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Updated: Jul 11, 2025

Quantifying Tissue-Specific Proteostatic Decline in Caenorhabditis elegans
Published on: September 7, 2021
The Role of mRNA Quality Control in the Aging of Caenorhabditis elegans
Hyunwoo C Kwon1,2, Yunkyu Bae1,2, Seung-Jae V Lee1
1Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Korea.
Abstract:
The proper maintenance of mRNA quality that is regulated by diverse surveillance pathways is essential for cellular homeostasis and is highly conserved among eukaryotes. Here, we review findings regarding the role of mRNA quality control in the aging and longevity of Caenorhabditis elegans, an outstanding model for aging research. We discuss the recently discovered functions of the proper regulation of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay, ribosome-associated quality control, and mRNA splicing in the aging of C. elegans. We describe how mRNA quality control contributes to longevity conferred by various regimens, including inhibition of insulin/insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) signaling, dietary restriction, and reduced mechanistic target of rapamycin signaling. This review provides valuable information regarding the relationship between the mRNA quality control and aging in C. elegans, which may lead to insights into healthy longevity in complex organisms, including humans.
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