Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 16, 2026
06:55
Using Caenorhabditis elegans to Screen for Tissue-Specific Chaperone Interactions
Published on: June 7, 2020
3.3K
Bacterial RNA promotes proteostasis through inter-tissue communication in C. elegans
Emmanouil Kyriakakis1, Chiara Medde2, Danilo Ritz2
1Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. emmanouil.kyriakakis@unibas.ch.
Nature Communications
|October 1, 2025
Summary
Dietary RNA from bacteria can improve protein health and potentially extend lifespan in C. elegans. This beneficial effect involves inter-organ communication and RNA interference pathways, highlighting a new avenue for healthy aging research.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Increasing life expectancy contrasts with stagnant healthspan.
- Diet is a key factor influencing healthy aging.
- Protein aggregation is linked to age-related decline.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of dietary RNA on proteostasis in aging.
- To explore the mechanisms behind RNA-mediated improvements in healthspan.
- To understand the role of inter-organ communication in response to dietary factors.
Main Methods:
- Utilized C. elegans as a model organism.
- Administered bacterial-derived double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) orally.
- Assessed protein aggregation in muscle cells.
- Investigated the involvement of autophagy and RNA interference (RNAi) pathways.
Main Results:
- Dietary bacterial RNA was found to reduce protein aggregation in C. elegans.
- The beneficial effect was dependent on low levels of systemic selective autophagy.
- RNA interference (RNAi) machinery in the germline played a crucial role.
- Inter-organ communication between the intestine, germline, and muscles was implicated.
Conclusions:
- Bacterial-derived RNAs can trigger a systemic protective response against protein aggregation in C. elegans.
- This response may contribute to extending healthspan during aging.
- Dietary RNA represents a potential strategy for promoting healthy aging.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Types of RNA
72.5K
Overview
Three main types of RNA are involved in protein synthesis: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). These RNAs perform diverse functions and can be broadly classified as protein-coding or non-coding RNA. Non-coding RNAs play important roles in the regulation of gene expression in response to developmental and environmental changes. Non-coding RNAs in prokaryotes can be manipulated to develop more effective antibacterial drugs for human or animal use.
RNA...
Three main types of RNA are involved in protein synthesis: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). These RNAs perform diverse functions and can be broadly classified as protein-coding or non-coding RNA. Non-coding RNAs play important roles in the regulation of gene expression in response to developmental and environmental changes. Non-coding RNAs in prokaryotes can be manipulated to develop more effective antibacterial drugs for human or animal use.
RNA...
72.5K
01:29Translational Regulation
535
Translational regulation in prokaryotes ensures efficient protein synthesis by controlling ribosome access to mRNA. This regulation is mediated by secondary RNA structures, including translational riboswitches, RNA thermometers, and small RNAs (sRNAs), which respond to intracellular and environmental signals to modulate gene expression.Translational RiboswitchesRiboswitches in the leader region of mRNAs can regulate translation by altering the accessibility of the Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence,...
535
01:29Coordination of Gene Expression Processes in Bacteria
583
The DNA replication, transcription, and translation processes are intricately coupled in bacteria, allowing efficient gene expression and rapid protein synthesis. While this physical and functional coordination is advantageous, it introduces challenges that bacteria overcome through specific regulatory mechanisms.Coupling of Replication, Transcription, and TranslationThe coupling of replication, transcription, and translation is a hallmark of bacterial gene expression. As the replisome unwinds...
583
01:23Stringent Response in E. coli
299
Bacterial growth is closely tied to nutrient availability, with cells proliferating exponentially under favorable conditions and entering a stationary phase when resources become scarce. This transition is mediated by a regulatory mechanism known as the stringent response, which allows bacteria to adapt to nutrient deprivation by modulating gene expression and metabolic activity.During nutrient scarcity, intracellular amino acid levels decline. It results in the accumulation of uncharged tRNAs...
299
01:53RNA Stability
35.6K
Intact DNA strands can be found in fossils, while scientists sometimes struggle to keep RNA intact under laboratory conditions. The structural variations between RNA and DNA underlie the differences in their stability and longevity. Because DNA is double-stranded, it is inherently more stable. The single-stranded structure of RNA is less stable but also more flexible and can form weak internal bonds. Additionally, most RNAs in the cell are relatively short, while DNA can be up to 250 million...
35.6K
01:56Riboswitches
9.6K
Riboswitches are non-coding mRNA domains that regulate the transcription and translation of downstream genes without the help of proteins. Riboswitches bind directly to a metabolite and can form unique stem-loop or hairpin structures in response to the amount of the metabolite present. They have two distinct regions – a metabolite-binding aptamer and an expression platform.
The aptamer has high specificity for a particular metabolite which allows riboswitches to specifically regulate...
The aptamer has high specificity for a particular metabolite which allows riboswitches to specifically regulate...
9.6K