SP9

Principal Investigator: Lars-Oliver Klotz (Institute of Nutrition, FSU Jena)

Anne Sophie Scheller (PhD): Biological relevance of the H2S-producing selenium-binding protein 1 (SELENBP1)

Thilo Phillip (PhD): Protein glycation and glutathionylation as modulators of the activity of pro-ageing factors in C. elegans

Cenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) harbors orthologs of human selenium-binding protein-1 with Y37A1B.5 (short: Y37) among them.  We have found that Y37 is a pro-ageing factor attenuating stress resistance and life span, while at the same time providing worms with an advantage in selenium-containing environments. Whereas this provides an explanation for the use an organism may have for a life-shortening protein, it is still unclear how Y37 impairs stress resistance and lifespan. According to transcriptome analyses, Y37 is involved in sulfur and redox homeostasis, and its expression changes with age and is modulated by nutrient exposure. Our aims are (1) to identify the biological activity of selenium-binding protein orthologs such as Y37 protein and their contribution to C. elegans ageing; (2) to analyse the regulatory effect of glycation and glutathionylation, as markers of nutrient exposure and redox regulation, respectively, on expression and activity of these proteins as well as on C. elegans life span and stress resistance.

Niklas Krafczyk (PhD): Redoxregulation der humanen FOXo-Transkriptionsfaktoren