Altered stability of nuclear lamin-B marks the onset of aging in male Drosophila

PLoS One. 2022 Mar 24;17(3):e0265223. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265223. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

Epigenetic alterations occur during aging, but it remains unclear what epigenetic features are associated with the onset of physiological decline in animals. Nuclear lamin-B forms the filamentous meshwork underneath the nuclear envelope, providing the structural scaffold necessary for genome organization and gene regulation. We found that reduced level of nuclear lamin-B protein coincides with the decline in locomotor activity and stress resistance in young adult male Drosophila. Ubiquitous lamin-B expression improves locomotor activity of the male flies at the expense of lower stress resistance and shorten lifespan. This observation suggests that tissue-specific expression of lamin-B may regulate different aspects of animal physiology during aging. To test this hypothesis, specific GAL-4 lines were used to drive the expression of lamin-B in specific neuronal populations and muscle tissues in male flies. Ectopic expression of lamin-B in the dopaminergic neurons within the protocerebral anterior medial region of the brain improves the locomotor activity of the male flies with little impact on their stress responses and lifespan. Interestingly, age-dependent decrease in the level of lamin-B protein is independent of its mRNA expression. Instead, cellular thermal shift assay showed that lamin-B and CP190 insulator protein undergo significant change in their solubility during aging. This suggests that the increased solubility of lamin-B protein may contribute to its reduced stability and degradation during aging.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aging / genetics
  • Animals
  • Cell Nucleus / metabolism
  • Drosophila / genetics
  • Drosophila Proteins* / genetics
  • Drosophila Proteins* / metabolism
  • Lamin Type A / metabolism
  • Lamin Type B* / metabolism
  • Male
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins / metabolism
  • Nuclear Envelope / metabolism
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • CP190 protein, Drosophila
  • Drosophila Proteins
  • Lamin Type A
  • Lamin Type B
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins
  • Nuclear Proteins

Grants and funding

The work is supported by Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory core funding 3160. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.