AnAge entry for Caenorhabditis elegans

Classification (HAGRID: 04237)

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
    Phylum: Nematoda (Taxon entry)
        Class: Chromadorea
            Order: Rhabditida
                Family: Rhabditidae
                    Genus: Caenorhabditis

Species

Caenorhabditis elegans

Common name

Roundworm

Lifespan, ageing, and relevant traits

IMR

2/year

MRDT

0.04 years

Maximum longevity

0.16 years (captivity)

Source

Multiple references, please see bibliography below

Sample size

Large

Data quality

Acceptable

Observations

These animals are free-living nematodes usually found in the soil of temperate environments. After hatching, roundworms undergo four larval stages before reaching adulthood. Caloric restriction has been shown to extend lifespan in roundworms. Temperature also influences the lifespan of the roundworm with higher temperatures shortening lifespan and lower temperatures extending lifespan, at least until a certain threshold [0745]. Although physiological ageing has been described in roundworms, in particular at the level of decreased movement which may reflect a decline in muscle cells, the cause of death of old animals remains a mystery [0981].

Several genetic manipulations have succeeded in extending the longevity of the roundworm, but many of these take into account the dauer stage, which involves a developmental arrest [0592]. As such, the maximum longevity is a conservative estimate.

Life history traits (averages)

No information is available on life history. Please contact us if you wish to suggest or contribute data.

Metabolism

No information on metabolism is available.

Species in other databases

GenAge

Genes have been associated with ageing in this organism

GenDR

• Genes have been associated with dietary restriction through manipulations in this organism

References

• [1279] Zhao et al. (2017), Two forms of death in ageing Caenorhabditis elegans (PubMed)
• [1242] Marck et al. (2017), Age-Related Changes in Locomotor Performance Reveal a Similar Pattern for Caenorhabditis elegans, Mus domesticus, Canis familiaris, Equus caballus, and Homo sapiens (PubMed)
• [1150] Jones et al. (2014), Diversity of ageing across the tree of life (PubMed)
• [0981] Wolf and Austad (2010), Introduction: Lifespans and Pathologies Present at Death in Laboratory Animals
• [0982] Sutphin and Kaeberlein (2008), Dietary restriction by bacterial deprivation increases life span in wild-derived nematodes (PubMed)
• [0273] Huang et al. (2004), Measurements of age-related changes of physiological processes that predict lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans (PubMed)
• [0274] McCarroll et al. (2004), Comparing genomic expression patterns across species identifies shared transcriptional profile in aging (PubMed)
• [0067] Johnson (2003), Advantages and disadvantages of Caenorhabditis elegans for aging research (PubMed)
• [0275] Hertweck et al. (2003), C. elegans, a model for aging with high-throughput capacity (PubMed)
• [0276] Lund et al. (2002), Transcriptional profile of aging in C. elegans (PubMed)
• [0016] Johnson (2002), A personal retrospective on the genetics of aging (PubMed)
• [0337] Tissenbaum and Guarente (2002), Model organisms as a guide to mammalian aging (PubMed)
• [0066] Gershon and Gershon (2002), Caenorhabditis elegans--a paradigm for aging research: advantages and limitations (PubMed)
• [0277] Braeckman et al. (2001), Insulin-like signaling, metabolism, stress resistance and aging in Caenorhabditis elegans (PubMed)
• [0053] Guarente and Kenyon (2000), Genetic pathways that regulate ageing in model organisms (PubMed)
• [0069] Gershon and Gershon (2000), Paradigms in aging research: a critical review and assessment (PubMed)
• [0714] Van Voorhies and Ward (1999), Genetic and environmental conditions that increase longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans decrease metabolic rate (PubMed)
• [0278] Ailion et al. (1999), Neurosecretory control of aging in Caenorhabditis elegans (PubMed)
• [0052] Lithgow (1996), Invertebrate gerontology: the age mutations of Caenorhabditis elegans (PubMed)
• [0279] Fabian and Johnson (1995), Identification genes that are differentially expressed during aging in Caenorhabditis elegans (PubMed)
• [0280] Johnson (1990), Increased life-span of age-1 mutants in Caenorhabditis elegans and lower Gompertz rate of aging (PubMed)
• [0002] Caleb Finch (1990), Longevity, Senescence, and the Genome
• [0281] Johnson (1987), Aging can be genetically dissected into component processes using long-lived lines of Caenorhabditis elegans (PubMed)
• [0745] Klass (1977), Aging in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans: major biological and environmental factors influencing life span (PubMed)
• [0592] Klass and Hirsh (1976), Non-ageing developmental variant of Caenorhabditis elegans (PubMed)
• [0046] WormBase

External Resources

Integrated Taxonomic Information System

ITIS 63332

Animal Diversity Web

ADW account

Encyclopaedia of Life

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NCBI Taxonomy

Taxonomy ID 6239

Entrez

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Ageing Literature

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Internet

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