Mechanical properties measured by atomic force microscopy define health biomarkers in ageing C. elegans

Clara L. Essmann (), Daniel Martinez-Martinez, Rosina Pryor, Kit-Yi Leung, Kalaivani Bala Krishnan, Prudence Pokway Lui, Nicholas D. E. Greene, André E. X. Brown, Vijay M. Pawar, Mandayam A. Srinivasan and Filipe Cabreiro ()
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Clara L. Essmann: University College London
Daniel Martinez-Martinez: MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences
Rosina Pryor: University College London and Birkbeck
Kit-Yi Leung: University College London
Kalaivani Bala Krishnan: University College London and Birkbeck
Prudence Pokway Lui: University College London and Birkbeck
Nicholas D. E. Greene: University College London
André E. X. Brown: MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences
Vijay M. Pawar: University College London
Mandayam A. Srinivasan: University College London
Filipe Cabreiro: University College London and Birkbeck

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: Abstract Genetic and environmental factors are key drivers regulating organismal lifespan but how these impact healthspan is less well understood. Techniques capturing biomechanical properties of tissues on a nano-scale level are providing new insights into disease mechanisms. Here, we apply Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) to quantitatively measure the change in biomechanical properties associated with ageing Caenorhabditis elegans in addition to capturing high-resolution topographical images of cuticle senescence. We show that distinct dietary restriction regimes and genetic pathways that increase lifespan lead to radically different healthspan outcomes. Hence, our data support the view that prolonged lifespan does not always coincide with extended healthspan. Importantly, we identify the insulin signalling pathway in C. elegans and interventions altering bacterial physiology as increasing both lifespan and healthspan. Overall, AFM provides a highly sensitive technique to measure organismal biomechanical fitness and delivers an approach to screen for health-improving conditions, an essential step towards healthy ageing.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-14785-0

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