• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.77-83
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• 2015

The seed of Vigna angularis has long been cultivated as a food or a folk medicine in East Asia. Genistein (4',5,7-trihydroxyisoflavone), a dietary phytoestrogen present in this plant, has been known to possess various biological properties. In this study, we investigated the possible lifespan-extending effects of genistein using Caenorhabditis elegans model system. We found that the lifespan of nematode was significantly prolonged in the presence of genistein under normal culture condition. In addition, genistein elevated the survival rate of nematode against stressful environment including heat and oxidative conditions. Further studies demonstrated that genistein-mediated increased stress tolerance of nematode could be attributed to enhanced expressions of stress resistance proteins such as superoxide dismutase (SOD-3) and heat shock protein (HSP-16.2). Moreover, we failed to find genistein-induced significant change in aging-related factors including reproduction, food intake, and growth, indicating genistein exerts longevity activity independent of affecting these factors. Genistein treatment also led to an up-regulation of locomotory ability of aged nematode, suggesting genistein affects healthspan as well as lifespan of nematode. Our results represent that genistein has beneficial effects on the lifespan of C. elegans under both of normal and stress condition via elevating expressions of stress resistance proteins.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.234-242
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• 2015

Allium hookeri (Liliaceae), native to India is widely cultivated in Korea lately as a medicinal plant. This study was performed to evaluate the antioxidant and lifespan extending effects of the root of A. hookeri. Methanol extract from the root of A. hookeri was successively partitioned as methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and H₂O soluble fractions. Antioxidant effects of the fractions were measured by measuring the radical scavenging effect on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and superoxide quenching activities. Lifespan extending effects of the fractions were investigated using Caenorhabditis elegans model system. In addition, stress resistant, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activities, and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were also studied. Furthermore, we had investigated aging-related factors such as reproduction, food intake, growth and movement of C. elegans to find any sample-induced significant change. Our results revealed that ethyl acetate soluble fraction from the root of A. hookeri showed the most potent antioxidant and lifespan extending effects, and this fraction elevated the most potent SOD and catalase activities of worms, and reduce intracellular ROS accumulation.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.25-30
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• 2017

This study was performed to evaluate the lifespan extending effects of the dried ginger (Zingiber officnale Roscoe, Zingiberaceae). Ethanol extract of the dried ginger was successively partitioned as methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and $H_2O$ soluble fractions, and lifespan-extending effects of the fractions were investigated using Caenorhabditis elegans model system. Ethyl acetate-soluble fraction showed the most potent longevity property. Furthermore, ethyl acetate-soluble fraction elevated thermal stress tolerance, and increased expression of stress resistance protein. Further studies were performed to investigate several aging-related factors such as reproduction, food intake, growth and movement of C. elegans. The results revealed that there were no significant changes in aging-related factors including reproduction, food intake and growth, however, ethyl acetate-soluble fraction treatment led to an up-regulation of locomotory ability of aged worms, suggesting ethyl acetate-soluble fraction affected healthspan as well as lifespan of nematode.

• BMB Reports
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• v.53 no.10
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• pp.521-526
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• 2020

Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are retrotransposons present in various metazoan genomes and have been implicated in metazoan evolution as well as in nematodes and humans. The long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons contain several regulatory sequences including promoters and enhancers that regulate endogenous gene expression and thereby control organismal development and response to environmental change. ERVs including the LTR retrotransposons constitute 8% of the human genome and less than 0.6% of the Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) genome, a nematode genetic model system. To investigate the evolutionarily conserved mechanism behind the transcriptional activity of retrotransposons, we generated a transgenic worm model driving green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression using Human endogenous retroviruses (HERV)-K LTR as a promoter. The promoter activity of HERV-K LTR was robust and fluorescence was observed in various tissues throughout the developmental process. Interestingly, persistent GFP expression was specifically detected in the adult vulva muscle. Using deletion constructs, we found that the region from positions 675 to 868 containing the TATA box was necessary for promoter activity driving gene expression in the vulva. Interestingly, we found that the promoter activity of the LTR was dependent on che-1 transcription factor, a sensory neuron driver, and lin-15b, a negative regulator of RNAi and germline gene expression. These results suggest evolutionary conservation of the LTR retrotransposon activity in transcriptional regulation as well as the possibility of che-1 function in non-neuronal tissues.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.125-130
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• 2012

