Deep sequencing of small RNAs from C. elegans during aging. Caenorhabditis elegans

Aging is under genetic control in C. elegans but the mechanisms of lifespan regulation are not completely known. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate various aspects of development and metabolism and one miRNA has been previously implicated in lifespan. Here we show that multiple miRNAs change expression in C. elegans aging, including novel miRNAs, and that mutations in several of the most up-regulated miRNAs lead to lifespan defects. Some act to promote normal lifespan and stress resistance while others inhibit these phenomena. We find that these miRNAs genetically interact with genes in the DNA damage checkpoint response pathway and in the insulin signaling pathway. Our findings reveal that miRNAs both positively and negatively influence lifespan. Since several miRNAs up-regulated during aging regulate genes in conserved pathways of aging and thereby influence lifespan in C. elegans, we propose that miRNAs may play important roles in stress response and aging of more complex organisms. Overall design: 4 sample examined: Wild-type (N2) and long-lived daf-2(e1379) animals at days 0 and 10 of adulthood