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Updated: Mar 29, 2026
Dietary Supplementation of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Caenorhabditis elegans
Published on: November 29, 2013
SREBP and MDT-15 protect C. elegans from glucose-induced accelerated aging by preventing accumulation of saturated
Dongyeop Lee1, Dae-Eun Jeong1, Heehwa G Son1
1Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, South Korea;
Abstract:
Glucose-rich diets shorten the life spans of various organisms. However, the metabolic processes involved in this phenomenon remain unknown. Here, we show that sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP) and mediator-15 (MDT-15) prevent the life-shortening effects of a glucose-rich diet by regulating fat-converting processes in Caenorhabditis elegans. Up-regulation of the SREBP/MDT-15 transcription factor complex was necessary and sufficient for alleviating the life-shortening effect of a glucose-rich diet. Glucose feeding induced key enzymes that convert saturated fatty acids (SFAs) to unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs), which are regulated by SREBP and MDT-15. Furthermore, SREBP/MDT-15 reduced the levels of SFAs and moderated glucose toxicity on life span. Our study may help to develop strategies against elevated blood glucose and free fatty acids, which cause glucolipotoxicity in diabetic patients.