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a widely used model organism in biological research. Thanks to the availability of well-established knowledge about its neural connectivity, a wide range of studies have been attempted to uncover the relationship between behaviors and the responsible neurons. In our research, the adaptive behavior of C. elegans in solid environments with different surface rigidities is investigated, where the worm adapts to different mechanical stiffnesses by modulating its crawling waveform. The amplitude and wavelength of the crawling waveform decrease as the environment becomes more rigid. Interestingly, the mechanosensation-defective mutant shows different responses to the surface rigidity compared to those of the wild-type worm. To explain the adaptation process in mechanically different environments, we suggest a plausible neural circuit model.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.179-185
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• 2016

Ginger (Zingiber officnale Roscoe, Zingiberaceae), which is a well-known food seasoning, has been used as a traditional medicine for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorder, vomiting and cough in Korea, China and Japan. Ethanol extract from the dried ginger (DG) was successively partitioned as methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and $H_2O$ soluble fractions. Among those fractions the ethyl acetate soluble fraction (EDG) showed the most potent DPPH radical scavenging and superoxide quenching activities. To know the effect of antioxidant activities of EDG, we tested the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase together with oxidative stress tolerance and intracellular ROS level in Caenorhabditis elegans. To investigate whether EDG-mediated increased stress tolerance was due to regulation of stress-response gene, we quantified SOD-3 expression using transgenic strain including CF1553. Consequently, EDG elevated SOD and catalase activities of C. elegans, reduced intracellular ROS accumulation in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, EDG-treated CF1553 worms exhibited significantly higher SOD-3::GFP intensity.

• BMB Reports
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.107-113
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• 2004

Since the completion of the genome project of the nematode C. elegans in 1998, functional genomic approaches have been applied to elucidate the gene and protein networks in this model organism. The recent completion of the whole genome of C. briggsae, a close sister species of C. elegans, now makes it possible to employ the comparative genomic approaches for identifying regulatory mechanisms that are conserved in these species and to make more precise annotation of the predicted genes. RNA interference (RNAi) screenings in C. elegans have been performed to screen the whole genome for the genes whose mutations give rise to specific phenotypes of interest. RNAi screens can also be used to identify genes that act genetically together with a gene of interest. Microarray experiments have been very useful in identifying genes that exhibit co-regulated expression profiles in given genetic or environmental conditions. Proteomic approaches also can be applied to the nematode, just as in other species whose genomes are known. With all these functional genomic tools, genetics will still remain an important tool for gene function studies in the post genome era. New breakthroughs in C. elegans biology, such as establishing a feasible gene knockout method, immortalized cell lines, or identifying viruses that can be used as vectors for introducing exogenous gene constructs into the worms, will augment the usage of this small organism for genome-wide biology.

• BMB Reports
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.455-460
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• 2008

Calcineurin (Cn) is a serine/threonine phosphatase implicated in a wide variety of biological responses. To identify proteins that mediate Cn signaling pathway effects, we used yeast two-hybrid assays to screen for Cn interacting proteins, discovering a protein encoded by the gene, cnp-2 (Y46G5A.10). Utilizing serially deleted forms of Cn as baits, we demonstrated that the catalytic domain of Cn (TAX-6) binds with CNP-2, and this physical interaction was able to be reconstituted in vitro, supporting our yeast two-hybrid results. cnp-2 is a nematode-specific novel gene found in C. elegans as well as its closest relative, C. briggsae. CNP-2 was strongly expressed in the intestine of C. elegans. To study the function of cnp-2, we performed cnp-2 RNAi knock-down and characterized phenotypes associated with Cn mutants. However, no gross defects were revealed in these RNAi experiments. CNP-2 was proven to be a Cn binding protein; however, its role remains to be elucidated.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.99-104
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• 2007

RNA interference (RNAi) is the phenomenon of gene silencing by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels in a sequence-specific manner. Reverse genetic approaches using RNA interference (RNAi) have become a major tool for biological researches since its discovery in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. In this review, we overview how the RNAi phenomenon was discovered and how the underlying mechanism has been elucidated. We also describe and discuss how RNAi experiments can be performed and how RNAi can be used for genetic studies.

• BMB Reports
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.160-161
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• 2017

Proper maintenance of biological components is crucial for longevity and healthy aging. Although the role of homeostatic maintenance systems for DNA and protein in longevity is established, it remains largely unknown for RNA. In our recent work, we show that nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) promotes longevity in the roundworm C. elegans by enhancing RNA quality control. We find that the activity of NMD decreases during aging, raising the possibility that RNA quality declines in old animals. We then show that key components of NMD complex are required for prolonged lifespan in C. elegans. In addition, animals with reduced insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) signaling (IIS), a representative longevity model, display increased NMD activity. Thus, up-regulation of NMD appears to play crucial roles in longevity conferred by reduced IIS via enhancing mRNA quality control. As both IIS and NMD pathways are evolutionarily conserved, mammals including humans may be equipped with similar RNA quality control systems to achieve longevity.