EFFECTS OF OXYGEN ON PROTEIN CARBONYL AND AGING IN CAENORHABDITIS-ELEGANS MUTANTS WITH LONG (AGE-1) AND SHORT (MEV-1) LIFE SPANS

Protein carbonyl accumulation is an indicator of oxidative damage duri ng aging. The relationship between oxidative stress and protein carbon ylation during aging was studied by using a long (age-1) and a short ( mev-1) life span mutant of Caenorhabditis elegans. Protein carbonyl co ncentrations were similar in young adults of both mutants and wild typ e; however, the subsequent age-dependent accumulation was different wi th the genotype. The mev-1 mutant (with 50% superoxide dismutase activ ity) accumulated protein carbonyl at a faster rate than did wild type, whereas the age-1 mutant exhibited no obvious increase except a signi ficant accumulation at the end of extended life spall. Exposure to 70% oxygen between the ages of 4 and 11 days caused a far greater accumul ation of carbonyl in mev-l than in wildtype, but not in age-1. In addi tion, rates of aging were enhanced by oxygen ill a concentration-depen dent fashion. The age-1 mutant was more resistant to, but mev-1 was mo re sensitive to, such oxygen enhancements of aging thats teas wild typ e. These results provide further evidence that oxidative damage is one of the major causal factors for aging irt C. elegans, and that the ag e-1 and mer-l genes govern resistance to oxidative stress.