The Effect of the Protein on Lifespan Depends on GSK3 Expression and Sex.

The microtubule-associated conserved protein tau has attracted significant attention because of its essential role in the formation of pathological changes in the nervous system, which can reduce longevity. The study of the effects caused by tau dysfunction and the molecular mechanisms underlying them is complicated because different forms of tau exist in humans and model organisms, and the changes in protein expression can be multidirectional. In this article, we show that an increase in the expression of the main isoform of the melanogaster tau protein in the nervous system has differing effects on lifespan depending on the sex of individuals but has no effect on the properties of the nervous system, in particular, the synaptic activity and distribution of another microtubule-associated protein, Futsch, in neuromuscular junctions.

Modulated Expression of the Protein Kinase GSK3 in Motor and Dopaminergic Neurons Increases Female Lifespan in .

Most eukaryotic genes express multiple transcripts and proteins, and a sophisticated gene expression strategy plays a crucial role in ensuring the cell-specificity of genetic information and the correctness of phenotypes. The gene encodes several isoforms of the conserved glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3), which is vitally important for multiple biological processes. To characterize the phenotypic effects of differential expression, we explored how the multidirectional modulation of the expression of the main GSK3 isoform, Shaggy-PB, in different tissues and cells affects lifespan.

Knockdown of the neuronal gene Lim3 at the early stages of development affects mitochondrial function and lifespan in Drosophila.

Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying variation in lifespan is central to ensure long life. Lim3 encoding a homolog of the vertebrate Lhx3/4 transcription factors plays a key role in Drosophila neuron development. Here, we demonstrated that Lim3 knockdown early in life decreased survival of adult flies.

Disordered Expression of , the Gene Encoding a Serine-Threonine Protein Kinase GSK3, Affects the Lifespan in a Transcript-, Stage-, and Tissue-Specific Manner.

GSK3 (glycogen synthase kinase 3) is a conserved protein kinase governing numerous regulatory pathways. In , GSK3 is encoded by (), which forms 17 annotated transcripts corresponding to 10 protein isoforms. Our goal was to demonstrate how differential transcription affects lifespan, which GSK3 isoforms are important for the nervous system, and which changes in the nervous system accompany accelerated aging.

Polycomb/Trithorax group-dependent regulation of the neuronal gene Lim3 involved in Drosophila lifespan control.

Molecular mechanisms governing gene expression and defining complex phenotypes are central to understanding the basics of development and aging. Here, we demonstrate that naturally occurring polymorphisms of the Lim3 regulatory region that are associated with variation in gene expression and Drosophila lifespan control are located exclusively in the Polycomb response element (PRE). We find that the Polycomb group (PcG) protein Polycomb (PC) is bound to the PRE only in embryos where Lim3 is present in both repressed and active states.

Tissue-specific transcription of the neuronal gene Lim3 affects Drosophila melanogaster lifespan and locomotion.

The identity of neuronal cell types is established and maintained by the expression of neuronal genes coding for ion channels, neurotransmitters, and neuropeptides, among others. Some of these genes have been shown to affect lifespan; however, their role in lifespan control remains largely unclear. The Drosophila melanogaster gene Lim3 encodes a transcription factor involved in complicated motor neuron specification networks.