MDT-15/MED15 permits longevity at low temperature via enhancing lipidostasis and proteostasis

PLoS Biol. 2019 Aug 13;17(8):e3000415. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000415. eCollection 2019 Aug.

Abstract

Low temperatures delay aging and promote longevity in many organisms. However, the metabolic and homeostatic aspects of low-temperature-induced longevity remain poorly understood. Here, we show that lipid homeostasis regulated by Caenorhabditis elegans Mediator 15 (MDT-15 or MED15), a transcriptional coregulator, is essential for low-temperature-induced longevity and proteostasis. We find that inhibition of mdt-15 prevents animals from living long at low temperatures. We show that MDT-15 up-regulates fat-7, a fatty acid desaturase that converts saturated fatty acids (SFAs) to unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs), at low temperatures. We then demonstrate that maintaining a high UFA/SFA ratio is essential for proteostasis at low temperatures. We show that dietary supplementation with a monounsaturated fatty acid, oleic acid (OA), substantially mitigates the short life span and proteotoxicity in mdt-15(-) animals at low temperatures. Thus, lipidostasis regulated by MDT-15 appears to be a limiting factor for proteostasis and longevity at low temperatures. Our findings highlight the crucial roles of lipid regulation in maintaining normal organismal physiology under different environmental conditions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Caenorhabditis elegans
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cold Temperature
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Fatty Acid Desaturases / metabolism
  • Homeostasis
  • Lipid Metabolism
  • Longevity / physiology*
  • Oleic Acid / administration & dosage
  • Proteostasis
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • Transcriptional Activation

Substances

  • ARC105 protein, C elegans
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
  • MDT-15 protein, C elegans
  • Transcription Factors
  • Oleic Acid
  • Fatty Acid Desaturases

Grants and funding