Objective To investigate the role of environmental factor—temperature in the regulation of aging process by unc-13 and sbt-1 in Caenorhabditis elegans. Methods The lifespan, the speed of pharynx pumping, and the intestinal autofluorescence of unc-13 and sbt-1 mutants were examined at different temperature conditions. In addition, to exclude the possible influences from other factors in unc-13 and sbt-1 mutants, the dauer formation, the thermotaxis, the brood size and the population percentage of the mutants expressing hsp16.2-gfp were further investigated. Results Mutations of unc-13 and sbt-1 significantly increased the mean and the maximum lifespans of nematodes cultured at 20 oC and 25 oC, while no noticeable increase was found at 15 oC in either the mean or the maximum lifespan. Investigations on the speed of pharynx pumping and the intestinal autofluorescence suggested that at 20 oC and 25 oC, mutations of unc-13 and sbt-1 could slow the aging process and delay the accumulation of aging-related cellular damage. Meanwhile, mutations of unc-13 or sbt-1 did not affect the dauer formation or the thermotaxis to different temperatures in nematodes. In contrast, at 20 oC and 25 oC conditions, mutations of unc-13 and sbt-1 significantly decreased the brood size and the percentage of nematodes expressing hsp16.2-gfp, while no such differences were detected at 15 oC. Moreover, the thermotolerance of unc-13 and sbt-1 mutants could be greatly strengthened after the 16-h heat shock at 35 oC. Conclusion The regulation of aging by unc-13 and sbt-1 is temperature-dependent. And the alterations in reproduction capability and stress response may be associated with the formation of this temperature-dependent property.
