Cited by 1,270Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model OrganismsAutophagy in Disease and TherapyNematode management and characterization studies

Autophagy Genes Are Essential for Dauer Development and Life-Span Extension in C. elegans

Meléndez, Alicia, Tallóczy, Zsolt, Seaman, Matthew, Eskelinen, Eeva-Liisa, Hall, David H., Levine, Beth·2003·Science

Abstract

Both dauer formation (a stage of developmental arrest) and adult life-span in Caenorhabditis elegans are negatively regulated by insulin-like signaling, but little is known about cellular pathways that mediate these processes. Autophagy, through the sequestration and delivery of cargo to the lysosomes, is the major route for degrading long-lived proteins and cytoplasmic organelles in eukaryotic cells. Using nematodes with a loss-of-function mutation in the insulin-like signaling pathway, we show that bec-1 , the C. elegans ortholog of the yeast and mammalian autophagy gene APG6/VPS30/beclin1 , is essential for normal dauer morphogenesis and life-span extension. Dauer formation is associated with increased autophagy and also requires C. elegans orthologs of the yeast autophagy genes APG1, APG7, APG8 , and AUT10 . Thus, autophagy is a cellular pathway essential for dauer development and life-span extension in C. elegans.

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Crossref · 10.1126/science.1087782

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  • LC3B, or the protein tagged at its N terminus with a fluorescent protein such as GFP (GFP-LC3), has been used to monitor autophagy through indirect immunofluorescence or direct fluorescence microscopy, measured as an increase in punctate LC3 or GFP-LC3.

    “LC3B, or the protein tagged at its N terminus with a fluorescent protein such as GFP (GFP-LC3), has been used to monitor autophagy through indirect immunofluorescence or direct fluorescence microscopy (Fig. 9), measured as an increase in punctate LC3 or GFP-LC3.187,188”
  • Activation of macroautophagy is a common feature of all the long-lived mutant worms, including the models for dietary restriction.

    “Activation of macroautophagy is a common feature of all the long-lived mutant worms, including the models for dietary restriction (Hansen et al., 2008; Hars et al., 2007; Melendez et al., 2003; Tóth et al., 2008).”

    From Protein Homeostasis and Aging: the importance of exquisite quality control (2011) · cites this paper as Melendez et al., 2003

  • The lifespan extension observed in worms mutant for the equivalent of the insulin-signaling pathway, such as daf-2, is drastically reduced when macroautophagy genes are knocked down.

    “The lifespan extension observed in worms mutant for the equivalent of the insulin-signaling pathway, such as daf-2, is drastically reduced when macroautophagy genes are knocked down (Hars et al., 2007; Melendez et al., 2003).”

    From Protein Homeostasis and Aging: the importance of exquisite quality control (2011) · cites this paper as Melendez et al., 2003

  • Increased autophagy is necessary for lifespan extension by reduced insulin-like signaling and dietary restriction in worms.

    “In worms, increased autophagy is necessary for lifespan extension by reduced insulin-like signaling (50) and dietary restriction (51).”

    From Neural mechanisms of ageing and cognitive decline (2010) · cites this paper as [50]

  • Dauer formation and lifespan extension by daf-2 require the worm orthologue of beclin.

    “Interestingly, both dauer formation and lifespan extension by daf-2 have been shown to require the worm orthologue of beclin 82 .”

    From The common biology of cancer and ageing (2007) · cites this paper as [82]

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Authors
Meléndez, A., Tallóczy, Z., Seaman, M., Eskelinen, E.-L., Hall, D. H., & Levine, B.
Affiliations
  • Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA.
  • Albert Einstein College of Medicine (US)
Corresponding author
Levine, Beth
Venue
Science
Published
2003-09-05
Volume
301
Issue
5638
Pages
1387-1391
ISSN
  • 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
  • 1095-9203
OpenAlex
W2066727453
Cited by
1,270
References
27
Citations by year
2026: 29 · 2025: 32 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 42 · 2022: 58 · 2021: 60 · 2020: 55 · 2019: 59 · 2018: 53 · 2017: 45 · 2016: 56 · 2015: 64 · 2014: 74 · 2013: 54 · 2012: 73
FWCI
13.20
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Science (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (R24OD010943)
  • National Cancer Institute (CA84254, R01CA084254)
  • National Center for Research Resources (RR12596, R24RR012596)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Aging › Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Autophagy in Disease and Therapy
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Nematode management and characterization studies
Keywords
autophagy, dauer formation, lifespan extension, Caenorhabditis elegans, insulin-like signaling, Beclin-1, lysosomal degradation, developmental arrest, aging
MeSH terms
Beclin-1, Animals, Autophagy, Genes, Fungal, Humans, Longevity, Membrane Proteins, Morphogenesis, Mutation, Phagosomes, Phenotype, Proteins, Receptor, Insulin, Recombinant Fusion Proteins, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Signal Transduction, Caenorhabditis elegans, Genes, Helminth, Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins, Animals, Genetically Modified, Vesicular Transport Proteins, RNA Interference, Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins

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