L-Theanine Prolongs the Lifespan by Activating Multiple Molecular Pathways in Ultraviolet C-Exposed <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>
Liangwen Chen,
Guijie Chen,
Tingting Gai,
Xiuhong Zhou,
Jinchi Zhu,
Ruiyi Wang,
Xuemei Wang,
Yujie Guo,
Yun Wang,
Zhongwen Xie
Affiliations
Liangwen Chen
State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, School of Tea and Food Sciences and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
Guijie Chen
State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, School of Tea and Food Sciences and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
Tingting Gai
Key Laboratory of Bioresource and Environmental Biotechnology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, School of Biological Engineering, Institute of Digital Ecology and Health, Huainan Normal University, Huainan 232001, China
Xiuhong Zhou
State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, School of Tea and Food Sciences and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
Jinchi Zhu
Key Laboratory of Bioresource and Environmental Biotechnology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, School of Biological Engineering, Institute of Digital Ecology and Health, Huainan Normal University, Huainan 232001, China
Ruiyi Wang
Key Laboratory of Bioresource and Environmental Biotechnology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, School of Biological Engineering, Institute of Digital Ecology and Health, Huainan Normal University, Huainan 232001, China
Xuemei Wang
Key Laboratory of Bioresource and Environmental Biotechnology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, School of Biological Engineering, Institute of Digital Ecology and Health, Huainan Normal University, Huainan 232001, China
Yujie Guo
Key Laboratory of Bioresource and Environmental Biotechnology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, School of Biological Engineering, Institute of Digital Ecology and Health, Huainan Normal University, Huainan 232001, China
Yun Wang
Key Laboratory of Bioresource and Environmental Biotechnology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, School of Biological Engineering, Institute of Digital Ecology and Health, Huainan Normal University, Huainan 232001, China
Zhongwen Xie
State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, School of Tea and Food Sciences and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
L-theanine, a unique non-protein amino acid, is an important bioactive component of green tea. Previous studies have shown that L-theanine has many potent health benefits, such as anti-anxiety effects, regulation of the immune response, relaxing neural tension, and reducing oxidative damage. However, little is known concerning whether L-theanine can improve the clearance of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage in organisms. Here, we reported that L-theanine treatment increased ATP production and improved mitochondrial morphology to extend the lifespan of UVC-exposed nematodes. Mechanistic investigations showed that L-theanine treatment enhanced the removal of mtDNA damage and extended lifespan by activating autophagy, mitophagy, mitochondrial dynamics, and mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt) in UVC-exposed nematodes. In addition, L-theanine treatment also upregulated the expression of genes related to mitochondrial energy metabolism in UVC-exposed nematodes. Our study provides a theoretical basis for the possibility that tea drinking may prevent mitochondrial-related diseases.
