Matsumoto, Shinya et al. (2013) International Worm Meeting "Effect of Repeated Starvation on Fat Content in C.elegans."

Sawanaga, Akari, Sato, Nao, Kato, Kosuke, Yamamoto, Yukari, Matsumura, Yasuki, Matsumoto, Shinya

[International Worm Meeting, 2013]

It is widely considered that regular feeding rhythm is important to maintain our health in good condition. However, irregularity in feeding rhythm such as late supper and skipping meals can often occur due to busy modern life. If and how such irregular feeding pattern can affect our life is not always clear. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of irregular feeding rhythm on the various physiological aspects using C.elegans as model organism. Feeding patterns of human and worm are different; while human eat intermittently, worms eat continuously. Therefore, repeated starvation was introduced as the model of irregular feeding rhythm, because the regimen disturbs normal feeding pattern of worm. The cycle of 6 h starvation - 18 h feeding was introduced twice in adult worms, and its effect on fecundity, life span, mobility and fat accumulation was evaluated. No obvious effect was observed on fecundity, life span and mobility. However, fat content, assessed by Nile Red staining, in worm which experienced repeated starvation was shown to increase compared to that of worms which did not experience starvation. To further support the result, the expression of genes involved in fat metabolism such as fatty acid synthase (fasn-1), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (pod-2), O-acyl transferase (mboa-2) and worm sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP-1) ortholog (sbp-1) is currently under investigation by RT-PCR. The increment of fat in starvation-experienced worms may have resulted by the fat metabolic shift toward accumulation rather than consumption to prepare the food shortage.

Matsumoto, Shinya et al. (2015) International Worm Meeting "Analysis of intergenerational effects of starvation."

Matsumura, Yasuki, Matsumoto, Shinya, Morishita, Mayu, Sei, Megumi, Ogai, Midori, Kato, Kosuke, Saito, Haruka, Nishida, Ayano, Sawanaga, Akari, Okada, Sawako, Sakagami, Midori

[International Worm Meeting, 2015]

According to the DOHaD (Developmental Origins of Health and Disease) concept, poor nutritional environment during early life (including conception, embryogenesis, infancy and early childhood) induces changes in development that increase the disease risk in adult stage. The DOHaD is attracting many attention because not only it could change our view toward health and diseases, but also it causes concern about the health of our future generation. Generally, the three molecular events, DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs are considered to be involved in DOHaD process in vertebrates, but the precise mechanism is not well defined. To gain information concerning the molecular mechanism of DOHaD, starvation was introduced to the parent worms, and the offsprings were analyzed for their fecundity, life span, mobility and fat accumulation. There were no difference observed in fecundity, life span and mobility between the offsprings derived from starvation-experienced and fed-parent worms. However, Nile Red staining showed that fat content was significantly increased in the offsprings derived from starvation-experienced worms compared with that of control offsprings. Fat accumulation was further indicated by gas chromatography analysis. DNA microarray is now being conducted to analyse the gene expression pattern.The data is in line with DOHaD concept, which may indicate that C.elegans can be used in DOHaD model animal.