutation per mitosis rate was observed in Msh2-deficient epithelium (2.4 × 10−2) compared to wild-type epithelium (6.2 × 10−5).

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Oxidative stress and cancer: have we moved forward?

Biochemical Journal ◽

10.1042/bj20061131 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 401 (1) ◽

pp. 1-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 765

Author(s):

Barry Halliwell

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Damage ◽

Oxidation Products ◽

Cancer Development ◽

Malignant Tumours ◽

Age Related ◽

Dna Base ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Defence Enzymes ◽

Risk Of Cancer

‘Reactive species’ (RS) of various types are formed in vivo and many are powerful oxidizing agents, capable of damaging DNA and other biomolecules. Increased formation of RS can promote the development of malignancy, and the ‘normal’ rates of RS generation may account for the increased risk of cancer development in the aged. Indeed, knockout of various antioxidant defence enzymes raises oxidative damage levels and promotes age-related cancer development in animals. In explaining this, most attention has been paid to direct oxidative damage to DNA by certain RS, such as hydroxyl radical (OH•). However, increased levels of DNA base oxidation products such as 8OHdg (8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine) do not always lead to malignancy, although malignant tumours often show increased levels of DNA base oxidation. Hence additional actions of RS must be important, possibly their effects on p53, cell proliferation, invasiveness and metastasis. Chronic inflammation predisposes to malignancy, but the role of RS in this is likely to be complex because RS can sometimes act as anti-inflammatory agents.

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The Redox System inC. elegans, a Phylogenetic Approach

Journal of Toxicology ◽

10.1155/2012/546915 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-20 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Andrew D. Johnston ◽

Paul R. Ebert

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Oxidative Damage ◽

Cellular Damage ◽

Future Research ◽

Homologous Proteins ◽

Redox Biology ◽

Redox Signalling ◽

C Elegans ◽

Age Related

Oxidative stress is a toxic state caused by an imbalance between the production and elimination of reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS cause oxidative damage to cellular components such as proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. While the role of ROS in cellular damage is frequently all that is noted, ROS are also important in redox signalling. The “Redox Hypothesis" has been proposed to emphasize a dual role of ROS. This hypothesis suggests that the primary effect of changes to the redox state is modified cellular signalling rather than simply oxidative damage. In extreme cases, alteration of redox signalling can contribute to the toxicity of ROS, as well as to ageing and age-related diseases. The nematode speciesCaenorhabditis elegansprovides an excellent model for the study of oxidative stress and redox signalling in animals. We use protein sequences from central redox systems inHomo sapiens,Drosophila melanogaster, andSaccharomyces cerevisiaeto query Genbank for homologous proteins inC. elegans. We then use maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis to compare protein families betweenC. elegansand the other organisms to facilitate future research into the genetics of redox biology.

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