Collaboration between mitochondria and the nucleus is key to long life in Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract

Recent findings in diverse organisms strongly support a conserved role for mitochondrial electron transport chain dysfunction in longevity modulation, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. One way cells cope with mitochondrial dysfunction is through a retrograde transcriptional reprogramming response. In this review, we primarily focus on the work that has been performed in Caenorhabditis elegans to elucidate these mechanisms. We describe several transcription factors that participate in mitochondria-to-nucleus signaling and discuss how they mediate the relationship between mitochondrial dysfunction and life span.

Keywords: Aging; Free radicals; Longevity; Mitochondrial electron transport chain; Retrograde signaling; Transcription factors.

Figure 1. Mitochondrial ETC dysfunction affects lifespan in C. elegans by inducing a transcriptional network

Mitochondrial mutations trigger differential transcriptional responses by activating distinct transcription factors. Red arrows indicate transcriptional pathways that are activated in long-lived ETC mutants and are important for their lifespan extension. Blue arrows indicate the transcriptional responses that are activated in the short-lived ETC mutants and are important for limiting the lifespan of these animals.