Mechanical properties measured by atomic force microscopy define health biomarkers in ageing C. elegans.

ABSTRACT: Genetic and environmental factors are key drivers regulating organismal lifespan but how these impact healthspan is less well understood. Techniques capturing biomechanical properties of tissues on a nano-scale level are providing new insights into disease mechanisms. Here, we apply Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) to quantitatively measure the change in biomechanical properties associated with ageing Caenorhabditis elegans in addition to capturing high-resolution topographical images of cuticle senescence. We show that distinct dietary restriction regimes and genetic pathways that increase lifespan lead to radically different healthspan outcomes. Hence, our data support the view that prolonged lifespan does not always coincide with extended healthspan. Importantly, we identify the insulin si

SUBMITTER: Essmann CL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7042263 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature