Tan Jerald, Chiamkunakorn Chutipong, Boonchuay Kanpapat, Shi Yiying, Braeckman Bart P, Suthammarak Wichit
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
PLoS One. 2025 Jun 16;20(6):e0326100. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0326100. eCollection 2025.
Metformin has been demonstrated to extend lifespan in various model organisms, and its molecular effects are observed in the cytoplasm and multiple organelles, including mitochondria. However, its association with the unfolded protein response (UPR) and its impact on stress resistance and locomotion remain uncertain. In this study, metformin was found to exert differential influences on both UPRmt and UPRer. The correlation between metformin's lifespan-mediating effect and its interaction with UPRs was also inconsistent. We identified a metformin-mediated lifespan extension in wild-type C. elegans and in UPRmt-activated tomm-22 and cco-1 RNAi worms. Metformin suppressed the UPRmt without compromising the lifespan extension observed in tomm-22 worms. Conversely, metformin did not affect the UPRmt but extended the lifespan of long-lived cco-1 RNAi worms. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of metformin on UPRer-activated nematodes. We observed that metformin exhibited a slight increase in the UPRer in mdt-15 RNAi worms and failed to induce lifespan extension. Surprisingly, metformin appeared to mediate lifespan extension in tmem-131 RNAi worms while suppressing the UPRer. Notably, the correlation between thermotolerance, oxidative stress resistance, and the lifespan effects of metformin in UPR-activated worms was inconsistent. Activation of UPRs, but not metformin treatment, enhanced the locomotor phenotype of these worms.
二甲双胍已被证明能延长多种模式生物的寿命,并且在细胞质和包括线粒体在内的多个细胞器中都能观察到其分子效应。然而,其与未折叠蛋白反应(UPR)的关联以及对应激抗性和运动能力的影响仍不确定。在本研究中,发现二甲双胍对线粒体未折叠蛋白反应(UPRmt)和内质网未折叠蛋白反应(UPRer)均有不同影响。二甲双胍的寿命调节效应与其与UPR的相互作用之间的相关性也不一致。我们在野生型秀丽隐杆线虫以及UPRmt激活的tomm - 22和cco - 1 RNA干扰线虫中发现了二甲双胍介导的寿命延长。二甲双胍抑制了UPRmt,但并未影响在tomm - 22线虫中观察到的寿命延长。相反,二甲双胍不影响UPRmt,但延长了长寿的cco - 1 RNA干扰线虫的寿命。此外,我们研究了二甲双胍对UPRer激活的线虫的影响。我们观察到,二甲双胍使mdt - 15 RNA干扰线虫中的UPRer略有增加,并且未能诱导寿命延长。令人惊讶的是,二甲双胍似乎在tmem - 131 RNA干扰线虫中介导了寿命延长,同时抑制了UPRer。值得注意的是,在UPR激活的线虫中,耐热性、抗氧化应激能力与二甲双胍的寿命效应之间的相关性并不一致。UPR的激活而非二甲双胍处理增强了这些线虫的运动表型。