Heterochromatic silencing of immune-related genes in glia is required for BBB integrity and normal lifespan in drosophila.

ABSTRACT: Glia and neurons face different challenges in aging and may engage different mechanisms to maintain their morphology and functionality. Here, we report that adult-onset downregulation of a Drosophila gene CG32529/GLAD led to shortened lifespan and age-dependent brain degeneration. This regulation exhibited cell type and subtype-specificity, involving mainly surface glia (comprising the BBB) and cortex glia (wrapping neuronal soma) in flies. In accordance, pan-glial knockdown of GLAD disrupted BBB integrity and the glial meshwork. GLAD expression in fly heads decreased with age, and the RNA-seq analysis revealed that the most affected transcriptional changes by RNAi-GLAD were associated with upregulation of immune-related genes. Furthermore, we conducted a series of lifespan rescue experime

SUBMITTER: Shu S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10577565 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature