Lifespan prolonging mechanisms and insulin upregulation without fat accumulation in long-lived reproductives of a higher termite.

ABSTRACT: Kings and queens of eusocial termites can live for decades, while queens sustain a nearly maximal fertility. To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying their long lifespan, we carried out transcriptomics, lipidomics and metabolomics in Macrotermes natalensis on sterile short-lived workers, long-lived kings and five stages spanning twenty years of adult queen maturation. Reproductives share gene expression differences from workers in agreement with a reduction of several aging-related processes, involving upregulation of DNA damage repair and mitochondrial functions. Anti-oxidant gene expression is downregulated, while peroxidability of membranes in queens decreases. Against expectations, we observed an upregulated gene expression in fat bodies of reproductives of several components

SUBMITTER: Seite S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8758687 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature