Significant longevity-extending effects of a tetrapeptide from maize on Caenorhabditis elegans under stress

Abstract: A tetrapeptide (Leu-Asp-Tyr-Glu) from maize (TPM) is a bioactive peptide. Here we reported that TPM extended the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans under heat and oxidative stress. Specifically, TPM (10mM) increased the average longevity of C. elegans by 36.9% and 27.6% under heat stress (35°C) and oxidative stress, respectively. Further studies demonstrated that the significant longevity-extending effects of TPM on C. elegans could be attributed to its in vitro and in vivo free radical-scavenging effects and its up-regulation of stress-resistance-related proteins, including superoxide dismutase-3 (SOD-3) and heat shock protein-16.2 (HSP-16.2). Real-time PCR results showed that the up-regulation of ageing-associated genes such as daf-16, sod-3 and hsp-16.2, in addition to skn-1, ctl-1 and ctl-2, could also contribute to the stress-resistance effect of TPM. These results indicate that TPM can (or has the potential to) protect against external stress and extend lifespan under stress. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]