AUTHOR=Naranjo-Galindo Francisco José , Ai Ruixue , Fang Evandro Fei , Nilsen Hilde Loge , SenGupta Tanima 

TITLE=C. elegans as an Animal Model to Study the Intersection of DNA Repair, Aging and Neurodegeneration

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Aging

VOLUME=3

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/aging/articles/10.3389/fragi.2022.916118

DOI=10.3389/fragi.2022.916118

ISSN=2673-6217

ABSTRACT=<p>Since its introduction as a genetic model organism, <italic>Caenorhabditis elegans</italic> has yielded insights into the causes of aging. In addition, it has provided a molecular understanding of mechanisms of neurodegeneration, one of the devastating effects of aging. However, <italic>C. elegans</italic> has been less popular as an animal model to investigate DNA repair and genomic instability, which is a major hallmark of aging and also a cause of many rare neurological disorders. This article provides an overview of DNA repair pathways in <italic>C. elegans</italic> and the impact of DNA repair on aging hallmarks, such as mitochondrial dysfunction, telomere maintenance, and autophagy. In addition, we discuss how the combination of biological characteristics, new technical tools, and the potential of following precise phenotypic assays through a natural life-course make <italic>C. elegans</italic> an ideal model organism to study how DNA repair impact neurodegeneration in models of common age-related neurodegenerative diseases.</p>