Existing data suggest that the invertebrate species Hydra vulgaris does not show increased mortality with age. Interestingly, a closely related species, H. oligactis, shows increased mortality and physiological deterioration following induction of sexual reproduction. The long- term goal of this project is to identify the causes of this striking difference in longevity. Aspects of the biology of the Hydra vulgaris and Hydra oligactis suggest that some mechanisms affecting lifespan in other animals may contribute to the difference between the two species. Hydra oligactis induced to reproduce sexually form large numbers of gametes well before the onset of increased mortality. In addition, Hydra oligactis are less tolerant than Hydra vulgaris of environmental stresses such as thermal stress, and they fail to produce detectable levels of new proteins in response to heat shock conditions. Working with animals treated to eliminate the stem cells which produce gametes, we will investigate the possibility that, as in Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster, germ cells in H. oligactis can reduce lifespan. By examining gene expression and producing transgenic animals which inducibly overexpress genes of interest, we will investigate the roles of genes involved in the heat shock response and the role of the transcription factor FoxO in H. vulgaris and in H. oligactis before and after induction of sexual reproduction and senescence.

Public Health Relevance

The proposed project will investigate the differences in regulation of lifespan in two closely related species, Hydra vulgaris and Hydra oligactis. It will focus on possible roles of signals from the germline, proteins involved in the heat shock response, and the transcription factor FoxO. As amply demonstrated by information gained from Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster, work on the mechanisms of longevity control in invertebrate species can provide insight into the causes of human aging-related disease. Hydra have the potential to provide different types of information than these two well-developed invertebrate models, however, since in contrast to both species they are relatively long-lived.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AG037965-03
Application #
8318133
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZAG1-ZIJ-5 (M1))
Program Officer
Murthy, Mahadev
Project Start
2010-09-01
Project End
2015-08-31
Budget Start
2012-09-01
Budget End
2013-08-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2012
Total Cost
$242,762
Indirect Cost
$41,234
Name
Pomona College
Department
Biology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
075293357
City
Claremont
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
91711
Schaible, Ralf; Scheuerlein, Alexander; Da?ko, Maciej J et al. (2015) Constant mortality and fertility over age in Hydra. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 112:15701-6
Levitis, Daniel A; Martínez, Daniel E (2013) The two halves of U-shaped mortality. Front Genet 4:31
Dana, Catherine E; Glauber, Kristine M; Chan, Titus A et al. (2012) Incorporation of a horizontally transferred gene into an operon during cnidarian evolution. PLoS One 7:e31643
Martínez, Daniel E; Bridge, Diane (2012) Hydra, the everlasting embryo, confronts aging. Int J Dev Biol 56:479-87