Brachionus rotifers as a model for investigating dietary and metabolic regulators of aging

Abstract

Because every species has unique attributes relevant to understanding specific aspects of aging, using a diversity of study systems and a comparative biology approach for aging research has the potential to lead to novel discoveries applicable to human health. Monogonont rotifers, a standard model for studies of aquatic ecology, evolutionary biology, and ecotoxicology, have also been used to study lifespan and healthspan for nearly a century. However, because much of this work has been published in the ecology and evolutionary biology literature, it may not be known to the biomedical research community. In this review, we provide an overview of Brachionus rotifers as a model to investigate nutritional and metabolic regulators of aging, with a focus on recent studies of dietary and metabolic pathway manipulation. Rotifers are microscopic, aquatic invertebrates with many advantages as a system for studying aging, including a two-week lifespan, easy laboratory culture, direct development without a larval stage, sexual and asexual reproduction, easy delivery of pharmaceuticals in liquid culture, and transparency allowing imaging of cellular morphology and processes. Rotifers have greater gene homology with humans than do established invertebrate models for aging, and thus rotifers may be used to investigate novel genetic mechanisms relevant to human lifespan and healthspan. The research on caloric restriction; dietary, pharmaceutical, and genetic interventions; and transcriptomics of aging using rotifers provide insights into the metabolic regulators of lifespan and health and suggest future directions for aging research. Capitalizing on the unique biology of Brachionus rotifers, referencing the vast existing literature about the influence of diet and drugs on rotifer lifespan and health, continuing the development of genetic tools for rotifers, and growing the rotifer research community will lead to new discoveries a better understanding of the biology of aging.

Histochemical And Morphometric Peculiarities In Philodina Roseola Rits Important For Gerontological Studies

“…For this reason, philodines represent a very convenient model in gerontology, which can be used to solve the problems of life extension and aging, since due to the lack of hybridization, each subsequent generation will be genetically homogeneous. Although the latter statement is questioned by a number of researchers who believe that, there is a horizontal transfer of genetic material in filodin (Gribble, 2021).…”

“…Rotifers Philodina roseola are found in wastewater, sometimes quite toxic, as well as in activated sludge of aerotanks and biofilm of aerofilters and serve as one of the indicators of the treatment plant operation (Gribble, 2021). The ability of rotifers to live in certain zones of saprobity (Simakov, 1974) and to be present in wastewater containing harmful substances, apparently, indicates the originality of the metabolic processes in these organisms.…”

Maternal age effects on offspring lifespan and reproduction vary within a species

“…This makes it an interesting species in which to examine the conservation of maternal age effects among strains. Brachionus has externally brooded embryos, direct development with no larval stages, and no parental care after neonates hatch, so we can distinguish the effects of metamorphoses and maternal care from other maternal age-related differences in maternal provisioning [24,25].…”

“…They are microscopic invertebrate animals that are abundant worldwide and play critical roles in many aquatic food webs as primary consumers and prey. Rotifers in the Brachionus plicatilis cryptic species complex have lifespans from 1 – 4 weeks and are easily reared across multiple, age-synchronized generations in the laboratory [24,25]. Brachionus spp.…”

Development of Highly Efficient CRISPR-Mediated Gene Editing in the RotiferBrachionus manjavacas

“…One of the most well-studied genera, Brachionus , is also cultured at large scale worldwide as live feed for hatchery rearing in aquaculture, leading to intense interest in improving their nutritional value and energy content. In recent years, Brachionus has been an important representative in studies of metazoan body plan evolution [1,5] and has re-emerged as an alternative model in translational research areas such as aging and maternal effects [6,7]. However, a lack of gene editing tools, transgenic lines, and molecular reporter strains has hindered research on molecular mechanisms using Brachionus or other rotifers.…”