Zinc Levels Modulate Lifespan through Multiple Longevity Pathways in Caenorhabditis elegans.

ABSTRACT: Zinc is an essential trace metal that has integral roles in numerous biological processes, including enzymatic function, protein structure, and cell signaling pathways. Both excess and deficiency of zinc can lead to detrimental effects on development and metabolism, resulting in abnormalities and disease. We altered the zinc balance within Caenorhabditis elegans to examine how changes in zinc burden affect longevity and healthspan in an invertebrate animal model. We found that increasing zinc levels in vivo with excess dietary zinc supplementation decreased the mean and maximum lifespan, whereas reducing zinc levels in vivo with a zinc-selective chelator increased the mean and maximum lifespan in C. elegans. We determined that the lifespan shortening effects of excess zinc required express

SUBMITTER: Kumar J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4831763 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature