Caenorhabditis elegans Applied to Metabolism Research

A special issue of Metabolites (ISSN 2218-1989). This special issue belongs to the section "Integrative Metabolomics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2021) | Viewed by 25778

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Helmholtz Center Munich German Research Center for EnvironmentalHealth, Research Unit Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Neuherberg, Germany
Interests: Caenorhabditis elegans; metabolomics; lipidomics; metabolite identification; genome-scale metabolic models; metabolic networks; metabolic regulation; lipid metabolism; lipid identification; regulation of lipid metabolism

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Guest Editor
Centre for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
Interests: NMR spectroscopy; metabolomics; C. elegans; genome-scale models; metabolic regulation; gasotransmitters; mitochondrial metabolism; hypometabolism; foodomics
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The small nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) represents one of the most important model organisms in biomedical research. Beside a vast array of genetic tools, the C. elegans research toolbox contains many functional genomics tools, such as transcriptomics and proteomics. More recently, metabolomics and lipidomics joined this toolbox, allowing more precise investigations into the metabolism of the nematode in health and disease, as well as in toxicology and environmental applications. The combination of forward and reverse genetics readily available for C. elegans with metabolomics and lipidomics has great promise to improve our knowledge on metabolism and metabolic regulation. This Special Issue is devoted to recent applications of metabolomics and lipidomics to study the metabolism in C. elegans. We are welcoming original articles as well as review articles devoted to different aspects of this field of research. Furthermore, we are also welcoming articles on new in silico methods for the analysis of metabolism in C. elegans.

Dr. Michael Witting
Dr. Horst Joachim Schirra
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Caenorhabditis elegans
  • metabolomics
  • lipidomics
  • nematodes
  • metabolism
  • metabolic regulation

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 2515 KiB  
Article
Elevated Trehalose Levels in C. elegans daf-2 Mutants Increase Stress Resistance, Not Lifespan
by Madina Rasulova, Aleksandra Zečić, Jose Manuel Monje Moreno, Lieselot Vandemeulebroucke, Ineke Dhondt and Bart P. Braeckman
Metabolites 2021, 11(2), 105; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo11020105 - 12 Feb 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4920
Abstract
The C. elegans insulin/IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1) signaling mutant daf-2 recapitulates the dauer metabolic signature—a shift towards lipid and carbohydrate accumulation—which may be linked to its longevity and stress resistance phenotypes. Trehalose, a disaccharide of glucose, is highly upregulated in daf‑2 mutants [...] Read more.
The C. elegans insulin/IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1) signaling mutant daf-2 recapitulates the dauer metabolic signature—a shift towards lipid and carbohydrate accumulation—which may be linked to its longevity and stress resistance phenotypes. Trehalose, a disaccharide of glucose, is highly upregulated in daf‑2 mutants and it has been linked to proteome stabilization and protection against heat, cold, desiccation, and hypoxia. Earlier studies suggested that elevated trehalose levels can explain up to 43% of the lifespan extension observed in daf-2 mutants. Here we demonstrate that trehalose accumulation is responsible for increased osmotolerance, and to some degree thermotolerance, rather than longevity in daf-2 mutants. This indicates that particular stress resistance phenotypes can be uncoupled from longevity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Caenorhabditis elegans Applied to Metabolism Research)
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Review

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13 pages, 794 KiB  
Review
The Mitochondrial Prohibitin (PHB) Complex in C. elegans Metabolism and Ageing Regulation
by Artur B. Lourenço and Marta Artal-Sanz
Metabolites 2021, 11(9), 636; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo11090636 - 17 Sep 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3699
Abstract
The mitochondrial prohibitin (PHB) complex, composed of PHB-1 and PHB-2, is an evolutionarily conserved context-dependent modulator of longevity. This extremely intriguing phenotype has been linked to alterations in mitochondrial function and lipid metabolism. The true biochemical function of the mitochondrial PHB complex remains [...] Read more.
The mitochondrial prohibitin (PHB) complex, composed of PHB-1 and PHB-2, is an evolutionarily conserved context-dependent modulator of longevity. This extremely intriguing phenotype has been linked to alterations in mitochondrial function and lipid metabolism. The true biochemical function of the mitochondrial PHB complex remains elusive, but it has been shown to affect membrane lipid composition. Recent work, using large-scale biochemical approaches, has highlighted a broad effect of PHB on the C. elegans metabolic network. Collectively, the biochemical data support the notion that PHB modulates, at least partially, worm longevity through the moderation of fat utilisation and energy production via the mitochondrial respiratory chain. Herein, we review, in a systematic manner, recent biochemical insights into the impact of PHB on the C. elegans metabolome. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Caenorhabditis elegans Applied to Metabolism Research)
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28 pages, 2162 KiB  
Review
Quo Vadis Caenorhabditis elegans Metabolomics—A Review of Current Methods and Applications to Explore Metabolism in the Nematode
by Liesa Salzer and Michael Witting
Metabolites 2021, 11(5), 284; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo11050284 - 29 Apr 2021
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 5586
Abstract
Metabolomics and lipidomics recently gained interest in the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). The fast development, easy cultivation and existing forward and reverse genetic tools make the small nematode an ideal organism for metabolic investigations in development, aging, different disease [...] Read more.
Metabolomics and lipidomics recently gained interest in the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). The fast development, easy cultivation and existing forward and reverse genetic tools make the small nematode an ideal organism for metabolic investigations in development, aging, different disease models, infection, or toxicology research. The conducted type of analysis is strongly depending on the biological question and requires different analytical approaches. Metabolomic analyses in C. elegans have been performed using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, direct infusion mass spectrometry (DI-MS), gas-chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) or combinations of them. In this review we provide general information on the employed techniques and their advantages and disadvantages in regard to C. elegans metabolomics. Additionally, we reviewed different fields of application, e.g., longevity, starvation, aging, development or metabolism of secondary metabolites such as ascarosides or maradolipids. We also summarised applied bioinformatic tools that recently have been used for the evaluation of metabolomics or lipidomics data from C. elegans. Lastly, we curated metabolites and lipids from the reviewed literature, enabling a prototypic collection which serves as basis for a future C. elegans specific metabolome database. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Caenorhabditis elegans Applied to Metabolism Research)
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18 pages, 1955 KiB  
Review
Worms, Fat, and Death: Caenorhabditis elegans Lipid Metabolites Regulate Cell Death
by Marcos A. Perez and Jennifer L. Watts
Metabolites 2021, 11(2), 125; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo11020125 - 23 Feb 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4820
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans is well-known as the model organism used to elucidate the genetic pathways underlying the first described form of regulated cell death, apoptosis. Since then, C. elegans investigations have contributed to the further understanding of lipids in apoptosis, especially the roles of [...] Read more.
Caenorhabditis elegans is well-known as the model organism used to elucidate the genetic pathways underlying the first described form of regulated cell death, apoptosis. Since then, C. elegans investigations have contributed to the further understanding of lipids in apoptosis, especially the roles of phosphatidylserines and phosphatidylinositols. More recently, studies in C. elegans have shown that dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids can induce the non-apoptotic, iron-dependent form of cell death, ferroptosis. In this review, we examine the roles of various lipids in specific aspects of regulated cell death, emphasizing recent work in C. elegans. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Caenorhabditis elegans Applied to Metabolism Research)
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19 pages, 1685 KiB  
Review
Beyond Proteostasis: Lipid Metabolism as a New Player in ER Homeostasis
by Jiaming Xu and Stefan Taubert
Metabolites 2021, 11(1), 52; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo11010052 - 14 Jan 2021
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 5274
Abstract
Biological membranes are not only essential barriers that separate cellular and subcellular structures, but also perform other critical functions such as the initiation and propagation of intra- and intercellular signals. Each membrane-delineated organelle has a tightly regulated and custom-made membrane lipid composition that [...] Read more.
Biological membranes are not only essential barriers that separate cellular and subcellular structures, but also perform other critical functions such as the initiation and propagation of intra- and intercellular signals. Each membrane-delineated organelle has a tightly regulated and custom-made membrane lipid composition that is critical for its normal function. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) consists of a dynamic membrane network that is required for the synthesis and modification of proteins and lipids. The accumulation of unfolded proteins in the ER lumen activates an adaptive stress response known as the unfolded protein response (UPR-ER). Interestingly, recent findings show that lipid perturbation is also a direct activator of the UPR-ER, independent of protein misfolding. Here, we review proteostasis-independent UPR-ER activation in the genetically tractable model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. We review the current knowledge on the membrane lipid composition of the ER, its impact on organelle function and UPR-ER activation, and its potential role in human metabolic diseases. Further, we summarize the bi-directional interplay between lipid metabolism and the UPR-ER. We discuss recent progress identifying the different respective mechanisms by which disturbed proteostasis and lipid bilayer stress activate the UPR-ER. Finally, we consider how genetic and metabolic disturbances may disrupt ER homeostasis and activate the UPR and discuss how using -omics-type analyses will lead to more comprehensive insights into these processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Caenorhabditis elegans Applied to Metabolism Research)
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